Venting on the cost of tickets for the Nutcracker - Excellent update at the bottom of OP!

[Faith-manor]

Mil has never seen the Nutcracker, and has been lamenting that she has never been to the ballet at all. She is 87, turning 88 next month, and well, her health is a grab bag of mess. So we decided we would take her for her birthday.

Y'all, the Flint Institute of Arts/Waiting Auditorium which is there closest place to us that is having it this year is $341 a ticket. With taxes if I go along, $1023. I just about fell over. Midland Center for the Arts which is usually a reasonably priced venue for us to take the mothers to for special events. 

Sigh.

Mark is checking Fox Theater in Detroit, but that is hard because she doesn't like to ride so far, and it is a 3 hr drive each way. But, that is going to be the only option and still very pricey at $90 a piece plus parking. I told Mark to take her without me. I have seen it a gazillion times, and with some of the best ballet companies America has so I don't have any burning desire to go. But, he doesn't like to travel that far alone with her.

I know these productions are so expensive to offer, however, I feel like these places need to hit up wealthy donors for contributions for "we the peasants day" prices so us lowly commoners have a chance to afford these things. Sheesh.

UPDATE: Mark called yesterday before the ticket office closed to tell them what he thought of the data tracking/dynamic pricing thing. He was so angry. And we donate to FIM every year so it was just really to him like a stab in the back. There was the usual apology/not apology, and of course the person he talked to didn't have any control over this kind of policy, so he just asked them to please relay his message to upper management. He also indicated that if this ever happened again, we would no longer be patrons and they could kiss our annual donation goodbye. He didn't expect any kind of follow up. We aren't wealthy, so we aren't customers/donors he would expect them to give a crap about.

They called 5 minutes ago and said they have 3 tickets for us on the orchestra floor aisle JJ. They are giving them to us at the regular ticket price. Mother in law is over the moon!

I could hardly believe it. My guess is that one of the season ticket holders decided not to attend and gave their tickets back to FIM to re-sell. I imagine they expected to try to get some ungodly price for them with the dynamic pricing crap, but maybe the complaint made it high enough up they decided to offer it to us at the fair rate. We will never know. I have learned my lesson though about searching multiple times while hmmming and hawing about whether or not to purchase. Either don't look until you know for sure you are going to buy, or make sure to always clear cache/cookies after doing a search.

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Faith-manor

[JustEm]

I'm confused, where are you seeing those prices? I went here https://tickets.thefim.org/nutcracker, which I think it the performances you referenced and it has cheap seats. The problem is that it's almost sold out and the only seats available are obstructed views from my quick check.  Are people reselling the tickets elsewhere?

[ScoutTN]

That is outrageous!! 

For the professional performance here, tickets are under $100 and there is a deep discount for families with the studios who have kids is the show.

The metro parks program, a shorter version, is also affordable.

[mommyoffive]

5 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

That is outrageous!! 

For the professional performance here, tickets are under $100 and there is a deep discount for families with the studios who have kids is the show.

The metro parks program, a shorter version, is also affordable.

Wow, never had that for any place my kids have done Nutcracker at.  Also not seen tickets that expensive maybe at NYCB or ABT.

Edited November 15, 2023 by mommyoffive

[thatfirstsip]

It looks to me like those tickets are like $30, they're just sold out mostly

[thatfirstsip]

I agree with hjffkj, I think you accidentally clicked on a scam or maybe legit resale site

[JustEm]

It is really disappointing that it looks like the tickets were bought up and have been posted on ticket reselling sites.  But it does look like you can either purchase 3 tickets in separate spots through Flint Institute of the Arts or some of the reselling sites have pairs of tickets for like $50ish each. 

[Bootsie]

I just checked and the tickets here for the professional company's performance start at $25--the most expensive box seats are $135 each.  $350 would easily buy a season ticket to all of the productions throughout the year!

[catz]

Sounds like a reselling site to me too as someone who buys tons of tickets to performance based events.  And is cheap.  😂  

Edited November 15, 2023 by catz

[Spryte]

Random thought that may not apply: dynamic pricing. If it’s not a reseller, it could be this.

Yesterday I was trying to get tickets to a different small theater show, and they were running $120 - $419. Outrageous. My SIL, who had never heard of the artist, was using the same website and finding the same tickets for much less. I switched to a private browser, no cookies, and found the same prices. DH has the same experience buying plane tickets, too. His prices run higher.

 

 

[catz]

3 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Random thought that may not apply: dynamic pricing. If it’s not a reseller, it could be this.

Yesterday I was trying to get tickets to a different small theater show, and they were running $120 - $419. Outrageous. My SIL, who had never heard of the artist, was using the same website and finding the same tickets for much less. I switched to a private browser, no cookies, and found the same prices. DH has the same experience buying plane tickets, too. His prices run higher.

