Les Miserables - The Staged Concert

Ball and Boe also have a TV special to record too

Yup. Brief, succinct and free of sanctimonious waffle though, huh?

But it wasn't used against the situation. It was used to explain an example or possibility.

It seems like you always like to play the victim. I agree I get sad and angry when someone I want to see is off. But I’m commercial theater, people still need to get paid if someone is off. I’d be furious if all of the leads were out, but if they aren’t going to give me my money back, my two choices are make the best and watch the show or eat the ticket. There is also such a thing as past dating, (it happens on Broadway, not sure in the West End) where if you can’t Attend a show you have tickets to, and it wasn’t scanned in, you can call the theater another day in the morning and if they have a free seat for the day/evening perf, they can put you win. That wouldn’t be available here, because the run is sold out, but it is something that does happen.

When you say theater needs to put the customer first, That makes no sense. The point of theater is for the audience. But they can’t keep refunding tickets every day if somebody’s out. Potentially they could be giving money back every single day for the whole run.

I've just re-read your post and you're referring to every situation where a star is out sick, which would include this, and you said that it is deceit and fraud that they don't get to see what was advertised if a star is off. It isn't, so I stand by what I said. How, exactly, did I take it out of context?

I don't know if Delfont offer it but other ticketing sites like ATG and LW do have the insurance option although that's more for if you can't make it to due to illness, weather, transport etc

^ The performance. The actors' performance should definitely be the star of the show, not the actors themselves, or their celebrity, or (especially) when their celebrity does not warrant a fine performance. Referring to all shows in general that aren't "Celebrity X in Concert".

I don’t disagree. And I wouldn’t have returned my tickets if I had attended. However when THIS is your marketing and every one of the performers you explicitly mention as a selling point is not able to perform (as had been the case) I can’t criticise those who did want a refund. I am starting to come around to New York’s system of compensating when over the title performers are absent. At least that is unambiguous for audience and producers alike.

*I don’t agree with partial refunds though - either see the show or don’t (the production costs the same either way) It doesn’t seem fair on the rest of the audience and would encourage everyone to make a scene at the box office!

That's pretty insulting, don't you think? Also why would you rest your voice 10 days before filming? 

The absence of the three male star names has thrown up so many interesting arguments. My flat mate and I managed to get a couple of cheap returns for the Friday night performance because around 30 people had demanded their money back prior to the curtain going up.
I completely see both sides of the debate, on one hand it has been advertised with the four star names (although CHF is completely unknown to most in the audience but ticks the younger/social media demographic), and because tickets are so expensive, you expect to get at least one of the three male leads and if that doesn't happen (as was the case on Friday, then refunds should apply.

However, you are not attending Little Britain or a Boe/Ball concert, you are watching Les Miserables with a wonderful supporting cast and a full orchestra and that is what you get.

On Friday, JOJ, Earl Carpenter and Stephen Matthews stood in for Boe, Ball and Lucas, respectively. Before the show started you could feel a slightly subdued atmosphere in the audience but at the final curtain, they were on their feet cheering and applauding as enthusiastically as they had on my previous visit.

To say the three actors 'stood in' is a little disrespectful as all three are principals in their own right with extensive cv's in musical theatre. It certainly wasn't a case of giving the audience graduates. JOJ, as had been said many times before on this board is a phenomenal JVJ, the best IMO. Earl sang Michael into the long grass. Stephen was a brilliant Mr T, funny and terrifying and had the audience in the palm of his hand. Also thought he fitted better with Katy S as we were getting the show and not stupid ad-libs that distract.

I think the additional point to make is that the stars come out and get their applause before they've even opened their mouths. The replacements don't and earn their appreciation from the audience because of their talent. CMack are very lucky to have them.

This is a unique event though, but by putting big stars at overinflated prices as your chief marketing tool (when the concert version would have sold out anyway on a limited run), Cameron has created a monster of his own making.

"Audience members travel miles and miles, sometimes across oceans, to see advertised stars and it doesn't seem fair that they shouldn't get something as it was sold. Its deceit, possibly fraud."

I can't believe I'm having to publicly stand up for myself here. This forum feels like fight a night.

I never said anything regarding sickness in this paragraph. Let's make this completely general; when someone buys something, if they don't get it as advertised when they bought it, thats deceit and POSSIBLY fraud. I do then go on to mention the slimy clauses that they put in are also there to catch you out in these situations and that's not right either. I didn't realise you were a lawyer, "@posterj"

I just don't like being taken for a fool. I am learning who I should and shouldn't interact with on here.