Articles on the Keans and Ticket Prices at the Broadway Theatre

Event Information

Venue(s):
Broadway Theatre [485 Broadway; 1864-69]

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
29 July 2015

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

15 Apr 1865

Program Details



Citations

1)
Article: New York Clipper, 15 April 1865, 6.

     “We do not think it wise in the manager of the Broadway Theatre to increase the prices of admission as he announces to do during the series of performances to be given by the Keans. Admission to the theatre, without guarantee of a seat, is one dollar; seats, reserved, in dress circle or parquet, two dollars each; orchestra chairs, two dollars and a half each. These are steep prices for this house, whose scale has been lower than the other Broadway theatres since Mr. Wood assumed the management. It may be said, with truth, that Mr. Kean’s terms are such as to render extraordinary prices of admission to the theatre necessary; but that is one phase of the case only. Will the manager be the gainer by it in the end? Will he not, on the contrary, be the loser? Will not the Kean prices have a tendency to drive away those patrons who have crowded the Broadway at fair prices ever since the opening of the season last fall? Will the eclat supposed to be attached to the Keans’ performances at the Broadway compensate the manager for the loss of the patronage of the regular habitues, presuming such loss should follow the inauguration of the high tariff?”

2)
Article: New York Clipper, 15 April 1865, 6.

     “The Kean (keen) auction sale for the disposal of secured seats for the eleven nights’ engagement of the Keans at the Broadway Theatre, came off at that theatre this morning, the 10th inst. The sale took place on the stage, and the purchasers sat in the orchestra chairs. The two upper private boxes were first sold and brought $25 premium, the price for each night being $20 in addition. The three lower private boxes brought $20 each, the price for each night being $15; Mr. B. Fisher and T. B. McDonald were the purchasers. The orchestra seats were next put up, and 160 were sold at a premium of $4.50, and the $2.50, the price of each seat beside. The dress-circle seats were next sold, and twenty were disposed of at a premium of $6.75, beside the $2 charged for a seat. It must be borne in mind that the above sale was for the entire eleven nights, and considerable objection was raised by purchasers for having either to purchase for the whole eleven nights or to go without, or be swindled by spectators. A gentleman asked if the programme of sale could be modified to two days. Mr. Tayleure, (the agent for the Keans), said he regretted he could not consent to do so, and the management could sell every seat in the house by private sale. The amount realized for the private boxes was $495; 160 orchestra chairs, $5,120; twenty dress-circle seats at $6.75 premium and $2 each seat, $575; the whole amount of sales being $6,165. The rest of the seats will be disposed of on Wednesday.”