Jarethan said: "Re $89, I guess it depends on when, because I did just buy a (second) balcony seat for $99, It was a lousy seat, which I expected, because the show is a big hit and time had gone by (amazingly the purchase for a non-musical was 5 months out and there were very few seats, which I am happy about). I still feel the pricing is wrong, it prices so many people out of even buying last row of the balcony; and don't tell me they can rush...there are so few seats available and a lot of people do not live or work in Manhattan. If they even know about Rush seats, they probably have to be at the theatre (and it is now winter)at the crack of dawn. Now, if they are not in-town, what are they going to do for the next eight hours if they are successful with their purchase, and don't live / work in Manhattan?
Admittedly enough years back that some of your parents were not even born, you could get cheap tickets to the hardest ticket in town, and they would cost around 1/3 of the high priced tickets (this is before premium pricing, so I am talking an apples to apples comparison). I was able to see Funny Girl for $3 when the orchestra was $9.60 and Hello Dolly for a similar price, and Fiddler and Man of La Mancha and Hair, i.e., classic hit that were the most in demand shows early in their runs. For several shows -- I don't remember how many --Harold Prince raised the price of the orchestra to $12, and used part of that to subsidize the mezzanine seats he sold for $2. I know I saw Cabaret and Superman for $2, don't remember if there were others). I saw an amazing number of shows for about the equivalent of about 2 hoursof work on a part-time job I had later in high school. Now, I imagine that a student would need to work 8 - 10 hours for that same ticket. That is going to hinder young people from developing the passion that I, and I assume otherson this board, have had since our teen years.
One other thing. How often are middle class people who do notlive in Manhattan are going to thinkabout coming in to seea show iftheir perspective is based on the $99 second balcony seat for TKAM they managed to get or the $99 Frozen tickets theygot in the second balcony (before the show opened, per your earlier point). I can not remember which one, but I am positive there is a show opening this season that is charging $109 for the front of the second balcony.
My ultimate fear: alot of non-regular theatre goers (who could become more frequent attendees) are assumingall shows are as expensive as the few they have seen.
Now,I will get off my soap-box."
Yes, Be More Chill is charging $110 for the front of the center balcony, which is excessive, but they also have some $49 seats. My point is that every Broadway show opening this season has a more reasonably-priced option when tickets go on sale, without a discount. Moulin Rouge is pushing it with charging $99 for rows S and T of the mezzanine, but the show can certainly be enjoyed from there. They might not be the best or closest seats in the theatre, but, if you want to see the show, many of them are much more than just fine. Also, if you buy early, you can get the best available of the cheap options. With the exception of What the Constitution Means to Me, I have a ticket for every upcoming Broadway opening, and the most I spent was $99 for Moulin Rouge. The rest cost from $10-79 each, some with a discount, some without.
Updated On: 1/21/19 at 10:46 PM
TOtally agree. Stay away from tickets on Broadway.com
