Wicked Comping. Wow.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 12:42pm

You know things are getting bad on Broadway when shows like “Wicked” are giving away tons of free seats on a Wednesday night. I haven't been in a house that comped since THE BLONDE IN THE THUNDERBIRD. Also, what does this say about ticket sales? I think it’s a BIG sign that things aren’t going too well and that things are going to have to change when it comes to these exorbitantly high ticket costs in the new economic climate.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 12:43pm

How did you know they were comped?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:09pm

Because I had four voicemails when I woke up asking me to go.

By the way, the show is in really great shape. Ally Mauzey makes a wonderful Glinda and Marcie Dodd is one of the best Elphaba's I've seen in quite a while.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:20pm

The important question is was it four different friends or one clingy friend?

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:37pm

I want proof that you know they were comped tickets.

And I also want to know who the "four voice mails" were from and how THEY got tickets and who THEY know who was able to get them tickets, comped or not.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:39pm

'tons'!
Im guessing maybe about 20 or so.
Not unusual- the producers will give them out when ever they like sold out, or not!

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:42pm

If I leave you 4 voicemails, can I get comp tickets?

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:11pm

Comps (also called Papering) happen all the time. They're just not publicized for obvious reasons. You just have to know the right people. They were handing them out like candy for Cry Baby back in the spring. There's been some comping going on recently at 13, Pal Joey and even Shrek.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:29pm

And I want to know how four voice mails = "tons".

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:39pm

This was actually started to discuss Broadway in general now that shows like this are not selling to capacity.

And jordangirl, I said that I alone had messages asking me if I wanted to go. I was by far not the only person there that was comped. There were many MANY people.

So again, back to the original question - What does this mean for the coming months?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:42pm

More voicemails.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:59pm

It means that we are in an economic recession, people! You all act as if you're shocked every single day by the state of our country's economy. It's not news that shows are doing badly. It's just how things are. It's sad, yes. But Broadway is not going to die. So shows like Wicked are comping. EVERY SHOW DOES IT SOMETIMES.

On topic: I see much of the same in the coming months (minus the weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year's). Then once schools let out, everything will pick up again. Maybe not as strong as in years past, but noticeably. Just everyone stop acting like the economic state is some new development.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:02pm

"By the way, the show is in really great shape. Ally Mauzey makes a wonderful Glinda and Marcie Dodd is one of the best Elphaba's I've seen in quite a while."

Personally I think the show is in one of the worst shapes I ever seen it. Alli Mauzey is not a good Glinda,Kevin Kern is way too old to be Fiyero. But Marcie Dodd and Brynn O'Malley are awesome.

[Nicholas Clar]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:15pm

I highly doubt there "comped". They would be at the 1/2 price bin before that.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:40pm

Even is Wicked doesn't sell out for the next year...the Broadway advance sales are currently $30 million...remember the article a mere month ago on Playbill.com? Comps are, as said, given out all the time to all shows....There are actually comp seats available until a certain time for most shows I am sure. Stars can use them for friends, producers can use them for colleagues, et cetera....

This is silly.

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 4:50pm

They've been comping a lot. I went. Sometimes hundreds of seats a show.

* I work for the show too.
Updated On: 11/20/08 at 04:50 PM

[Nicholas Clar]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:07pm

Can I get some seats please please please?????

[jennamajig]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:08pm

Comps before TKTS?

And if Wicked is still selling to 93% each week, I don't think they are in any trouble. It recouped ages ago, and at 93% I'm thinking they are making a bunch above their nut.

Now 13 comping to a 40% sold house...that doesn't sound great to me.

[logan0215]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:10pm

What does it mean?

It means I want some of your friends

To quote Riff-tina, "we's in a recessions" and I want to see some shows!

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:16pm

I went to go to try lotto on Tuesday and was offered comps while standing in the lobby. No joke.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:21pm

As to:

"I highly doubt there "comped". They would be at the 1/2 price bin before that."

Not necessarily. When a smash hit show comes up against a (hopefully) temporary dip from its sold-out status, the tendency would be to discreetly comp rather than announce to the general public that seats are available by sending tickets to the half-price board. That would probably adversely affect advance full-price sales.

Updated On: 11/20/08 at 05:21 PM

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:22pm

I wouldn't be suprised if they were comping the house before TKTS. Lion King papers the house all of the time and they don't go to TKTS. I think they choose not to go to TKTS and paper the house because they want to protect their reputation. They want to be the shows that doesn't need TKTS to sell tickets even though they could apparently make a few more dollars.IMO

[emo_geek]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:24pm

Must mean the cast is getting the closing notice any minute

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:25pm

Yeah. There is a certain amount of bragging that goes on among General Management offices about how long a show runs before it hits TKTS. I highly doubt that we will see Wicked hitting the boards on 47th any time soon. Phantom I think is the current front runner for that honor.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:38pm

I'm confused...I've seen Phantom up on the tkts boards more times than not. Or did you mean it went the longest before appearing there for the first time?