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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 0:12:23 GMT
Lin fought for some kind of law against the bots and it won a few months ago. I don't remember the details but you can google.
Personally I hate the restrictions to ID/credit card because there are often reasons why people can no longer go, especially for a show like this where you're booking a year in advance. Too much money to potentially lose by not being able to go or resell. I'd only want this if they refunded and resold your tickets if you could no longer make it.
To say they haven't done anything to stop the resale market isn't true, they've also cancelled a ton of orders that went over the Ticketmaster limit, often done so by resellers.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2016 0:19:09 GMT
If they banned the bots and resale market, then perhaps people wouldn't have to book a year in advance.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 0:22:39 GMT
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 11, 2016 5:46:08 GMT
This is a letter later published in the NYtimes, in response to Lin's article:
Lin doesn't mention TicketMaster in his article- you have to agree that's fishy of him... They obviously benefit from the resale market (and I'm not saying directly as in selling through them, though I still believe it can be so, but they benefit from being able to say- "well they make that much of my ticket, I can raise my own prices instead" or from the public actively seeing what a hot ticket they are.)
As for losing your money for planning that far in advance- you'd spend that much on concert tickets/ sport events/ festival entry tickets for events that are non-resellable- all of which you must book in advance, rarely can you cancel them. With a Broadway show you are able to ring the box office up and change dates, and often even get a refund. There are ways to stop scalping- upping your ticket prices won't stop it, at least not at the core...
But it's their show and they can do what they want with it... it's greedy but they can.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 7:52:38 GMT
Yes they do benefit from the resale. I just don't have an issue with it. As long as there's good seats available for under $200, I just can't bring myself to care too much about what other people are willing to pay.
I've sold a Hamilton ticket before (for a reasonable price). I'm glad I was given the option or else I'd be $170 down.
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 11, 2016 7:58:10 GMT
Doesn't the box office have the option to cancel for a refund?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 11, 2016 8:10:29 GMT
I don't t care how good this show is supposed to be, the way the theatre going public are allowing themselves to be treated is pathetic. Seriously, I'd boycott it until the producers get a grip and everyone climbs down from their own backsides.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 8:11:20 GMT
Doesn't the box office have the option to cancel for a refund? Not that I'm aware of. Could be wrong. |
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 11, 2016 8:23:02 GMT
@snutte I'm not sure either, I'd think though if there are cancellation tickets in the cancellation line- it may be an opntion, but I can't say I've ever tried. EDIT: I tried asking on BWW and was reminded that they're all a bunch of pricks and why I never go there.. But you're right, there is a no-refund policy unless you get ticket insurance through TicketMaster, that offers a refund. BurlyBeaR I kind of agree... I don't think 179$ (the current cheapest non-lottery ticket in the entire Richard Rodgers, not that it's even avalable -that price is sold out, but still) is reasonable- I couldn't justify it- not for obstructed view way up in the nosebleeds. And I'm not buying that it's to fund the extra 20 lottery tickets- they're turning in a profit and then some (and then SOME!) as it is- of course they'd never say it like it is- "it's a cash cow and we're milking it for all it's worth", but I'd respect them more for it if they did (well maybe not in those words exactly). But a boycott won't work- there are plenty of people who are willing to pay those prices, and that's what the producers see. Lucky for me I'm no where near NY in the next decade or so ha! |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 11, 2016 8:52:41 GMT
I watched that Tony's clip and it looked like a load of blokes banging their chests with their fist and shouting. I can switch MTV on if I want to see that. The bloke who introduced the performance said "put simply it's one of the greatest pieces of art ever made" lol. Do me a favour. Emperors new clothes more like  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 8:55:59 GMT
Do we not say "don't knock it until you've tried it" anymore, or are we all about making firm judgments with little experience these days? I can't think of a single show where five minutes of context-free content is enough depiction of the entire show for people to decide that the whole thing is definitely tosh, but maybe I'm just the old-fashioned sort.  |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 11, 2016 9:08:05 GMT
Do we not say "don't knock it until you've tried it" anymore, or are we all about making firm judgments with little experience these days? I can't think of a single show where five minutes of context-free content is enough depiction of the entire show for people to decide that the whole thing is definitely tosh, but maybe I'm just the old-fashioned sort. Do we not say "stop being so gullible and get a grip" any more? Or are we all about believing any old bit of hype that comes out of the U.S? We used to decide whether we like something enough to see it based on much less than we have nowadays. Are you saying I'm now required to research every show that comes along in depth in order to make a judgement as to whthether it appeals or not? Sorry, I don't have that sort of time. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 9:43:49 GMT
Do we not say "don't knock it until you've tried it" anymore, or are we all about making firm judgments with little experience these days? I can't think of a single show where five minutes of context-free content is enough depiction of the entire show for people to decide that the whole thing is definitely tosh, but maybe I'm just the old-fashioned sort. Not when they're expecting you to pay $179 for the privilege of trying it from the worst seat in the theatre! There is no justification for that whatsoever - I know Broadway prices in general are ridiculous, but that doesn't excuse it. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2016 10:21:37 GMT
I have an issue with premium tickets per se, I have never bought one and never will, hence why I haven't seen Hamiltonand I could've seen it last time I was over, as a grind of mine does the security at the theatre and he could have got me a standing room ticket for $20, but swerved on this, as standing for 3 hours to watch a show isn't my thing.