Yes!  There are ever more scammy sites trying to look like "official sellers".  You really have to watch!

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, hjffkj said:

I'm confused, where are you seeing those prices? I went here https://tickets.thefim.org/nutcracker, which I think it the performances you referenced and it has cheap seats. The problem is that it's almost sold out and the only seats available are obstructed views from my quick check.  Are people reselling the tickets elsewhere?

I don't know. We went to that exact website this morning and tried to get something handicap accessible/wheelchair, and it gave us a total of $1023.

[Faith-manor]

28 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Random thought that may not apply: dynamic pricing. If it’s not a reseller, it could be this.

Yesterday I was trying to get tickets to a different small theater show, and they were running $120 - $419. Outrageous. My SIL, who had never heard of the artist, was using the same website and finding the same tickets for much less. I switched to a private browser, no cookies, and found the same prices. DH has the same experience buying plane tickets, too. His prices run higher.

 

 

Thanks for that clue! I will have him check from my mom's computer. She doesn't use it to order anything.

[Spryte]

14 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I don't know. We went to that exact website this morning and tried to get something handicap accessible/wheelchair, and it gave us a total of $1023.

That’s what happened to me yesterday! SIL was on exact website — different prices. Turns out they use cookies and demographics and offer different prices based on interests and purchasing history. Horrible. It helped for me to use a private browser. Can you try that? 

Oops! Simultaneous posting!

Edited November 15, 2023 by Spryte

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

That’s what happened to me yesterday! SIL was on exact website — different prices. Turns out they use cookies and demographics and offer different prices based on interests and purchasing history. Horrible. It helped for me to use a private browser. Can you try that? 

Oops! Simultaneous posting!

We just did! Mark cleared the cache, all the cookies, etc. from my laptop, and voila, regular prices! This kind of crap gets so old. 😠 Sadly, nothing handicap accessible left. She has to be on an aisle because she can't do the narrow slide, walk scoot thing you do to get past other people's knees. She will end up falling on someone. I called FIM to see if there was anything in wheelchair seating where we could just wheel her in, leave her, an take seats elsewhere (so booked he and I would have to sit a great distance from each other), but the wheelchair only parking is actually full up. The only thing left is a few scattered seats where she has to be able to walk and not fall on someone to get to her seat.

We should not have waited. We have been talking about this back in September which was when I priced the tickets, and there was a lot of seating to chose from. But his brother thought he would be coming up on that weekend to visit her, so we didn't jump. Sigh. Dumb mistake. I could have just taken my son and daughter in law. DIL has never seen it, and would have been happy to go. So note to self...if she lives until next year and is still not 100% house bound or in a nursing home, buy the tickets the second they go on sale, and then have a back up plan for who will use them if something happens to her.

[Spryte]

Oooh, so sorry that there’s no suitable seating. How disappointing!

But glad you found regular pricing. I hate that companies are doing that kind of manipulation with our data. 

[mommyoffive]

Glad you got the regular price for tickets.  Great tip @Spryte. 

I hope she loves it.  And yeah Nutcracker you are going to want to buy tickets WAY ahead of time.   It is just a huge holiday tradition for so many.  I hope she loves it.  All my kids are ballet dancers and we do Nutcracker every year.  Before when I saw it I just loved the watching the dancers.  But now having been in the ballet world forever and I know how much time, blood, and sweat goes into each dance it just brings a much bigger appreciation to the whole thing.  

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Glad you got the regular price for tickets.  Great tip @Spryte. 

I hope she loves it.  And yeah Nutcracker you are going to want to buy tickets WAY ahead of time.   It is just a huge holiday tradition for so many.  I hope she loves it.  All my kids are ballet dancers and we do Nutcracker every year.  Before when I saw it I just loved the watching the dancers.  But now having been in the ballet world forever and I know how much time, blood, and sweat goes into each dance it just brings a much bigger appreciation to the whole thing.  

We didn't get tickets. Handicap accessibility for her with a seat for Mark because she has to have help getting in and out of the seat was sold out. So ya. We have to hope she makes it through to next year and in good enough condition to go.

I am exploring the possibility of a Broadway show or another ballet in the spring. She doesn't go out except for medical appointments once things get really blustery here.

[ScoutTN]

Sorry it didn’t work, but glad that you, and the rest of us, have learned the trick! 

[mommyoffive]

17 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

We didn't get tickets. Handicap accessibility for her with a seat for Mark because she has to have help getting in and out of the seat was sold out. So ya. We have to hope she makes it through to next year and in good enough condition to go.

I am exploring the possibility of a Broadway show or another ballet in the spring. She doesn't go out except for medical appointments once things get really blustery here.

Ugh.  Sorry I read that wrong.  I wish there were more handicap seating in the theaters.  Are there any other Nutcracker shows around you?   Some studios put the Nutcracker on and can be pretty good.

