Outrageous Back to the Future tour scam!

[phantom1978]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 3:11am

I saw the show twice in Seattle and the last performance was missing set pieces. The show was clearly loading out outside and they must’ve loaded out the McFly home and other elements early cause all we got were backdrops. The sets were there days before. Totally ridiculous. We paid the same price and got less show. I want my money back from the shady producers.

Updated On: 12/23/24 at 03:11 AM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 5:31am

If you want your money back, posting a message isn't likely to do it.  Did you speak to the theater staff?

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 7:39am

A show loading out during the show is highly unusual for a tour. Any chance those set pieces just happened to not be working on the last night? Could’ve been that there was a mechanical issue but they still wanted the show to go on.

But I understand wanting your money back. I also wanted my money back after sitting through that show on Broadway.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 9:03am

I get this. When I saw Paradise Square on Broadway, the turn table didn’t work. I didn’t even realize there was a turn table until a friend went and said that was the only thing that was good about it LOL

[nealb1]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 11:16am

When you spoke to the Stage Manager about your concerns of the sets, and asked for a refund, what was the response that you got?  

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 11:18am

If this is true this is such a terrible precedent. I know non-equity tours tend to cut certain set pieces depending on the venue and how much time to load in/out, but an equity tour should not be doing this. Seems like they should’ve invested in a jump set if they’re having tight turnarounds. Definitely reach out to the customer service at Broadway Across Americas Seattle department [e-mail]

Updated On: 12/23/24 at 11:18 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 9:09am

phantom1978 said: "I saw the show twice in Seattle and the last performance was missing set pieces. The show was clearly loading out outside and they must’ve loaded out the McFly home and other elements early cause all we got were backdrops. The sets were there days before. Totally ridiculous. We paid the same price and got less show. I want my money back from the shady producers."

A few things to keep in mind:

• You didn't get less show. You got the full show. If they did actually reduce select set pieces for a certain performance date, there are a multitude of reasons why they might have done that. Stuff happens. A performance with minor tweaks is better than no show at all. You're behaving as though they cut the character of Doc Brown.
• You are not promised a specific set when you buy a ticket, in the same way that you are not promised a specific cast at a given performance date. Theatre is a living and breathing thing and will never be exactly the same night to night.
• Trying to compare prices and seats across dates holds no weight in an age of dynamic pricing, whether you're a subscriber, a full-priced buyer, or a discounted buyer.
• If you feel so inclined to ask for a refund, manage expectations and don't expect any more than about 20% at best, given the amount of the runtime those units are on the stage, their size, and their relation to the actual plot/storytelling. Also keep in mind this would be real "Karen Behavior"...but if you feel it's a worthwhile use of your time, u go gurl.
• While the situation may be crummy, I doubt it was done with any malicious or "shady" intent and it's def not a "scam".
• What's the old phrase about "if you leave a musical singing the set, you know it's a bad show"?

Updated On: 12/23/24 at 09:09 AM

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 11:21am

Ermengarde, what an incredibly intelligent post. 

[phantom1978]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 1:14pm

The show literally had replacement sets and props.  Examples:

Doc Browns huge chair in the opening of act 2 become a small stand.

The Pinheads sign was reduced to a crappy looking banner.

And more. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 4:11pm

Wow, if you're this upset set by replacement sets and props, how do you react when there is an....dare I say it.....an.....UNDERSTUDY?????

 

 

 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 4:22pm

Oh, look. Sweaty Oracle just picked up on this even though he “doesn’t read the boards” lmao

[phantom1978]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 6:15pm

I have no problem with understudies. But don’t bait and switch paying customers with paired down major set pieces when your loading out the same day. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 7:22pm

phantom1978 said: "I have no problem with understudies. But don’t bait and switch paying customers with paired down major set pieces when your loading out the same day."

Was the Deloreon there? 

Like... there was plenty of downtime before they start their next leg of shows on the 26th, they weren't loading the show you're just assuming that they were when there could have been a myriad of other reasons for why the set pieces were missing. 

[MinneapolisMichael]

Posted: 12/23/24 at 8:17pm

I can assure you this did not happen.  They use automation on this show - ie the sets move onto the stage via automation vs stagehands standing behind the set manually moving the set on and off the stage. I suspect there may have been an issue with the automation and thus a plan B was put into place. 
Several reasons that they would not load out a set piece during the show are

- when a show does a load out, they need upwards of 50 stage hands to load out the show - those stage hands report to the venue around the end of the show because the show crew has a 30 minute meal break after the show. 
- the trucks that the show is loaded into during a load out - have a specific order and a specific truck that they are loaded into. This show has maybe 10 trucks and a venue can usually have 2 trucks in the loading dock at a time 

- the load out for back to the future takes 10-15 hours depending on the venue

sorry to hear that you didn’t get the show that you were expecting but having worked on this show for several weeks (and knowing most of the cast and crew), and having worked on countless other tours, I can assure you that they do not load out sets early just to get a head start on loading out a show. It doesn’t work that way. 

[phantom1978]

Posted: 12/24/24 at 8:30pm

So they bring alternatives with them for the McFly home, the diner, etc? I mean it was missing a ton of stuff that I’d just seen days earlier.