The Playgoer: B'way, meet eBay

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Friday, March 09, 2007

B'way, meet eBay

According to Riedel today, anticipating the sales for the eagerly awaited (though still not cast) Young Frankenstein musical,

Premium-priced seats are likely to be offered exclusively on eBay, which, according to industry insiders, has become a major clearinghouse for Broadway tickets.

Auctions??? Or just a convenient online venue?

If not now, auctions--"authorized" non-scalping bidding-- probably coming. The next step in "Premium Tickets." When you look in your crystal balls 30-40 years down the road, can't you just see Telecharge morphing into a veritable cattle auctions unrestrained bidding to see Leonardio DeCaprio play King Lear?

2 comments:

Art said...

This is a fascinating way to look at this, Garrett.

It almost mirrors the art world, where enormous sums are paid for celebrated works of art. The New Republic had that recent article on "How the Art World Lost It's Mind."

Perhaps it will lead to a patronage form of theatrical performance:

Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc are kept on retainer, with contract, to create theatrical events for Rupert Murdoch and the like.

Murph said...

Reading that bit about DiCaprio as Lear, I actually threw up a little bit in my mouth.