The Friday 5: 5 Old School Theater Experiences

I make no secret that I like some things done the old-fashioned way. That especially includes some aspects of the theater-going experience. For now, some of those things are firmly in place, others are gone forever, and some are making a comeback. This week's Friday 5 is about five of those things. Let me know what you think!

1. Paper tickets: While I understand the whole e-ticket thing - convenience, lack of a paper trail, etc. - I like the traditional card stock ticket. First of all, it's a souvenir of the experience. Secondly, more and more I'm finding myself stuck behind someone whose printer didn't print the bar code clearly or too lightly (and talk about a waste of paper!) and heaven forbid Broadway goes to bar codes on the phone like the airlines do. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

2. Cast recordings on vinyl: Talk about every thing old is new again! I used to love going to a record store and browse the bins of cast recordings. The best ones had lots of big production photos, extensive liner notes, and the lyrics printed on the paper sleeve. Double albums were my favorite.  These days, it seems like a special mark of success for a show to release their cast recording on (specially colored) vinyl. I applaud this.

3. Dressing up: If you know me, this one may come as a shocker. I am all about being comfortable, and have no problem wearing shorts when it is warm or jeans any time. But there is something to be said about getting dressed up for the theater. When I was younger, my grandmother took me to shows frequently, and she always made me wear a tie, and many times a jacket. It felt special and like an event.

4. Ushers that actually take you to your seat: Talk about service! Maybe there were more ushers back in the day? Maybe they have to do more these days? I remember hand over my ticket and dutifully following the usher to my row, having my location explained to me ("4th and 5th seat from this aisle" or "you are right next to that nice lady with the fur coat"), getting my tickets back with a Playbill, and a "enjoy the show" exit. These days, it happens many times that I know the seats better than the ushers.

5. No eating or drinking at your seat: I hate that you can eat and drink at your seat. As if cell phone users weren't distracting enough. Spills, crinkly paper, ice clacking against plastic cups, and more just cheapen the whole experience. Want to do that? Go to a movie or stay home and do it! I know a lot of people complain about this, and I also know it is a money maker (at $5 for a regular bag of M and Ms, how can they be losing cash). So my question is this: why can't producers come up with cups that won't clack when ice touches the side, and NOT sell a candy that comes in pieces that require multiple dips into a noisy bag. It seems so obvious to me.


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The answers to the last round of Broadway Jeopardy! (From 3/29/19)

$200 - What is a play? My Fair Lady is based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.

$400 - What is a movie? Hairspray is based on a John Waters film of the same name.

$600 - What is a book? Wicked is based on a novel of the same name by Gregory Macguire.

$800 - What is a play? Hello, Dolly! is based on The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder.

$1000 - What is a book? The Phantom of the Opera is based on the book Le Fantom de L'Opera by Gaston Leroux.

Final Jeopardy! - Who is Tony Walton? He designed the sets and logo for the original Broadway production of Pippin.

#2052

Harry Potter and the Great Ticket Purchase

"'Our Journey has only just begun.' - Albus Potter, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

So said the quote on the graphic that came up when my ticket purchase was complete yesterday. Much like reading all of the books in J.K. Rowling's epic series of novels (and like getting through all the movies) everything about the Harry Potter brand involves a journey.  Be it the heroes and villains in the stories, be it the actors in the films, or especially be it the loyal readers - everything HP touches involves a high level of commitment.  It comes as no surprise (to me at least) then, that just getting tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would be an epic journey.

For those of you who have already taken this journey, maybe you can relate. And for those of you thinking about taking this trip the next time it comes around, maybe what I'm going to say will help you.  Either way, feel free to email me or Tweet me with your thoughts!

Here's how my "journey" began:

I finally decided I even wanted tickets late in the game.  (I think there had already been a round of ticket sales?) So I signed up at the show's website to get information. https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/us/ And the waiting began...

• Thursday, January 25, 10:45 AM I got an email stating that pre-registration had begun.  

I clicked the button, filled out the form, and waited... at the time, when sales would begin wasn't definite.  then news came out that the pre-sale would start on February 7, and that a couple of days or so before then, IF you were selected, you'd get an email telling you what was coming.

