Open Forum

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise. 

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

If you're happy with the pricing and the people pay it, keep it as is. 
Will your administration allow you to use an online ticketing service? It might make things easier.

------------------------------
John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

I agree with John. If the pricing is working go ahead and keep it. You might also look at doing pre-sale through your bookstore. We started that last year and it actually upped our sales and made everything easier.

------------------------------
Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:51
From: John Perry
Subject: Ticket Pricing

If you're happy with the pricing and the people pay it, keep it as is.
Will your administration allow you to use an online ticketing service? It might make things easier.

------------------------------
John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

Original Message------

I agree with John. If the pricing is working go ahead and keep it. You might also look at doing pre-sale through your bookstore. We started that last year and it actually upped our sales and made everything easier.

------------------------------
Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
------------------------------

Hi All,
I agree with John as well. If your audiences are happy and not complaining about the ticket price, leave it as is. I will say that when I took over our schools program 7 years ago, I started with an online ticketing program that gave me back many hours that I can focus on the students. There is a fee but I roll that into the ticket price.
Good Luck!
Jim

------------------------------
James Fry
Director of Student Life and the Malvern Theatre Society
Malvern, PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

We work with GoFan. In the past we've not sold many tickets that way, but then suddenly it blew up for our musical and we sold $4,500 worth of tickets through them. I'll have to check with our GoFan rep to see if we can do an early-bird price online and cut it off. I'm ending lunchtime sales just because it was a bookkeeping mess (I can't be there the whole hour-long block every day we sell because of interventions and meetings and I can't trust kids not to do something that's going to cause problems with the bookkeeper) so early-bird pricing online sounds like a great idea.

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2018 08:16
From: James Fry
Subject: Ticket Pricing

Hi All,
I agree with John as well. If your audiences are happy and not complaining about the ticket price, leave it as is. I will say that when I took over our schools program 7 years ago, I started with an online ticketing program that gave me back many hours that I can focus on the students. There is a fee but I roll that into the ticket price.
Good Luck!
Jim

------------------------------
James Fry
Director of Student Life and the Malvern Theatre Society
Malvern, PA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

I haven't changed the price of tickets in 18 years and there's one reason.  After every performance the cast walks down the aisles to collect donations for a non-profit that is theme-related to the show; i.e.: Harvey was the Mental Health Assoc. of SF, Jesus Christ Superstar was American Leprosy Missions, Dracula was Blood Centers of the Pacific...you get the picture.  We are a Catholic HS, so service to the community is important. If I raise my tickets (as a bossy development director once pushed me to do) then our audiences will be less likely to give to our cause.  BTW, that development director is long gone, and I'm still standing!

We charge $7/adult and $5/student & senior for our fall play and $10/adult, $7 student & senior and $4 children 12 and under.

All the best!

------------------------------
Valerie O'Riordan
Drama Director, MFA, AEA, Russi House Provincial
Archbishop Riordan High School
Troup 5596, I.T.S.
San Francisco CA voriordan@riordanhs.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2018 10:03
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

We work with GoFan. In the past we've not sold many tickets that way, but then suddenly it blew up for our musical and we sold $4,500 worth of tickets through them. I'll have to check with our GoFan rep to see if we can do an early-bird price online and cut it off. I'm ending lunchtime sales just because it was a bookkeeping mess (I can't be there the whole hour-long block every day we sell because of interventions and meetings and I can't trust kids not to do something that's going to cause problems with the bookkeeper) so early-bird pricing online sounds like a great idea.

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL

Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2018 08:16
From: James Fry
Subject: Ticket Pricing

Hi All,
I agree with John as well. If your audiences are happy and not complaining about the ticket price, leave it as is. I will say that when I took over our schools program 7 years ago, I started with an online ticketing program that gave me back many hours that I can focus on the students. There is a fee but I roll that into the ticket price.
Good Luck!
Jim

------------------------------
James Fry
Director of Student Life and the Malvern Theatre Society
Malvern, PA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

Obviously, to eliminate ones go to $10 and $5.  :-)
If you can use online ticking solutions take a look at ShowTix4U.  Great people and service.  Very flexible!

