The theatrical recession is starting to bite at the top as well as the bottom. Last week, I reported in a Guardian blog on a scheme to offer a family package to Cameron Mackintosh produced musicals in the West End and on tour for just £50 for four seats in the upper circles and balconies (though not, his office subsequently told me, in either the worst seats in the house or because his shows were particularly ailing, but simply to make them more accessible to families).
Now it is has been announced that the one of the world’s most famous opera houses, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, is to start holding weekly draws on its website in which its priciest seats - usually selling for $140 to $295 - will be made available for just $25 for Friday and Saturday evenings. They are being subsidized by $3m in donations from the company’s board.
In an interview with Bloomberg.com, the Met’s general manager Peter Gelb has said, “What we’re experiencing is some resistance at the highest ticket prices, whereas last season we were consistently selling out tickets in the highest price brackets in days leading up to the performance. That’s obviously a result of the economy.”
When the rich start hurting - and the venues that attract the rich admit as much - we can finally spot that there’s trouble on the horizon. Last week, a major new Broadway musical, Vanities, originally scheduled to open in February, also announced a postponement, with its lead producer Sue Frost stating, “The production is being rescheduled for later this season out of responsibility to the investors at this complicated economic time, which makes it very hard to support a new musical on Broadway.”
In fact, it may well be hard to support any musicals apart a handful of well-established hits this winter - I have previously written here about an impending bloodbath come the beginning of January there, and yesterday the Daily Telegraph ran a story suggesting that some 15 shows will be closing there] in the next six weeks. Of course, some of these, like Hairspray, Spamalot, Grease, Young Frankenstein and Spring Awakening have simply run out of steam, as shows often do at this time of year; others, like White Christmas, Liza’s at the Palace and Slava’s Snowshow were only on limited seasonal runs anyway. Others again, like All My Sons and The Seagull were limited runs too, and this week announced that they had actually recouped their investments; which proves that it is still possible to make money with serious work on the Great White Way, too.
But the worse news is how few new shows there are now on the horizon: while Shrek and Pal Joey are yet to open this side of Christmas, on the other side of the New Year the only big musicals planned are revivals of Guys and Dolls, Hair and West Side Story, and the sole new musical will be the arrival of a musical version of 9 to 5 after a try-out in LA that I previously reported on seeing here in October. Veteran Broadway producer and investor Roger Berlind has told Bloomberg news, “”I have nothing in the pipeline and it’s a very happy state to be in. We’re all impacted by the economy.” Another producer John Breglio is quoted saying, “The harsh truth is that the statistics will be very sobering and there will be a lot of empty theaters in January. It’s going to be a very tough road in terms of big, expensive new shows. No one’s jumping in, taking risks.””
But if the storm clouds are gathering apace in New York, the West End is trying to stay bullish, and there is plenty on the horizon here, by comparison. Indeed, in a comment piece in today’s Daily Telegraph, its chief critic Charles Spencer suggests that the theatre may not only survive, but actually thrive: “We may not be able to afford a new kitchen, or an expensive holiday, but most of us can just about run to an evening in the stalls, and perhaps even a modest meal out afterwards. My hunch is that theatre won’t just survive the recession, it will actually help us to endure it, by offering that special sense of community of a theatre audience, and a temporary escape into other worlds and other lives.”
But if it is going to do so, it may have to abandon such greedy decisions as trying to follow Broadway’s lead in introducing so-called “premium seating” that supposedly confers special privileges on wealthier London theatregoers. The just-opened Carousel is charging £86 (the regular top price is £61); while for Oliver!, premium seats (including a free programme but without an additional booking fee) are just £1 less, at £85 (against the regular £60), while next year’s Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - the Musical, will set new records with premium seats at £92.50 (as opposed to the ‘regular’ top price of £63.50).
This may, however, not be the time to start fleecing regular theatregoers, but to think about ways of keeping them coming to the theatre, even as their pockets start hurting — or especially when they do. The Met in New York is clearly leading the way; there is absolutely no point in playing to empty seats, after all, and an empty seat is one that is lost forever. So instead of pushing seats ever skywards, perhaps the premium seats should be offered up for sale by reduced price lottery instead.
If one good thing comes from the recession it might be that producers and tickets agents might learn to think twice about the ridiculous price-hyping of premium tickets.
I sincerely hope that the Priscilla producers fall hard off their nasty man-size stilettos with their £92.50 top. These premium seats work for big hot sell-out shows ... not, anyone sane should be able to see, for imported screen-to-stage warm overs. One can only hope that their arrogance doesn't earn them the same fate as Broadway's Frankenstein - which flopped mainly beacause of the producer's hubris. If the audience stays away then no-one will be tempted to do it again.
Also I hope that the new "ticket re-selling" agencies will find times are hard. These are touts by a smarter name. Fine for gigs and sporting events if you really must see a one-off event - but let's keep them out of the West End. Again one hopes the audience will vote with its feet and its wallet.
I agree with Charles Spencer that the recession may allow the West End to thrive. There will certainly be more empty theatres and less activity from the more established producers - but that creates opportunities for younger independent producers, playwrights and performers who haven't had much of a look in over the past flush decade.
That's certainly what happened in the recession of early 90's - and, if the New Kids on the Avenue treat the audience with respect, then hopefully they will reap the benefits.