@4:50 I agree Broadway is a luxury and center orchestra seats will always be expensive.. If Broadway is truly expensive, look at the cheapest non-rush ticket available. How much does the worst seat in the theater cost that one can buy in advance? Theoretically it should be less than $80. If it's over $80, then yes that Broadway show is indeed expensive!

Thank you so much for the information i love musicals and this will help me a lot

I’m seeing the outsiders soon I’m front row it is a ‘dancier’ show but I think I’d rather be close so I can like micro pic at their faces and emotions

The disgusting thing about star casting is.. heres a good example. I had a friend who bought tickets for Appropriate at the Hayes pre casting announcement for $150, The second they announced Paulson and Fanning those tickets went up to over $300 each. i saw the show the first time when they were both out and my hot take was in both cases the understudies were way better in the roles especially Fanning

Admin fees really get my goat.. In the old days when you would say ring up and someone on the other end of the phone would input your credit cards details etc fine. now we look uo seats,type in all the information and card details etc ourselves and often dont even get a physical ticket WHERES THE ADMIN? I'm a pa perhaps i should start chargiing ppl to send me an email?

I think price differentiation is important -- better to get someone in a seat for partial prices than not get them at all. And maybe it can be categorized, like the way there are some shows that do special prices for people under 30 or under 25. Maybe there's in-town prices vs out of town prices. I think that would be a good one to add.

Proshots. For those of us who don't live in NY but would pay to see good theatre.

Never thought seeing Jeremy and Eva in the same room would be something I desperately needed in my life

I'm a brit theaterlover we moan about West end prices but the prices on Broadway give me panic attack and then the fee on top WTF! if you compare prices for shows open on both its a total shock, it seems to cost so much more in NYC than London, operation mincemeat said cost 3 million to open in the west end but will cost over 15 million to open on Broadway

It’s interesting, I’ve been feeling like I’ve been booking more and more shows way in advance at least in London than I ever used to to get good deals - which I hate doing as I don’t know what might happen nearer the time and like the flexibility. I guess I do probably balance this out with last minute tickets as well. For Broadway trips I do normally do a lot of rushing unless I’m trying to fit specific shows in specific slots, but my last trip in May I only rushed one show and pre booked the other six.

Seems with the lottery/rush. we have trained people who can to wait for cheaper tickets and not purchase in advance..the tickets are fairly priced if you purchase months in advance..I bought preview tickets for Merrily and paid under $150 with a little planning..Set fair tickets prices..differing in sections...and eliminate rush/lottery options for anyone over 30...

Jeremy Jordan is now a celebrity from the wb super hero shows. Plus costs of tour productions are sky rocketing.

I might get to a point where I'm not buying in advance, but that's not my norm, as I'm out of town. I do look at the cast and creative of shows and reviews. So, names I recognize with get more traction. I'm not super picky though and would see an understudy in place of a star. I agree about mid-sized shows though, of which there are several each season.

Great video! Would love a breakdown of your suggestions for different budgets. I feel like I want to see more but I get stuck on what to pick that could fit my budget.

I think affordability is very different for the NYC residents compared to the commuters and out-of-towners. I moved to NYC a year and a half ago, and in that time I've seen over 60 shows. The vast majority of those have been lottery or rush tickets, so maybe an average ticket cost of $60 or so. Not cheap, but very comparable to any other entertainment activity in NYC. But that doesn't work for everyone, you have to live close enough and be flexible in your schedule such that you can go to a show with one day or less notice. I think the present economics of Broadyway are unsustainable, eventually we will run out of producers willing to set their money on fire to fund these productions. But right now there is no shortage of shows waiting for a theater slot to open, so the party carries on for now.

I will say the reason I praise Gatsby regardless of whether it's objectively the best new show in general is that I was able to see that show twice for $25 and I was in the front of the orchestra with an amazing view. It's the most fun I've had all season and the cast is phenomenal. Price should be taken into account more when it comes to critiquing a show imo.

