Which would you chose?

[HiHoAudio]

I found a ticket stub on the way to work tonight from the Broadway play Mamma Mia. Someone paid $251.50 for a premium orchestra seat on New Years Day, 2010. And as people generally go to plays in pairs someone spent $503.00 for about three hours of entertainment for two people.

 

As much as I do enjoy live theatre if I am going to spend $500 on something these days it will usually be a coin or two. Or three. I guarantee that three coins will provide me with more than three hours of entertainment.

 

So I thought we should have a poll. With a little twist at the end.

 

Would you rather go to a top Broadway show on New Years Day, you and your guest sitting way up front in the plush orchestra seats with an amazing view of everything.

 

 

Or would you rather have a solid gold Swiss Schutzenfest Medal, one of only 400 minted. Not 400000, 400. About the size and weight of a US $10 gold piece.

 

 

You can have either the gold medal or take your wife/husband to a hit Broadway show.

 

Please cast your vote for one or the other.

And then please have your wife/husband cast their vote.

 

I know, you can only vote once so you will have to register your spouse here for this to work, hopefully you are still on speaking terms after the holidays.

No one said this would be easy.

 

And if you can’t get your spouse to vote then that’s OK too.

This is supposed to be fun, not work.

 

At the very least let's consider this a science experiment to see if we get a 50/50 split on the voting.

Or otherwise. Humor me if you will.

 

Poll closes on 02-01-10. Thanks for participating!

 

[physics-fan3.14]

I don't have a wife/significant other. But hopefully if I did, she would take the gold medal also.

[HiHoAudio]

You are such an optimist! :laugh:

[bsshog40]

As I would prefer the Gold myself, I was known by my wife as trying to do something for her that she had never done or been before. I think I would've taken her to the show just so she could say she's been.

[James_OldeTowne]

Without doubt, the medal. I'm not a big Broadway fan, anyhow.

 

When I want to see good live music, I enjoy a symphony at The Fabulous Fox theater in downtown St. Louis. Nothing in my experience beats that venue. Those tickets are expensive by my income standards, say $50 for a great seat, but I'm not paying five times that!

[cpm9ball]

The medal........obviously!

 

Who cares what the wife wants.........I guess that's why I'm divorced.

 

Chris

[ldhair]

I would spend a $100 at the Harrah's piano bar in vegas and spend the rest on a really cool coin.

To me the price of shows is getting a bit out of hand.

 

[Coindude]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

[TJ'S Coins]

I would buy the gold medal. Great Swiss design.

 

My wife is very practical. She prefers the free seats at the outdoor MUNY theater in Forest Park for her plays. However, she did purchase ONE ticket at the St. Louis Fox theater (see James above). She made my then, 17 year old daughter to purchase her own ticket to see Momma Mia. For the record, she would not approve of my purchasing the gold medal either.

 

 

 

Note: My daughter did tell my wife to buy a ticket since her friend could not make it. We didn't want a then high school senior driving to a night event in St. Louis alone.

 

A further note: Both my wife and daughter have approved of this post

[tejas1836]

Choosing the medal was easy for me. I've never seen that medal before and it looks great to me. As luck would have it, the wanna be wife just stopped by with some cookies her daughter made for me. They were in a hurry but I had her read the post. She sat down at the computer and after a few seconds, she turned around and said " I can tell you what I would choose without even reading the whole post. I'd take the coin." Gotta love that.

[praedator-migration]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

 

Don't you think that is something you should keep to yourself? Oh wait, you're from Texas.

[bartlesvilleok]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

 

I am one of them but I still voted for the medal. Just because someone is queer does not mean they like Broadway shows.

 

 

[MunkyMan95]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

 

Politically correct or not, that was funny to me.

[Coindude]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

 

Politically correct or not, that was funny to me.

