TheaterMania Gold Club, Audience Extras, Play By Play

[musicman_bwayfan]

Hi folks,

Does anyone have experience with TheaterMania Gold Club, Audience Extras, or Play By Play? Is there one membership program that seems to be better than another or that people seem to prefer? I'm thinking about signing up for one of them. Thanks for any information that you may have.

[mybestaudition]

I've done Play by Play and am currently doing Theatre Mania Gold.

Play by Play was not worth it for me, but I'm really only interested in theatre. There is some theatre, but a lot of alternative entertainment, like Birdland. I guess it's worth it if you think you want a mix of theatre and cabarets/concerts/etc. Also, with Play by Play my seats were ALWAYS in the balcony.

I've LOVED TheatreMania Gold. My seats are ALWAYS orchestra (except once when I was in the front row of the mezzanine) It easily pays for itself at Tony season, and you still have 11 other months of the year. My membership renews every June. Since June, I have seen Don't Dress for Dinner, Venus in Fur, Evita, The Columnist, Porgy and Bess, Closer than Ever, My Children My Africa, Streetcar Named Desire and Storefront Church. There are some slow times, like right. But as soon as all the fall shows open, it's going to be busy again. Usually you can catch things in previews or when a show is ready to close.

So I vote for TM Gold over Play by Play. I don't have experience with Audience Extras.

[musicman_bwayfan]

Thanks for your opinion mybestaudition. I'm sending you a PM with another question.

[Jordan Catalano]

Play by Play has really declined in what they offer. I think I'll go back to Theater Mania since I let my PbP acct expire.

[musicman_bwayfan]

Thanks for the feedback Jordan

[Pammylicious]

I belong to both play by play and Gold. PbP always offers the Actor's Fund Performances for low cost. I saw Wicked a couple of months ago for $40. Jersey Boys for $50 last weekend and 1M 2G this weekend for $50 and in September Spidey for $40. All the AF shows are either orchestra or front mezz seats I get some shows that Gold doesn't offer (Bonnie and Clyde comes to mind) and they have exclusive to all Radio City Music Hall, Beacon and Madison Square Garden (Zarkana, Michael Bolton, Rangers Suite Seating, Concerts, etc.)

Gold club, recently had Ghost, Mamma Mia, Dogfight (just within last couple of months) With this you get a free paid of tickets to the show they are offering on their site. You have to ask for them. Don't know what it is today.

[ALMinNYC]

how much have the Gold Club tickets cost in general? Do you know seat locations ahead of time or do you find out when you pick them up like you do for TDF?

[mybestaudition]

Gold tickets are $4.50 each. You can buy 1 or 2. You do not know your seats ahead of time, but I've ALWAYS been in great orchestra seats, and once in the front row center of the mezzanine.

[Pammylicious]

I also feel that Gold club seats are better than PbP, but heck at 4.50 or 4.00/TICKET i'll still in the rafters.

Note of caution: Many of the Broadway shows are very last minute. Sometimes a few hours before a performance. I find this happens more often with PbP than Gold.

Oh and Audience Extras is HORRIBLE and thieves. They still owe me $40 from when I ended my membership and never refunded it.

[Broadway Joe]

I signed up for Theater Extras at the end of June. Their selection has been rather terrible so far and unless it picks up I will be cancelling after this year. I was waiting for TheaterMania to change their initial offer show and I see it's Chaplin now so I might sign up soon.

[April Saul]

I have only belonged to TheaterMania Gold Club, but I have to say that I really like them. Can't always take advantage because I don't live that close to NYC, but when I have, it all goes smoothly...and their customer service is very good. They're easily to reach by phone, and on the rare occasions that I rushed to buy a ticket, and a few minutes or hours afterward realized that I couldn't make the performance, they were even helpful with that.

[macnyc]

How would TheaterMania Gold compare with TDF? On TDF, musicals are usually $40 to $45, and plays are $27. Thanks for any info.

[Luv2goToShows]

macnyc, I am curious how it compares to TDF as well and am wondering if it is a good idea and cost effective to belong to both. Thoughts and comments appreciated.

[Pammylicious]

I also belong to TDF. There really is no comparison. The seats thru these two are much better than TDF, most of the shows on TDF come up some time or another on the seat fillers.

