Geoff Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, ninamargaret said: Maybe people are getting wise to paying a high price for a rather poor seat If one is a disciple of the now sadly departed ROH honcho Lucy Sinclair, one will presumably be arguing that this proves her new policy is working: the old, white middle-class “wrong” audience, who used to buy multiple tickets far too soon and thus prevented others from getting in, have now at last been frightened off. The result, so runs their argument, is lots of lovely empty seats to be bought nearer the time by Arts-Council-pleasing “new” audiences, too new to mind about “new” prices. Success: as Private Eye might say, trebles all round. However, let’s see if there is urgent discounting nearer the time, in which case the great Lucy plan might look more like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Incidentally - sorry to go on but I am still so cross about all this - I see no evidence that the brilliant Lucy and her creatures in that consultancy factored in the long-term value to ROH of older, loyal, visitors, in terms of intangible but nonetheless real support, such as, ahem, building “new” audiences (eg introducing children and grandchildren). Edited September 19, 2019 by Geoff 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 Agree with Geoff, and don't forget that a lot of those seats will probably be sold at student rates. I would like to have seen at least 3 casts in SB but could only manage 1, so possibly the two seats I couldn't afford,will be sold for £10! Can't see how that helps the ROH coffers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 17 minutes ago, ninamargaret said: Can't see how that helps the ROH coffers. Indeed. However it is unclear from the outside how important cash takings at the box office are to the ROH compared to pleasing the Arts Council with its Maoist metrics. From that perspective, the two “new” people who take the seats ninamargaret does not buy may be preferable to having her sitting there again. A win for politics, if not for the immediate bottom line. At least I think that is the theory as we discovered it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynette H Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 Package booking opened for the winter season this morning, despite the web site previously saying it would open on the 24th September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 5 hours ago, ninamargaret said: Agree with Geoff, and don't forget that a lot of those seats will probably be sold at student rates. I would like to have seen at least 3 casts in SB but could only manage 1, so possibly the two seats I couldn't afford,will be sold for £10! I very much doubt it. I imagine Sleeping Beauty will sell regardless. I'm not so sure about some of the other productions, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 2 hours ago, Lynette H said: Package booking opened for the winter season this morning, despite the web site previously saying it would open on the 24th September. I think it's had today's date up for a while as I had it noted. I successfully got 2 total ballet packages. I had hoped to do one of the mixed packages too but the cheapest side stalls circle seats available for both Traviata & Otello were £130 including discount! I'll have to hope I can get cheaper individual tickets next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 8 minutes ago, alison said: I very much doubt it. I imagine Sleeping Beauty will sell regardless. I'm not so sure about some of the other productions, though. Ballet seems to have sold a lot better than opera: last time I looked the only Autumn opera production anywhere near sold out was Death in Venice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 4 hours ago, Lizbie1 said: Ballet seems to have sold a lot better than opera: last time I looked the only Autumn opera production anywhere near sold out was Death in Venice. But I have just received my ninth or tenth e-mail from the ROH advertising Manon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavycapers Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Has anyone worked out the running time for the triple bill, Concerto, etc, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenLoveAppleJuice Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 On 19/09/2019 at 13:57, Dawnstar said: I think it's had today's date up for a while as I had it noted. I successfully got 2 total ballet packages. I had hoped to do one of the mixed packages too but the cheapest side stalls circle seats available for both Traviata & Otello were £130 including discount! I'll have to hope I can get cheaper individual tickets next week. Traviata has so many casts and performances. Don't know which to go... I felt a little disappointed by the winter. Overall less bills but just schedule many many performance for one opera and huh soooo many Swan Lake... I have no problem with Swan Lake. But can't we get a little bit something else! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 That was reasonably smooth this morning - certainly better than last time! 😊 Hope everybody manages to get what they want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 6 hours ago, HelenLoveAppleJuice said: Traviata has so many casts and performances. Don't know which to go... They're all really different, too! Personally I have gone for two performances, one with Hrachuhi Bassenz and one with Dinara Alieva, on the basis that I have not previously seen either of them in the role. I saw Kristina Mkhitaryan sing it at Glyndebourne and would warmly recommend her; I also saw the performance that Vlada Borovko took on at 1 hour's notice while a young artist at ROH, and she did very well. I haven't booked for Aleksandra Kurzak's cast as although I like her in some repertoire, I know what I look for in a Violetta and she is not it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenLoveAppleJuice Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 5 hours ago, RuthE said: They're all really different, too! Personally I have gone for two performances, one with Hrachuhi Bassenz and one with Dinara Alieva, on the basis that I have not previously seen either of them in the role. I saw Kristina Mkhitaryan sing it at Glyndebourne and would warmly recommend her; I also saw the performance that Vlada Borovko took on at 1 hour's notice while a young artist at ROH, and she did very well. I haven't booked for Aleksandra Kurzak's cast as although I like her in some repertoire, I know what I look for in a Violetta and she is not it. Opps! Sad, I picked out Kurzak simply because the data is a bit more suitable for me. I may consider to exchange the tickets. Anyway I went to 2 performance of Traviata with Plácido Domingo Jaho and Castronovo. So not that enthusiastic this round... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 (edited) 30 minutes ago, HelenLoveAppleJuice said: I went to 2 performance of Traviata with Plácido Domingo Jaho and Castronovo. So not that enthusiastic this round... One of the most unpleasant experiences I have ever had in an opera house was when the wonderful Jaho was trying to sing Violetta but the (formerly wonderful now well past it) Domingo insisted on making horrible sounds at the same time. Compared to that, a nice evening with Kurzak should be fine. Edited September 25, 2019 by Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 6 hours ago, RuthE said: They're all really different, too! Personally I have gone for two performances, one with Hrachuhi Bassenz and one with Dinara Alieva, on the basis that I have not previously seen either of them in the role. I saw Kristina Mkhitaryan sing it at Glyndebourne and would warmly recommend her; I also saw the performance that Vlada Borovko took on at 1 hour's notice while a young artist at ROH, and she did very well. I haven't booked for Aleksandra Kurzak's cast as although I like her in some repertoire, I know what I look for in a Violetta and she is not it. I have booked for Kurzak, as I've been a fan since I first saw her, as Susanna back in 2006. I also want to see Helen Sherman, who's making her ROH debut as Flora with that cast. I've never actually got round to seeing the ROH Traviata production before, not being particularly keen on the piece. I had a look at Otello but there's only one date I can conveniently make & the cheaoest stalls circle seats available on that date were £79, which is more than I want to pay for something I'm not too bothered about seeing Ballet-wise I added a third Onegin cast, having already booked for two as part of the packages last week. (The cast I'm not seeing is Nunez/Hirano as while I'd like to see her Mayerling has put me off seeing him in leading dramatic roles.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Geoff said: One of the most unpleasant experiences I have ever had in an opera house was when the wonderful Jaho was trying to sing Violetta but the (formerly wonderful now well past it) Domingo insisted on making horrible sounds at the same time. Compared to that, a nice evening with Kurzak should be fine. I trust your night was not totally ruined, given that that was the occasion on which you and I met in person 😉 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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