Question about ticket dates
Question about ticket dates
ls9477
Swing Joined: 11/10/21
#1Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 11:42am
Hi everyone, I was hoping to get your opinions/input on an issue I had after buying tickets on Broadway.com. I had originally bought tickets to see The Music Man on a regular night (not preview). I bought these tickets in early 2020, before the pandemic. They had to of course change my dates due to the pandemic and moved me to a preview performance, which I'm not necessarily happy about since I paid to see a regular performance. I called them and they refuse to change my date, saying tickets are now more expensive and if I want to go see the show after opening night, I'll have to pay more. This makes no sense to me as I paid for regular tickets and should be allowed to see one. I'd love your opinion/advice on this as I have never been to a preview - would I be missing much? Am I wrong to want to go on a date after opening, since that is what I paid for? Or should I just accept it? Thank you!
#2Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 11:48am
I wouldn't worry too much about seeing a preview. Previews these days are almost always the same as post-opening night performances. You will still be seeing a finished and polished production. And since this is a revival of an existing famous and beloved musical, there definitely won't be any tweaks to the book or score during the preview period. The Music Man is also such a high profile revival that you can bet that the producers and creative team are going to be putting out the best production possible from the first preview forward.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
ArtMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/08
#3Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 11:49am
I personally don't like to attend previews either. But sometimes you don't have a choice. During my November trip, 2 of three shows were in preview. For my December 1 trip, both shows are in preview. No, you are not wrong to want to see a regular performance if that is what you paid for. But unfortunately you are at the mercy of the third party broker. Unless they are offering you a refund or you are unable to pay the increase (and get a worse seat at this timing) you may just have to accept it. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself, but at least in previews most of the time, everyone is in.
#4Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 11:50am
I almost exclusively go to previews, particularly in the final week, which is when the critics attend, since the chances of having a standby/understudy on are much lower than after opening. Also, your experience is a good reason to never use Broadway.com again.
Updated On: 11/10/21 at 11:50 AM
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#5Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 12:16pm
and I'll add: long gone are the days of previews costing less than a "regular" performance.
The likelihood of you missing anything is incredibly slim - that doesn't mean an actor missing an entrance or a set piece or cue not happening - but those things can just as easily happen at anytime.
In a nutshell: you have nothing to worry about.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#6Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 12:47pm
If there's one lesson you took away from this, is not to book with Broadway.com! But truthfully, this is probably going to be a pretty traditional revival, and the hottest ticket in town, so really in this case, they were doing you a favor keeping you where you are. The chance of getting a comparable seat location and price are slim to none.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#7Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 1:52pm
bwayphreak234 said: "I wouldn't worry too much about seeing a preview. Previews these days are almost always the same as post-opening night performances. You will still be seeing a finished and polished production. And since this is a revival of an existing famous and beloved musical, there definitely won't be any tweaks to the book or score during the preview period. The Music Man is also such a high profile revival that you can bet that the producers and creative team are going to be putting out the best production possible from the first preview forward."
The previews for The Music Man start on Dec 20, 2021...but official Opening Night is scheduled only on Feb 10, 2022. That is over 7 weeks of previews. Since this is a revival, isn't that a fairly long preview period? What is the usual preview period for new musicals or for revivals?
#8Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 1:58pm
The traditional preview period for most Broadway productions is about 1 month, but 2 months is not unheard of. This is probably a holdover from Scott Rudin's tenure, as he's done long preview periods like this before.
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#10Question about ticket dates
Posted: 11/10/21 at 2:14pm
ALso, OP -- it doesn't do you much good now -- but in the future don't ever buy from Broadway.com. They're a scalper -- and their fees are usually FAR higher than at Telecharge or Ticketmaster, Also in this case, Telecharge would have moved you to another performance -- no questions asked.
