Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

NYCB at Atrium Discount Counter


Recommended Posts

I stopped by the discount ticket counter in the Atrium for last Saturday night's rep program and their board indicated tickets were available with a 50% discount. The "original" ticket price listed was $138 for a Rear Orchestra seat that I later found out sells for $89 at the NYCB box office. With the 50% discount and the Atrium ticket fee, the ticket cost $73 so I saved something but it was nowhere near the discount I thought I was getting.

Similarly, they had Prime Orchestra seats at a list price of $198 discounted to $99 but those seats at the NYCB Box Office were $149, not $198. I used the Atrium a few times last year and the original prices were the same as the NYCB box office then so I'm wondering how they're coming up with the list prices for the Atrium tickets now.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or knows why the original prices are so much higher at the Atrium?

Link to comment

I stopped by the discount ticket counter in the Atrium for last Saturday night's rep program and their board indicated tickets were available with a 50% discount. The "original" ticket price listed was $138 for a Rear Orchestra seat that I later found out sells for $89 at the NYCB box office. With the 50% discount and the Atrium ticket fee, the ticket cost $73 so I saved something but it was nowhere near the discount I thought I was getting.

Similarly, they had Prime Orchestra seats at a list price of $198 discounted to $99 but those seats at the NYCB Box Office were $149, not $198. I used the Atrium a few times last year and the original prices were the same as the NYCB box office then so I'm wondering how they're coming up with the list prices for the Atrium tickets now.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or knows why the original prices are so much higher at the Atrium?

Thank you for mentioning this. I haven't used the Atruim yet this season but plan to do so soon. The NYCB ticket pricing thing is pretty confusing all around,

Link to comment

I know that box offices in New York City are licensed and regulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs. I don't know whether this includes discounters, such as the one in the Atrium or TkTS at Duffy Square, but you could call Consumer Affairs through the City's 3-1-1 system, if it's important enough to you.

If you do -- or if someone else does -- please let us know what response you get.

Meanwhile, there's still no diagram with ticket prices for the various seat locations for NYCB. There's probably something wrong with that.

Link to comment

I stopped by the discount ticket counter in the Atrium for last Saturday night's rep program and their board indicated tickets were available with a 50% discount. The "original" ticket price listed was $138 for a Rear Orchestra seat that I later found out sells for $89 at the NYCB box office. With the 50% discount and the Atrium ticket fee, the ticket cost $73 so I saved something but it was nowhere near the discount I thought I was getting.

Similarly, they had Prime Orchestra seats at a list price of $198 discounted to $99 but those seats at the NYCB Box Office were $149, not $198. I used the Atrium a few times last year and the original prices were the same as the NYCB box office then so I'm wondering how they're coming up with the list prices for the Atrium tickets now.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or knows why the original prices are so much higher at the Atrium?

I just got atrium discount tickets for tonight's performance of Jewels. The tickets were listed at 50% off of $60 tickets - $30 per ticket plus a $4 per ticket fee. So I got tickets for row C of the 4th ring near the center of the row. I'm very happy about it. Question is similar to audreydoll's - where did the $60 original price come from. I don't see $60 listed on the NYCB web site. I didn't think to ask when I was buying them.

Link to comment

I stopped by the discount ticket counter in the Atrium for last Saturday night's rep program and their board indicated tickets were available with a 50% discount. The "original" ticket price listed was $138 for a Rear Orchestra seat that I later found out sells for $89 at the NYCB box office. With the 50% discount and the Atrium ticket fee, the ticket cost $73 so I saved something but it was nowhere near the discount I thought I was getting.

Similarly, they had Prime Orchestra seats at a list price of $198 discounted to $99 but those seats at the NYCB Box Office were $149, not $198. I used the Atrium a few times last year and the original prices were the same as the NYCB box office then so I'm wondering how they're coming up with the list prices for the Atrium tickets now.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or knows why the original prices are so much higher at the Atrium?