• Monday, February 5, 8:12 PM I got an email telling me I had been selected to receive a code to purchase tickets!

I felt like a kid at Christmas!  Boy, let me tell you, the instructions they sent were detailed and well explained.

HINT: If you haven't done this and plan to, follow all of their preparation instructions. 

It really does save valuable time when you are in the midst of the ticket buying frenzy.  In the meantime, I found out in the chat rooms that people were getting ticket-buying windows at 11AM and 1PM (I got 1PM...and immediately started to worry.)  Then, I got my act together and REALLY got my plans together...or so I thought.

Over the next day and a half, I compiled a list of abut a dozen dates I could attend, and prioritized those. I triple checked that I had an accurate and up-to-date Ticketmaster account. And then...

• Wednesday, February 7, 10:04 AM My phone dinged and my access code arrived! 

OBSERVATION: The emails stress that trying to do a ticket purchase on a phone would be very difficult.  I did mine on my laptop, and frankly, I can't imagine trying it on anything smaller.  They are right. 

I reviewed all of the instructions in all of the emails so far, and hopped onto the Ticketmaster site ahead of time.

• Wednesday, February 7, 1:00 PM I clicked the log on button at exactly 1 PM.  

HINT: When you log on, you can immediately see a current availability status box - and I mean VERY current, as it changed several times during the time I was online.

MISTAKE: When I signed on, the box said that the best availability was LATE NOVEMBER! My prep list of dates went to mid-October. 

I quickly gathered later dates... finally deciding I'd take anything I could get on any Saturday...then had to revise to any Sunday.  Things felt pretty tense.

A CON TO THE SYSTEM: You can only pick your price point, not your exact location.

I saw nothing on the dozen or so dates I tried for less than $199/ticket/part.  I tried several dates, thinking I could get better the more I tried. Unfortunately, I ended up losing what ended up being slightly better seats than I ended up with.

HINT: Unless you absolutely can't handle the tickets you first get, keep them.  You probably won't get better. And DON'T panic while you wait to see what comes up.  It took each try more than a minute.  The first time, I was afraid I'd lost my chance. JUST DON'T REFRESH THE PAGE! It will happen. Also, if after you've selected, it suddenly says there are no tickets, DON'T PANIC - just follow the directions to try again.

So, I went into this feeling fully prepared.  I had predetermined dates several months ahead, and I was ready to try several times.  I wanted a Saturday (both shows the same day). I knew they'd be most popular, and I wasn't wrong about that. I ended up with decent orchestra seats on a Sunday, just 4 days shy of a year from now instead!

• Wednesday, February 7, 1:25 PM I got my ticket confirmation email. 

Seriously, all of that took only 25 minutes!!?? It was an exciting, nerve-wracking 25 minutes.  And I think it went as well as could be expected.  I think it works to keep bots from buying all the tickets at once. I mean, there weren't tons of tickets at low price points, but there seemed to be a fair amount of tickets, overall. BUT THEY DO GO FAST. And I bet I'd have had somewhat better luck with the 11 AM window.

These tickets weren't cheap - a pair ran me over $850! (Those f-ing Ticketmaster fees!) On the other hand, 4 tickets to 2 plays was still cheaper than a single ticket to Hamilton!  The bottom line is I'm going to see the show, and I'm happy about that!

The journey has indeed begun... 360 days to go. See you soon, Harry!

#MyBroadwayThing : Actual Tickets

Last week, I shared my first "Broadway Thing," a specific thing about Broadway that I get a big kick out of.  Love those artful photographs!  This week, I'll share #MyBroadwayThing with a sense of impending doom.

I'm talking about physical theater tickets. In this increasingly digital world, I suppose it is foolhardy to think these things will be around much longer, and so I'm feeling both nostalgic and sad about these little strips of card stock.

It's something that I know won't be around much longer, but I cling to it for three big reasons:

1. I still get that sense of butterflies in my stomach when that plain white envelope arrives in my mailbox every time.  It takes me back to the days when you'd either call (or send a letter to) Telecharge requesting tickets to Cats, and the operator would go through the schpiel  about "all sales are final, blah blah blah...and your tickets will arrive in a plain, unmarked envelope approximately 2 weeks before your performance..." Then the waiting game...and then... eureka! The envelope would be there with the golden tickets inside. It's as good now as it was then (though a lot cheaper then - the fees are ridiculous these days!)

