#which also tend to be cheaper if they're small prods

[fitzrove]

Listening to the new Musikaalimatkassa podcast ep by @fyeahfinnishmusicaltheatre, about musical ticket prices (it’s really good), and I’m just flabbergasted at how expensive it is to see shows in Finnish city theatres in comparison to other countries... :D Some thoughts in English (and my own experiences) under the cut.

So, shows I’ve seen this year and the prices I got tickets for are:

Cabaret at Theater Hof (Germany), small-ish municipal theatre production directed by (and starring) Uwe Kröger. One adult 'Orchestersitze’ (rows 1-5) ticket: 31 EUR. Balcony seats available for around 24 EUR (5 EUR on the same day).

Elisabeth at Festival Bruxellons (Belgium), fully staged summer open air theatre festival production. One adult premium ticket (middle seating with more room and the best visibility): 47,50 EUR, normal-price tickets were around 37,50 EUR if I recall correctly.

Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre (UK), commercial theatre that has been running the original West End production of the show for 16 years next week. Last minute rush tickets (fourth row on the dress circle/balcony): £30.

This autumn in my native Finland, tickets for productions of international shows I would consider seeing range from 46 EUR (category 4, limited visibility) to 85 EUR for Anastasia, 45 EUR for all adult tickets to Evita, 89 EUR for all tickets to Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (except those for seats with limited visibility). And many theatres (like the one doing Evita) don’t offer multiple categories of tickets - everything from front row to the very back is the same price!

Of course, it’s not like the state supported Finnish theatres are the most expensive place to see musicals in the world - premium tickets to big commercial theatre productions abroad can cost upwards of 100 euros which I did pay to see Tanz in Stuttgart last year because getting robbed by Stage Entertainment is a musical fan rite of passage I guess. And I could probably get student discounts for some of the Finnish shows, bringing down the price a bit, but not enough to make them more affordable than student tickets abroad (which are generally around 5-10 euros less than adult tickets). AND some of the Finnish shows probably have same day ticket options similar to what made it possible for me to see Wicked in London, but in general, the same day ticket system is not at all as well-developed here as it is in the West End.

But still, on average, the price range for these Finnish productions is considerably higher than what it is for many other European municipal theatres. If you add travel costs (I have to take the train in Finland for most productions, and they end so late that overnight accommodation might also have to be considered), it’s actually a relevant question for me to think about whether I want to see a musical I know I’ll like in Europe & do other tourist things in a new city vs. see a show I might enjoy in Finland with a much heftier ticket price and less choice in regards to where I’ll sit.

#the podcast ep really thoroughly explored why it is like this #also i lost it at the fiddler on the roof jokes skhfisj #but idk from a fan point of view its just :// like i get why the ticket prices are high but - plz better shows for less price i beg #ALSO the uwe cabaret was just??? it was soooo goood and it was a tiny prod where the sets barely moved and most of the actors literally sat #on stage whenever they weren't playing #and there were minimal costume changes #except for uwe putting on a customs officer suit or a pink miniskirt (the 15cm heels stayed on the entire time tho) #idk man theater hof is broke and yet it was more fun than i bet anyone ever had at the 120pound+ london cabaret at the kit kat club #musicals #theatre #suomi #tldr: to me its not really worth seeing stuff here other than original finnish shows #which also tend to be cheaper if they're small prods #also seconding the podcasters' wish for small productions of broadway shows #AND seconding the wish for a streaming service similar to what the opera has