Broadway Show Admission Prices

[EdEval]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 10:17am

Does anyone know or have the statistics of what was the average price of admission to see a Broadway show during the 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's, ? I know the cost today is outrageous!

[AADA81]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 10:38am

In the 1950's, tickets were $6.60 or $8.80, depending on seat location and performance day/time.  In 1979, I purchased tickets for a Friday evening performance of 'Sweeney Todd' from the Uris (Gershwin) Theatre box office for $15.00 apiece.  Adjusted for inflation, that would be @ $52.00 today, which is less than the cheapest seats for most shows nowadays.

[Dave13]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 10:44am

You can use the Broadway grosses tool on this site.

I looked at the last week of each year, which is the holidays.

The earliest is 1984. $31.34
1990 $39.72
2000 $67.73
2010 $99.62
2018 $152.56

[Dave13]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 11:02am

Here is a good thread from a few years ago.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=957682&page=2

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 11:19am

It really is ridiculous how much theyve increased in the last decade. The first trip I made to the city was in 2010 and never paid over 100 for a ticket. Every time since Ive noticed an increase. Now if I bought in advance there is nothing under 100 ( also considering our terrible exchange rate).
The last two times to went last year Ive actually gotten to the point of just doing general rush or lotterys because of how expensive theyve become and how many I like to see while Im down. I could not imagine doing a date night or family evening short of taking out a mortgage.

[goodlead]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 11:21am

As an example, the top price for "My Fair Lady" when it opened in 1956 was $7.50, soon to be raised to $8.05.  That price was retained for its seven-year run. The top price for "Gypsy" (1959) was $9.20.  The top price for "Chicago" (1975) was $12.  "A Chorus Line" (1975) changed the rules in a few ways.  It charged the same for orchestra and mezzanine.  It charged the same for Wednesday matinees (which had always been cheaper than evening shows and sometimes cheaper than Saturday matinees) as for other performances.  And it raised its prices from time to time throughout its run.  Other shows followed suit.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 11:31am

Keep in mind, even at $9.20 for GYPSY, that was ridiculously high priced and many couldn’t even afford that. People then even remarked how high that ticket price was for a Broadway show. Many people who did see the now classic shows like WEST SIDE STORY, MY FAIR LADY, GYPSY, etc will tell you they saw them sitting in balcony seats, which they literally paid cents for.  Many couldn’t afford those high priced $9 Orchestra seats.  

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 11:48am

I do complain about the prices sometimes, but I do acknowledge that if you are willing to sit in rear mezz/balcony, most shows have reasonably priced seats. I just am less willing to sit there anymore partially because I have long legs and bad knees and those seats in general have limited legroom. Also, I just want to be closer to the stage. Having said that, premium pricing is a reality now and many shows have expanded premium pricing to include most of the orchestra as well as the front mezzanine. Given how expensive it is to open and run a Broadway show and how long it takes a show to recoup (if it recoups), the trend isn’t going to end, especially as people continue to be willing to pay top dollar for the most popular shows. Thank goodness for lotteries, rush, SRO, TKTS, discount codes and last minute deals via Stubhub.

Updated On: 1/26/19 at 11:48 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 11:48am

I have our ticket stubs for the opening night performance of HELLO, DOLLY!(Jan 16, 1964) and they were $9.90. We sat 6th row center.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 2:43pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Keep in mind, even at $9.20 for GYPSY, that was ridiculously high priced and many couldn’t even afford that. People then even remarked how high that ticket price was for a Broadway show. Many people who did see the now classic shows like WEST SIDE STORY, MY FAIR LADY, GYPSY, etc will tell you they saw them sitting in balcony seats, which they literally paid cents for. Many couldn’t afford those high priced $9 Orchestra seats. "

I agree with this. We may say we could afford these less than $10 ticket prices today, but that was a luxury back in the day. People didn't make as much money and everything else was less expensive.  My dad said he got paid like 75 cents an hour when he worked at his town's library when he was in high school in the 1960s. So, before taxes if he worked 15 hours in a week, that's only $11.25. 

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 4:12pm

Broadway is a luxury item and a business.  Like everything else, prices go up for things when people keep buying them.  Theater attendance has increased annually for a long time.    

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 4:24pm

I think it is possible to find deals if you have some flexibility and do research on different types of available discounts. I've seen 6 shows so far this month and have probably spent around $350 total. 2 were via lottery, 3 were via great discount codes and 1 was just a super cheap rear mezzanine ticket.

That said, I think costs of running a show overall have increased with increased security and things like that. I'm not sure how much merchandise contributes to the bottom line but I know in a lot of cases, you can find the same items online for less money.