------------------------------
[William] [Myatt] [Director of Theatre]

[Pleasant Valley High School]

[myattw@pleasval.k12.ia.us][563-332-5151][Bettendorf][IA][USA]
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2018 10:13
From: Valerie O'Riordan
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I haven't changed the price of tickets in 18 years and there's one reason.  After every performance the cast walks down the aisles to collect donations for a non-profit that is theme-related to the show; i.e.: Harvey was the Mental Health Assoc. of SF, Jesus Christ Superstar was American Leprosy Missions, Dracula was Blood Centers of the Pacific...you get the picture.  We are a Catholic HS, so service to the community is important. If I raise my tickets (as a bossy development director once pushed me to do) then our audiences will be less likely to give to our cause.  BTW, that development director is long gone, and I'm still standing!

We charge $7/adult and $5/student & senior for our fall play and $10/adult, $7 student & senior and $4 children 12 and under.

All the best!

------------------------------
Valerie O'Riordan
Drama Director, MFA, AEA, Russi House Provincial
Archbishop Riordan High School
Troup 5596, I.T.S.
San Francisco CA voriordan@riordanhs.org

Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2018 10:03
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

We work with GoFan. In the past we've not sold many tickets that way, but then suddenly it blew up for our musical and we sold $4,500 worth of tickets through them. I'll have to check with our GoFan rep to see if we can do an early-bird price online and cut it off. I'm ending lunchtime sales just because it was a bookkeeping mess (I can't be there the whole hour-long block every day we sell because of interventions and meetings and I can't trust kids not to do something that's going to cause problems with the bookkeeper) so early-bird pricing online sounds like a great idea.

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL

Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2018 08:16
From: James Fry
Subject: Ticket Pricing

Hi All,
I agree with John as well. If your audiences are happy and not complaining about the ticket price, leave it as is. I will say that when I took over our schools program 7 years ago, I started with an online ticketing program that gave me back many hours that I can focus on the students. There is a fee but I roll that into the ticket price.
Good Luck!
Jim

------------------------------
James Fry
Director of Student Life and the Malvern Theatre Society
Malvern, PA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------

Great question!

We use the exact same ticket pricing. If it works, don't change it. Our community understands the cost of putting together a musical/show. There has not been any complaints. 

Good luck!

------------------------------
Peter Froehlingsdorf
Director
ISD 709
Duluth MN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2018 08:28
From: Amy Strickland
Subject: Ticket Pricing

I want some feedback on ticket pricing for my spring show. This spring we're putting up Midsummer, and I need to figure out my ticket pricing early to advertise.

Some info that might help:

In the fall last year (my first year here) we did Romeo and Juliet with tickets at $8 for students and $10 for adults. My only problem with this was that we needed a LOT of ones for change. It was a decent take, but I want to reevaluate that pricing to make sure I'm still on the right track.

The program as-is is only 2 years old (I replaced a teacher who charged less for tickets but also did less with sets and costumes, and our choir director is amazing so our musical was significantly better than it had been in years past).

We just finished The Wizard of Oz two weeks ago with student tickets at $10 and adults at $15. It got excellent reception. We raked in about $15k on our musical and spent close to $10k. We let teachers in free with ID and let them pre-purchase tickets for their families at a special $5 price.

We are an upper-middle class suburb of Shelby Co. AL with 5% free and reduced lunch (against the state average of 50%), but we don't get outside funding for our program beyond fundraising and ticket fees, so the door is important. Our fall One Act was a flat rate of $5 for all admittance.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need a new roll of numbered tickets for every price point sold at the door, so we should stick to one or two price points. What is your suggestion for pricing?

------------------------------
Amy Strickland
Drama Teacher
AL
------------------------------