ticket prices over the years

[kbarber]

Amazing. Someone just sent me this flyer from 1974 advertising the performances at which Baryshnikov defected. Look at the ticket prices! Minimum wage in Ontario in 1974 was $2 an hour. So you could work for 6 hrs at a minimum wage job and get the best seats to the ballet. Today you would have to work about 20 hours.

[Helene]

Oh, I remember those days!

ABT was in London in 1977 when I was traveling on a student budget, and the cheapest seats were solid out for Baryshnikov's performances. I couldn't afford the heady four-pound tickets (and the exchange rate at the time was ~1.15 USD).

[California]

In the US, the minimum wage for most people was also $2.00/hr in 1974. But I blame the rise in the number of hours needed to buy a ticket on the serious decline in government support for the arts in the US and the shameful failure to raise the minimum wage consistently with inflation. And in the late 70s, ABT could count on selling out every house, even before casting was announced (at least at the Kennedy Center), because people were so desperate to see Baryshnikov.

Here's a chart showing the minimum wage in the US:

https://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/chart.htm

[Dale]

Strange thing (unless I'm reading it wrong) in that weekend prices are cheaper than weeknight prices. Whereas these days, weekend prices are more than weeknight (except Friday).

I also wonder, in the early 70s, the stars made a good salary but did the corps? I imagine now with the union (and the 70s featured some famous union showdowns in the ballet world) that the differential between corps, soloist and principal is a little better. So if the company is paying more in salaries across the board, they'd have to charge higher prices. Maybe a contributing factor?

I love the $7 prime rib! (including salad and desert or a cheese platter)