EXCLUSIVE: Don’t be shocked if Hamilton reports extra-huge holiday numbers. Tickets this week are going for a record $1,150.
With the increase, Hamilton is the first on Broadway to sell seats for four figures, before fees, that don’t benefit a charity or political campaign.
As of Sunday afternoon, a few $1,150 tickets were still available through December 30. (The show is dark on New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.) They are the only ones remaining this year for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical about the founding fathers, besides those via resellers and a $10 lottery. The price is up 15 percent from last Christmas, when top tickets fetched a then-record $998. (Hello, Dolly! later matched $998 for the first row for some performances.) Shows typically raise prices for the holidays, when tourists pack the city.
The new Hamilton price is within $1 of what Apple is charging for the iPhone X with souped-up storage — which raises the age-old debate about the relative value of experience versus material goods. Sam Rudy, a production spokesman, declined to comment.
Hamilton‘s holiday ticket is in line with what resellers are seeking this week on Ticketmaster for the orchestra. Two and a half years into its run, Hamilton remains a top attraction, even with most of the original cast gone and new competition from companies in Chicago, Los Angeles and London. In the seven days ending on Nov. 26, which included Thanksgiving, Hamilton grossed $3.45 million, the biggest weekly haul in Broadway history.
With the price hike, Hamilton is trying to thwart resellers and maximize returns for its producers, investors and creative team. In contrast, Bruce Springsteen appears to be leaving millions on the table by charging a maximum of $850 for his buzzed-about nightly concert at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Seats are available on the secondary market for thousands of dollars.
Editor: Alice Scovell