[Alessio2]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 4:27pm

When I started seeing shows on Broadway in the 90's as a teenager, the top ticket price was $75 which seems like such a bargain now.  There was no such thing as premium seats, stubhub, verified reseller or all this other price gouging BS...

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 4:47pm

Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS is responsible for creating the Premium Seats option. When the show exploded hours after it’s April 2001 opening and the reviews came out, scalpers went ballistic with the tickets they already had in hand. When the show’s producers saw how quickly people were paying $1,400 for a ticket, they quickly created their Premium Seats option. They started selling their house seats for $450 when regular prices were about $125. This way they were guaranteed the profit they didn’t get from the price hike scalpers were getting.  Shortly after this, many shows started offering Premium Seats and each season more joined the profitable band wagon.  

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 3:27am

Dave13 said: "You can use the Broadway grosses tool on this site.

I looked at the last week of each year, which is the holidays.

The earliest is 1984. $31.34
1990 $39.72
2000 $67.73
2010 $99.62
2018 $152.56"

To push it back a few years, I remember paying $16.50 for a top price ticket to ANNIE in 1977. I thought it was outrageous (even before I endured the show)!

In the 1960s, it wasn't at all uncommon for seats in the back or the balcony of many theaters around the country to cost less than $2. I spent $1.95 for the last row on the side aisle, continental seating, to see Ethel Merman in CALL ME MADAM on tour.

[EdEval]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 9:38am

I just want to thank everyone for their posting to my message.  It goes to show that despite the high prices people will pay whatever it takes to enjoy live theatre and to see their favourite performers live.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 9:36pm

EdEval said: "I just want to thank everyone for their posting to my message. It goes to show that despite the high prices people will pay whatever it takes to enjoy live theatre and to see their favourite performers live."

Actually, I think it's more complicated than that. There are the very wealthy who can afford to spend $495 per ticket (and then get drunk and sleep through the show, apparently); and there are some who get tickets the brokerage that employs them bought for clients but didn't use.

And then there's everybody else chasing discounts.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 10:20pm

LuPita2 said: "Broadway is a luxury item and a business. Like everything else, prices go up for things when people keep buying them. Theater attendance has increased annually for a long time."

 

True every year we break another attendance record and gro$$e$

[Mike66]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 10:36pm

GavestonPS said: "Dave13 said: "You can use the Broadway grosses tool on this site.

I looked at the last week of each year, which is the holidays.

The earliest is 1984. $31.34
1990 $39.72
2000 $67.73
2010 $99.62
2018 $152.56"

To push it back a few years, I remember paying $16.50 for a top price ticket to ANNIE in 1977. I thought it was outrageous (even before I endured the show)!

In the 1960s, it wasn't at all uncommon for seats in the back or the balcony of many theaters around the country to cost less than $2. I spent $1.95 for the last row on the side aisle, continental seating, to see Ethel Merman in CALL ME MADAM on tour."

My parents started take me to Broadway in 1955.  We saw 'all' the shows from the last few rows in the balcony.  He was making $9000 a year as a school teacher, and my mom was a stay at home mom.  We'd take the subway from Brooklyn, and go to the Automat at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue.  There, we'd use our nickels to access the food in the little windows -- and pick up 'twofers' -- ticket sized pieces of paper that got you two tickets for the price of one.  Then my Dad would pick out a show, and we'd walk over to the box office, he'd buy the tickets and we'd start climbing......

There weren't any microphones, so maybe we didn't hear every word up there (except Merman was never a problem....)  But the magic was just as strong as it was on the aisle downstairs, and I wouldn't trade those times for anything.  I'm sorry that there doesn't seem to be an equivalent chance for families these days.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 7:46am

GavestonPS said: "EdEval said: "I just want to thank everyone for their posting to my message. It goes to show that despite the high prices people will pay whatever it takes to enjoy live theatre and to see their favourite performers live."

Actually, I think it's more complicated than that. There are the very wealthywho can afford to spend $495 per ticket (and then get drunk and sleep through the show, apparently); and there are some who get tickets thebrokerage that employsthem bought for clients butdidn't use.

And then there's everybody else chasing discounts."

I haven't seen this since Hamilton but people also would wait in a line for over 12 hours (sometimes overnight) just to get a cancellation ticket or SRO ticket. 

The main reason the average is a lot higher nowadays is because of premium pricing. A better indication of how high prices have gone up is probably the average price of balcony or rear mezzanine (as those seats are never considered premium pricing) or perhaps the median price.