I just got atrium discount tickets for tonight's performance of Jewels. The tickets were listed at 50% off of $60 tickets - $30 per ticket plus a $4 per ticket fee. So I got tickets for row C of the 4th ring near the center of the row. I'm very happy about it. Question is similar to audreydoll's - where did the $60 original price come from. I don't see $60 listed on the NYCB web site. I didn't think to ask when I was buying them.

The "official" box office price for 4th ring is $55. Plus I think a $2 faciity fee. Seems like the Atrium rounded up to fudge their pricing a bit.

Link to comment

There is not a uniform price for the 4th Ring C-K. -- or any location of the theater. You have to think of the price scheme as a concentric horse-shoe shape, with (if I recall correctly) the most central 4th Ring seats priced somewhere around $100, prices falling as you move away from center. I can't imagine anyone paying that much, even for a dead-center ticket, in the 4th Ring.

I haven't been able to find a map of the seats that show the prices. I suspect the reason is that the company doesn't want patrons to know that the person with whom they're fighting the armrest battle paid $20 less than they did for essentially the same seat.

Link to comment

Based on my personal experience, the administrative arm of NYCB now has as much credibility as used car salesmen. (Sorry to any reputable used car salesmen out there!) It's sad, since I have so much respect and admiration for the dancers.

Link to comment

Based on my personal experience, the administrative arm of NYCB now has as much credibility as used car salesmen. (Sorry to any reputable used car salesmen out there!) It's sad, since I have so much respect and admiration for the dancers.

I agree with abatt.

I just want some clarity about things. They open some sections for some ballets but not others. Prices vary in ways that are difficult to understand. When I went to see Jewels last Sat. evening I got a 4th row seat in row C. No one was behind me and rows A & B as well as much of C were SAB students who were most likely given tickets. I don't know why they bothered with the 4th ring at all.

I want to be clear that I'm not complaining about my tickets. It was a wonderful performance, but NYCB is making it hard for dance lovers to know what to do. It must be really confusing for the casual dance viewer.

Link to comment

There is not a uniform price for the 4th Ring C-K. -- or any location of the theater. You have to think of the price scheme as a concentric horse-shoe shape, with (if I recall correctly) the most central 4th Ring seats priced somewhere around $100, prices falling as you move away from center. I can't imagine anyone paying that much, even for a dead-center ticket, in the 4th Ring.

I haven't been able to find a map of the seats that show the prices. I suspect the reason is that the company doesn't want patrons to know that the person with whom they're fighting the armrest battle paid $20 less than they did for essentially the same seat.

I retract this post. A friend confirms what Eileen said -- the standard price for 4th Ring is $55. Apologies for the misinformation and any resultant confusion (not including my own :wacko: ).

Link to comment

It seems they are papering the theater top to bottom with $15.00 Student Rush tickets. On Sunday

the Atrium sold 3rd and 4th ring only so I thought the lower tiers were sold out. The best seat they could

sell me was the last row center - Third Ring for $51.00. The center front rows were mostly students.

And there were lots of empty seats in the lower tiers.

One night last week I had a $31 Orchestra seat - I know of at least 3 student ticket holders in Row A.

$149.00 seats sold for $15.00 - cellphones lit, jeans and sneakers propped up on the orchestra pit wall.

This is their target audience? These are not SAB students. At what point in time do they think these people

will pay $149.00? The website shows Student tickets available for every performance this week.

For Tuesday's Jewels - you can get Orchestra row D $149, 1st Ring row A $149, 2nd Ring row B $129,

3rd Ring row B $89. Try to put a $29.00 seat in your cart. Even if it shows available you cannot buy it.

It's been this frustrating to me all season. I know I don't have to see Jewels 3 times but up until this

year I could do it easily. ABT was smart not to get involved with the Atrium. You can almost always get

a last minute ticket for under $50. And weekdays you can sit in the Orchestra for $71. And you can

choose your own seat at almost all the theater websites. City Opera had that capability at this theatre

so it does exist. I guess the $100,000,000 didn't include software upgrades. End of rant.