[Faith-manor]

4 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Ugh.  Sorry I read that wrong.  I wish there were more handicap seating in the theaters.  Are there any other Nutcracker shows around you?   Some studios put the Nutcracker on and can be pretty good.

Fox Theater. $90 A ticket for what is left but they do have seating she can use. Wharton Center is sold out of tickets that would work for her.

There is a high school about 45 minutes south of here trying to do it with students in the dance classes and a student band. $26 a ticket. I really would prefer to take her to something more professional. Grand Rapids has it, but that is almost 3.5 hrs each way. I think that would be a tough day for her. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Faith-manor

[mommyoffive]

25 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Fox Theater. $90 A ticket for what is left but they do have seating she can use. Wharton Center is sold out of tickets that would work for her.

There is a high school about 45 minutes south of here trying to do it with students in the dance classes and a student band. $26 a ticket. I really would prefer to take her to something more professional. Grand Rapids has it, but that is almost 3.5 hrs each way. I think that would be a tough day for her. 

Is the Fox Theater a pro company?  I would probably spring for that for her.

I probably would not do the high school show unless it was a performing arts high school or something like that.  I would go with a ballet school.  Some are even bringing in pros to do the top parts.

[caffeineandbooks]

Not quite the same as a live option, but how about a livestream that you could watch from your own lounge?  I received the following in a SQUILT newsletter this week:

 

Take Your Children to The Nutcracker! Did you know The Colorado Ballet graciously offers a FREE live stream of The Nutcracker ballet for school children (and this includes homeschoolers!)?  This performance is a wonderful opportunity to watch the ballet live with your children and have access to that live stream for a period of time. The signup couldn't be easier - just be sure to fill out all of the information required and selected "homeschool" in the dropdown box! Register for the performance here.

[Faith-manor]

11 minutes ago, caffeineandbooks said:

Not quite the same as a live option, but how about a livestream that you could watch from your own lounge?  I received the following in a SQUILT newsletter this week:

 

Take Your Children to The Nutcracker! Did you know The Colorado Ballet graciously offers a FREE live stream of The Nutcracker ballet for school children (and this includes homeschoolers!)?  This performance is a wonderful opportunity to watch the ballet live with your children and have access to that live stream for a period of time. The signup couldn't be easier - just be sure to fill out all of the information required and selected "homeschool" in the dropdown box! Register for the performance here.

We are talking about doing that. We have a streaming subscription to the company in London that shows all the Royal Ballet, Opera, etc. so we can stream a world-class production. We would do it at her house so she can sit in her recliner, but I would make a nice supper, and dessert, hot cocoa, etc.

[Starr]

If you decide to go out I think she would enjoy a less professional production. It’s always fun to watch a ballet school and some if the younger kids as well as their best. 

[Clarita]

9 hours ago, Spryte said:

Random thought that may not apply: dynamic pricing. If it’s not a reseller, it could be this.

Yesterday I was trying to get tickets to a different small theater show, and they were running $120 - $419. Outrageous. My SIL, who had never heard of the artist, was using the same website and finding the same tickets for much less. I switched to a private browser, no cookies, and found the same prices. DH has the same experience buying plane tickets, too. His prices run higher.

Whoa I thought dynamic pricing was just supply and demand not dependent on who you are?! That's even more outrageous than the strictly "Oh we discovered a lot of people are interested in this so we upped the price.

[SHP]

5 hours ago, Starr said:

If you decide to go out I think she would enjoy a less professional production. It’s always fun to watch a ballet school and some if the younger kids as well as their best. 

This. And some Ballet schools have a professional company and the show is a combination of students and professionals. 

And then littles are always adorable 

[*LC]

Flint Institute of Arts/Waiting Auditorium has tickets on the end of row with a seat next to it for Sunday show in Orchestra section. Or at least that is what the website shows me right now.

 

Good luck.

[KungFuPanda]

Is there anywhere you can go that's less than professional but still nicely done? Can you get tickets later in the year to another ballet? Dress rehearsal tickets?  (Call and ask and explain your accessibility concerns.  They may let you attend a daytime dress rehearsal) I took my mother to see The Crucible and she loved it.  We saw it at the Kennedy center and it was nowhere near the prices you quoted.  Does it HAVE to be The Nutcracker? I've even seen ballets piped into the movie theatre through fathom events.  Can you get a projector and do a big screen event at home?  

[fraidycat]

I'm glad she gets to see the show!

[ScoutTN]

Great update!! I hope she loves it! I remember the first time I saw it and it was magical. 

[Jaybee]

Yay! I hope it is a wonderful experience!

[Spryte]

What a wonderful update! I am so happy that it all worked out, and so glad he called.

 

[katilac]

On 11/15/2023 at 7:31 AM, Faith-manor said:

 Either don't look until you know for sure you are going to buy, or make sure to always clear cache/cookies after doing a search.

Or browse in incognito mode.