2. I love NOT paying extra to have tickets mailed home, and picking them up at Will Call.  Is there anything more exciting (pre-show) then giving your name to the guy behind the glass who looks mildly bored was he scoots the tickets (sticking out of the little envelope) through that little hole at the bottom of the glass. "Enjoy the show," he says, polite, but still weary sounding. Then there's the brief moment of panic, when you check the tickets before you leave window, and breathe a sigh of relief when you see your name and the right seat numbers on the tickets! (Side note here: Definitely check your tickets before you leave the window - one time I got somebody else's tickets in the envelope with mine. I was honest and returned them. But these days? Imagine someone less honest suddenly having 2 extra tickets to Hamilton that they could easily unload at quite a profit!)

3. I'm really not that old, but I've reached the age where I find myself saying things my grandparents and parents would say. (They'd say, "I remember eating a 3 course meal at the Automat for less than a dollar!" I'd say, "Instant gratification isn't always best.", We'd both say, "Isn't it a shame that people don't dress for the theater any more?") And I guess it is that sense of nostalgia that makes me cling to paper tickets.  They are a souvenir all by themselves! (I still have a set of brass ticket key chains somewhere, too.) Yes, I keep them - I have a book of tickets kept in a scrapbook type thing made just for tickets (clearly, I'm not alone in this...right?). And now I keep my tickets with my Playbills in binders (that's a future blog). I still have my very first Broadway ticket from Mame - August 20, 1983. 2PM. Orchestra Row S, Seat 112.

Yes, that sense of nostalgia for a sure-to-be-dying-soon thing is a big part of it.  I mean, I'm the guy who still wants a physical CD for a cast recording, not a digital download,  I want something I can hold.  You know what I mean?  It was hard enough letting go of Original Cast Recordings on vinyl.

Then again, several shows are now putting out vinyl albums...so maybe, just maybe, tickets (not print-at-home FAKE tickets!) won't be going anywhere soon, after all.

Do you have a #MyBroadwayThing you'd like to share? Email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me (using the hashtag) @jkstheatrescene!

Broadway Things That Make Me Happy: January 2014 (Part II)

As I mentioned last week, this year, I'm going to try to be more positive, and that includes appreciating things about Broadway.  This week, there were plenty of things to be happy about!

2 for 1 tickets:  I finally got around to trying for tickets to Broadway Week this year, and I am glad I did!  Thanks to that promo, I'm getting to go back to Matilda, in practically the same seats I got to see it before!  I'm happy and feeling a little bit naughty, too...

2-for-1 + Matilda = PARTY!

Upcoming show announcements: This week saw a ton of show announcements, and three have me really looking forward to the future.  One of my favorite plays of all time is coming to Broadway at the very end of the season, with one of my favorite performers, The Cripple of Inishmaan is the play; Daniel Radcliffe is the performer. Next season will see what I call an "event play": The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is such a play: emotional, creative and theatrically staged.  I can't wait!  And also next season, a revival of one of my favorite musicals of the 90's, with one of the most amazing scores ever: Titanic.  The first time around, I loved it before Rosie O'Donnell put her stamp of approval on it.  I can only imagine how the social media hounds today would have lapped up all that drama!

Epic Theatricality

Epic Star-Power

Epic Story-telling

Back to the drawing board: I've professed my love for theatre caricaturist Squigs many times before.  His drawing for Beautiful makes me smile.  I love me some Jessie Mueller, and he has captured her perfectly!

Family first: I get emotional thinking about how the Broadway community rallies around national causes.  They are unparalleled in giving.  But it also warms me, and makes me happy, when they rally around one of their own, too.  Such is the case with the cast of Motown: The Musical who gathered to produce the song and video below to support their friend and castmate, Valisia LeKae.