My current Broadway weekend strategy is to buy in advance for the show I know I must see and for where I prefer to sit (e.g., Suffs front mezzanine) for a Saturday 8 p.m. showing. I take the bus from home and get in Friday in time to get to TKTS for whatever I can get and then return Saturday morning for a matinee through the "fast lane." I typically save a few hundred dollars and get to see three shows in a weekend before heading home on the bus Sunday morning. The cost of the travel and lodging from central NY for two nights is the worst part. I'll gladly pay $200 per seat to bring my husband or daughter for a weekend but there's no way to find a decent hotel room mid-town for under $1000 for 2 weekend nights. That drastically reduces the number of times per year I choose to travel to NYC.

I have many feelings on this. First, disclaimer, I am fortunate enough that my limiting factor in going to see shows is usually time rather than cost, and I usually go to shows alone which gives me added flexibility. But I'm naturally frugal and want to be able to see as many shows as possible so I will happily sit in the very last row. I went to New York right after the Tony noms and saw 7 shows in 5 days and my average was $68 per ticket (including fees which usually aren't terrible on todaytix). I could have done it a little cheaper if I relied more on digital lotteries and rush lines but I didn't want to spend hours on the gamble daily for 5 days. Granted, I'm in arguably the worst seat in the house for that price but I can stomach it. The bigger cost to me as someone who doesn't live in New York is actually hotels and transport. I live near DC and plan around the $35 Amtrak when I can get it (vs driving with $50 each way in tolls + $60-90/day for parking), but there is no such thing as a "cheap" hotel in midtown anymore. Even the ones that look cheap are artificially driving down their nightly rates by shifting the costs into hidden "resort fees," etc. I can't imagine the multiplication factors for people who want to experience Broadway as a family of 4. Aside from the other things you mentioned, one thing affecting the shift in advance ticket sales in the last 5ish years is that there are so many more accessible ways to get tickets on the go and at the last minute. Anyone who wanted reasonable certainty of seeing a show used to have to call the box office during their open hours or buy from sites that were clunky at best on mobile browsers, an experience much more bearable if done leisurely from home. But now there are apps like TodayTix or Theatr where you can shop for multiple shows at once, and it makes no difference to me (other than the available inventory) if I do that from home 2 months in advance or the morning of. I hear you about closing the gap between shows with deliberately low production costs/ limited runs or mega musicals. How to Dance in Ohio and Lempicka are 2 I can think of in recent memory that made a conscious effort to keep tickets affordable, and they both closed prematurely due to unsustainable costs vs sales. It's sad to think they might have lasted longer if they did what everyone does and raised the prices to the point they could run with fewer seats filled.

My grandparents went to see the Original Dreamgirls on Broadway.

So fun you are talking freelance/business. I’ve been freelancing for over 15 years and am an S Corp. This setup has worked well and saved me money. My biggest piece of advice is to find an accountant who works with other businesses similiar to yours (theatre, arts, creative, etc.). And get recommendations from others as to who they like working with. This has really helped me as once you find someone like this, they can advise you on structure, how much to save out for taxes and the best way to write off certain expenses. I prefer one to two in person meetings a year to keep me updated on latest tax changes, and any tips they can share.❤

And these ladies did it in heels. 🤯

Hells Kitchen did not win Outer Critics best musical, Suffs did. They also won for Book and Score at Outer Critics. I think Suffs is going to take Book, Score, and Best Musical.

The one show that needs absolutely no help from the Tonys is HELL’S KITCHEN, and I’ve seen many other people predicting more awards for it than these ladies.

Also would you mind sharing your video editing service or how to find one? I’m not on KZbin but I love travel photography (and travel a lot) so have so much footage. It’d be so nice to make something out of them just for myself and family/friends.

OMG what a great vlog! I came cross this researching Azamara, I know you have a theater & voice background, and probably surrounded by talented performers all the time, but I find you so authentic ❤ which is so refreshing. Please do more cruises and then vlogs and reviews!

I saw the original cast in LA before it came to Ny..amazing night

When was the jennifer hudson revival?

