Patti Lupone- Seven Deadly Sins at NYCB

[abatt]

Apart from raising prices for performances that are "hot" tickets (Swan Lake in the winter, Seven Deadly Sins program), they are now adding a $2.00 "facility charge" to every ticket sold to every performance. I guess it was only a matter of time until they did that. The Met Opera and Philharmonic have been doing that for a few years.

[abatt]

If anyone is interested, the libretto for the Seven Deadly Sins is now available on the NYCB website. There is a link on the homepage.

[carbro]

Went to the NYCB box office today and was kinda shocked that they are charging more for The Seven Deadly Sins... $10 additional per ticket. :-( Also- the gentleman at the box office said that it was selling very well and was sure to sell out.

Nor are they honoring 4th Ring Society discounts. . Also, why not make the "premium" increase progressive, so that those who can afford the higher priced locations get a steeper increase, and a smaller one for those who scrape money up for their top-of-the-house seats?

I had assumed I'd see the premiering ballet once, at least to see whether it's awful or not. I particularly resent that there are no Vienna Waltzes without Seven Deadly Sins also on the program. I've been looking forward to seeing VW, hoping to get both casts. It ain't gonna happen this spring.

Also, these ticket prices were changed after having been advertised at the same price as tickets for other non-gala programs. Is increasing them after others have already bought at published, lower prices even legal? I'm thinking of calling the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, which licenses box offices.

[T]hey are now adding a $2.00 "facility charge" to every ticket sold to every performance.

It's a small step away from bait-and-switch pricing. The first time I was hit with this at NYCB (I had already bought my facility-fee-added Royal Danish Ballet Tickets), I said to the guy in the box office, "I'm not blaming you, but this is so dishonest. They should just fold it into the price of the ticket and make that the face value." He agreed.

[abatt]

Carbro, I had the same reaction when I first encountered this pricing issue with tickets I wanted to purchase at the Joyce Theater a few months ago. The price they wanted to charge me at the box office for the ticket was higher than the price they published in the brochure. However, the brochure contained a small asterisk, and in fine print the booklet stated that prices were subject to change after a specific date. This is "variable" or "dynamic" or "demand based" ticket pricing, and it appears to be legal as long as there is a statement in the printed materials that prices are subject to change, or words to that effect. (By the way, I did not buy the Joyce tickets as a way of protesting the policy.) Ticketmaster is also starting to do this with events they sell. It's pretty outrageous, in my opinion. I haven't checked the fine print in the current NYCB brochure.

[richard53dog]

Carbro, I had the same reaction when I first encountered this pricing issue with tickets I wanted to purchase at the Joyce Theater a few months ago. The price they wanted to charge me at the box office for the ticket was higher than the price they published in the brochure. However, the brochure contained a small asterisk, and in fine print the booklet stated that prices were subject to change after a specific date. This is "variable" or "dynamic" or "demand based" ticket pricing, and it appears to be legal as long as there is a statement in the printed materials that prices are subject to change, or words to that effect. (By the way, I did not buy the Joyce tickets as a way of protesting the policy.) Ticketmaster is also starting to do this with events they sell. It's pretty outrageous, in my opinion. I haven't checked the fine print in the current NYCB brochure.

Slightly but in a way not, ABT is advertising that their prices ]may increase after MAy 2. I don't know if they actually raised them but it seems a bit of CYA in case sales are brisk and they want to cash in.

[jsmu]

Balanchine STRONGLY discouraged his dancers from 'acting', as is extremely well known,

I agree entirely with Cargill's response to this. 7 Deadly Sins is an example of the sub-genre of Balanchine theater pieces. Anna II was NOT a dance role in any conventional sense. The character must act, though using mimetic and dance movement. More, she must be able to hold the spotlight even when a vast amount of interesting (or distracting, depending on your point of view) stuff is going on around her.

My point , which apparently was entirely lost, was made by my placement of the word 'acting' in quotations. That means ballerina mannerisms, posturing, crotchets, schticks, and so much of what is now seen on stage both in ballet and in theater. We clearly disagree ENTIRELY on the esthetics of Seven Deadly Sins, on the period, and on Balanchine choreography whether or not it is 'neoclassical' and involves 'steps'...and on the impact of ANY Balanchine choreography with a great dancer in it.

[SingerWhoMoves]

Cabro- that's where my shock came from- I get the brochures for NYCB early and didn't see any mention of higher prices for 7 Deadly. When I walked in and saw it- I did a double take! And also, yes- totally unfair that if you want to see VW, you have to pay 7 Deadly prices. BOO!