I've been really surprised to receive emails with codes and forms to sign up for tickets for HAMLET in the Park. This is not for a lottery or wait list but just to sign up. There was a time when Park tickets were really hard to get and you had to stand in line or enter the lottery. I remember that the Public was quite strict about making every ticket possible available to the general public but more and more, they are just giving the tickets to special groups or offering them via various ways and emails lists. I used to donate to bypass the line but this year, I was able to get a code to reserve seats. Are they really having trouble filling seats? That would be a very sad thing since it has always been such a special thing for decades. Or is the show that bad? The "Richard III" last year was horrible so maybe people are remembering that and not going anymore?
I will say the quality of the Park shows has gone downhill in recent years. There was a time when actors who could handle Shakespeare - Michael Cumpsty, Lily Rabe, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jay O. Sanders, Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Francis James, etc. could be seen every year but now, they seem to have different priorities that have nothing to do with putting on a good Shakespeare production. |