Link to comment

They are definitely papering the theater with cheap tickets for students/younger people, based on what I observed at a recent performance. They have alienated many of their loyal, long term subscribers and customers. Who are they replacing those subscribers with? On Saturday afternoon, the theater looked like a ghost town. Almost entire rows of center orchestra seats were empty. Large numbers of centered seats in the first and second rings were empty. The third ring was about 20 percent full, and the fourth ring was not sold. I don't recall attendance being this dismal in prior years. It will be interesting to see if they continue this suicidal pricing system for the 2012-2013 season. I'm sure the bean counters at NYCB are tracking ticket sales. Ocean's Kingdom and to, a lesser extent, Jewels have sold well. I think everything else has sold poorly during the Fall season(except the special "Black and White" program where all tickets were $50 or $25).

Link to comment

Has anyone tried NYC & Co. located on Seventh Avenue around 53rd St.? They used to always have reduced price vouchers - i.e., $55 for orchestra on the sides and $15 for 4th ring. Now with the change in seating arrangements I don't know if NYCB is still issuing those vouchers. I'll look into it and report back.

Link to comment

Has anyone tried NYC & Co. located on Seventh Avenue around 53rd St.? They used to always have reduced price vouchers - i.e., $55 for orchestra on the sides and $15 for 4th ring. Now with the change in seating arrangements I don't know if NYCB is still issuing those vouchers. I'll look into it and report back.

Sorry, I called the box office and they told me they don't have the vouchers this season. Brilliant.

Link to comment

This is slightly off topic, but has anyone heard what seating horrors NYCB may have in store for us during Nutcracker season? I ask this because I will have my annual flock of guests in December and The Nutcracker is one of those "things-to-do-while-in-New York." I typically have not had trouble getting as many as four decent seats on short notice for the season off-peak, but given what's been going on lately, I wonder if NYCB is planning to gum up the works this year. It will be dreadfully inconvenient if I am not able to get tickets in the usual straight forward way.

Link to comment

One night last week I had a $31 Orchestra seat - I know of at least 3 student ticket holders in Row A.

$149.00 seats sold for $15.00 - cellphones lit, jeans and sneakers propped up on the orchestra pit wall.

This is their target audience? These are not SAB students. At what point in time do they think these people

will pay $149.00? The website shows Student tickets available for every performance this week.

NYCB pricing scheme is clearly out of hand, but the availability of student tickets, in general, should be supported rather than denigrated. "These people" will perhaps pay $149 when they become professionals and can afford paying more. I make use of student discounts all the time and I don't feel guilty about it--I make a pittance teaching and can't afford going regularly to the ballet otherwise. Student tickets fill in spots that have holes in the audience--so when a person with prime orchestra seats donates their tickets at the last minute, they feed those into student rush availability if they cannot be sold. Perhaps you didn't like these students, but NYCB has to do something to fill seats in the house, and I'm sure they did it (and others do it--do you have similar issues with ABT's $29 orchestra seat package for under 30s?) even before they drove away a lot of their audience this season.

Link to comment

One night last week I had a $31 Orchestra seat - I know of at least 3 student ticket holders in Row A.

$149.00 seats sold for $15.00 - cellphones lit, jeans and sneakers propped up on the orchestra pit wall.

This is their target audience? These are not SAB students. At what point in time do they think these people

will pay $149.00? The website shows Student tickets available for every performance this week.

NYCB pricing scheme is clearly out of hand, but the availability of student tickets, in general, should be supported rather than denigrated. "These people" will perhaps pay $149 when they become professionals and can afford paying more. I make use of student discounts all the time and I don't feel guilty about it--I make a pittance teaching and can't afford going regularly to the ballet otherwise. Student tickets fill in spots that have holes in the audience--so when a person with prime orchestra seats donates their tickets at the last minute, they feed those into student rush availability if they cannot be sold. Perhaps you didn't like these students, but NYCB has to do something to fill seats in the house, and I'm sure they did it (and others do it--do you have similar issues with ABT's $29 orchestra seat package for under 30s?) even before they drove away a lot of their audience this season.

