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The Producer's Perspective: Talk to tourists about where they get tickets to Broadway shows, and a lot of them will say, “The Tickets Booth” or “That red place in the middle of Times Square” or “Where the people line up, you can’t miss it.”
I think this is great news! TKTS will now most likely be even more busy and successful! I think it's great that they are now selling tickets to shows that don't offer discounts. Having these on their board will show viewers that the shows the are on discount are not the only ones they can see. I do wonder, however, if TKTS is becoming too much of a money sucker for the shows. Does it say anywhere how much of the profit TKTS reeps from each sale? At least it is helpi to get audiences into the seats! I hope TKTS continues to thrive.
I saw both the TDF announcement about this and Ken Davenport's blog and honestly don't know how to feel about opening a Full Price window. TKTS is not hurting for business - plenty of people show up to purchase discount tickets, certainly enough to pile up huge lines in Times Square. I understand the goal of setting up a one-stop place to buy future tickets, but with the theatre box offices a block or two away, and with the internet constantly open and selling, I don't see a whole ton of utility in there. Really I'm surprised that theatre's aren't pushing their box offices out onto computers and smart phones so much - if you could buy tickets from your phone while sitting in Starbucks in the morning as opposed to standing in a line to talk to a disgruntled TDF employee, I bet it would be more pleasant for everyone and would sell more seats. The important challenge there, of course, is getting people motivated to do smartphone purchasing. Perhaps discount codes distributed on show media? There's a pamphlet rack in every hotel. What if a QR code gave you the same access to the last-minute discount tickets TKTS does, or would give you a smaller discount on future performances? What if you were able to eliminate the TDF's cut overall in an attempt to fill the house? It would take a marketing and a ticketing overhaul, but could potentially give a good return on investment for a theatre or theatre group.
I honestly wonder if this is actually a good thing for TKTS. It seems to me that if people want to buy tickets for a show and they have an option of discount or full price, why wouldn't they just choose discount? Of course they probably thought of that so there must be something I'm missing, but it just doesn't seem that beneficial to me. I agree with Brian, I think if theaters want an easier way to sell tickets then they should work on phone apps and the internet. Im interested to see how this works out.
This is great. I don't know how much it will be used, just because I do think that most people associate TKTS with discounted tickets and no one would wait in ridiculous lines to get regular price tickets when you could just get them online. But it is worth a try. It might at least trick people who don't know better to buy full price tickets.
I can't decide whether this is a great idea or a detrimental one. On one hand, what they say about experiencing a Broadway show is true, you don't have to experience it with only half priced tickets and seats. On the other hand, TKTS has been known for discounted tickets; that's their gimmick. They have no special thing now. People go to TKTS because they don't want to pay full price for these shows. If they did want to or were willing to pay full price than they would go somewhere else to do so. I also feel that even though the windows for full price and discounted tickets will be seperated, people will still get confused and end up buying full price tickets when they really don't have the means to do so.
I don' t know how much this new option is going to help TKTS, but I don't think it will hurt either. Certainly any way to harmlessly bring more patrons to the theatre is a good way (with the exception of designated Twitter seats, those are just ridiculous.) I've waited in the TKTS line. Most days, it isn't pleasant. I mean, it's New York, so it's usually too hot or too cold. By the time I've gotten to the front I've been very cranky. I've been even crankier when the show I wanted is not available or the discount isn't what I wanted. Cranky me is not logical thinking me. And I'm assuming I'm not alone here. If people are just cranky enough about not getting what they wanted at a discount, they could be persuaded to buy it at full price.
I agree with Brian, this is great for TDF, the Broadway productions and potentially for the consumer - but I am not excited at the idea of the line for TKTS being longer. Waiting in line at the South Street Seaport can take hours! Will long lines deter consumers for the discounted tickets?
Well, the one thing I can almost say with certainty is that this will result in longer lines. That being said, if this will allow broadway theaters to fill more seats, I see it as a good thing. It will allow more options for potential theater-goers who are deciding the day of to see a show, and if there's a show only available at full price that they want to see, then they'll probably purchase that. Previously, they wouldn't have had that option. I think this is overall a good idea, and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years with it.
While this pretty much defeats the initial purpose of TKTS, it totally makes sense. It is, after all, where a lot of people buy their tickets; why not try and sell tickets for the shows that don't offer discount tickets as well? It's a bit disconcerting but I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing. As any people who commented on this article mentioned, it makes a lot more sense to buy tickets on the internet, but people don't always make sense. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this works out for TKTS.
9 comments:
I think this is great news! TKTS will now most likely be even more busy and successful! I think it's great that they are now selling tickets to shows that don't offer discounts. Having these on their board will show viewers that the shows the are on discount are not the only ones they can see. I do wonder, however, if TKTS is becoming too much of a money sucker for the shows. Does it say anywhere how much of the profit TKTS reeps from each sale? At least it is helpi to get audiences into the seats! I hope TKTS continues to thrive.
I saw both the TDF announcement about this and Ken Davenport's blog and honestly don't know how to feel about opening a Full Price window. TKTS is not hurting for business - plenty of people show up to purchase discount tickets, certainly enough to pile up huge lines in Times Square. I understand the goal of setting up a one-stop place to buy future tickets, but with the theatre box offices a block or two away, and with the internet constantly open and selling, I don't see a whole ton of utility in there. Really I'm surprised that theatre's aren't pushing their box offices out onto computers and smart phones so much - if you could buy tickets from your phone while sitting in Starbucks in the morning as opposed to standing in a line to talk to a disgruntled TDF employee, I bet it would be more pleasant for everyone and would sell more seats. The important challenge there, of course, is getting people motivated to do smartphone purchasing. Perhaps discount codes distributed on show media? There's a pamphlet rack in every hotel. What if a QR code gave you the same access to the last-minute discount tickets TKTS does, or would give you a smaller discount on future performances? What if you were able to eliminate the TDF's cut overall in an attempt to fill the house? It would take a marketing and a ticketing overhaul, but could potentially give a good return on investment for a theatre or theatre group.
I honestly wonder if this is actually a good thing for TKTS. It seems to me that if people want to buy tickets for a show and they have an option of discount or full price, why wouldn't they just choose discount? Of course they probably thought of that so there must be something I'm missing, but it just doesn't seem that beneficial to me. I agree with Brian, I think if theaters want an easier way to sell tickets then they should work on phone apps and the internet. Im interested to see how this works out.
This is great. I don't know how much it will be used, just because I do think that most people associate TKTS with discounted tickets and no one would wait in ridiculous lines to get regular price tickets when you could just get them online. But it is worth a try. It might at least trick people who don't know better to buy full price tickets.
I can't decide whether this is a great idea or a detrimental one. On one hand, what they say about experiencing a Broadway show is true, you don't have to experience it with only half priced tickets and seats. On the other hand, TKTS has been known for discounted tickets; that's their gimmick. They have no special thing now. People go to TKTS because they don't want to pay full price for these shows. If they did want to or were willing to pay full price than they would go somewhere else to do so. I also feel that even though the windows for full price and discounted tickets will be seperated, people will still get confused and end up buying full price tickets when they really don't have the means to do so.
I don' t know how much this new option is going to help TKTS, but I don't think it will hurt either. Certainly any way to harmlessly bring more patrons to the theatre is a good way (with the exception of designated Twitter seats, those are just ridiculous.)
I've waited in the TKTS line. Most days, it isn't pleasant. I mean, it's New York, so it's usually too hot or too cold. By the time I've gotten to the front I've been very cranky. I've been even crankier when the show I wanted is not available or the discount isn't what I wanted. Cranky me is not logical thinking me. And I'm assuming I'm not alone here. If people are just cranky enough about not getting what they wanted at a discount, they could be persuaded to buy it at full price.
I agree with Brian, this is great for TDF, the Broadway productions and potentially for the consumer - but I am not excited at the idea of the line for TKTS being longer. Waiting in line at the South Street Seaport can take hours! Will long lines deter consumers for the discounted tickets?
Well, the one thing I can almost say with certainty is that this will result in longer lines. That being said, if this will allow broadway theaters to fill more seats, I see it as a good thing. It will allow more options for potential theater-goers who are deciding the day of to see a show, and if there's a show only available at full price that they want to see, then they'll probably purchase that. Previously, they wouldn't have had that option. I think this is overall a good idea, and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years with it.
While this pretty much defeats the initial purpose of TKTS, it totally makes sense. It is, after all, where a lot of people buy their tickets; why not try and sell tickets for the shows that don't offer discount tickets as well? It's a bit disconcerting but I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing. As any people who commented on this article mentioned, it makes a lot more sense to buy tickets on the internet, but people don't always make sense. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this works out for TKTS.
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