MY HAMILTON CANCELLATION LINE EXPERIENCE AND HOW WE ALL GOT F***ED OVER IN THE END

[dramamama611]

And people would just swarm Times Square, waiting.  It'd be a nightmare...every freaking day.

I really don't know the answer.  If they just put them back on line,  they'll likely be scalped, more often than not.

[HogansHero]

chilly said: "Why couldn't RRT use TKTS? Doesn't TKTS receive tickets throughout the day, and sell them until pretty close to curtain? "

You expect them to sell Hamilton tickets at a discount? Are you mad?

It's also worth putting all this in context: it's only an issue at Hamilton because it's Hamilton. In a few other situations, on a far lower scale but most cancellation tickets are still in the box office when the treasurer signs his report. 

[neonlightsxo]

chilly said: "Why couldn't RRT use TKTS? Doesn't TKTS receive tickets throughout the day, and sell them until pretty close to curtain? "

 

TKTS is for discount tickets. Hamilton is not discounting at all, and won't be for several years at least, and therefore is not available at TKTS.

[chilly]

neonlightsxo said: "chilly said: "Why couldn't RRT use TKTS? Doesn't TKTS receive tickets throughout the day, and sell them until pretty close to curtain? "

 

TKTS is for discount tickets. Hamilton is not discounting at all, and won't be for several years at least, and therefore is not available at TKTS.

 

"

Of course. Thanks for the explanation. 

[adamgreer]

dramamama611 said: "And people would just swarm Times Square, waiting.  It'd be a nightmare...every freaking day.

I really don't know the answer.  If they just put them back on line,  they'll likely be scalped, more often than not.

 

And could you imagine how many people would stand in the front of the TKTS line, being those annoying people who tell other patrons "you can go ahead of me" until they saw Hamilton pop up on the board. It would be an out of control mess. 

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Well, the suggestion I made here last night seems like it would probably be the best way to do it. I said - 

"They could do an online lottery type thing where you enter your credit card information and agree that if tickets become available (you can select the price point you agree to) they'll be charged to you."

[Jallenc32]

Or limit cancellation tickets to the friends/family of the cast & crew (and producers) who can sign up much as they do for SRO tickets now.  Yes there'd have to be a notification process since they won't necessarily be at the theater when they become available, but it would eliminate the line.

[Theater_Nerd]

Jordan Catalano said: "They could do an online lottery type thing where you enter your credit card information and agree that if tickets become available (you can select the price point you agree to) they'll be charged to you. 

 

By far one of the most proactive posts in this entire thread. This is actually a wonderful idea!

 

[Kad]

Jordan Catalano said: "Well, the suggestion I made here last night seems like it would probably be the best way to do it. I said - 

"They could do an online lottery type thing where you enter your credit card information and agree that if tickets become available (you can select the price point you agree to) they'll be charged to you."

 

That's a very good idea. And then require the card on file to be presented when you pick up the tickets.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Exactly. And treat them just like lottery tickets where after you pick them up, youre given a wristband or whatever and must go directly into the theatre to make sure they're not scalped. That way you have no fights and nobody hanging around the theater for days at a time. 

[neonlightsxo]

Good idea, but, considering that they currently sell the unclaimed lotto tickets to the cancellation line, what would they do with the unclaimed cancellation lotto tickets?

[Liza's Headband]

Sell them to SRO patrons

[Jordan Catalano]

Maybe they should do the same thing with the regular lottery tickets. Make it so you have to enter your credit card information before entering  and then present that card at the box office. That way it'll cut down on what I can only assume are the thousands of bullsh*t enteries every day from people all over the world who would never be able to the show and they'd know anyone who won was actually going to be there because they already paid. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Well in Jordan's scenario you are providing your payment info up-front, so I assume you are charged right away.  So claimed or not, the tickets are sold.

[PalJoey]

 

Has Patty Murin tweeted about this yet?

 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Even if you put the payment info in upfront you would still have to accept purchase of the tickets. 

Instead of unclaimed lotto tickets going into the cancellation line why don't they just notify another person who entered the lotto that day and say we have a front row seat for you for $199. I bet there would be a lot of takers. 

[indytallguy]

Jordan Catalano said: "Well, the suggestion I made here last night seems like it would probably be the best way to do it. I said - 

"They could do an online lottery type thing where you enter your credit card information and agree that if tickets become available (you can select the price point you agree to) they'll be charged to you.""

Great idea and one for which software and code already exists.

[spikethebunny]

I always wondered why they don't do random wristband policy like they used to do for concerts. You pick up a wristband with a number on it between designated times (say 10am-5pm). Everyone has to be back half an hour before show time and they draw a number. The person with that number goes to the front. The person with the number after them is next, and so on. And they cut them off at 20, like they've been doing. There's no point in waiting around all day because it won't affect if your number is first or last. And they could have a max number of wristbands to give out so they weren't flooded half an hour before the show.