I don't begrudge student tickets. I don't think anyone does. The main objection I have is the lack of clarity. Do what ABT does, do what the Met Opera does - sell back of orchestra or other designated seats to younger people & make them available same day. My problem is that as a normal ticket buyer the whole thing has become more difficult.

No one should feel guilty about discounted tickets. I wouldn't be able to go to the ballet as often as I do without discount tickets. The problem is the confusion about what seating is for sale. As I've stated earlier I bought tickets at the atrium for a performance of Jewels last Sat. Great seats, great performance - loved it, but I was surrounded by SAB students who had obviously been given comps. I had a great experience and I'm sure they did, but I didn't get it.

Link to comment

Please don't misunderstand. I have no objection to Student Rush programs.

They provide a great opportunity and it's important for theaters and museums

to attract new patrons.

The point is there were never so many unsold seats in prime front and center

areas of the theater. Most of these seats were long gone well before their

performance date. People are not going because the prices are too high and

because of the bait and switch tactics of the sales office. They are using the

same logic as the folks who set airline ticket prices. Saying that certain

seating is "Not Available" is not the same thing as "Sold Out."

I wonder what Jerry's 26 ballerinas thought as they looked out at all those

empty seats. It's very sad.

Link to comment

I wonder what Jerry's 26 ballerinas thought as they looked out at all those empty seats. It's very sad.

I am a member of "Society NYCB" (the successor to the Fourth Ring Society) and on September 30th I called the box office to ask if there were discounted tickets available for that night. I wanted to see the 26 ballerinas. "Yes--they are available--let's see--3rd ring--no--4th ring--no--no, there are no tickets," I was told. After thinking hard about buying a ticket at full price, in the end I decided to stay home. (Thanks to Facebook and to rg for posting pictures, btw.) I'm sorry to hear the ballerinas were looking out at empty seats! I would have liked to be in one of them...

Link to comment

I've been organizing family excursions to NYCB's Nutcracker since the 1960s. We usually sit in the third ring, and up to now it's been an affordable family treat. Imagine my surprise yesterday when the guy at the box office told me the only available third-ring seats for this Friday 12/2 would be $112! I wound up taking two in the fourth ring, row D, for $91 each. But it looks like the David H. Koch Theater is no place for middle-class family excursions.

That's a shame, because Kirstein and Balanchine, Morton Baum and even Nelson Rockefeller had a definite vision for Lincoln Center as a place where fine arts would be available to the masses, at least the middle-class masses. It paid off in the ballet boom of the 20th century, and the countless kids who decided to try ballet after their parents took them to see the Nutcracker.

What do you suppose the effect will be of pricing them out of the theater?

Link to comment

Sorry if I'm late to the game...but I just bought single tix for a couple of spring /early summer performances. So are the 3rd and 4th rings now closed during regular rep days? 2nd Ring was as far up (& as cheap) as I could get. Yikes - no wonder everyone is so upset.

EDITED TO ADD: I've just read the long "NYC Prices" thread from the late-summer and found out about the closure of the 3rd & 4th Rings. This is ridiculous. On past trips, most recently this June, the 4th Ring was packed. So now someone has the brilliant idea to fill-up the more expensive sections by shutting-down the cheaper sections altogether? That's it for me. My planned 'Megabus trip' in May 2012 will be the last one. NYCB can add a bronze plaque stating "Members Only" to its entrance. My energy and time are better spent following ballet companies that are more inclusive and wish to add fans around the globe: the Bolshoi and the POB -- who all of us can see more often via their generous cinemas and DVD-release policies.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...