Customer Story

This week's customer story comes all the way from the great state of Kansas.Wichita to be exact. Last Thursday I received a call from one of my regular customers who's wife and daughter were coming to New York in early June and wanted to see three shows while they were here. Having worked with him many times over the years I knew where he liked to sit. Care to take a guess? Rear Mezzanine. Just kidding. Give up? Premium seating of course. Let me guess. You've never heard of it right?

Believe it or not but the term "Premium Seating" has only been around since the Spring of 2001 when The Producers opened to rave reviews. When that happened the producers of the show decided to offer seats at a higher rate in order to prevent scalpers from buying up all the tickets. Makes sense to me. Since then all Broadway shows are now offering these type of seats. Anyway back to my story. Since I knew the type of seats he wanted I needed to find out what they wanted to see. His first choice was The Lion King. Now while the show has been around for a number of years it is still one of Broadway's most popular shows.

Therefore I knew I would have no problem getting him the type of seats he wanted. Sure enough I was able to get him excellent seats in the fifth row of the Orchestra. Not only that but they were dead center. Now that's what I call Premium seating. His next pick was the new revival of Anything Goes. Now unlike every other show on Broadway Anything Goes does not sell Premium seats. Why you ask? Because it is produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company which is a non-for profit. Therefore they like Lincoln Center(War Horse) only sell regular priced tickets.

After checking availability for him I was not able to find the type of seats that he likes. Therefore I had to go to the secondary market to purchase them. Now being a broker myself there are times when I have to go thru another ticket service when I don't have the tickets myself. Better to get my customers what they want then to have to tell them "Sold Out". Trust me my friends. Those are two words I don't like to use. Anyway after calling around to a few different companies I was able to find him seats in Row M of the Orchestra in the center. Two shows down. One to go.

Care to guess what he picked for his final show? Mary Poppins. Even though his wife had already seen the show when it opened several years ago his daughter had never seen it. Now even though I knew where he liked to sit I decided to suggest some alternative seating. Having seen the show I can honestly tell you that the better seating is not in the first ten rows in the Orchestra. The better seating is actually in the Front Mezzanine.

Not only is it a great view of the stage but Mary Poppins actually flies into the Mezzanine during the show. Plus because the show has been playing for a number of years I knew that not only would I be able to get him excellent seats but at below face value. Sure enough I got him in the fourth row center of the Front Mezzanine and at a price that was even lower than he was expecting. Another satisfied customer. Will you be next?

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/

Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

Emmy Winner Neil Patrick Harris To Host The 2011 Tony Awards

I can't tell you how excited I am about this news. Not only am I huge Neil Patrick Harris fan but I have been watching the Tony Awards ever since I can remember. I never miss it. I take that back. I skipped last year. Memphis as Best Musical of the Year? Really? I guess American Idiot wasn't mainstream enough for the Tony voters. I'm sorry but in a year when a show like The Addams Family fails to get any major nominations you know it's a bad year. Now while I have yet to see any of this year's nominees I do plan on watching this year's telecast. For one I am dying to see what The Book Of Mormon is going to do. That alone should make for an interesting evening my friends. Be sure to check out the 2011 Tony Awards on June 12 at 8pm on CBS. Until next time theatre fans.

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/

Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

Final Week's For Broadway Revival Of That Championship Season

That's right theatre fans. You have less than three week's to see one of this season's most successful shows. That Championship Season which opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in March will play it's final performance on Sunday May 29. The show which first premiered Off-Broadway in May 1972 before transferring to the Booth Theatre later that year won the Pulitzer Price for Drama in 1973. Now while this new revival received mixed reviews from the critic's the show has been a hit at the box office due to it's all-star cast (Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Noth, Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan, and Jason Patric) Most people myself included are not aware that Mr. Patric besides being one of the plays stars is actually the son of the playwright Jason Miller. Small world huh? Get your tickets to see That Championship Season on Broadway. Good seats are still available for all performances so call now.Time is running out.

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

Wonderland To Close On May 15

Having been in the ticket selling business for over a decade now I have seen hundreds of shows come and go. Some that should have closed much sooner than they did and some that quite frankly deserved a longer run. Sadly Wonderland would fall into the latter category. When it closes this Sunday it will have played a total of 31 previews and 33 regular performances. Now while the show was generally panned by the critic's the final nail in the coffin was it's failure to score any nominations for next month's Tony Awards. Being a fan of the show I was expecting the show to at least make it thru the Summer. Guess I was wrong. Until next time theatre fans.