It was meant to be funny to everyone! No offense, to anyone, especially those who voted for the show... The even funnier thing... me and my wife watched PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on bluray last night... and we have seen both the shows on my list... .so does that make me one of those! Please take no offense by my comment... I guess it was a joke about myself that could be taken personal.

[Bugmann1974]

I would much rather go to a good rock concert than go to a broadway show but there is no way in heck that I would spend $250 on a concert ticket.

 

I am divorced and single, probably for the same reason as Chris So there is no significant other to post to this thread.

[coinman23885-migration]

You can't call this a science experiment; you have a biased sample population. Ask a set of theater buffs and the responses will be inverted. I'm going to guess that 95% of the people on this board will go with the medal. The other 5% or so are trying to make up to their spouses for something they have done wrong or they're trying to impress a date/spouse

[coinman23885-migration]

The medal........obviously!

 

Who cares what the wife wants.........I guess that's why I'm divorced.

 

Chris

5/5 stars for the most interesting answer ever.

[HiHoAudio]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

 

C'mon, admit that you saw Cats three times...

[HiHoAudio]

Without doubt, the medal. I'm not a big Broadway fan, anyhow.

 

When I want to see good live music, I enjoy a symphony at The Fabulous Fox theater in downtown St. Louis. Nothing in my experience beats that venue. Those tickets are expensive by my income standards, say $50 for a great seat, but I'm not paying five times that!

 

I admit it's pretty easy to see great live music for $50 these days, no real need to spend more than that.

 

I remember back in the 1960's seeing Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at the State College for $3.50. Those were the days...

[cpm9ball]

Without doubt, the medal. I'm not a big Broadway fan, anyhow.

 

When I want to see good live music, I enjoy a symphony at The Fabulous Fox theater in downtown St. Louis. Nothing in my experience beats that venue. Those tickets are expensive by my income standards, say $50 for a great seat, but I'm not paying five times that!

 

I admit it's pretty easy to see great live music for $50 these days, no real need to spend more than that.

 

I remember back in the 1960's seeing Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at the State College for $3.50. Those were the days...

 

DAR Constitution Hall, Washington D.C. - 1965

Marvin Gaye

Tammi Terrell

Mary Wells

Jr. Walker and the All Stars

Sam & Dave

The Impressions

The Marvelettes

Aretha Franklin

 

The early show began at 8:00PM; the late show began at 10:00PM. We went to the late show, and it didn't end until after 2:00AM. The tickets costed $7.50.

 

Chris

 

[James_OldeTowne]

Without doubt, the medal. I'm not a big Broadway fan, anyhow.

 

When I want to see good live music, I enjoy a symphony at The Fabulous Fox theater in downtown St. Louis. Nothing in my experience beats that venue. Those tickets are expensive by my income standards, say $50 for a great seat, but I'm not paying five times that!

 

I admit it's pretty easy to see great live music for $50 these days, no real need to spend more than that.

 

I remember back in the 1960's seeing Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at the State College for $3.50. Those were the days...

Another advantage of a place like St. Louis is that there's amazingly good live entertainment available at local colleges and universities. I used to go over to Webster University from time to time to catch a play, and if memory serves correct (this was 15 years ago), tickets were under $5, and the productions quite good. Also, UMSL offers very high quality programs for very reasonable prices in the $15 - $25 range. And as Tim mentioned above, there's the Muny as well as scads of other events in Forest Park, including a fantastic world-class Zoo that is absolutely free to the public. Oh, and Grant Farms is also free.

 

OK, end of public service announcement for St. Louis !

[Coindude]

Ok, who are the two queers that voted for the show! Ok, maybe if it was the Phantom or Evita!

C'mon, admit that you saw Cats three times...

No... but I would! There are a few shows on my list that I want to see and that is one of them. I'd actually like to see the Lion King as well. Ok... so me and my wife enjoy shows... not sure if I'd pay 250 for a ticket... but we've paid over $100, but they weren't on Broadway either.

