Why are tickets getting so expensive

Genuinely curious. Both Kimberly Akimbo and Some Like it hot balcony tickets are close to $100. These seats used to be like $50. What is going on!?

I think the general reason why productions *aspire* to have high ticket prices is because the costs of mounting these productions are just so high. If we are expecting a live production 8 times a week with high quality performers (actors & musicians) in prime NYC real estate locations we just have to pay for it. I don’t actually blame ‘greedy producers’ or anything like that for the most part given most of these shows will never make a single dime of profit.


The good thing though is because of the laws of supply and demand as hogan has referred to, I would say it’s rare especially if you live in the city not to be able to find cheap tickets options.

I noticed this also. & Juliet's lowest price is 109.00 up in the mezz in the last row. Their front Orchestra seats are over $282.00 and the last row of the Orch. is at $132.00 on the day I looked to go.



I could see these prices going up about 10 or 20 dollars but this is quite a jump in price.

For the last ten years or so, since I entered my 30s, I've gone to New York 2-4 times year and seen 5-10 shows a visit. It's the thing I do. The thing I spend my money on. It's always cost a lot but it's always felt worth it. I try to see everything and take risks on stuff I might not love... if I've got an open slot, I'll fill it with whatever.

We're planning a trip this December to see A Man of No Importance and Merrily We Roll Along. There's lots of other things we want to see too... but for the first time it's all so outrageously expensive. Into the Woods, & Juliet, Leopoldstadt (and I'm sure others) are all well over 200$ for any reasonable seat. I can sort of understand and justify that price with a major celebrity or a major spectacle but for an average starting ticket... It's just too much. I understand supply and demand and I don't really think I fault producers (or anybody else) for charging folks what they'll pay. I guess I'm just saying, as a lifelong Broadway nutcase, at these prices I just don't think it's worth it anymore.

I don't know how intentional it may be, but it sure feels like we have "price anchoring" going on.

When theaters establish much higher baseline prices, it anchors that in our minds as the norm. So many discounted tickets now are at what a few years ago would have been the higher price points.

And then of course, we have the greater percentage of seats designated at some level of premium and the higher price points at which they are listed.

I traditionally have come into town each year at least three times for a week of theater. The cost of doing so—airfare, hotel, and tickets—has almost doubled this year, so I had to cut out one week/trip entirely.

TotallyEffed said: "The prices are absolutely out of control. Just like the rent in this city, it's all about greed. I personally find it shameful. Art and theatre should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy and privileged."

Then you should go talk to the actors, musicians, and crew demanding fair wages for their work which puts a mandatory minimum in place for the hundred+ people it takes just to perform a show every night, along with the cost of labor to build the sets, the right and fairness to the people who write and direct the shows to be paid for their creativity, and the city and state to bring down the price of real estate. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to advertise the show so people even know it exists (case in point: Paradise Square having no money to advertise and everyone here telling them they need to advertise more). That also requires paying TV stations, newspapers, magazines and outdoor advertisers along with the artists to make those ads and the printers to print them.

Very rarely is it about greed - it's about trying to not run a charity by losing money every time producers invest money in a show; they have to MAKE money to HAVE money to invest in more shows - or there won't be more shows.

What is so hard to understand about Broadway being a for-profit commercial business?

Go to the non-profit theaters if you want to see non-profit theater.

Updated On: 9/11/22 at 11:21 AM

I don’t think those wages are fair. It sounds like you’re blaming the performers and musicians and crew for “demanding” a livable wage. Confusing.


Anyway, I think the ticket prices are shameful and that’s my opinion.

One day maybe we will have a thread that doesn't devolve into people shouting at each other. Doesn't look like it is going to be this one.

veronicamae said: "TotallyEffed said: "The prices are absolutely out of control. Just like the rent in this city, it's all about greed. I personally find it shameful. Art and theatre should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy and privileged."

Then you should go talk to the actors, musicians, and crew demanding fair wages for their work which puts a mandatory minimum in place for the hundred+ people it takes just to perform a show every night, along with the cost of labor to build the sets, the right and fairness to the people who write and direct the shows to be paid for their creativity, and the city and state to bring down the price of real estate. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to advertise the show so people even know it exists (case in point: Paradise Square having no money to advertise and everyone here telling them they need to advertise more). That also requires paying TV stations, newspapers, magazines and outdoor advertisers along with the artists to make those ads and the printers to print them.

Very rarely is it about greed - it's about trying to not run a charity by losing money every time producers invest money in a show; they have to MAKE money to HAVE money to invest in more shows - or there won't be more shows.

What is so hard to understand about Broadway being a for-profit commercial business?

Go to the non-profit theaters if you want to see non-profit theater."



and yet, if you go to non profit theaters, prices have gotten out of control as well. Take the Public. 15 years ago I was able to get tickets for $65 for a musical and now it’s like $115 minimum. And it was just reported that Oskar Eustis made over $1 million in 2020 alone.

TotallyEffed said: " I personally find it shameful. Art and theatre should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy and privileged."

I agree, however championing access to "art and theatre" does not mean "every commercial play should be accessible to all." Many people seem to think it does. As long as people are willing to pay outrageous ticket prices, there will be spaces that offer commercial theater that is accessible to the few.

I agree, however championing access to "art and theatre" does not mean "every commercial play should be accessible to all." Many people seem to think it does. As long as people are willing to pay outrageous ticket prices, there will be spaces that offer commercial theater that is accessible to the few."

Agreed. There are thousands of regional theaters, free theater performances, and community centers that are accessible to all and have much lower price points. Broadway is the best theater district in America and the prices reflect that. The demographics for Broadway patrons are also very telling. Like much of New York City, Broadway caters to the rich and wealthy and always will.

Broadway becoming accessible to all that everyone talked about during the pandemic was all talk and no action, unfortunately.

TotallyEffed said: "making it damn near impossible for the average person to afford to see anything."

This is the fundamental flaw in your reasoning. The average person with an interest in seeing theatre can absolutely see a ton, on and off-Broadway (and beyond). Can they see Hugh Jackman? Perhaps not, but that's not really much of a loss.

I keep my eye on a friend's theatre-interested son who moved to the city after college, and makes not-very-much money. He manages to see a rich array of theatre at all levels so, as I said above, let's cool the histrionics.