[VintageSnarker]

I can't believe people wanted to shut this down. This is almost as entertaining as the Honeymoon in Vegas thread.

[SFFrontRow]

theatreguy12 said: "I was able to buy my tix for this 6 months out so I did.  Really loved the show….and really have zero complaints about it.

Still I would not consider it the best show I've ever seen, or even the best show I saw this past season.  

It didn't put the smile on my face that Bright Star did (yes, the one that's closing).  It didn't put my jaw on the floor in the same way, choreography-wise, that Shuffle Along did (yes, the one that's closing).  

It was a very very good show, but I'd have to wonder if after waiting for four days in line for this would the results have met the expectations.  I'm just not sure.  That's a long time to put in to waiting for tickets…for anything.  

And while there is no way I would consider Hamilton overrated, it also wasn't, for me, the juggernaut that it has proven for others.  And I understand this is my opinion, and not one that is shared by most.

Face value worthy?  Yes.  $800+ worthy?  No.    4 hour wait worthy?  Probably not, unless I had some mystical ability to know that I was going to land the ticket.  4 days? No.

I will say that I loved it. But there are a lot of other shows I have loved that haven't received the attention that Hamilton has received.  So who knows? All comes down to personal taste and what connects to you personally.

Thanks for this. Thought I was the only one. I bought my ticket for Broadway right after it closed at the Public. My out of town visit schedule did not coincide with the dates at the Public. Sat in first row front mezz and paid $147. That seat is now a ridiculous $3,800 last time I looked.

I liked it, but not THAT much. And I have to say, where were all you "live in the cancellation line for 4  days" people when tickets could have been had for face value? Sorry that the bandwagon is too small for you.

now start attacking me...

 

[Kad]

I can't imagine waiting on a sidewalk for much of 96 hours for anything, regardless of how much I love it.

I sat for 5-6 hours for SRO at the height of Book of Mormon's popularity and even then I thought that was pushing it.

[Wick3]

dramamama611 said: "And people would just swarm Times Square, waiting.  It'd be a nightmare...every freaking day.

I really don't know the answer.  If they just put them back on line,  they'll likely be scalped, more often than not."

Actually that's not a bad idea. Times Square is open 24/7 --- why didn't they place the cancellation line there during the filming?

 

[Theater_Nerd]

I also cannot imagine sleeping on a city street to get a ticket to any show let alone paying upwards of 1k for one.

As much as I love live theater, I wouldn't let it take precedent over my life, my time or my wallet.

 

[jdra]

Theater_Nerd said: "I also cannot imagine sleeping on a city street to get a ticket to any show let alone paying upwards of 1k for one.

As much as I love live theater, I wouldn't let it take precedent over my life, my time or my wallet."

I agree. But a good portion of the people sleeping on the street are young. Many people do that sort of thing when they are young. And most of the people paying 1k and up can easily afford it.

[dramamama611]

Most of us have purchased tickets for face value.  I have 4 times.  One of those are for Box seats, so purchased at the box offive.  When the last bunch went on sale,  I wasn't intending to even try.  My son asked me to.  Got kicked out twice, sent him to bed with low expectations and tried one more time. Got tix. Now don't get me wrong, I certainly know people that have gotten shut out, but I can't understand how I've been successful EACH time I've tried.

 

I've never entertained  the cancelation line, my time is way more valuable. And as much as i loveHamilton, no show is worth the insanity that ensues.

 

 

[Theater_Nerd]

jdra said: "Theater_Nerd said: "I also cannot imagine sleeping on a city street to get a ticket to any show let alone paying upwards of 1k for one.

As much as I love live theater, I wouldn't let it take precedent over my life, my time or my wallet."

I agree. But a good portion of the people sleeping on the street are young. Many people do that sort of thing when they are young. And most of the people paying 1k and up can easily afford it.

Yes, I agree. This is true.

I've seen "Hamilton" - once at The Public, twice at the Rodgers - I just can't see myself shelling out that kind of money, even if I could afford to do so. Kudos to those who can part with that kind of money. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Hamilton is an excellent show, don't get me wrong - but it's importance in the grand scheme of things is being taken so out of proportion so much so that these kids are willing to sleep on a city street for a chance to see it is strangely fascinating.

I guess when we are younger we tend to get obsessive about our "stuff". I've been known to have my share of obsessions, but never on that kind of level.

I'm not judging - - - I am in absolutely no position to judge - - - and I guess it's not for me to understand and for those to do what they feel pleases them the most whether it be spending a thousand dollars on a theater ticket, or sleeping on a city street over the course of 96 hours to obtain one.

 

 

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