I am happy to wait until Hamilton comes to London late next year, where I will buy a regular ticket in a reasonable seat in the stalls.
If one good thing that comes out of the inflated ticket maket, at least some profit is going to the Public Theatre, where they recycle the money and put the money back into theatre projects.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 12:27:40 GMT
I paid $179 for second row to see it last month. I don't see that as the worst seat in the house.
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 11, 2016 12:57:31 GMT
They raised all the price tiers last month just before the Tony awards...
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 11, 2016 13:55:49 GMT
I paid $179 for second row to see it last month. I don't see that as the worst seat in the house. @snutte I know you're a fan, but are you in "this is one of the greatest pieces of art ever made" camp? |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2016 14:22:38 GMT
I don't t care how good this show is supposed to be, the way the theatre going public are allowing themselves to be treated is pathetic. Seriously, I'd boycott it until the producers get a grip and everyone climbs down from their own backsides. Ther problem is, it isn't the theatre going public that are paying these prices, they know the real price of theatre tickets. It is the people who may have been to the theatre once or twice in their lifetime and are just going because of word of mouth. I understand that there are empty seats at all performances, as the people charging sky high prices cannot offload all their seats, but if they sell the ticket 20x its face value, then they can substain some small losses, which are made up for by inflated ticket prices of people who stump up thousands. To get a loan out to see a show is crazy and people are doing just that. |
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Post by steve10086 on Jul 11, 2016 14:38:05 GMT
People are taking out loans to buy tickets?! Idiots.
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Post by Michael on Jul 11, 2016 14:44:29 GMT
Personally, I think that a $179 seat should be the best possible seat in the house and come with a free souvenir brochure, cast recording, T-Shirt and free interval icecream - and even then I'd still feel ripped off.
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Post by primitivewallflower on Jul 11, 2016 16:42:28 GMT
Well, I had one of the "nosebleed" seats when I saw it, and the view was great and unobstructed. The Richard Rodgers is a smallish theatre at 1,319 seats... it's not an opera house or orchestra hall where top tier means you literally need binoculars. My tickets were expensive but on per hour basis they were about the same as a rock concert by a top tier act. I certainly never felt ripped off. Remains to be seen if the experience is similar in London or the touring companies.
And in terms of "greed", the only thing that bothers me is scalpers and bots reaping the rewards of high demand instead of the producers and The Public (and, since they have a profit sharing agreement, the actors too!).
There are all sorts of ticket issues on the margin, but at the end of the day, it's inescapable that the hottest musical of the last decade is (for the moment) playing in one theatre in the world where less than 11,000 people can see it each week. Low supply, high demand is the reality on the ground. Keeping official prices low just means a) a ripe environment for scalpers and bots, or, b) even if you get them under control, even longer queues and overwhelmed websites (which, to be fair, may seem like a more equitable consequence to many).
And to be perfectly honest, any producer who said "yes" to a rap musical about Alexander Hamilton deserves a big reward, because it was a gutsy move to fund so daft-sounding an idea.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 17:14:08 GMT
They raised all the price tiers last month just before the Tony awards... Well the second row seats are going down to $10 and front mezz is still less than $200...also great seats. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 17:14:44 GMT
I paid $179 for second row to see it last month. I don't see that as the worst seat in the house. @snutte I know you're a fan, but are you in "this is one of the greatest pieces of art ever made" camp? Yes...sorry. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 11, 2016 17:17:59 GMT
@snutte I know you're a fan, but are you in "this is one of the greatest pieces of art ever made" camp? Yes...sorry. Don't apologise! I just wanted to see to see if someone who seems very reasonable could possibly think this. You do, that's ok! |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 17:23:14 GMT
Don't apologise! I just wanted to see to see if someone who seems very reasonable could possibly think this. You do, that's ok! Haha thankyou. To be fair, I probably can't call it one of the greatest ever made as I've only seen a small proportion of all the art that has ever been made. But it ranks very, very high in what I have seen. |
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