Lotteries

[Phantom of London]

I really don't understand Lotteries, I understand how they work, but why have them? I get a failing show, that this could create some buzz and after all I empty seat is worth nothing, but shows like Book of Mormon, Wicked and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the most successful shows on a Broadway. They could shift these seats as premiums, so could sell these for up to $477 a seat, so therefore losing a potentially hefty $70k a week, which is a big whack, this would probably cove a few pay checks, so why do it for an successful show?

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

I know that many moons ago, when Rent started their lottery, the goal was to have seats affordable enough so everyone could see the show. Initially, this was geared heavily towards students, but obviously that has expanded.

I think they were created to be able to share the show and promote it to all audiences. It's the goodwill measure of a show.

[jnb9872]

To preserve some pretense that not every single ticket is only affordable to the wealthiest and keep some element of Broadway open and accessible to the young students and starving artists who have the time to spend trying the lottery but not the money.

Also, since the tickets are sold directly to the winners after the lottery is held, the effort to play the lottery and the slim chances of winning deters the secondary market from entering the lottery field which ensures the chances that those tickets, at least, will be directly used by passionate theatregoers likely to spread word of mouth even further. It's a loss-leader.

[JBroadway]

As others have said, it is a way to make it more accessible to the less-wealthy public. Though producers want to do what is financially best for the show, they also are human beings who love the art form, and know that giving everyone an opportunity to experience live theatre is a powerful thing. Also, successful shows like Wicked and Book of Mormon and Hedwig are doing so well that they can afford to sell 20 tickets for a small amount of money without losing too much of a profit. That's why it kind of bugs me that the Lion King doesn't have a rush or a lotto.

[haterobics]

Wasn't Rent originally rush, but because people started camping out overnight, it was switched to a lottery to sort of discourage that extreme queuing? I know when I first saw Rent, there were people already camped out on the sidewalk for the next day's show, cheering us on as we came out of the theater.

[KathyNYC2]

I certainly go to the theater more often because of lotteries and cheaper seats. If I had to spend full price tickets at every show, I would not be able to afford to see more than a few each year. With all the discounts and lotteries/rushes, I see so many more than I have ever done previously....and that's good for theater in general.

In reality, a lot of the lottery/rush tickets are not the best seats and often are partial view - so the theaters could not charge full price anyway for those seats. And it's always better to play to a full house - even if some of the seats are cheaper. It's good for morale and good for word of mouth.

Yes and it BUGS ME about Lion King also..surely they could spare 20 seats at least certain days a week. The lottery at BOM bugs me also. It's the only lottery I have even been to where they pick the names behind closed doors. Every other show picks the names right in front of the public. That annoys the heck out of me.

[haterobics]

"The lottery at BOM bugs me also. It's the only lottery I have even been to where they pick the names behind closed doors. Every other show picks the names right in front of the public. That annoys the heck out of me."

They used to do it right on the table where you signed up, with one guy picking a random card and handing it to the guy with the bullhorn. but if you are standing right there, you can see him picking them and handing them to the bullhorn guy. So, if you're way off on the side, maybe it looks like it isn't being done somewhere visible, but I used to stand right at the table and you can watch the whole thing.... unless they changed it up at some point?

[JBroadway]

"Every other show picks the names right in front of the public."

the Wicked lotto draws the names behind the doors as well.

[LizzieCurry]

The lottery at BOM bugs me also. It's the only lottery I have even been to where they pick the names behind closed doors. Every other show picks the names right in front of the public. That annoys the heck out of me.

What are you talking about? They pull it out of a barrel, while standing on a stool, in full view of anyone who's right in front of them. The table is in one of the doorways leading to the box office and lobby; you can see if any weird shady stuff is happening, and there isn't any.

[VotePeron]

I'm not interested in getting in an argument, but every time I've lotto'd BOM, they do it in the BO lobby where no one waiting outside can see. It is shady. They are nice, but it is weird. WICKED you can see through the glass at him, but at BOM it truly is obstructed.

The guy standing on the stool is handed names from someone inside who has drawn them.

[haterobics]

I haven't done BOM for a while, but they used to do it on the table right inside the doors, and the guy who is drawing them is the one handing them to the person with the bullhorn. If you are standing in front of the table, you can see the whole thing, and the doors aren't shut or anything. The barrel with the names stays on the same table it was on the whole time.

Again, I haven't done it in more than a year, so maybe they changed it?

[fyeahmaria]

I do the BoM lottery every few weeks and they do pull the names out for everyone to see. One person picks the name out of the barrel right next to the guy with the loud speaker. However before handing the main guy the note he turns inside to a little table to write down now many tickets they need to make sure they don't give out too many tickets. The note is then passed to the guy on the stool and announced to the public.

[LizzieCurry]

They haven't changed it; I've done it about 100 times since fall 2011. They draw right out of the barrel.

[brdway411]

^^^^ Thank you, I was just about to post on this, BOM lottery is one of my favorites, because they do it right in front of you. Unlike Wicked where it is done behind closed doors and then announced.