TicketsNow and Odd Couple ticket inventory

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:09pm

I had to post this on a separate thread...

Okay - I am really confused....

I have been going to NYC for theater trips since 1987. What is the deal with this TicketsNow.com site? How is it that they got so many tickets for the Odd Couple when we little serfs couldn't get one ticket when they went on sale for the "general public".

Did the producers of this show bypass regular ticketmaster outlet to sell in the "secondary agent" market? This sounds very suspicious to me.

Anyone got any insight? I thought the code word on sites like Ticketmaster were meant to keep wholesale ticket resellers from shutting out individual purchasers like us. What gives?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:20pm

They're just one of MANY broker sites. Broker sites ALWAYS have tons of seats to the big Broadway hits. Ticketmaster only limits you to buying 8 tickets per day per credit card. Brokers have DOZENS of credit cards and so they probably just stocked up during the AMEX pre-sale (the show was close to sold out already due to that anyway -- almost nothing decent was left when tickets went on sale to the general public yesterday).

Mind you, the producers of Odd Couple will make a killing as well. The advance sale is fast approaching $20 million (probably a record for a non-musical) and they're going to make a killing with premium seats -- I don't know what they'll charge, but it'll likely be in the $240 to $300 range.

Updated On: 7/6/05 at 06:20 PM

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:28pm

In all the years I have been going to NYC to see shows, only the Lion King was as difficult to get tickets this far in advance on the day of initial sale.

Not even Phantom, Chicago, the Producers or Spamalot were this difficult. Very disappointing that things come to this - and here I was ready to blast the producers of this show for screwing the little guys. Do they even care about the people who really love theater and support them even with the bad shows?

I guess not. I will take my Rear Mezzanine Row L seat 13 and be happy I guess (and even that was bought pre-sale with my evil empire Amex card).

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:37pm

Those other shows are all open-ended runs that ran and are still running for YEARS. The Odd Couple is a limited engagement running just six months and it's playing at the Brooks Atkinson which has a capacity of just 1064 seats (unlike those other shows that play FAR larger houses).

Congrats that you got a ticket at all -- it's already one of the hottest non-musical shows in Broadway history.

[ProducersFan]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 7:28pm

Broker firms around me (Baltimore) were selling tickets to the Odd Couple before they had even announced a theatre. One woman swore up and down that it was going into the Vivian Beaumont. I didn't have the heart to tell her that was impossible...

It's the nature of the beast. That's why they started the premium ticktets program - to compete with these brokers who try to buy up the entire theatre.

~Jessica

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 7/7/05 at 10:50am

I got a question on the Brooks Atkinson. I have only been in orchestra for (I think) two shows. I usually check out the view from the mezz/balcony to see the sightlines and the distance but, for some reason, did not do it in this theater.

How far (far far) away does it look from up in rear mezz?

[WOSQ]

Posted: 7/7/05 at 11:01am

The Atkinson is fine just about anywhere you sit. Upstairs is not all that big. I think there is less that 1100 seats total.

This is one of my favorite theatres in town. It was a dump but they've even cleaned it up somewhat. The sightlines and acoustics are fine.

Posted: 7/7/05 at 12:15pm

What was playing most recently at the Brooks Atkinson? Was it Dame Edna? (I'm trying to visualize)

[SamIAm]

Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:37pm

Suzanne Somers is moving in for a short run ending just before rehearsals start for OC. Prior to that, Hal Holbrook and Twain were there for awhile.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:48pm

Democracy and Jumpers were there before.