[NEOPAL]An open letter re: Playhouse Square's ticket policy for "Wicked"

Mon Apr 24 05:59:52 PDT 2006

<html><div style='background-color:'><P>Well, it's certainly been interesting to read the responses to my original letter.  A short clarification, as a few seemed to misinterpret:</P>
<P>1.  If you re-read my letter, you'll see that I completely understand and expect that those who are subscribers and make large donations will get the perk of early ticket purchases.  Please don't condescend and assume that, if someone takes issue with a business policy that we just don't "get it."  We "get it" very clearly.   And if a show sells out with an <EM>initial</EM> pre-sale, so be it.  It is these <EM>multiple</EM> private sales that I take issue with.  Yesterday's full-page ad in the Plain Dealer announcing Friday's public sale actually makes it sound like someone has a fair chance of getting decent seats and that it would be worth it to show up at the box office at 8am on a work day (for many of us, at least), yet the conversation I experienced last week indicates otherwise.  </P>
<P>2.  I never complained about the price of good seats, nor am I looking for discounted tickets.  I fully understand that it costs a lot of money to produce high-quality theatre, and I'm more than willing to pay that price when it's something I really want to see.  I just want the <EM>opportunity</EM> to buy these seats, with the understanding that <EM>some </EM>will have been sold early to subscribers.</P>
<P>3.  Sorry, but I'm not going to pay to sit in the nosebleed seats.  That isn't about "crying in your beer" - that's being selective about how I spend my money.  If you can sit in restricted view seats or are willing to spend 2-3 hours with binoculars attached to your face and call that a good time and a good value, then simply accept that we see this issue differently.  </P>
<P>4.  Thank you for thinking that I'm a "young person" complaining about not being able to get good seats at Playhouse Square.  I'm a 40+ professional woman who has, until now, always been able to purchase good seats as a non-subscriber at Playhouse Square.  Maybe not the best seats, but good seats nonetheless.  I simply want that same opportunity going into the future and hope that Playhouse Square isn't going overboard by marketing perks to their subscribers to the <EM>exclusion</EM> of the rest of their patron base.   </P>
<P>And to those who suggested it...thanks for suggesting the "Friends" program.  I haven't seen any specific information about this program in a very long time and will consider it.</P>
<P>Theresa Dean<BR></P>
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From: <I>"Lee Kamps" <lee921 at att.net></I><BR>To: <I>"Mike Wypasek" <sunshinecomedy at earthlink.net>,"Theresa Dean" <kharperna at hotmail.com>,<neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com></I><BR>Subject: <I>RE: [NEOPAL]An open letter re: Playhouse Square's ticket policy for "Wicked"</I><BR>Date: <I>Sat, 22 Apr 2006 13:48:32 -0400</I><BR><BR>
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<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>One thing that you seem to forget with all that complaining about not being able to get "good" tickets to Playhouse Square shows is that it costs a LOT of money to bring those shows to Cleveland. It costs a lot of money to produce those shows and a major source of money for events has to come from ticket sales. The sale of subscription tickets to shows guarantees that a certain number of tickets have already been purchased for the shows. That base of subscription ticket buyers also tells those companies producing the shows what kind of "base" there is in Cleveland for a company. Without that "base", many touring productions wouldn't stop here. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Many of those that purchase subscription series also are donors whose names are listed in the program. Without those donors ("angels") and advance subscription sales of tickets, those shows you want to see would not be coming to Cleveland at all. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>You may feel that this is "elitist", but if you donated thousands of dollars to Playhouse Square (or the Cleveland Orchestra or any other cultural organization) wouldn't you want to have access to the "best seats in the house"? Actors, musicians and stage hands don't work for free. If the arts had to depend on just those single ticket sales for revenue without asking for donations and selling advance subscription series, then the whole arts scene would be far less rich than it is.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>We can also be fortunate that here in Cleveland, the cost to see quality productions like "Wicked" is affordable to many people. If you were to go to New York or Los Angeles, you would have to pay far more to see the same production. Even so, one can very often get discount tickets the day of the show by going to Playhouse Square and asking for them. Many times those subscription ticket holders cannot use their tickets (which they have already paid for) and donate them back to Playhouse Square for re-sale to the public, often at half price.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Quit crying in your beer about sitting in poor seats high in the balcony or on the sides. I have seen many performances from those nosebleed seats because I wanted to see the show and that was all I could afford. Just bring a good pair of binoculars and you can see all the expressions just like being up close. Also those popular shows come around again for another run. When the "Phanton of the Opera" first played here in 1993, all performances quickly sold out. I was fortunate to get "nosebleed" seats high in the balcony and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I saw it again in 1997 from a much better location and I was able to walk up on the day of the show in 2000 and get orchestra seats at half price. "Les Miserables" is currently playing here for the umpteenth time.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>If you are on a limited budget and like live shows, I highly reccomend the local community theatres. The Cassidy theatre in Parma Heights and the Beck Center in Lakewook put on some excellent shows, many of them also popular Broadway productions. In addition to more reasonable costs there, you aren't ripped off to park your car. There are also other good community theatre productions in other parts of the area. You could see many excellent shows all the time without ever having to come downtown.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I very often hear young people complain all the time about not being able to get good seats for touring shows at Playhouse Square, yet have you ever checked out the cost of a ticket to a rock concert at any of the local venues?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=080292117-22042006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Lee Kamps</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com [mailto:neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Mike Wypasek<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, April 21, 2006 1:50 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Theresa Dean; neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NEOPAL]An open letter re: Playhouse Square's ticket policy for "Wicked"<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Yup, that's Cleveland.  Elitist even in the arts.  It's a microcosm of the haves and the have nots. Well said Theresa.  Bravo.<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Theresa Dean <BR>Sent: Apr 21, 2006 9:37 AM <BR>To: neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com <BR>Subject: [NEOPAL]An open letter re: Playhouse Square's ticket policy for "Wicked" <BR><BR>