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

Now Is The Best Time To See A Show

Every month or so I like to post a blog encouraging people to visit our fair city. I mean let's face it New York is the greatest city in the world after all. Oh sure I may be a little partial but you know it's true. They don't call Times Square the "Crossroads of the World" for nothing after all. Now for those of you who are planning a trip in the future I have some great news for you my friends. There is no better time than right now. Believe it or not but there are our over fifty shows both On and Off-Broadway for you to check out while you are here. Still haven't seen Wicked or Jersey Boys yet? There is no better time than the present.

How about new musicals like Sister Act and Priscilla Queen of the Desert or this season's most acclaimed new play War Horse? Maybe revivals are your thing. Trust me it doesn't get any better than Anything Goes or How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. See that's the great thing about New York. So many choices. Now we all know that going to see a show can be expensive. The good thing is it doesn't have to be. From now thru the Summer you can get tickets to see some of Broadway's most popular shows at prices that can't be beat. They don't call it "Summer Savings" for nothing you know. Book your tickets today. Live theatre. There is nothing like it. Until next time theatre fans.

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/
Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

Broadway Grosses:Week Ending May 8, 2011

Anything Goes
$698,453 98.8%
Arcadia
$241,856 46.5%
Baby It's You!
$462,640 81.4%
Bengal Tiger…
$437,657 45.6%
Billy Elliot
$876,871 89.3%
Born Yesterday
$218,131 44.9%
Catch Me…
$732,580 9,882 0 8 1,422 $74.13 86.9%
Chicago
$609,623 87.1%
Ghetto Klown
$308,002 72.2%
Good People
$433,459 99.4%
How to Succeed…
$936,036 91.7%
Jersey Boys
$1,006,650 93.4%
Jerusalem
$458,825 75.9%
Lombardi
$148,752 48.8%
Mamma Mia!
$865,824 85.1%
Mary Poppins
$821,750 78.8%
Memphis
$793,627 86.3%
Million Dollar Quartet
$316,247 52.0%
Priscilla…Desert
$882,361 70.3%
Rain
$288,356 58.0%
Rock of Ages
$305,235 87.0%
Sister Act
$854,730 95.4%
That Championship Season
$412,238 62.6%
The Addams Family
$487,977 55.0%
The Book of Mormon
$1,129,867 102.4%
The House of Blue Leaves
$601,733 7,172 95.3%
The Importance…Earnest
$225,329 58.5%
The Lion King
$1,601,654 100.0%
The Mother****…Hat
$631,787 86.0%
The Normal Heart
$246,447 83.4%
The People…Picture
$218,194 60.9%
The Phantom of the Opera
$877,716 88.7%
War Horse
$884,015 100.0%
Wicked
$1,599,916 98.7%
Wonderland
$511,446 $58.53 67.8%

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/
Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

Customer Story

This week's customer story comes all the way from San Francisco, California. Late last week I received a call from a woman looking for to three Broadway shows. Not just any shows mind you but three of Broadway's hottest new shows. Care to guess which ones? Nope it's not Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Although she did inquire about it. Luckily I managed to talk her out of it. Give up? Why it's none other than Anything Goes, War Horse, and The Book of Mormon. Told you they were hot now didn't I? Thankfully she wasn't coming until late September which I knew would have better availability. So anyway after a little research I was able to get her seats in Row N in the Orchestra on an aisle for both War Horse and Anything Goes and Orchestra Row O on the aisle for The Book Of Mormon. Plus I was able to get them for prices that she had seen anywhere else. Another satisfied customer. Will you be next?

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc

2011 Tony Nominations

Well the 2011 Tony nominations were announced this morning and like years past there were a few surprises. Leading the pack this year is The Book of Mormon with 14 nominations including Best Musical. The show which opened to rave reviews in March is one of this season's biggest hits with tickets sales reaching over a million dollars a week at the box office. Coming in second with 12 nominations is The Scotsboro Boys which closed last year despite being a hit with critic's and audiences alike. Now on to the nominations.

Best Play
Good People Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Jerusalem Author: Jez Butterworth
The Motherf**ker with the Hat Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
War Horse Author: Nick Stafford

Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys David Thompson
Sister Act Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek

Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can

JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930

http://www.applause-tickets.com/
Facebook: Applause Theater and Entertainment Service,Inc