A VERY helpful conversation. Thanks for sharing!

I love this list! But no Rent is absolutely criminal, It is a show that defined generations of open story telling and acceptance on Broadway, It needs to be here

Kate, I want to know the three director choices you took issue with in The Notebook!! Share with the class, please!

I’m soooo Team Outsiders, the staging really blew me away, esp with the Act 2 rumble. Leading Actor/Actress categories I am changing my mind every day on who will win because those categories are soo stacked. Also I will ride at dawn with pitchforks if Dan doesn’t win 😂

Hard agree on Hadestown. I have so many complaints about how it's ALMOST great, but even the first time I saw it, I expected the ending because I know the myth. Also, it didn't make me sad because orpheus and eurydice were separated because of their own stupid neglect and/or miscommunications. (Like, I'm not going to feel bad for someone grieving a pet that died because they forgot to feed it?) Oh, and Wait for Me should have been the Act 1 finale, not Why We Build the Wall. I liked certain creative elements, and I really wanted it to add up to a show I loved and felt moved by but both times I saw it (on tour) I just wasn't.

Love this as someone who’s only a handful of the shows this year. This would definitely have benefited from text on screen because it was hard to follow when you list names I’ve never heard, then start to refer to people by only their first name

Loved this! So excited for Sunday!

Yall i just will not believe a play where you only hear two songs will win best score

I enjoyed watching this video and plan to see more of your work. I love your apartment. Yes, the kitchen needs your touch to make it your own. But, overall, this place is a gem...

The Tonys are the only award show Im still interested in. I heard a few shows have announced tours so hopefully that means Ill get a chance to see some of them eventually.

I just hope they have a ramp this year. They didn't for Ali Stroker and Suffs has a wheelchair user in it.

I just had no desire to see Hells kitchen and the notebook but with all the momentum, I guess I have to

Thanks! Still have fingers crossed for Suffs for Best Musical, but suspect Outsiders or Hell’s Kitchen will win. Stereophonic’s nomination for Best Score is already a win. Hoping a musical wins Score.

I still haven't seen W4E, but I've seen the other 4 shows. My vote is for Outsiders. The only one I would be upset about if it won is Illinoise.

That was a lot of fun! Let's see who got what right on Sunday! :)

"The best show of the season is a play with music... and Merrily." Truth!

Also I *have* now seen outsiders and Illinoise and see W4E tonight! And I stand by these thoughts!

Kate your FACE in best book ☠️☠️☠️

How'd we do?? 🙃

Rear orchestra can also obscure the top of the proscenium. Not a big deal for most shows but you might miss the dragon in Wicked, or Burt's big Step in Time stunt in Mary Poppins, etc. Likewise, top of the balcony may not see something tall at the back of the stage like the top of a backdrop, "upstairs" sets, or catwalks. Often you don't know where the edges are until you've seen the show in question unfortunately

I have not heard of Profit first soooo this was 🤯 so great!

Fascinating convo! 1) I suspect the show with the lackluster promo you were talking about was The Heart of Rock n' Roll. It's now been open for weeks and I still have no idea what it's about and most of the time I forget it's even there. 2) The Wiz's pre-Broadway tour was definitely different and has a lot of merits if its successful (both financially and to build an organic fandom). But I think it would be much more difficult to pull off without the name recognition that the Wiz has. The other problems I see is that a lot of shows are using big name leads as ticket draws and I imagine it's much more difficult to get those big names to live on the road with a show right off the bat. Similarly, I imagine it's more difficult to bring complex set design to life when you know it has to be portable. I hate to sound superficial but that was a major disappointment for me when I saw the Wiz. The sets looked like a high school production where all the pieces were on wheels and they weren't allowed to touch the proscenium or the walls or the floor. Obviously I wasn't a fan but I'm hopeful someone could figure it out.

Between MickeyJo's review of Tommy and your description, I'm dying trying to picture this. Also kinda glad I didn't give it a precious slot when I was in New York recently because I'm definitely not the target audience either