Jeff
8.088

30 Years of Broadway Shows... (Part II)

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER TO WIN TICKETS TO 

THE HOTTEST NEW PLAY ON BROADWAY, A TIME TO KILL!  

CLICK THE SHOW LOGO TO YOUR RIGHT AND COMPLETE YOUR ENTRY!  

CONTEST ENDS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 AT NOON!

Just over 2 weeks ago, I celebrated the 30th anniversary of seeing my first Broadway show, and I started to share my observations about what has changed (or stayed the same) about theatre-going in those three decades (HERE).  And so now I'll share some final observations:

5.  Heavy merchandising of shows. It is sadly ironic that just before this anniversary two Broadway-themed gift shops have announced their closing, just as the merchandising of shows seems to have reached new heights.  Gone are the days when hit shows (emphasis on hit) had a certain stock of souvenirs: a t-shirt (one style for all), a program, a coffee mug, a button (not a fancy enamel pin, either), the cast album (in vinyl and cassette if it was a real biggie) and, get this... the bigger hits had brass key chains made to look Opening Night tickets.  If you wanted a show poster, there were but two places to go - One Shubert Alley and Triton Gallery.  And a straight play had to be a mega-hit to have anything more than the Playbill.  These days, nothing is off limits, with "collectibles" - jewelry, snow globes, figurines, etc. - and full lines of clothing, toys, and even souvenir "photo ops."  Again, we can thank Cats and the mega-musicals for that!

4.  Popular music is now in Broadway music.  For more than a century, musical revues have been a staple on Broadway - just check out the walls upstairs at the Music Box Theatre for proof. But those days, popular song writers were Broadway composers.  Rarely these days does a cast recording make a dent in the Billboard 200 of Best Selling Albums - The Book of Mormon not withstanding.  Back in the day, Hello, Dolly! competed head to head with albums by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.  Since I've been going to shows, Broadway songs on the radio have been rarer still - "Memory" by a number of artists and "One Night in Bangkok" from the London recording of Chess stick out in my mind.  BUT, increasingly, it is harder to turn on the radio and not hear songs that are popular tunes that are also in Broadway shows - pretty much all of the Billy Joel, The Four Seasons and ABBA catalogs, thanks to Movin' Out, Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia!, not to mention a large number of songs from the 80's, thanks to Rock of Ages.  This season alone, we'll be able to add the songs of Janis Joplin and Carole King to that list.

3.  Getting tickets.  Unless you lived in the city, back in 1983 there were 3 ways to get tickets: mail order - where you'd write a letter describing what you wanted and send a check, and weeks later, you'd find out when you were going and where you were sitting, with theatre groups - you had to join them or know someone in one to grab up a ticket (and it was cheaper, too), or you could do the "latest" thing and call the ticketing services, and the agents would tell you if two orchestra seats were available for the next Wednesday matinee of Cats.  Not where in the orchestra, but IF you could get an orchestra seat.  Then, after some hefty charges, a week or so later, you'd find out where you sit.  You'll see that things haven't really changed that much.  Except now you can pick your exact seats, pay and print your tickets immediately.  Plus you get the added bonus of putting up with the ever changing and needlessly complicated ticket sires and even more outrageous fees!  One thing that hasn't changed over all the years: the best, and if you bring the discount with you, cheapest way to get the exact seats you want is to go directly to the box office.

2.  Theatre technology.  As late as the mid-80's, scenery was moved and changed primarily by hand.  Sure, actors and set pieces whisked on and off on trucks, but the stage hands still were the ones yanking it on and off.  Back then, follow spots were done completely by hand, by men who dangled over the audience at precarious heights, and the colors of lights were done with individual lights for each color, not automated with vari-lights.  And each light was aimed permanently, not able to be re-aimed mid-show by computer, like they are today.  And, believe it or not, the sound technology today is a huge improvement over the single speaker that carried all the clunky lapel mics to the audience.  Automated scenery, light panels and surround sound are but a few of the vast technological advances on Broadway.

