TOS--Why a 3PM matinee on Saturday?

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 6:48am

OK, here's a little whine to go with your Sunday dinner.

Other than the 90-minute running time, why is TOS' Saturday matinee at 3 pm? I was planning to see it next Saturday, stage door and then leisurely make it make to my hotel and Penn station to catch the 5:20 train back home.

Then I'm monkeying around on telecharge, checking to see what might be available and I see the matinee is at 3 rather than 2. What was once an 80-minute window (guessing I'd be done by 4) has been reduced to 45 or 50, which is a little tight.

Sunday at 3 I understand completely, but Saturday?

Just wondering if any insiders know the reasoning. I could go home later but not big on the idea or switch it to Thursday night, but since I'm only getting there at 6:30 on Thursday, it's a tight squeeze again.

Ok, whine over...

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 6:52am

DROWSY CHAPERONE did this as well.

It's a wise move on the part of the producers.

With a 3PM start time on Saturdays, while most every other Broadway show begins at 2PM, people that arrive at TKTS a few minutes too late past 2PM will still have the chance to buy a ticket to and discover [title of show], a Broadway musical -- probably the only Broadway musical -- that begins at 3PM.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 7:33am

Aaah now that seems like a very clever move indeed.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 9:50am

Clever yes...inconvenient for out-of-towners trying to keep something resembling a schedule.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 9:52am

Look at it this way. If you saw a 2.5 hour show, it would get out at 4:30. Now [tos] gets out at the same time, with a 3 pm show.

Schedule's aren't really affected.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 9:59am

I hear ya...but thinking that TOS had a 2 pm matinee took away any time issues...until I found out otherwise. Anyway, just got the OK from my partner to take a later train. May sound silly, but since this trip (or healthy chunks of it) is basically his birthday present to me, I did want him to have a say in the matter.

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:27am

They probably (correctly) assume that the demographic who'd see the show was out late the night before and wants to sleep late, enjoy a nice brunch and then see a show. They don't want to wake up early, just stuff food in their mouths and run out the door half-asleep to see a 2pm show.

If anything, they'd do better with at 5pm matinee or even a 10:30pm evening show. I would much prefer 5pm or 10:30pm instead of 3pm (that's just WAY too early in the day, especially on nice days when you'd rather be at the beach.)
Updated On: 7/20/08 at 10:27 AM

[Weez]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:29am

You're right. This is whiney. I hope you have a lovely day out anyway. :)

[bjh2114]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:32am

Also, since the show is only 90 minutes, the cast and crew probably don't want to have to sit around for 4 hours between shows (more like 3 because of stage door after the matinee and warm up before the night show). With the later time, they only have to wait 2 hours between signing autographs at the first show and warming up for the second show.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:34am

"DROWSY CHAPERONE did this as well."

I saw Drowsy on a Saturday...at 2 pm. When did they change it?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:36am

Toward the end of the run.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:37am

Oh okay...thanks!