In one year I have gone to 14 Broadway shows thru Gold and 30 plus other shors. I have probably gone to 10 Broadway shows thru PbP.

TDF, I have used once.

I could never afford to see as much theater as I do if I didn't have these seat filler memberships. Yes, they are well worth the $99 membership plus now you get a free pair of tickets to Chaplin .You've won already.

[wdwfreak]

I just signed up a couple of minutes ago to take advantage of the free Chaplin tickets. I am very excited to see some things for a lot less than any rush or lotto price could buy. Also, I like that the Ride is up because I've always wanted to experience that.

[mybestaudition]

For those asking about TDF vs TM Gold, it's not really something to compare. What I do is try and wait for TM Gold to have a certain show. If it never pops up, or its a date I can't attend, and I don't want to wait, then I check TDF. Clearly paying $4.50 vs $45 for a ticket is a better deal, and as someone else said, my TM Gold tickets are always in better locations than my TDF tickets.

That said, TM Gold doesn't offer everything. TDF will often have more dates available and some of the more "popular shows". I have both memberships because when I have guests in town and they want to see...Evita...or something, I can get $45 tix on TDF. I think TM Gold works best for people who live in or near the city and are able to go to the theatre with a few days notice.

Someone mentioned that the Bway shows on TM Gold pop up the day of the show. I have only experienced that with Streetcar. Usually I have at least a couple days notice.

[mybestaudition]

Also, I want to second whoever it was that mentioned how great TM Gold's customer service is. There is a phone number you can call if you have an issue and someone ALWAYS picks up. Also, they respond to emails within 30 minutes.

[followspot]

I have a membership to both TDF and TheatreMania Gold Club, and use them both constantly. (And yes, I'm one of those who live in the city and so can more easily take advantage of last-minute offers.) TDF offers many Broadway shows ($40-$45), many off-Broadway($25-$30), many off-off Broadway ($9), plus random dance and music performances, often weeks in advance. Gold Club only has occasional Broadway offerings (rarely musicals), but a lot of off-Broadway and cabaret (all $4.50), usually for the following few days only. Both are websites best checked several times a day, as offers come and go quickly. I wasn't aware of Play By Play until this thread. Are there any members here who can post a sample of what's currently offered there?

[mybestaudition]

Back to the comparison of TDF and TM Gold... This weekend TDF has Peter and the Starcatcher up. I've NEVER seen it on TM Gold. Also Clybourne Park has been on TDF consistently, and it's not been on TM Gold, except for one or two days during previews.

So I advocate memberships to both.

[Pammylicious]

I already posted in the thread that PbP gets all the Actor's Fund Shows and the tickets are $40 or $50. I have seen Wicked, Jersey Boys, One Man, Two Guvnors and Spiderman recently because of these offers. Coming up is BOM and Once. For some reason the Fund (who controls these tickets) gives them to PbP way in advance (sometimes a month). I don't think these tickets are released to the general public but I might be wrong.

[macnyc]

Thank you for the information! I am definitely going to keep my TDF membership, and I'm considering adding TM Gold. My question: I usually am tied up during the week because I work late, so the only time I can go to shows is on weekends (with some exceptions). With TM Gold, are most of the shows on weekdays? I do live in NYC, so that's not a problem.

[mc1227]

Ive done Audience Rewards but you have to spend a lot of money on tickets before getting a comp. They let you earn limited points with trivia games and other purchases. Have not experienced TheaterMania Gold Club though.

[followspot]

@mac — Offers for weekend performances are frequent on Gold Club.

@pammy — Yes, I saw your info about Actor's Fund performances. I was curious what's generally offered aside from that. (And I may be totally off-base here — as I said, I have no knowledge of Play by Play, so I have no idea how ticket offers are made there.)

[ljay889]

For Gold, do you pick up the tickets at the box office?

[followspot]

Yes, Gold Club tickets are held at the box office.

[mybestaudition]

Followspot: When I did Play by Play, it was mostly Off-Broadway (Voca People ALL THE TIME) and Birdland, Duplex, Roseland events. Broadway would pop up, but usually only if a show was REALLY struggling. I think the most "popular" show I ever saw on PbyP was Mandy and Patti's show and I was in the back corner of the balcony. The mezzanine was practically empty, so we all moved down once the show began.