NYCB's new website

[Ray]

alas, all one hears of the NYPL is buget cuts; the interest i suppose is there concerning preserving its extensive archive of films, but i'm afraid the funds seem not available. i gather that even the extra-urgency to get some of the more fragile films preserved is not being conducted in a timely fashion and much of that old, delicate film is in real dancer of being lost altogether, for good.

This is so sad! Yet not a year goes by without a new issue of the complete symphonies of Beethoven! Ballet is so rooted in tradition yet not positioned (inclined?) to preserve it very well. I know: old news.

[ViolinConcerto]

I just sent a message to Carol Landers recommending a "Search" box, having the repertory list be sortable by composer, name of ballet, etc., and something that would show the visitor what category (on the home pate) to select to obtain specific information.

I'll let you all know what she says!

By the way, any time I've heard former company members discuss "Figure In The Carpet" they all say that it can't be "rewoven" so to speak. Gone! That teeny fragment on the video biography of Balanchine just is so wonderful, isn't it?

[ViolinConcerto]

Looks like we won't have the music samples. . But I can't wait to see what "The Buzz" is all about!

I heard back from Carol Landeers, and she said to view the site as having a gradual "roll out," with music excerpts and searching to come. Hopefully she and the IT/creative team working on the site will know what a fabulous resource they have here, and will seriously consider all our suggestions.

[drb]

I heard back from Carol Landeers, and she said to view the site as having a gradual "roll out," with music excerpts and searching to come. Hopefully she and the IT/creative team working on the site will know what a fabulous resource they have here, and will seriously consider all our suggestions.

Did she say anything about seat selection for net purchases? I think that is the bread-and-butter issue.

[sandik]

One of my frustrations with both Ticketmaster and the PNB websites is that they select the "best" seats for you. I don't often agree with the computer's definition of best, especially as a short person, and the section choices are rarely refined to allow aisle vs. center, rows 1-10 vs. rows 11-20, etc. in the orchestra. As a result, I waste the time of a box office person to be able to get the seats I want.

My sister has worked box offices for years, and so I have heard many, many stories about seat selection. If you get the seat you want, and if this means that you're happy with your experience, you're much more likely to return -- that is certainly not wasting the box office staffer's time!

[ViolinConcerto]

Did she say anything about seat selection for net purchases? I think that is the bread-and-butter issue.

Sorry, drb, I did not ask about on-line ticket purchases, as my frustration was strictly with finding specific information. Most of the tickets I buy are through the 4th Ring Soc., usually sides, and they don't mail order or phone order those.....but now that I'm thinking about it, it would be a real bonus to be able to get them online.

[Klavier]

Did she say anything about seat selection for net purchases? I think that is the bread-and-butter issue.

I just sent off an email on that subject, and will report back.

[art076]

If anyone's curious about ticketing systems - here's what I've learned over the years...

NYCB uses Tessitura, a ticketing system that was developed by the Metropolitan Opera in response to the unique needs of arts organizations for their ticketing systems (w/ regards to customer service, fundraising, etc.). Basically, Ticketmaster and such wasn't offering the kind of flexibility and customer service that was needed (ever get a Ticketmaster agent who tries to tell you that row B way on the side is better than row H center?). Many non-profit performing arts companies are over on this system - you can usually tell that if an org has its own in-house ticket people instead of Telecharge or Ticketmaster, then it is probably on Tessitura.

http://www.tessiturasoftware.com/

Basically, being able to choose your seats from a seat map online is fairly new to the ticketing world, and so it would probably take a little bit before Tessitura offers it (if they haven't already). Would be lovely if it were available for NYCB but it would need to be developed by the ticketing software first.

For most companies though, Tessitura will spit out a seat location for you - I don't know why NYCB doesn't offer a seat location when you're purchasing, but each organization runs it differently. Perhaps because there are many different ways to get tickets on NYCB's web site - student rush, 4th Ring society, etc. - that they find it easier to give a seat loc to the patron later rather than immediately.

What *is* nice about NYCB's ticketing system is the listings of availability that is updated every 15 minutes. I find it a wonderful way of gauging whether to wait or buy now for performances... or to find better seats in certain sections based on availability at that performance.

Anyway, that's my fairly rudimentary knowledge of ticketing for you and hopefully that explains some of the quirks of NYCB's online ticketing...

