Fees

You're undoubtedly aware of the add-on costs of banking and airline travel, not to mention the use of your phone (where it seems like a piling-on of your bill), but another player of late has been the entertainment industry. If you've purchased theater tickets online, whether full-price or at a discount, you've seen your purchase price transformed.

With funding, donations, and discretionary spending being scaled back, nonprofits along with their corporate and endowment partners are looking at ways to increase their income streams. What was once a pre fixe menu has now become à la carte. Though the fees appear slight individually, they add significantly to the bottom line. The costs of this dwindling supply and demand are being passed incrementally along to you the patron. It's truly a nickel and dime world.

The costs are both stated and hidden. Like department store sales, prices are often jacked-up, then dramatically lowered, purporting to be a discount. You know those 50 dollar tickets that were 25 bucks last year (or 100 dollar seats that were 50 in the old spaces) before those outside consultants were brought in for a fee, I might add. And don't tell me about pro bono work; this is DC FCOL! One thing is certain: fees will be tacked on, where it's less noticed or irksome. Once you bring in third parties, someone's picking up the tab, and that someone's probably you. They may come in the form of user, service, facility, and restoration fees disclosed by discount or "half-price" [sic] online ticket providers. But even if you can see the charges, that is not the end; you're often confronted with a step-by-step decision-tree of options - want coffee mugs, CDs, and gear? - before the last choice: to print the tickets at home or have them shipped, at additional charges, natch. True, theaters get a split (or kickback) on the action - those with higher volumes have more clout in negotiating their percentage - but everyone seems to be winning at the expense of the patron. Want confirmation? Make a comparison with the ticket prices of theaters who handle their own online sales.

Another business strategy is to offer patrons head-of-the-line privileges in the guise of concierge services. Theater-lovers know that the best way to ensure good seats is to purchase a subscription. But to seal the deal, a donation is useful. The Kennedy Center provides this service in its annual membership fees and Goldstar has an option known as a Red Velvet program billed monthly. Or you can skip over all of this and go to a broker (scalper is a vulgar term and illegal, besides nobody acts as a primary source these days, where an element of risk abides).

Organizations often negotiate deals with third-party agents or these same agents act as an intermediary between the original purchaser and prospective buyer. Anyone familiar with sporting and concert venues will recognize these tactics. But the best tickets to top shows, whether on Broadway or on tour, are also secured this way. Concerned about last minute cancellations due to illness or unforeseen circumstances? Not to worry: For an additional fee you can purchase event insurance, which will allow you to use your nonrefundable transaction on another date (less the fees, of course). Did I mention taxes, which also may creep into the final price?

Price point is a big consideration in the process; so is convenience. With money and time being fluctuating commodities, you may not be as concerned about paying top dollar as you are seeing a favorite performer or show. And you may not be willing to wait in line or travel to purchase the tickets at the box office, even if they were available (they're not). I myself have purchased tickets to sporting events at high prices when I wanted to go to postseason games or see a favorite team play up close. They were worth it to me. I haven't done it yet for the theater, but who knows, if Meryl Streep were to perform I might spring for a front row seat.

But be aware that even when you opt to secure seating, there yet may be an additional voluntary "fee" lurking, in the form of a last minute tax-deductible "contribution." Some theaters have introduced a pitch given by the artistic director or board or staff member for donations right before the show, while some have actors themselves solicit funds at the curtain call. Yes, we know that ticket prices pay only half of what it costs to put on a show, but can't we at least savor the experience a while before we're reminded of it. That's what all those brochures, emails, and dinnertime phone calls - assembled from your online purchase data or targeted mailing lists - are for and wait, I think one's coming in now, probably from a third party fundraiser.

When all is said and done, you might want to go to the box office to get your tickets. And just pay cash. What we do for the arts!