Premium Rush - CHESS Issue

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/10/25 at 6:00pm

I’m kind of over the idea of two tiers of rush - a regular and a “premium” rush, the latter usually being $20-30 more. It seems like it defeats the entire purpose of rush to begin with. When you’re offering a “premium rush” for $99, but not actually getting one of the premium seats (happened to me an others before), it just seems silly. (And yes, I’m aware that shows are under no obligation to offer rush/lotto/comps etc).

I say this because I almost got conned at the Imperial box office for CHESS today. The lady asked me if I was filming her (because my phone was out for tap to pay and the Telecharge map) and then tried to charge me $79 for what was actually a $59 partial view orchestra seat. (With fees, it was $74 on Telecharge.) Her response was “well, maybe you should just buy that one then. So I told her to nix the premium rush and I will only pay for the seat for the $59 value and, defeated, looked at me and said “good catch”.

I emailed TC to let them know, but if you are rushing CHESS in person, check the Telecharge map before you go up. Face value drops for most partial view (which aren’t bad at all) seats in the 24 hours before curtain. You may prevent getting yourself hustled.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/10/25 at 10:27pm

Oh, MARY!!  The sense of entitlement astonishes. 

Also, your post just cries out for a Jesse Tyler Ferguson dramatic reading. 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/10/25 at 11:32pm

JSquared2 said: "Oh, MARY!! The sense of entitlement astonishes.

Also, your post just criesout for a Jesse Tyler Ferguson dramatic reading."

The theatre was literally trying to charge them MORE for a ticket for no reason. Where is the entitlement there? lol

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 11:13am

n2nbaby said: "JSquared2 said: "Oh, MARY!! The sense of entitlement astonishes.

Also, your post just criesout for a Jesse Tyler Ferguson dramatic reading."

The theatre was literally trying to charge them MORE for a ticket for no reason. Where is the entitlement there? lol"

Thank you! And the only reason I brought this up is because people often ask about rush situations and whatnot and I think it was important to share that something fishy was at play and be mindful.

And believe it or not, my little tip actually helped people in line. One of the women who I told saw me at another stage door later and thanked me for the heads up because she was able to get (in her words, “fantastic”) seats at a reasonable price.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 11:32am

My friend and I also had a shady experience at the Chess box office. We wanted to purchase two separate single orchestra seats at a lower price point, and checked to make sure they were still available right before we went to the box office. When we got there, the agent told us those had just been sold, and offered us two more expensive seats together, which we bought. Of course, when we checked Telecharge after the purchase, those same singles were still available, and remained so for at least a couple of days. 

I figured it might be a mistake or a glitch, but your story leads me to believe the producers might be pushing the agents to be deceptive if they can get a little more money from a customer.

[MB124]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 11:44am

JSquared2 said: "Oh, MARY!! The sense of entitlement astonishes.

Also, your post just criesout for a Jesse Tyler Ferguson dramatic reading."

LOL please just shut up. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 1:30pm

kdogg36 said: "My friend and I also had a shady experience at theChessbox office. We wanted to purchase two separate single orchestra seats at a lower price point, and checked to make sure they were still available rightbefore we went to the box office. When we got there, the agent told us those had just been sold, and offered us two more expensive seats together, which we bought. Of course, when we checked Telecharge after the purchase, those same singles were still available, and remained so for at least a couple of days.

I figured it might be a mistake or a glitch, but your story leads me to believe the producers might be pushing the agents to be deceptive if they can get a little more money from a customer."

The only way it would be a glitch would be if you had selected the seats and put the, in your cart while you were at the window. But if you didn’t, then they are playing games.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 1:35pm

MB124 said: "JSquared2 said: "Oh, MARY!! The sense of entitlement astonishes.

Also, your post just criesout for a Jesse Tyler Ferguson dramatic reading."

LOL please just shut up."

 

LOL...GFY (or better yet, just block me).

 

[MB124]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 2:10pm

JSquared2 said: "MB124 said: "JSquared2 said: "Oh, MARY!! The sense of entitlement astonishes.

Also, your post just criesout for a Jesse Tyler Ferguson dramatic reading."

LOL please just shut up."



LOL...GFY (or better yet, just block me).

"

Okay! Will do, troll!

[nealb1]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 4:20pm

I have noticed in the last few years coming out of Covid, that some theatres have different RUSH ticket prices.  Both "Company" and "Kimberly Akimbo" did.  For both shows, I picked the $40 ticket price. 

In 2017, "Present Laughter" and "Groundhog Day," had digital rush lotteries. For those who didn't win - myself included, a consolation discount code for $59 was emailed out.  For both of these shows, I took the code to the respective box offices, and each time was told that the price was $99, not $59.  After entering in the code into their system, each lady saw that it was the lower price, and I was able to get great, front orchestra seats for $59.  

The best RUSH tickets I ever got was for "Dancin," and "The Music Man."   Both shows, we were in the center, front orchestra.  "Dancin" was $40, and "The Music Man" was $59.  Fantastic seats, at fantastic prices, and both ladies at the box office were very, very nice.  

In all my many, many years of buying tickets at the box office, I've never felt conned, pressured, or scammed to only purchase higher priced tickets.  

Updated On: 12/11/25 at 04:20 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 5:18pm

quizking101 said: "The only way it would be a glitch would be if you had selected the seats and put the, in your cart while you were at the window. But if you didn’t, then they are playing games."

Well, we know better than to do that, since (like a lot of folks, I imagine) we do the same inventory-checking whenever we buy tickets at the box office. I suppose it's possible that we made a careless mistake, but the timing would have had to have been exact. By the same token, it's also possible, though a stretch, to suppose that someone else had them in their cart during the exact moments we were at the window. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 5:21pm

nealb1 said: "In all my many, many years of buying tickets at the box office, I've never felt conned, pressured, or scammed to only purchase higher priced tickets."

To be clear, neither have I, with the possible exception of this one recent experience. That's why it seemed so strange.

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/11/25 at 6:00pm

kdogg36 said: "nealb1 said: "In all my many, many years of buying tickets at the box office, I've never felt conned, pressured, or scammed to only purchase higher priced tickets."

To be clear, neither have I, with the possible exception of this one recent experience. That's why it seemed so strange."

Same here - the WTF of it all is what compelled me to share