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<DIV class=RTE>A few weeks ago, there was a discussion here regarding “is theatre as we know it dying?", and what theatres can do to keep audiences keep coming back.  In light of that, I’d like to offer the following story.  It’s long, so if you don’t want to read it, let me sum it up for you…if you want to keep theatre alive and well, don’t alienate your patrons. </DIV>
<DIV class=RTE> </DIV>
<DIV class=RTE>I make it a point to pay for the best seats if I really want to see a show.  But I’m only willing to pay for <EM>good</EM> seats, and as anyone knows who’s been to the State Theatre, there are some appallingly bad seats that sell for a hefty price.  Too far out to the sides, and you can miss a great deal of action due to poor site lines.  Too far to the back or too high up, and you see no expressions, no subtlety, no detail, and often times the sound quality is sorely lacking.  I simply will not spend money for seats if I know they aren’t worth the price.  And, while I will pay top dollar for one or two shows a year,  I can not pay the going rate in either ticket prices or donations to get a shot at good seats as a subscriber.  I used to be a subscriber, but I could only get the really good seats by buying tickets a la carte.  I dropped my subscription for exactly that reason. </DIV>
<P>So I’ve been waiting…and waiting…and waiting for the public sale for “Wicked.”  And I’ve been more than a little annoyed about the multiple “subscribers-only” sales. (Funny, though, how some tickets were available on-line from a ticket broker for ridiculously inflated prices – two to three times the regular rate -  as much as three months ago.  Sounds like scalping to me, and authorized or not, I don’t do business with scalpers.)   </P>
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<P>Yesterday, I happened to mention to a co-worker that I was taking next Friday morning off so I could go to the box office when the public sale started.  She is a subscriber and was kind enough to offer to buy tickets for me so that I could, just maybe, get a chance at good seats.  We looked on-line and could find no “subscriber’s only” section, so she called the box office.  I listened in to the call. </P>
<P>Basically, she was told, “tell your friend to forget it, there are no good seats left.  Well, there may be a few, but they’ll be gone by the time the public sale hits, so she shouldn’t waste her time coming down here if that’s all she wants.”  She was also told that we couldn’t come to the box office or order by phone or internet, subscriber or not.  The order had to be in writing  - which sounded to me like we would have no way to give a yay or nay to the seating choices at the time of purchase -  and it had to be in her name, which I expected, but that “it doesn’t matter who’s credit card you use.”  Hmmmm, guess my money’s still good, even though my name and status as a non-subscriber isn’t! </P>
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<P>And now we’re hearing that the only way to get guaranteed seats to next year’s tour of “Spamalot” is to be a subscriber.   </P>
<P>I find this policy to be both elitist and insulting.  I fully understand the need to offer perks to encourage subscription and that “first dibs” on performances is one of those perks.  I understand that, and I <U>expect</U> that.  But I think Playhouse Square has taken it WAY too far with <EM>multiple private sales to the point of exclusion</EM>, and with their announcement regarding “Spamalot,” it sounds like this is going to be an on-going practice.  End result - they are effectively preventing a large portion of their patron base from having any reasonable chance at getting decent seats.  If they think this is going to encourage someone like me to want to be a subscriber...well, think again.</P>
<P>I’ve probably spent a few thousand dollars at Playhouse Square since living in this area, but with this practice, I can now do no more than hope that house seats, reserved blocks, or unadvertised performances are actually available and will be released as a “last minute offer, new show added” marketing ploy. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I’m sure that “Wicked” and other big shows like it will sell out, so my feelings probably don’t matter one bit to the management at Playhouse Square.  And I’m sure some of you will say, “that’s life, money talks, and if you ain’t got it, you don’t get to play.”  No kidding.  But here’s a thought – not <EM>every</EM> show will be a guaranteed sell out, so you might not want to p*ss off <U>any</U> part of your customer base by implying that they aren’t worth selling to if they don’t buy for every single show.  If you want to keep theatre alive and vibrant for an entire community, then make it AVAILABLE to the entire community.
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<P>T.M. Dean</P>
<P>Lakewood, Ohio</P>
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<DIV></DIV></DIV>_____________________________________ Ohio Premiere of James Sherman's "From Door to Door" produced by the JCC in association with Tri C East Theatre Arts. Directed by Fred Sternfeld; featuring Liz Conway, Jeanne Task & Barbara Haas. May 4-21. Tickets.com. Special appearance and talk-back by playwright James Sherman at the May 18 performance. http://www.fredsternfeld.com/fromdoortodoor.htm _______________________________________ Fairmount Performing Arts Camp registration now open. Details @ http://www.fairmountcenter.org/fpac06/index.htm ___________________________________ There is a sister site to this list called the "NEoPAL Bulletin Board." Occasionally when "hot-button" discussions go on more than a day or two, the bulletin board is used: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/neopal/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The facts and/or opinions expressed 
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