[Klavier]

Did she say anything about seat selection for net purchases? I think that is the bread-and-butter issue.

I just sent off an email on that subject, and will report back.

From Carol Landers: "In all probability, online seat selection for repertory will become available sometime in 2007. However, it is unclear whether it will or will not become available for George Balanchine's The Nutracker."

[drb]

From Carol Landers: "In all probability, online seat selection for repertory will become available sometime in 2007. However, it is unclear whether it will or will not become available for George Balanchine's The Nutracker."

Thanks, Klavier. I guess that precludes the winter rep season, since online single performance tickets go on sale September, 25, 2006.

Did she really write that lengthy expression with the TM, rather than say just Nutcracker?

Fascinating.

[Klavier]

From Carol Landers: "In all probability, online seat selection for repertory will become available sometime in 2007. However, it is unclear whether it will or will not become available for George Balanchine's The Nutracker."

Thanks, Klavier. I guess that precludes the winter rep season, since online single performance tickets go on sale September, 25, 2006.

Did she really write that lengthy expression with the TM, rather than say just Nutcracker?

Fascinating.

She certainly did. I would not misquote.

[ViolinConcerto]

"Basically, being able to choose your seats from a seat map online is fairly new to the ticketing world, and so it would probably take a little bit before Tessitura offers it (if they haven't already). Would be lovely if it were available for NYCB but it would need to be developed by the ticketing software first." (Art076)

That was really interesting, Art076....but consider, airlines can do it! And they've bascially been running as "non-profits" lately.

[Drew]

Art076: Thanks for the additional background. But it doesn't really alter my disappointment about the company's delay in updating their system for online purchasing of tickets. Choosing one's own tickets may be relatively new to the arts world, but many arts organizations are making it possible and, indeed, have been doing so for a while--including the Met which, you mentioned, originally developed Tessitura....Certainly, I don't expect NYCB to have the most up-to-date techno-geeky website in the world--but I would like them to keep up with the Jones's. Or, say, the New York City Opera.

On the "business" end, I'll mention that when I know I can get good seats--that is, seats that I myself consider good--I am likely to buy more (and more expensive) tickets. I can't be the only person who feels that way--and as Sandik notes, happy customers are returning customers.

Since this post is a little irritable, I'll add that I arrange my ballet going from out of town and cannot buy tickets at the box office unless I wait until the last minute--which is nerve wracking when one has travelled hundreds of miles to see a particular performance and sometimes (though not always) means quite mediocre seats or, admitedly much more rarely, no seats.

For many years, of course, we had no such technology issues to complain about since the technology didn't exist and certainly wasn' t dreamed of by me. But it does exist now and I wish the company would treat it as a priority.

[Klavier]

For many years, of course, we had no such technology issues to complain about since the technology didn't exist and certainly wasn' t dreamed of by me. But it does exist now and I wish the company would treat it as a priority.

In partial (though not very strong) defense of the City Ballet, I will quote these additional words from Carol Landers in her email to me:

Ticket buyers are given the opportunity to indicate their preferences. The Comments Box exists and is used by countless online purchasers to indicate their seat preferences to the Box Office because tastes and circumstances do vary, as you mention. The New York State Theater Box Office is extremely concerned that ticket buyers receive tickets as close to their wishes as possible and will call or write ticket buyers to discuss if there is a question or concern about meeting their wishes.

Going through a Nutcracker order yesterday (which I ultimately didn't buy), I found this "Comments box" on screen 3 of the online ordering form. The problem is of course that the Comments area is buried deep within the ordering process, and one is still forced to ordering tickets sight unseen. I entirely agree with those expressing their dismay that the City Ballet has not treated seat selection as a priority.

[bart]

Going through a Nutcracker order yesterday (which I ultimately didn't buy), I found this "Comments box" on screen 3 of the online ordering form. The problem is of course that the Comments area is buried deep within the ordering process, and one is still forced to ordering tickets sight unseen. I entirely agree with those expressing their dismay that the City Ballet has not treated seat selection as a priority.

The virtue of ordering directly from seating charts for me is that I can immediately figure out what the stage will look like from any given unsold seat (This, of course, requires some prior knowledge of the house.)

This is much more likely to give me what I want than trying to verbalize preferences to someone who will inevitably have his or her own understanding of what my words mean.