1.  The Internet.  Gone are the days when you had to wait until the Friday and Sunday New York Times to get any theatre news.  Gone, too, are the need to subscribe to Variety, Playbill or TheaterWeek to get "insider scoop."  Now, a decent wi-fi connection and a few clicks gets you all the information you want on a show's website.  General information and up-to-the-minute news is available on a number of theatre sites.  And lots of Broadway stars have their own sites, too.  All great news for theatre lovers.  But, of course, with the good comes the bad.  Now we know way too much personal stuff about everyone, and everyone with an opinion - informed or not - shares it unchecked and many times with a nasty glee.  Then, too, fans aren't entirely to blame.  The stars themselves let us in on the intimacies of their lives, as they Tweet not only casting news, but how they feel, what they eat, who they hang out with, their political beliefs, and any number of personal details.  We even get pictures to go along with the details!  Don't get me wrong - I love the glimpse behind the Broadway curtain, and even count a few show people among my Twitter friends and followers.  But it also scares me to think about all the fans who Tweet and post like they know Aaron Tveit or "Cheno" personally.  Stalking has to be on people' minds, especially considering that it is possible to know where these people are at any given moment.  Just today, I found out which church a certain Newsie goes to - and I didn't have to search - there's even a picture of him there!  Scary.  So far, at least, common sense has prevailed.  The benefits of the Internet far outweigh the problems for theatre fans.  And, without it, I wouldn't be sharing my thoughts with you today!

Did I miss anything?  Let me know!

Jeff
5.004

Rant: Ticketmaster Troubles

OK, the days when you had to send your money into an anonymous post office box, along with a list of dates and what your preferences were for seating for a Broadway show are, thankfully, long gone.  (I believe mail order is still an option, though.)  Yes, the weeks of waiting, not know when you were going or IF you were going have been replaced by nearly instant gratification for ticket buyers who live any appreciable distance from Manhattan. 

Then there was the option of calling for tickets (provided you had a credit card).  You'd call and get Gina from Secaucus on the line and she'd say "yes" or "no" to a list of dates for the show of your choice.  If it was "no" you knew right then that you wouldn't be seeing Cats on Saturday May 3 at 2PM.  If it was "yes," you'd know that you were seeing the show then, and you'd be seated somewhere in the orchestra section.  Gina would always say, "I'm sorry, sir, I can't see the exact location of the seats."  And that was the response whether you begged or joked or cajoled.  So, the waiting began... where in the caverous Winter Garden would I be sitting?  How far back?  How much off to the side?  Like the mail order method, there were still unknowns, but at least then you were able to plan a weekend in advance.

Soon, things changed again, and Brian from the spacious Telecharge offices overlooking Times Square could tell me where the seats were!  But pretty soon after that, Brian was replaced by a computer voice that even though it was automatic and set to sound polite, sure seemed edgy when you started searching for tickets and rejecting her first, second or third offer.  Then, faster than you can say "The Producers was overrrated", online ticket buying began, and all of your troubles were gone!  You could spend an hour if you wanted to searching and re-searching every possible date and seat location for The Phantom of the Opera.  The most annoying thing was that damed fuzzy writing you'd have to pause and type in.  But at least it was for a good cause - fancy computers couldn't buy every last seat at once for the 50,000th performance.  Of course, I'm talking about the genesis of Broadway ticket buying through the Telecharge system.  I love it, it loves me.  I seek out shows that use this system.  To me, the fees for using this service are almost worth it.  It is very easy to use, convenient AND forgiving.

But then there are the shows I want to see that play the Palace or, in the most recent case, the Lunt-Fontanne, where The Addams Family is about to move in.  These, and several other theatres are on the Ticketmaster system of tickets (Disney has its own... God, they are smart!).  Have you used Ticketmaster lately?  I'd rather use mail order.  Over the past several days, I have literally spent my lunch hour online trying to buy two freaking tickets to a show that might not even run as long as the date I finally got them for.

Here, in no particular order, are my gripes about Ticketmaster:

1.  Weeks ago they promised an upgrade to what sounds like the Telecharge system for their Broadway ticketing.  It still has not happened.

2.  The theatre seating charts are ridiculous.  They offer almost no seat numbers, there is no real way to judge where within the given aisle your seats are, and they don't tell you where the mezzanine overhangs the orchestra.  I shouldn't have to go to another site to get a decent seating chart before logging on to Ticketmaster.

