Hamilton in Chicago - Page 16

[adagio]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 2:22pm

It also looks like they're dropping the Wed matinee for the most part - unless they truly reserved all those shows for the education initiative?

 

I agree that the prices were far too high not only for a Chicago location, but for the quality of seats in that theatre. The Private Bank is a far cry from the Richard Rodgers, and so many terrible sightlines were going for $200-600. The stage deck is ridiculously tall and lots of the side orchestra seats are obstructed view.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 5:53pm

Wicked in Chicago, also benefited from  larger theatre with less obstructed views. As much as I love the private bank for intamacy, it was a terrible choice. Even my seats for last week, which were just on the aisle on the left of the balcony were extremely limited for the left side of the stage. 

I hope this is all just false. I guess it's just my home city pride, but I had a lot of hope Chicago would prove successful for Hamilton which would make way for more sit downs of shows(looking at you DEH). 

Updated On: 2/24/17 at 05:53 PM

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 6:36pm

we have orchestra right, row 4, seats, 10,12,14 coming up. If they are restricted view, it is not going to be pleasant at the box office.  

[Nycat63]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 7:28pm

ggersten said: "we have orchestra right, row 4, seats, 10,12,14 coming up. If they are restricted view, it is not going to be pleasant at the box office.  

 

Unfortunately I think those are ... Were they not marked that way?  I have noticed that if you buy TM resale they are not always properly marked.  Happened to me.  I complained to TM but got nowhere.  Seems unfair when you are the only "verified reseller" and with ridiculous fees.  

 

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 8:03pm

No. They were not marked that way. They are "extra" Broadway in Chicago tickets for subscribers and I of course, did ask and was told "full view" which I think is the answer they give if they are not marked.  I may call Broadway in Chicago and ask again.

The crazy thing is that the price of the tickets to the general public for those seats is about 2.5 times what we paid, so Broadway in Chicago is unlikely to exchange them for "full view" seats, without upcharging us.  I just tried to exchange our Aladdin tix for another date, and half of the conversation was "you could have these seats, but you would have to pay more".  

[Nycat63]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 8:25pm

ggersten said: "No. They were not marked that way. They are "extra" Broadway in Chicago tickets for subscribers and I of course, did ask and was told "full view" which I think is the answer they give if they are not marked.  I may call Broadway in Chicago and ask again.

The crazy thing is that the price of the tickets to the general public for those seats is about 2.5 times what we paid, so Broadway in Chicago is unlikely to exchange them for "full view" seats, without upcharging us.  I just tried to exchange our Aladdin tix for another date, and half of the conversation was "you could have these seats, but you would have to pay more".  

 

"Good luck.  I hope you can work something out. If you look at dates later this year, you'll probably find unsold seats where you are sitting and see they are marked obstructed.  They have not been consistent at all about disclosures.  TM puts the responsibility to designate tickets appropriately on the theater, and the theater puts the responsibility on TM.  It's even worse with TM resale.   I complained extremely politely because I would not have purchased the tickets I did knowing they were limited view and still didn't get a satisfactory response so I finally gave up.  

Its it's possible that your extra subscriber tickets came out before the theater had sent the proper info to TM, but if you look up your seats now (look at unsold vs resale) they are marked obstructed I believe.  That may help bolster your argument (as a subscriber you should have been able to expect full disclosure). Though in a slightly different scenario it didn't help me - they just kept passing the buck.  

 

 

 

[adagio]

Posted: 2/27/17 at 4:15pm

FWIW I saw the Chicago cast for a second time this past Saturday after seeing them initially last fall. Everyone's grown in their performance, but most improved might be either Lafayette/Jefferson (he seemed more confident and cocky, and his French accent in Act 1 is quite good) or King George (much funnier this time, probably bc he wasn't trying too hard).

Loved Laurens/Phillip, and this performance cemented Miguel as my favorite Hamilton of the 3 I've seen (Lin & Javier being the other two). Missed Joshua Henry greatly, but Wayne Brady was competent - sung well (let's not mention the dancing though) and acted out Burt's cockiness and arrogance well. However, I never found myself rooting for or sympathizing with his Burr, even at the end of the show. I enjoyed Brady more than BVD, but neither holds a candle to Leslie Odom Jr or Joshua Henry.

Karen Olivo was out (the only main missing cast member), which was disappointing. The standby (Aubin Wise, IIRC) was OK in act 1 but fell flat for me in act 2. It seemed like the higher notes weren't in her wheelhouse - she hit them but there wasn't much power behind it. Made Angelica's moment in The Reynolds Pamphlet not nearly as impactful and fierce as I've seen.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this cast more than when I saw the NYC cast this past January. Chicago's lucky to have them, even if it's only for the rest of the year.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/28/17 at 10:27am

When Wicked was playing in Chicago, the tour didn't visit places in the midwest and Wicked ran longest of all the recent "sit-downs."

I remember the tour with Stephanie J. Block coming in several months before the sit-down as part of the season ticket subscription and then toured other midwest cities simultaneously.  The was a gap for a year in the midwest where it could only be seen in Chicago June 2006-June 2007:

Nov 16, 2005 - Dec 4, 2005,  St. Louis, MO
Mar 7, 2006 - Mar 19, 2006,  Cincinnati, OH
May 31, 2006 - Jun 18, 2006,  Detroit, MI
Jun 21, 2006 - Jul 9, 2006,  Cleveland, OH
Jul 12, 2006 - Jul 22, 2006,  Minneapolis, MN
Jun 20, 2007 - Jul 8, 2007,  Columbus, OH
Jul 11, 2007 - Jul 22, 2007,  East Lansing, MI
May 6, 2008 - May 25, 2008,  Kansas City, MO
Jul 15, 2008 - Aug 10, 2008,  East Lansing, MI
Nov 4, 2008 - Dec 7, 2008,  Minneapolis, MN
Dec 9, 2008 - Jan 4, 2009,  Detroit, MI

After Wicked closed in Chicago, the tour started to play some of the smaller Midwest markets as well.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/1/17 at 3:50pm

Mister Matt said: "I remember seeing articles that Chicago was always intended for an 18-month run.  Currently, it is scheduled through 1/7/2018 with tickets currently on sale through 9/17/2017.  You can still get full-view non-premium seats at face value for mid-week performances in the Mezzanine and Balcony around the middle of Sep, but the amount of seats they charge premium prices for was always WAY too ambitious for any show in Chicago."

According to Chris Jones in the Tribune:

Q: How long will the show be in Chicago?
A: The producer, Jeffrey Seller, said Tuesday that the show "serves at the pleasure" of Chicago
audiences. Fair enough. Most media outlets reported this will be an open run. But the real word among insiders in the touring theater business is that the show is planning to be in Chicago for 12 to 18 months before leaving for another city. (I'd put my money on Washington, D.C., which is most ticked not to be getting the show first.) From the producers' point of view, the ideal length of a Chicago run is not merely dependent on whether or not the show is selling out here. Rather, the issue is how much tickets are selling for.

The producers didn't limit the show's run to 18 months, but those in the business expected the show's lifespan in Chicago to be about 18 months (and the producers most likely believed that too). Both Wicked and Jersey Boys ran longer than expected, whereas The Color Purple and Billy Elliot closed earlier than expected.

To me this demonstrates that Hamilton isn't actually any bigger a "hit show" than other previous "hits" like Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and even the original productions of Phantom and Les Miz. The demand in New York was significantly influenced by the scarcity of tickets as a result of ticket scalpers and the unprecedented amount of press regarding the reduced supply. The fact that they would close the show and tour it, not because they need to discount tickets but rather normalize them from the obscene gouging, says more about greed than the show's actual longevity.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/1/17 at 3:51pm

I'll be in Chicago in October, so I decided to buy a ticket for when I'm there. I had no problem getting a good seat, but I noticed that the fees were higher this time around in comparison to when I saw the show last November.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/1/17 at 4:01pm

Yes, there was that article, but I also remember another where there was some mention made form the producers about wanting to close as soon as ticket sales started to drop and speculated the 18-month period that became more popularly known.  It had to do with ending the run on a high rather than letting it just fizzle out.  18 months was a guideline, but it seemed more likely that the producers wouldn't run longer unless the demand remained the same, which was never really likely given the tour and other sit-downs under discussion.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/1/17 at 4:21pm

Wicked's producers I believe said the same thing when they finally closed the show (that they wanted to gout on a high). The difference though, with Hamilton, is that they don't want to lower the obscene prices they are charging (which are much higher than normal ticket prices). They could actually lower the ticket prices and still not need to discount tickets, and still have sold-out and near sold-out performances. It's baffling that they think that's untenable.  

[Reillyhickey]

Posted: 3/1/17 at 6:40pm

Hey guys!!

In the first release of Hamilton Chicago tickets, I got a little too excited and ended up purchasing seats for a time that doesn't work for me since I'm not local to Chicago. I ended up seeing the show in Chicago a few months ago and don't feel the need to make the trip out to go again. I have a pair of tickets (Orch Row G, six & eight for March 4th at 2pm and a pair (Orch Row K, 10 & 12) for March 11th at 8pm (Both on TM Resale) up for grabs. I'm just asking what I paid for which is $550 a ticket, but will gladly except best offers! Thanks!

Updated On: 3/1/17 at 06:40 PM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 11:22am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Daniel-Breaker-Will-Be-Next-Aaron-Burr-in-Chicagos-HAMILTON-20170302

AWESOME NEWS!

[ethan231h]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 11:23am

O M G

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 11:25am

Can Daniel Breaker start immediately instead thanks

[pc1145N]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 12:01pm

This is amazing news! Can't wait to see what he does with the role!!

[MyLife]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 12:04pm

Oh I am very excited for my 4/21 tickets now!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 8:32am

I hope he's still there when I see it in October.

[Broadwaywest]

Posted: 3/4/17 at 9:03am

Going in May and So psyched to see Daniel Breaker, such a talent.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/13/17 at 2:16pm

Ari performed for Rahm Emanuel and a plethora of other mayors for an even at the Art Institute last night. Does anyone know if there is video of her performance? https://instagram.com/p/BRll8LNhokR/

[ggersten]

Posted: 3/13/17 at 7:17pm

Second National Tour to start in Seattle on February 6 - which based on this thread, suggests the Chicago production will close around New Years.

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 3/14/17 at 9:20am

Logistical questions about chicago--what time do they generally open doors before the show? Does anyone know if they have seat boosters available? And what is the rest room situation like at the Private Bank? Is it as terrible as at the RR or any other theaterical venue?  Taking my kid in a few weeks and I want to be prepared.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/14/17 at 9:48am

I think they open the doors about a half hour before the start of the show. I'm pretty sure they have booster seats. The private banks bathroom for the orchestra level is in the basement. It's small, but it's not bad.

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 3/14/17 at 2:20pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I think they open the doors about a half hour before the start of the show. I'm pretty sure they have booster seats. The private banks bathroom for the orchestra level is in the basement. It's small, but it's not bad.

 

"

Thank you! (another ugh that I wish there was a 'like' function on this message board so I could acknowledge responses that way)