[physics-fan3.14]

The only Broadway I saw was the King and I, and I was quite disappointed. I grew up loving the old Yul Brenner version, and pretty much nobody can equal him.

 

I do love theater, however. I acted professionally in high school, at the Dock Street Theater in Charleston (the oldest theater in the country). I was in Romeo and Juliet and Cheaper by the Dozen, and worked backstage for a few other shows (including Guys and Dolls).

 

I also love the orchestra. The Charleston Symphony is fantastic, and I highly recommend you pay them a visit if you are ever in town.

[just-john]

I took the show because that gold coin will just lay in the safe .AH but after the show we won't be laying in the safe .Saw Janis Joplin concert good results Hellen Redding very good results ==Greatful Dead think I had fun but don't remember much ??

[Coindude]

ROFL... well done John! And, good choice.

[BillJones]

I'd take the gold medal.

 

Even though it's not my thing at least I could sell the gold medal and get something I would enjoy.

 

I am a HUGE Broadway show fan. In fact I know enough about original cast members of the classic shows to convince some people to think I’m gay. (You know the cliché about how only gay men know anything about the musical theater.) But I’d be hard pressed to pay $500 for my wife and I to see any Broadway show, let alone “Momma Mia,” which was nice and entertaining, but hardly the best thing since “The Phantom of Opera.”

 

The age of paying scalpers’ prices at legitimate venues for Broadway shows is hardly new. About 10 years ago I tagged along with my wife when she had business trip to Manhattan. She was gung-ho to the see “The Lion King” although I had been not impressed with the cartoon. I’m more of a “Beauty and Beast” person. At any rate the concierge at the hotel told us that he could get “Lion King” tickets for us for $350 a seat … and it wasn’t even New Years!

 

Needless to say we passed. One afternoon I got half price tickets to the Tony Award winning revival of “Kiss Me Kate” with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie (told you I was gay!) And the rest of the cast was great too. And they didn’t need lion suits and $350 seats to give you a couple of hours of great entertainment!

 

BTW, if you were around in the 1960s, like the 4 Seasons and have a chance to see “Jersey Boys” GO! It’s a terrific show. I saw it Tampa and later had a chance to meet the orchestra director in Las Vegas after it opened out there. It’s fast paced show that will give you a wonderful evening.

 

[Coindude]

Thanks for the heads up on Jersey Boys Mr. Jones. When of if it comes around, I'll take my wife, she's been bugging to go to a show!

[bartlesvilleok]

So why the huge raise in the price of tickets to live shows? I think it is due to the internet. Use to be all these singers made there money by selling there CD's (Albums, Tapes and 8-tracks for some of you guys now that people go on the internet and download everything they are now using the live shows to make the money were as they use to use them to promote the CDs.

 

Anyway agree / disagree? (Silly me asking if anyone disagrees on here)

[Bugmann1974]

Bartlesville, I can answer that one. I disagree. Some groups in the '90s started charging outrageous prices for tickets. Their basis for charging 3 figures for concert tickets was. If the scalpers can get that much, why can't we? Paul McCartney and The Eagles were two groups that were pioneers in this way of thinking if I remember correctly. It had nothing to do with internet downloading. Over priced concert tickets started before internet downloading was remotely anything to worry about.

[okbustchaser]

So why the huge raise in the price of tickets to live shows? I think it is due to the internet. Use to be all these singers made there money by selling there CD's (Albums, Tapes and 8-tracks for some of you guys now that people go on the internet and download everything they are now using the live shows to make the money were as they use to use them to promote the CDs.

 

Anyway agree / disagree? (Silly me asking if anyone disagrees on here)

 

Nothing at all to do with the internet. It has to do with the same thing that resulted in having to pay 12 bucks for a movie instead of the quarter I once paid. It has to do with the same thing that resulted in having to pay 100 dollars for a ticket to see an OU Sooners football game instead of 5.

 

As long as entertainment venues are full prices will continue to escalate. And in all honesty I don't know why they shouldn't.