Vegas vs Broadway

Broadway ticket sales peaked in the 2006-2007 season, but ticket prices have elevated over the last few years and now average $85.79 apiece. In the season just concluded they have finally broken $1 billion in ticket sales for a year.

The recession seems to have had little or no effect on Broadway. There was a drop 20 years ago, and another one after 9-11, but only the tiniest blip in this recession.

Broadway ticket sales are dominated by women, with women buying almost twice as many tickets as men.

Why is broadway so unaffected by the recession? A trip to Manhatten where a stay in an econo-lodge can cost $200 per night and food prices are very high can be more exspensive than a trip to Vegas.

Quote: pacomartin

Broadway ticket prices now average $85.79 apiece.

Wow!! Can you imagine an 85.00 minimum Craps Table or Blackjack Table?

Quote: pacomartin

Why is broadway so unaffected by the recession? A trip to Manhatten where a stay in an econo-lodge can cost $200 per night and food prices are very high can be more exspensive than a trip to Vegas.

A Broadway show is still pretty much a unique experience (the Vegas versions are poor imitations). Plus, you get to experience NYC before and after the show.

Also, the whole experience is somewhat of a luxury good, and such goods aren't much affected by recessions.

Quote: mkl654321

A Broadway show is still pretty much a unique experience (the Vegas versions are poor imitations). Plus, you get to experience NYC before and after the show.

Also, the whole experience is somewhat of a luxury good, and such goods aren't much affected by recessions.

Please provide evidence of those assertions or at the very least, evidence that you've ever BEEN to NYC.

Quote: FleaStiff

Wow!! Can you imagine an 85.00 minimum Craps Table or Blackjack Table?

Eh... that's $85.79 over two or more hours, not $85.79 over however many minutes it is for one pass line bet.

Of course, the expected loss for a $5 pass line bet is (I imagine) less than $85.79 over two hours, so I guess craps still has a Broadway ticket price show beat in that respect.

You would think luxury spending would be the first to be cut in hard times. This wasn't exactly a choice but I would speculate the reason Broadway ticket sales haven't been hurt badly is that the cost is pretty small compared to the total expense of going to NYC in the first place. I'm not Mr. New York, but it seems to me that seeing a Broadway show is a major part of the experience for the tourist. I remember my first trip there was with my dad when I was 18. He treated me to A Chorus Line matinee.

You might ask did tourism in general to NYC drop? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't. Yes, some NYC vacations may have been cancelled, but others cancelled a trip to Europe and did New York instead.

My apologies in advance for the brief change of topic, but does anyone know what the Waverly is in NYC?

I went to NYC about 6-7 years ago and for the good shows you had to buy a month in advance... so hasn't demand always been significantly higher than the supply when it comes to Broadway? That would explain why it hasn't slowed down. I mean and it is NYC.

I saw "Cats" and a play with Tommy Tune and Twiggy whose title escapes me, back when I visited NYC in 85 or thereabouts. My dad used to travel twice a year there on business. He always saw at least one play, almost always a musical.

Anyway, perhaps lots of people in the US, Canada and Latin America who'd have gone to Europe cut back to the extent of going to NYC. Then, too, what's the ratio of locals vs tourists at theaters? Finally NYC is within a realtively short distance from other large popualtion centers.

Quote: Wizard

You would think luxury spending would be the first to be cut in hard times. This wasn't exactly a choice but I would speculate the reason Broadway ticket sales haven't been hurt badly is that the cost is pretty small compared to the total expense of going to NYC in the first place. I'm not Mr. New York, but it seems to me that seeing a Broadway show is a major part of the experience for the tourist. I remember my first trip there was with my dad when I was 18. He treated me to A Chorus Line matinee.

You might ask did tourism in general to NYC drop? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't. Yes, some NYC vacations may have been cancelled, but others cancelled a trip to Europe and did New York instead.

My apologies in advance for the brief change of topic, but does anyone know what the Waverly is in NYC?

Waverly is nice. Good food, not cheap. Nothing fancy just great pub food.
It is a good place to be seen or to see. Get's a good celeb crowd.

Quote: Wizard

My apologies in advance for the brief change of topic, but does anyone know what the Waverly is in NYC?

It is the Waverly Inn in the West Village, an old well established casual eatery. Nowhere near broadway.


You may be correct, that going to a broadway show is such an ingrained part of the experience of visiting New York that people still go despite the increase in ticket prices. I emphasize that the number of tickets sold is down 3.4% but the average ticket price went up 12.46% in the last three seasons.

It may be the same phenomena for the wealthy that permitted movie ticket prices to go up 15.5% in the last three years. People don't cut back on entertainment as much.

I still can't believe the prices. I mean the musical version of Elf (based on the 2003 Christmas movie starring Will Ferrel and James Caan) is selling premium tickets (choicest seats) for $300 apiece ($350 over the holidays). Even the nosebleed seats in the last two rows of the mezzanine are $37 apiece.

I mean it was a cute Christmas movie, but go and buy the DVD for $5 bucks and make popcorn and laugh at home. If you are going to pay those kind of prices I would expect something a little more grandiose.