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Home > Blogs > Arts and Entertainment > Archives > 2009 > October > 30 > Entry
‘Wicked’ cracks half-million on 1st day
The Victoria Theatre Association did well over a half-million dollars in business Friday, Oct. 30, on the first day of ticket sales for the local premiere of the musical “Wicked.”
As of mid-afternoon, $425,000 worth of tickets had been sold since the Ticket Center Stage box office opened at 8 a.m.. Online and telephone transactions accounted for $254,000.
With online sales continuing until midnight and telephone orders through 9 p.m. Friday, a first-day total of $600,000 was expected.
Arriving as early as 1 a.m. to wait outside, 130 people were in line when walk-up sales began at 8 a.m. The first 100 customers through the doors received souvenir “Wicked” t-shirts.
Broadway’s most popular show will come to the 2,300-seat Schuster for three weeks beginning Feb. 17, 2010. All 24 performances are expected to sell out, adding up to $4.2 million in box office receipts.
Broadway series subscribers and group buyers had first choice. About half of the more than 55,000 total available tickets were left at the start of the day. Prices range from $37 to $120.
Jasmine Hill of Dayton, who was second in line for tickets, said she had tried to go to Chicago to see it previously. “I wasn’t able to, but I would rather see it here and support the arts in Dayton.”
“My wife and kids pushed me out of the house to come here,” said Marshall Weiss, editor of the Dayton Jewish Observer.
Joanna Tsai of Columbus was buying tickets for herself and her boyfriend. “All of my friends have already seen it. I feel like the last person who hasn’t.”
Sales will continue in person, by phone and online at Ticket Center Stage — (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com. For more information about the show visit www.wickedthemusical.com
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Arts News, Theater
Comments
By Lundy
October 30, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this
Hey Zac, it won’t be a surprise now!
By Wicked Fan
October 30, 2009 9:50 AM | Link to this
I was lucky to have access to pre-sale tickets. Those seats were flying out the window quicker than the monkeys! Hope those people get the seats they wanted!
By still suprise?
October 30, 2009 10:15 AM | Link to this
If Zac’s fiance is also from Gallipolis, she probably won’t see the DDN, so unless someone tells her about it, it could still be a suprise.
By Doc
October 30, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
@DDN needs an editor- Apparently you do as well. “Today it the 30th.” Really? “It” the 30th?
By Too frustrated
October 30, 2009 10:56 AM | Link to this
Just a warning… the Ticket Center Stage online ordering system does not work well. It takes 5 minutes for each page to load and does not process the credit card information fast enough so that the page times out and you have to go back and enter it all again. I have been trying for more than 1 hours to purchase two tickets and have had no success at all.
By DAY
October 30, 2009 11:34 AM | Link to this
Wicked Fan: I was also lucky to get access to pre-sale tickets. I ordered mine on October 19th. I’m so happy that I didn’t have to wait until today because it looks like I may have not gotten the seats I wanted.
By Steve
October 30, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this
I have been having the exact same problem Too Frustrated. Came back to DDN to see if anyone else was having it as well. I see I’m not alone. They had their servers wholly unprepared for a surge like this.
By Steve
October 30, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this
Update for Too Frustrated. I was selecting to have them mailed to me and when I changed it to Will Call, the purchase went through. I wanted them mailed b/c they’re a gift for my wife, but apparently this was causing an error. The way it was programmed I’m assuming.
By flipper
October 30, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this
Wicked prices. Too rich for my blood.
By Vern Walbrook
October 30, 2009 11:49 AM | Link to this
Just bought two tickets online in well under 60 seconds. No problem at all.
By Too frustrated
October 30, 2009 12:01 PM | Link to this
I finally got them after 1.5 hours and lots of problems with pages loading and credit cards timing out. Immediately after the purchase, the server became “too busy”. I’m glad that others were able to get them more easily! Looking forward to a good show.
By J
October 30, 2009 1:33 PM | Link to this
Tried the website all morning, finally got through, purchased my tickets no problem and I had no issues when I requested to have them mailed..thank goodness!
By Good ole boy
October 30, 2009 6:01 PM | Link to this
ho-hum
By Wicked Fan
October 30, 2009 8:52 PM | Link to this
I was at the Schuster today for the Wicked on sale event! What a fun experience and the Victoria staff was so friendly and well organized. The Schuster Center looked great with all of the green lights.