3.  There are so many ways to choose a date, you can't remember how to get back to where you started when you inevitably have to choose another date.

4.  If you don't like the seats they offer, you can search again.  This means starting completely over, at that performance only, only to be offered the same seats again!  And again!  Sure, you can change the perameters to "left side orchestra" or whatever, but it usually doesn't change anything or it offers you the same seats only on the opposite side of the theatre!  The bottom line here is, if you want to go to a specific performance, you have to wait until someone else buys the tickets they keep offering over and over.  From experience, I can tell you that Orchestra seats row A, 5 and 7 were available for The Addams Family for every performance on Memorial Day weekend, from March 1 through 4.  On March 5, "Best Available" meant Row B seats 6 & 8 for each performance. 

I tried changing sides.  I tried waiting til the next day.  Finally, I gave up and tried calling Ticketmaster.  Have you ever done this?  It is an adventure, let me tell you.

You start out with a man's voice assuring you that by calling Ticketmaster, you were about to receive "World-class Customer Service."  What world?  The planet Evil maybe.

I'm going to cut to the chase here, because I'm getting dizzy from the blood pressure spike I'm experiencing at the recall.  When you call Ticketmaster, you get a computer voiced assistant who walks you through every step of the process you go through when doing it by yourself online.  I answered "yes", "no", "full price", "orchestra", "yes", "yes", "no"... I must have sounded like the Rain Man.  Oh, I got past the first "Best Available Seats" that were the same as online.  I was offered the next seats over in the same row, I was offered the rear of the theatre.  At no point was there an option to stop the madness and let me talk to real person, UNTIL I REJECTED 4 SETS OF SEATS.  Only then did the pleasant computer voice offer "representative."

The the fun really began.  After a 6 minute hold time, I got "Ticketmaster, this is .  What show?" "Excuse me, what did you say your name was?"  Heavy sigh, "this is , what show?"  I gave up.  "The Addams Family"  "What dates?" "Any show May 29 or 30."  "Pick one."  "Matinee, May 29."  "I have seats A 5 & 7, at $136.50 a piece, plus a $7.50 per ticket convenience charge, and a $3.20 per order processing fee, for a total of $291.20.  What card, please?"  "I don't want these seats."  Heavy sigh, "You do realize that when I release these, you won't get them back?"  "Yes."  "What is it exactly you are loooking for, sir?" "Seats that aren't that close, for one thing.  I don't mind sitting on the side, but I don't want to be against the wall, either."  "OK, I have seats J 16 & 18, at 136.50 a piece, plus a $7.50 per ticket convenience charge, and a $3.20..." "Wait!  Those are against the wall.  I told you..." "Sir, I can only tell you seat numbers as they come up."  "And this is second best?" (I am thinking to myself, "geez, no wonder there are no discounts available...") "Sir, what do you want?"  "I told you.  Not too close, but not extreme sides."  "Sir, it is what it is."  (That sentence to me is like chum to a shark.)  "I'd like to speak to a supervisor, please."  Click.  I think I'm on hold, then... "If you'd like to place a call, please hang up and dial again." That SOB Unintelligible hung up on me!  World-class service....

Cut to last night at about 11PM.  I have re-logged on to Ticketmaster.  I have narrowed down my choices as much as possible for each of the three performances I'd like to attend.  And I got my two tickets, plus all those fees, for seats that aren't too close or too far back... but they are mighty close to the wall.  (Thank you to the hundreds of you who bought all the tickets before me in the last twelve hours, so I could choose these!)  I go to check out, and I'll be damned, if after all this trouble, I'm not going to get an actual cardboard ticket.  So I uncheck the box that allows me to use my own paper and ink to print their tickets for an additional $2.50.  And check the "send them via mail" box.  (For Ticketmaster, "Will Call" is only an option if you are from a foreign country.)  The one place where you could understand a fee of at leat 44 cents for a stamp, and it is FREE!  (Ok, deduct it from that $3.20 processing fee...)

We've come a long way, haven't we?  Here I am in 2010 still waiting for my tickets to come in the mail.


Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff