9 replies to this topic

[creativejuice]

Enclosed is a link http://www.national....asonsCentre.php to exciting, albeit potentially expensive news, about the future new performance home for the National Ballet of Canada.  According to the NBoC: “There will be a loyalty system implemented to select your seat in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.  Seating priority will be based on both your past and future subscriptions.  Donation history will be considered as well.  Full series subscribers receive priority over Flex series.”

I thought I would receive the same seat I enjoyed at the Hummingbird Centre (though I often switched dates and moved up).  So, the above “Ballet Theory of Relativity” will determine exactly where I will plant my ….  With this announcement also comes news that top seat prices move up to $121!  I can remember back in 96/97 when premium seats were $79.  At this rate, by the 2010 season, the best views will go for $185!!  

I wonder where the blue-chip seats will be with the new configuration?  It appears the 2nd tier might be the best vantage pointe.  You don’t want to sit too close, lest your view of pointe shoes be obstructed.  It also appears that everyone’s pointe of view will benefit with seating cut down by 37%.  It also becomes quite apparent prices may jeté even further with the National planning 91 performance dates as apposed to 64.  Hopefully, the promise of better seating and acoustics will fill the house and thus offset any further surge in ticket prices.  

This is a tremendous opportunity for the NBoC to win back its audience from the 70s and 80s when the O’Keefe Centre was packed!  Any thoughts?

[grace]

hi there, michael goldbarth! ;) "long time, no see"...

[creativejuice]

I’m doing fine, thanks.  Will you fly up to Toronto for the opening of the Four Seasons Ballet Palace in the fall of 2006?

[creativejuice]

:eek: I decided to have a little fun with math and number crunch how much the very best seat will cost for the National Ballet of Canada’s 2100/2101 season.  Assuming prices rise at the same rate since 96/97, the top seats will go for a whopping $46,576!  Ouch!  I can’t afford to live that long-assuming I make it to 138!

[creativejuice]

The enclosed link brings to light some interesting issues experienced by subscribers of Pacific Northwest Ballet as a result of an improved ballet house: http://seattletimes...._seating22.html

My very real fear concerns an initial excitement with a new facility fizzling out if the product does not meet expectations.  Of course, this would result in a decline in ticket sales and subscriptions-which would result in a further price increase.  The National Ballet of Canada has to stop begging for money from government and rich patrons and start promoting ballet in Canada!  The fannies must be there to fill the seats!  

It appears the management of PNB simply added up how much customers spent and then assigned seats accordingly.  Quoting the article:

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 “Another PNB patron, Wendy Pringle, says her $600 tickets would rise to $1,400 this year, a premise she finds ‘totally absurd.’”

[grace]

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Will you fly up to Toronto for the opening of the Four Seasons Ballet Palace in the fall of 2006?

~ nice IDEA! i'll "try"... :rolleyes:

[mom2]

I just get anxious reading about this!  Sounds like I should start saving right away so that I can still afford any tickets AT ALL by the time the new venue is ready.

Personally, I think that NBOC would be selling a few more tickets if dancers like Tapper and Persson hadn't jumped the big pond and landed at the Royal.  I also wonder if the Glasco situation did some lasting damage in terms of ticket sales that wasn't anticipated.  Not to mention that Kudelka has experimented with some, er, interesting choreographers over the last 2 or 3 years.  The "ballet" with the overcoats and street shoes almost put me of dance entirely (I don't even remember the name of the dance, just remember that I didn't care for it.

I know that NBOC must plan ahead.  However, as a subscriber I really want to see more than one or two shows before I decide to renew for the next season....it never seems to be the right time to spend that kind of money when also trying to scrape together funds for summer dance programs.

This year they took one additional step, as you know, by taping renewal notices to the seats of those patrons who hadn't yet renewed (at the last performance).  While generally I enjoy getting mail, this isn't the way I prefer to receive it.

[Alexandra]

mom2, on Jul 11 2003, 02:04 PM, said:

This year they took one additional step, as you know, by taping renewal notices to the seats of those patrons who hadn't yet renewed (at the last performance).  While generally I enjoy getting mail, this isn't the way I prefer to receive it.

    I have to say this stunned me.  I can understand the company's concern (and there are several companies in the U.S. whose subscriptions are down) but this tactic may backfire.

[creativejuice]

I believe you were reminiscing of the contract (Overcoat Ballet): http://balletalert.i...=ST&f=64&t=5145
I also believe I have seen subscription renewal reminders stuck to tardy subscribers seats in the past.  I cannot confirm because I was never late and never pried open one of the packages even though I was curious.  

What’s next?  Will James Kudelka personally visit your home and turn his pockets inside out begging for your subscription dough?  Worse yet, he may stay as an unwanted houseguest until you cough up your ballet bucks!  My best advice is for you to immediately send a cheque to the National Ballet of Canada for your 2003/2004 subscription.  FYI: They want the money early, so they can invest it.  While you’re at it, you may consider selling your house\condo, blow out your RRSP, and move into a trailer.  Then you can donate the proceeds to the NBoC and save up for the NBoC’s new ballet palace!  

Of course, I jest with the above.  But if ticket prices keeping rising, people may have to make an economic decision.  I’m curious how larger screen TV’s and perhaps broadcasting live ballet’s from the Royal Opera House or New York State Theatre in the future may be an alternative to viewing ballet in person.  I was quite impressed with The Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty broadcast on PBS about 6 years ago.

[mom2]

Oh thank you for that creativejuice!! I wasn't even TARDY in my renewal...it was just uncomfortable for NBOC.  

They didn't show up at my house, but they did call me in the last week before the deadline.  The good news was that I was able to pay in two installments, hence avoiding the need to call the credit card company to increase my limit.

And it wasn't the Contract I was thinking of...it was one done by a guest choreographer.  Now I'll have to go look it up, as I'll be bothered that I can't remember!