My family just came back from a week-long vacation in the Big Apple. What a great experience, thanks in large part to the New York Pass, a great package of over 50 FREE attractions and other discounts. Yes, we paid $200 per person for each pass, but we got to visit 15 attractions over 7 days and saved a bundle. We would definitely have visited more places if we were not so exhausted.
We trusted the guide book (that came with the package) so much that, when we were ready to see the Phantom of the Opera musical, we naturally turned to the only Broadway show ticket broker listed in the guide book. What a mistake. I searched the Internet for information about the Majestic Theatre, its seating chart and other show-related information. I checked a couple of online brokers to get an idea of what seats cost how much. I tried to book tickets directly on Applause-tickets.com but always got the "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" error (I am getting the error right now!). That left me with the phone option only.
When I called to inquire about the tickets for July 25 (Monday), I was told that I would get the best Mezzanine seats available for $125 each, and that was a 30% discount off the official price. I asked about the specific seats for those tickets, but the agent claimed he did not have them (a big lie!). He just insisted that I would get the best Mez tickets available. I thought he was ordering from the Majestic Theatre directly and tried to get him to confirm that, but he was very evasive. Since some good Mez seats can cost $200 each, I decided to trust this guy and bought two tickets for $250. Clearly, advertising in the New York Pass guide book was a clever ploy for Applause Entertainment.
I went to the theatre and retrieved my tickets at the Will Call window, as instructed by the Applause agent. I was puzzled by the price printed on the tickets: $96.50. During the intermission, I went to the door and asked a theatre staff member about tips for buying Broadway show tickets. His answer really surprised me! The best way to buy tickets is the box office at the theatre where the show is playing. The next best methods are. You can always trust these official ticket brokers. Beware of all other brokers / agents. They are either horrible scalpers, or plain frauds.
Apparently, the theatre worker was 100% correct. There were still a few tickets available right before the show, with clearly listed prices. Sorry, there are no discounts. I also happened to have visited the previous night during my Google search and knew that they provided seats for the tickets they were selling. I did not know about.
So to summarize my transaction with Applause Entertainment: they claimed they were giving me a 30% discount on the tickets, but in fact they have charged me a nearly 30% markup over the official ticket price! What a deal! In the New York pass guide book, they also claim they provide at least a 10% discount, "and sometimes much more" for Broadway shows. At least they have been consistent in making these false claims! We are dealing with professional scalpers. I will contact the New York Pass guide book publisher and file a complaint. I am sure they want to maintain their great reputation as a tour package provider.
Phantom of the Opera is a fantastic show. We thoroughly enjoyed it! It was our first Broadway experience, but I can assure you it was just the beginning! What is more, I now know how to get a good ticket at an honest price. I paid a small price as a first-time Broadway visitor, but I hope you can learn something from my experience.
Do NOT buy Broadway show tickets from Applause Entertainment or www.applause-tickets.com.
Sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company. Plus, if you post a competitors name more than likely they will show up on search engines as a Rip-off! - - your comments on this policy are welcome.
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