New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
SEATS AT TWO DOLLARS.
THE ADVANCE II PRICES AT THE THEA
TRES.


now IT CAME ABOUT. AND IT'S EFFECT ON THE
THEATRES AID THE PEOPLE WHO Fill. THEM
II - curious to stand the box office window OF
fashionable New-York theatre and notice how
many people express surprise at the price OF ticK-
cts. Taking the business of the day and evening
straight through. IT might be too much to say that
the proportion one person n four but II Is GER
tainly large. Some people find things out with
wonderful quickness but the public n general Is
slow 10 learn and there are hundreds OF occasional
theatre-goers in New-York to-day who have not
Vet discovered that the best seats in about half
the leading theatres are regularly sold at s. each
ard not 81 5o as formerly The change has been
Gradual and yet comparatively rapid. \ few years
ago. say. five six. the regular rate was 81 3D.
IL was all but universal. the only exceptions being
d: TWO or three theatres, where one or two rows or
seats fl, the front OF the first balcony were sold at s.
In the Madison Square Theatre 'now Hoyts). for
instance a few seats In the front row Of the
middle section OF the balcony have been sold al
s. each ever since the house was butt They were
counted as a sort OF fancy grade OF seats. TO be
sold at fancy price Ike large and exquisite fruits
produced out Of season. and to be Afforded only
by the fabulOusly wealthy.
But now II Is all changed. Now anybody VINO
goes to the Broadway Theatre. the Empire ABB
bey's. Days. the Lyceum. or Hoyts. without any
special .doa OF economy is expected pay s.
AS a matter OF course. Naturally. there must be
A reason for the change perhaps more than one.
The one which les most conspicuousiy on the sur
face IS that the regular price OF an orchestra
stall In a London theatre Ia 3 %. 1t would not
take an American manager long. OF course, TO
develop the thought: III it is worth - % TO see a
play In London. why Is II not worth at least S TO
see Just "a good play in Newly fork| Then he
would naturally raise his prices as soon as ne
thought the public would stand H.
THE GROWING COST or PRODUCTIONS
But there are other reasons than this for the
advance The manager OF one OF the best OF the
New-York theatres Il house which Intends always
10 give the very best of plays in the best manner.
said the other day: We raised our pr.ces because
w. thought It was worth more to see our pays.
finely acted and expensively gotten up they
are than 10 the cheaper sort that are gwen
at some OF the other theatres. which were asking
tho came prices that We were" This all very
we'll and may have been a JUS; argument, but 1t
was intended apply only TO this one theatre. as
compared with other NewYork theatres. There
are stiu other reasons Nhch apply equally TO all
There is no doubt that IL costs more 10 put pays
on the stage thar II did a few years ago The
New-York public IS often pleasurably excited, but
rever content. 1t always wants something new
some thing strange. something surpr.s.ng something
startling something different Anybody who goes
10 the opera regularly knows that. With only
company performances are given at the Metropol-
tan which would ra Sc the hair OF opera goers OF
ten fifteen years aso and the house IL only hat
full II Is not that the whole work is not well
formed: it Is simply that the New-york public will
not trouble itself with the opera unless 1t IS TO
hear Nine Calve some three or four at least or
the other prime favorites OF the company.
In Just the same way the theatre-goers are no
or luxurious stage production than they want a
performance more admirable and production
nj oil no
satisfied Now. the limits Of good acting are rig
ldy fixed by nature. There are only & Just so many ,
are only just good and no better. and money
by more or better ones b An anypsy nSrGr Eanh9 s
can act" and thereupon. of his own volition. DO IT,
80 doubt many of hem @ hpk 4 SH' 'SfK %K @ak @Sn
a costly production than mas been made be-
AND THE PUBLIC PAYS THE FREIGHT.
So since the excellence OF the acting cannot be
ncrea sed will and the cost of production can
the possible thing Is done TO take the place OF the
impossble and the more the manager increases
his expenses In this way the more he wants to
get his money back by raising his prices IT."
he argues. the people who come to my theatre
insist on all this luxury as the condition OF their
coming. why should they not bear the expense OF
it?" And up goes the price to g.
This Is the managers side of the case. OF course.
in the last ANALYSIS. any side tat Is worth con.
real question is what scale Of prices the theatre
can make the most money Plays are not com,
discussion of the prices TO be paid for them Il
not to be based quite the same ground as dis
cusslon of the pr.ces of bread or beef or clothing
II 81 is an unjust price for seat in theatre.
body is obliged to pay H. a MANAGER Will not ask
that price long unless he finds that he get IT,
II anybody thinks IT is an outrage to charge 81
to n certain play. the simplest and most e.
fectiye way for him to show his resentment is to
set OF reasons. he wants to the play so much
that he decides to pay the price. exorbltant 1t
is then he practically admits that for some reason
or set OF reasons the play Is worth 81 to HIM.
And II he pays only what Il is worth to him.
where Is the outrage?
AN EXPERT VIEW OF THE CASE
Yet there are grave doubts whether many plays
would actually bring in more money to their
than 81 So This SIDE of the may perhaps be
best presented In the words of the treasurer OF a
prominent New-York theatre which has adopted
the newer and higher rates. II think II Is
mistake" he said ~ Mess there is special
cent production. II Is not worth 2 TO see pay.
In order that play may make run in New-f fork
the same people must come 10 see II twice or more
than twice Now; people don't IKE 70 pay oos - aos
here to the box Office and asks for Two seats anu
puts down S. tell him they are ~ lie LOOKS LOOKS
surprised and says he thought they were S. wen;
he doesn't want to say that ne Tan an a,o ,ka ,s a he
seats. but he doesn't come again. Then another
much are they? ] tell him @ Well ne says,
he comes and brings his wife. but he doesn't bring
his sster-.n-law He buys two seats. and the
theatre gets s. II the price had been 80 he would
have bought three seats, and r the oda theatre re would
~ nrica makes no difference, who support the