Kennedy Center Opera House
202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org.
"Wicked, winner of three Tonys and a Grammy, continues to cast a spell over audiences in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and now here. The run December 21 to January 15 is officially sold out, but you might get lucky by trying the box office for returned tickets ($42 to $150), especially as the performance date nears. Failing that, many second-hand ticket dealers are selling—at high prices. Craigslist, eBay, and Stubhub.com are your best chances at a fair deal."
It's quite shocking for me to read that they are actually ENCOURAGING people to go to EBAY and other such places for "fair" deals...whatever!
PS - Someone should also tell whoever wrote that that it's NOT continuing to cast a spell in L.A. at the moment.
Washingtonian
Updated On: 12/11/05 at 10:57 PM
Broadway Star Joined: 6/9/04
wow! that IS kind of shocking! I may not be able to get a ticket after all!
I suppose if there is an upside to that, it's that the people who were sort of on the fence of seeing it may be discouraged and the ones who really want to see it will have a better chance at getting the cancellation tickets and such. Don't be discouraged... where there is a will, there is a way!
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/03
Where did the newspaper article take sides with scalpers?
"Failing that, many second-hand ticket dealers are selling—at high prices. Craigslist, eBay, and Stubhub.com are your best chances at a fair deal."
Seems to me the article stated that if you can't get a cancellation ticket rather than going to one of the premium charging ticket brokers you should check Craigslist, eBay, and stubhub for their rate. Seems to me they were providing an alternative to the higher priced brokers.
Broadway Star Joined: 6/9/04
that's true! If I can get tickets in LA from the cancellation line (twice...well, sort of...but I still got to see it twice from cancellation) then I can get them here. I think LA was the biggest city...I mean most popular.
Ok, well perhaps I'm being dramatic with my wording, however, most people know that EBAY + Wicked Tickets does NOT equal FAIR DEAL. It's hardly an alternative to avoid high charging brokers. I guess it just pisses me off that the people who get away with selling their tickets for crazy prices are getting free advertisement from this newspaper.
Updated On: 12/12/05 at 11:18 PM
I have my tickets. I'm seeing it twice in DC but I was considering selling my ticket on eBay a few months ago (short on cash) and people were already charging an arm and a leg for crappy seats. Like $300 for back of the front mezz! I had an orchestra ticket, I could have lived off the profit from that for a year.
Seeing as the Kennedy Center put tickets onsale for members about 4 MONTHS before regular sales, and while selling out practically half the tickets just there, they changed the regular sale date to a week earlier with hardly any notification so that when it was assumed they were going on sale for people who didn't fork over all their money to them beforehand, tickets were completely sold out. And there's is no lottery, so if someone would point in a direction where I can get non-obsurly priced tickets, I'd really enjoy that. *rolls eyes*
Broadway Star Joined: 6/9/04
Why AREN'T they doing lotto? I don't understand!
I got lucky with the lotto a few times, but seeing that DC isn't having one I'd go on a day when you have a little time to wait and try your luck with a cancellation ticket. You may have to bring a book and get there early to ensure yourself a spot but at least you know you'll be paying face value and usually the cancellation seats are in prime locations!
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/25/05
Putting tickets on ebay isn't scalping; it's auctioning off tickets, and it's perfectly legal.
The tickets were already paid to the theatre's box office. They are not being scalped. You buy a ticket and that money goes to the show. Then you sell that ticket on eBay.
It is better than empty paid-for seats in the house.
The Kennedy Center doesn't do lotto, they're too elitist for that. They don't want to risk having the commoners mingling about.
There are plenty of things that are legal that shouldn't be and plenty of things that aren't that should be...My issue is with the LACK OF MORALITY and not LEGALITY of the action.
I realize it's not technically scalping but c'mon. And I'm not talking about the people who are legit and simply want to resell the tickets they can't use. I'm talking about the people who buy the tickets to purposely rip people off and make a profit. Theaters limit the amount of tickets you can buy precisely for this reason.
Anyway, I'm not saying that I don't see the temptation... but when decent people like Gretchasketch can't buy a ticket for face value because they've all been bought up to sell on EBAY and craigslist that's just not cool with me.
Updated On: 12/12/05 at 12:37 AM
In regards of what HighlyUnrealistic said: I was peeved to no end when it got around that the Kennedy Center had put the rest of their tickets up for sale, a week before the official sale date was posted. I got lucky and got a couple of alright mezzanine seats a day before every show was sold out... but thankfully my fiance had gotten wind of the sale at work and had already ordered 2 Christmas day tickets for part of my Christmas gift. It WAS suppose to be a suprise... but when I told him that I had bought us Wicked tickets, he informed me that he had already gotten us a pair. And they're good seats... 7 rows back, center stage. :)
As for the mezzanine tickets I bought: I sold them for face value to a gentleman in Silver Spring.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/05
In some states (like Utah - not that the show is there), scalping is perfectly legal and encouraged - it is considered just another form of captialism.
I appreciate what you're saying Urban but, once again, my issue isn't with the legality. Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. I don't mean to come off as a goody two shoes or point fingers because God knows I don't always do the "right" thing... but it's getting to be ridiculous how hard it is to get seats to this show and maybe, just maybe, if people weren't so greedy it would be a little easier.
I know in NY state, there's a limit to the profit you can make on eBay for event tickets. They have a disclaimer at the bottom of all the auctions about NY state residents can only bid up to a certain amount because of some laws. I don't know why it's just NY that does that, all states should have laws like that. All that does it keep NY residents from winning certain auctions.
I just auctioned tickets on EBay for a performance I couldn't attend. They sold for less than face value and are front row center. I wouldn't call that scalping!
Stand-by Joined: 11/29/05
I just wanted to say that cancellation is the way to go..I saw the show on Broadway and didnt have tickets and waited in line for cancellation...I got two tickets about seventh row front and center in the orchestra for one hundred bucks a piece...not a bad deal at all if you ask me..
"And I'm not talking about the people who are legit and simply want to resell the tickets they can't use. I'm talking about the people who buy the tickets to purposely rip people off and make a profit."
Ken - see above as I feel like I am repeating myself and talking to a wall. I'm sorry you didn't at least make your money back. I'm sure if you would've put them up for what you bought them for as a "BUY IT NOW" auction that would've done the trick.
I'm all for what Celestial Entropy did. It's the honest decent thing to do. It's not about legality. There's capitalism and then there's extortionism.
It's all about the wannabe entrepeneurs with a get rich quick scheme It's not right. And it shouldn't be advertised to help them out.
My 5 cents if nothing else.
THANK YOU!
Please don't get me started on scalpers.
When I see Wicked tickets in Tempe going for $300.00 each, I get really frustrated. Especially since they aren't on sale to the general public yet.
And the Kristen Chenoweth concert in LA. Look how fast ebay and the scalper sites have those at $300.00 and up.
I'm always surprised when I visit this site and see banner ads for stubhub.com. If you look to your left you might see one right now.
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