From the box office's point of view it seems a good investment, saving both time and money and reducing customer complains and/or returns.

[drb]

Well, today rep is on sale on line and I did a test order to see how much attention is paid to what you write in the little comments box.

[Klavier]

Well, today rep is on sale on line and I did a test order to see how much attention is paid to what you write in the little comments box.

I wish you good luck. I remain guardedly optimistic that suggestions from the public will be incorporated into the website. Just this morning I saw that one little suggestion of mine (that is, that from the dancer bios there could be direct links to their Dancer on Dance interviews) was implemented. And just this morning I submitted another suggestion - let's see what happens.

Of course, the most crucial enhancement to the site, individual seat selection, will take much more time and effort. But perhaps if more people express a wish to see this done, it will be viewed as a greater priority.

[carbro]

I just tripped over a terrific feature. The site links to webcasts of two seminars from the 2004 Balanchine Centennial. The first hour-long one is a panel discussion introduced by Joan Quattrone, NYCB's Director of Volunteers & Program Resources, and featuring Nancy Reynolds, Benjamin Millepied, Peter Martins and Bernard Taper.

The second is in two one-hour parts. Peter Boal hosts Merrill Ashley, Suki Schorer and Kay Mazzo, who each present aspects of Balanchine technique, helped by then-SAB students Tiler Peck, Rachel Piskin, Kaitlyn Gilliland and Andrew Scordato.

Unfortunately, I was not able to enlarge the small screen size, but nonetheless, there's some great stuff! I hope they post more!

[drb]

Unfortunately, I was not able to enlarge the small screen size, but nonetheless, there's some great stuff! I hope they post more!

For the first couple of years you could see this in any size you wanted, but a few months ago they went to this 2-inch only size. Since it streams at 216KBS it could support a quarter screen size. Does anyone out there know how to bypass this disgusting limitation? Ahhhh, the joys of site upgrades...

It was wonderful to see these dancers' potential then, and I'm sure it must have been instructive for dancer-viewers, that is when one could see the details. I wonder what NYCB is afraid of.

[Helene]

I wonder what NYCB is afraid of.

I think there may be other explanations besides fear.

[Klavier]

I wonder what NYCB is afraid of.

I think there may be other explanations besides fear.

Perhaps they were receiving complaints from users with 56K modems who couldn't stream the video without choppiness. But the best solution I've seen in cases like this is to let dialup users access one version of the file at lower resolution and broadband users another. Certainly the technology exists to allow for hour-long broadcasts to be streamed at considerably larger screen sizes.

Dr. B., why not send an e-mail inquiring about the matter to Carol Landers yourself?

[drb]

From Carol Landers: "In all probability, online seat selection for repertory will become available sometime in 2007."

We'll soon know, as they go on sale in four days:

March 5, 2007 Single Ticket Information and Online Sales Begin.

March 5, 2007 4th Ring Society Ticket Sales Begin

March 16, 2007 New Spring Season Subscriptions Deadline

April 9, 2007 New York State Theater Box Office Opens for Single Ticket Sales

April 9, 2007 CenterCharge (212-721-6500) Spring Single Tickets Available for Sale.

Subscribers are promised the best seats, yet singles go on sale 11 days prior to the end of subs sales. I wonder how that works. In any case, I did buy tix online last fall, and I was pleased with the honorable selection that they sent.

When I received my subs renewel info, there was a letter/form included regarding a farewell event for Kyra Nichols on Friday, June 22 (the night before ABT's Ferri farewell). Worth checking out when online is up. It is a date not included on any subs series.

[Drew]

I bought tickets via the website for a trip to New York in February (my one chance this year to see ballet). I requested Orchestra seats and wrote a note in the comments section saying I did not want to be in the first four rows. (One can't see the dancers' feet and the seats aren't banked at all.)

I received the tickets in the mail: second row. Perhaps that was all that was left and perhaps they misread my comments and thought I wanted to be in the first four rows. But I'm unlikely to be buying tickets again via the website until they change the system. I love the company and was able to pick up better seats once I was in the City, but I can't wait for them to fix this.

[drb]

I tried online sales this morning, but it is just like last season: no selection process is in effect.

Caveat emptor.

[Klavier]

I tried online sales this morning, but it is just like last season: no selection process is in effect.

Are you surprised?