Wicked-Detroit-Out of control

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:20pm

Just thought I'd share my ticket buying experience from this morning...basically a disaster. It was printed in a local paper that tickets were to go onsale at 8 AM until 10 AM for prefered seating, basically tickets for people who were willing to drive downtown. Silly me thought, "This is Detroit, no one here even knows what theater is, let alone Wicked," Yeah right.
I arrived at the Fisher Theater pretty close to 9 this morning, there were already about 500 people in line with a three to four hour wait. I talked to a woman who worked there, she told me that people came at 6 last night to camp out for seats, then told us that ticket master would not be putting tickets online until after everyone at the box office was taken care of. PHEW...or so I thought.
Two hours later, I left my friend in line in search of water, where I talked to a man who informed me that tickets were on the internet and everything was sold out for the most part. Basically the hundreds of people in line were all screwed out of tickets. My options at this point were to either call someone and have them buy me tickets online for really crappy seats or I could wait out the line and get tickets for even crappier seats, (If you've ever been to the Masonic in Detroit you know that if you don't have center seats, you can't see a thing on stage.) I ended up calling someone.

Only perk-The radio station there gave me a Shiz University t-shirt and my friend a Wicked hat

Was anyone else there, or had a similar experience?

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:28pm

I wasn't there, but I got my tickets weeks ago. Didn't you hear the radio Ad with promo code. Starting weeks ago you could go to Ticketmaster online and type in the code WITCH and buy your tickets in advance. This I'm sure was a ploy to ensure a sell out this morning. Sorry for the bad experience. And yeah, I know how bad it is to sit right behind a pillar at the Masonic!

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:28pm

I bought my tickets pre-sale. I had the code posted here for awhile.

Anyways not the greatest seats, Row N Section M17, but sound better than your experience.
Updated On: 5/6/06 at 04:28 PM

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:31pm

Damn I wish I would have known...tell me about those pillars at the Masonic, THE WORST!

I'm in sec M24 row F on June 11th. Hopefully sans pillar.

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 04:31 PM

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:32pm

This sounds like a new Star Wars movie coming out. Ridiculous.

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:35pm

Hey at least you got 1st row of your section. I'm in the last row before the tickets drop to $52.

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:39pm

That always sucks, then you wonder if when you go your seat is really worth the upgrade.

I opted for sec B18 row G the first row of that section in the balcony and actually they're really great seats without having to pay outrageous prices.

Kind of off-topic, but was there a code for LES MIS?? I want to go next week.

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 04:39 PM

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:42pm

I think my worst Masonic experience was with Annie, a few years ago. Extreme left side of the theater with a pillar in front of me. I cry everytime I find out that a show I want to see is coming there, but the Fox is way smaller, so I realize that they can't exactly put much there. I'm having my first Fisher experience this Saturday with Les Mis.

**I'm not sure if there was a code for Les Mis but tickets are still availible.

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 04:42 PM

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:45pm

Well, The NEDERLANDER's don't own the FOX, so they can't bring shows they're. Nederlander's only own the Fisher and the Masonic. The FOX is owned by ILLYTCH and OLYMPIA ENTERTAINMENT. The FOX seats 5000 how many does the Masonic hold??

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:47pm

The Fisher is lovely. Although the lobby appears to be designed by M.C. Esher. (Pardon the spelling) at times from the balcony you can go down a flight of stairs then up a flight to the bathrooms, and then back up a flight to your seats. It does make logical sense in the brain but its very beautiful.

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:49pm

Yeah, they have brought a few shows to the Fox though, I've seen Joseph there and Grease-I think.

I'm having a hard time finding out how many people the Masonic holds.

[bially082]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:49pm

My God- I hope not mmore than that!

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:56pm

It has a seating capacity of 4,404.


http://www.nederlanderdetroit.com/masonic/history.htm

By the way, I knew nothing good would come from them releasing Wicked tickets on April Fools day! Updated On: 4/1/06 at 04:56 PM

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 4:58pm

Jeez, when you go it looks way bigger than the Fox.

I think you are right about the April fools thing, we were joking about that in line.

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 04:58 PM

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 5:04pm

Well the only reason why I'm even seeing Wicked when it comes to Detroit is for Julia Murney (I'm seeing it for the first time this week in Chicago, yes I know I'm crazy). So she better be worth it!

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 5:18pm

You know, while I was waiting in line the words, "Screw it I'm calling Amtrack, I'll just go to Chicago," flew out of my mouth...

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 05:18 PM

[bugsers]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 6:55pm

I was so glad to find out about the pre-sale. (Someone I know just figured out the code word by guessing-- "witch" isn't exactly top secret!) I didn't get the greatest seats b/c price was an issue. Hopefully they won't be too bad (my mom wanted balcony seats for some reason), we're in section B14, row J.

I think I would've had a heart attack if I had to deal with that line. I'm excited to (hopefully) see Julia. The Chicago cast is great, though, so if someone didn't get tickets for Detroit and can make the trip, it would be well worth it!

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:10pm

Well I'm glad I'm seeing both.

Anyways that's exactly how I figured out the code, then later my mom got an e-mail from ticket master telling her about it.

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:12pm

Yeah, Their's are usually really obvious, but I can't figure out the LES MIS one to save my life!

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 07:12 PM

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:18pm

Is it supposed to be a discount or something?

Off topic-Michigan people, where do you look for broadway music around here. Barns has a pretty good selection and the one at Borders is okay.

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:29pm

Yup it should be a discount.

Check this link out!! Best place to get sheet music and they'll order you anything if they don't have it. The website is kinda hokey, but all you really need is the ph# (24 853-5777

Edit: OOPS I thought you were talking about sheet music.
Sheet music???? Why ANNIE's MUSIC of course!!!

Updated On: 4/1/06 at 07:29 PM

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:29pm

I just order from amazon.com, I don't even bother going to stores for CD's anymore because they never have what I'm looking for. Unless it's something recently released and popular.

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 7:33pm

Thanks, there are a few local places here. I usually special order sheet music, but I like to browse, ya know?

[fxy2003cmu]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 8:50pm

I'm going with a group to see wicked at the masonic on June 3rd at the matinee...we got our tickets weeks ago but I'm not exactly sure where they are cuz i hven't gotten them in the mail yet...I know they weren't in the highest price range though so we'll see I guess...the only other thing I've ever been to the masonic for before was to see Clay Aiken adn I was 3rd row so hopefully the view will be okay...Also all you michigan people, the wharton center in lansing just released their new seasons and it's pretty good...I was suprise they have sweet charity, rent, wicked, mamma mia, pippen, and some others as well!

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 8:56pm

Well Lansing is just as close to me as Detroit is so maybe I'll try and catch some of these shows. Updated On: 4/2/06 at 08:56 PM