| Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 08:37 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| as i've stated plenty of times if i have to pay full price for a ticket i almost always go day of show and try to score premium seats for regular orchestra prices. or i hope to get comped or i go with a group. i just looked at the availability of seats for HEDWIG. all i'm seeing are 300 dollar seats. almost all of the orchestra is premium. so i checked for a date in may. same thing. it occurs to me that i was only looking for the 10:00 show on a saturday and maybe those are priced outrageously high because ... uhhh... anyway, is it usually this bad? most of the orchestra priced at premium? and they aren't holding seats either. almost the entire orchestra is available. now, don't get me wrong i love HEDWIG, but it's a punk rock show not THE PRODUCERS. are they charging these prices based on NPH's name alone? are the engagement dates that firm - as in no extension? i don't get it. it's also worth noting that if i know they aren't holding back seats because almost the entire orchestra was available that means almost the entire orchestra was available as in those seats haven't been sold. or have things just gotten this out of hand and i don't know it because i don't usually buy advance tickets? | |
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| re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? A: Not particularly. | |
| Posted by: | AverageBwayNut 11:02 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? - enoch10 08:37 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| Not particularly. As near as I can tell -- as a numbers nerd who loves the business of Broadway -- they're priced comparably to many shows on Broadway these days, and especially for star-driven limited engagements like Denzel (the rumors I've heard say they can extend but they will have to re-cast). Whether that's right or fair is independent of whether it's good business. On a business level, it's supply and demand. If they overreach with their pricing, I'm sure they'll find out very quickly. But the show has been on sale since last Fall so I have to believe their sales are healthy and especially on the weekends, they can get away with pricing their premiums at $300 or more and selling a lot of them. I will say that for most Broadway shows these days, it's the first 12-15 rows center and the first four seats on the side aisles that are premium. In response to your post, I went on Telecharge and looked at May 3, 10 and 17 at 10pm and that seems to be the case for Hedwig as well. Not "almost the entire orchestra". Also, I didn't understand the assertion that "they aren't holding seats either. almost the entire orchestra is available." For those three shows I looked at, there were maybe 10 seats left at regular price (in orange) and maybe another 20-30 premiums available (in blue). Everything else was greyed out -- meaning it's either been sold or is being held until closer to the performance (as house seats or what-have-you). If they really had lots and lots of seats available, I'd agree with you 110% that it would be very stupid of them to expect to sell all of them at $300. But that doesn't seem to be what they are doing. They seem to be well sold (at least for those shows) and that's why they've jacked the prices (though thankfully not to Mormon-esque proportions). Of course, I got my seats at plain 'ole full regular price through Amex last October so I can't complain. :-) | |
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| re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? A: Not particularly. | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 11:49 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? A: Not particularly. - AverageBwayNut 11:02 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| well, isn't that interesting? we're getting different screens. i just checked for 10 may and all those blue seats i saw earlier- almost all are now grayed out. that means they are holding seats back. and there are only 6 seats in the 144.00 range, none together. you did go all the way in, right? to the point where you actually choose the seats? because if you don't you'll see a whole bunch of orange seats that aren't actually available. if you did, then the screen i saw looks radically different than what you saw a little while ago. the screen i saw definitely looks different from the screen i'm looking at now. if there was a glitch in the system and what i saw earlier shows what they've actually sold they're in a world of hurt because i'd say less than 10% of the orchestra was sold. curiouser and curiouser. of course the $300 seats now showing as available are the ones farthest back. the best seats (closest to the stage) which i could have purchased an hours ago are grayed out - that whole front section - and won't be sold until the less desirable ones in the back are gone. i understand the logic of this which doesn't stop from thinking of them as swine. well, it will be a group for me or nothing. no way i'm plunking down 600 bucks to see HEDWIG again. i saw it enough in earlier incarnations to practically have it memorized. i'd love to see this spin on it but not for that much money. | |
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| Posted by: | bret17 12:30 am EDT 03/17/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? A: Not particularly. - enoch10 11:49 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| Why don't you wait until it starts performing and go to the box office a few hours before and see what's happening like you said you would do? That's my plan... | |
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| Not if they're selling. | |
| Posted by: | FriendofDorothy 10:56 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? - enoch10 08:37 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| And Enoch10, this isn't directed at you in particular, but I am sometimes surprised when others are surprised at the notion of paying full price. Yes, I use discounts and do what I can to see shows more cheaply, but I also recognize the a seat has a market value that fluctuates, and that sometimes I have to pay more to get the seat that I want at the time that I want for the show that I want. Producers- including nonprofit producers- do what they reasonably can to create more revenue, including creating false impressions of limited availability, or hiking or dropping prices to meet perceived demand conditions. Not unlike a pastry shop selling the bread for 1/2 price in the evening, or a restaurant not taking reservations for peak walk-in hours, driving those who want a reservation to make it at an off-peak time. Everyone manipulates to make money. Sure, a sky-high priced ticket bought in advance might be more reasonably priced day of, or it might not be available. That extra money is your insurance that you'll get what you want. Waiting is your risk. The producer's risk is that, put off by high prices and a perception that tickets are hard to come by, people won't make the effort. | |
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| re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 09:29 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? - enoch10 08:37 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I got an orchestra seat for $140 something when tickets became available to the public. It's in Row D side orchestra. Probably too close. I feel bad for young people who will want to see the show. | |
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| re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? | |
| Posted by: | nyc23 09:08 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? - enoch10 08:37 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I have found it thus far impossible to find an orchestra seat under $300 for my April trip. I am not one that routinely bemoans high ticket prices; however, I am amazed at Hedwig's lack of ticket availability and incredibly high premium markup. Great for the producers if tickets are really that hot, but I am suspicious. Will it be a popular show? Probably, but I'll wait and see whether regular priced tickets will appear over the next few weeks - especially for preview performances. | |
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| re: Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? | |
| Posted by: | FrenchDip 09:02 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | Aren't The HEDWIG Tix Outrageously Expensive? - enoch10 08:37 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I don't know the specifics of Hedwig's business model, but this sounds about right based on similar shows. They've got a fairly well-known title, a star coming off a successful sitcom who hasn't been on stage in 10 years, a relatively small house and a limited run with 7 performances a week. If word of mouth is strong and/or if the reviews are good, those tickets could very well be sold for $300. From the producers' perspective, it might make more sense for now to wait and see if they can get that $300. If not, there will probably be people willing to pay $150 closer to the performance. | |
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