Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the feedback! I decided against going to tonight’s ballet earlier in the week but maybe I’ll reconsider. I thought about going last night for the Youth ticket benefit but Misty is tonight!

Big mistake... Hee Seo is a much better O/O than Misty (who struggles in this particular role).

DD was hoping to see ABT tonight there but decided not to go because she felt the lawn tickets were just too expensive. She's a young adult, college-aged and a former ballet dancer.

this one is not part of the Young at Arts shows.

https://www.wolftrap.org/about/ticket-information/young-at-arts.aspx

I wish we had gotten to see ABT last night using that deal. I took my daughter to see Riverdance there a couple years ago and she LOVED it. I think the ticket for me was like $65-70? And hers was "free", so I thought that was worth it.

Yes, that much for a family is a bit rich for my blood. I do like Wolf Trap, though. It's a nice venue. But I generally don't do lawn seats anywhere anymore.

I wish I could afford it, OP.

The ticket price is a pittance for the musicians of the orchestra. Have you heard how badly orchestral musicians are paid?

Aw, that’s so sweet! Yes, we’ve done many of the Young at Arts tickets and it was so tempting to use it last night but I held off because of viewing concerns. It’s just me and on DD this time so a little less expensive.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the feedback! I decided against going to tonight’s ballet earlier in the week but maybe I’ll reconsider. I thought about going last night for the Youth ticket benefit but Misty is tonight!

I would have loved to go tonight to see Misty as well, but the Young at Arts night was yesterday (of course), and we had to be mindful of the budget. Still, it was a wonderful venue to see a ballet, I’ve only ever been in an auditorium. And my five-year old decided he wanted to be a ballet dancer to play Siegfried when he grows up. I’m sure that dream won’t last but I loved hearing him proclaim it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I don't think that's too expensive. You will be hearing a full orchestra perform for two hours.

+1 You’re not paying for the movie. You’re paying to listen to a live orchestra. $40 is cheap for that. If you think it’s just about the movie, then rent it on Amazon and drag your TV outside to watch with your kids.

+1. We bought 3 tickets in the bandshell for that concert and can't wait to go.

Thanks for the feedback! I decided against going to tonight’s ballet earlier in the week but maybe I’ll reconsider. I thought about going last night for the Youth ticket benefit but Misty is tonight!

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth it to go to a visual performance and only have lawn seats? I’ve done it for music but didn’t think it would be good for the ballet performances ... if I wanted to watch on a screen I could probably do it from home. Can anyone offer an opinion?

If you get there early enough, you can get lawn seats quite close to the edge of the pavilion, so much closer to the stage. Even further back, from our experience the view is still quite good. We have little binoculars for all the kids to use, and the screen is actually quite nice. I go back and forth looking at the stage and the screen, it doesn't seem to detract from the performance, and it is most certainly better than just watching at home on a TV or device. It's the experience of being there that makes a difference IMHO.

Is it worth it to go to a visual performance and only have lawn seats? I’ve done it for music but didn’t think it would be good for the ballet performances ... if I wanted to watch on a screen I could probably do it from home. Can anyone offer an opinion?

Try the Young at Arts shows, I think they are mostly NSO. One free child with a purchase of an adult. These are never for the marquis events like the movies + orchestra, but there is a wide variety to choose from. Last night we did Swan Lake + NSO! We choose the shows with lawn seats at $25, all four attend for less than $70 after ticket fees. Kids love having a picnic dinner and they get exposure to some fine performances. We do at least one show each summer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, what do you think is a fair amount? Given that it will have to cover the costs of paying the musicians, parking attendants, concession stand workers, ticket takers, janitorial staff, insurance, electricity, marketing, and so on. Plus I'm sure they have to pay for the rights to air the movie itself. It cost me $12 the other day to buy a sandwich and soda for lunch downtown. $40 for a live event is very reasonable and I guarantee does not reflect even the true cost of putting on the event. That's why the NSO has to fundraise from wealthy donors.

Yes $40 is not expensive but when you multiply that by 3 or 4 it becomes to much for the average family to spend on entertainment.

But this is not the case of the OP, who notes she spent $777 on Lion King tickets. So her issue is that she wants to pay for certain forms of live entertainment, but not others.

+1 and boring and inconvenient.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly, they are barely making enough to pay the incredibly talented symphony orchestra members a decent wage. These people work for the love of the music —they deserve so much more than what they are paid.
But I agree that it adds up quickly at that price, and I would go a lot more if it were cheaper. I think in other countries they subsidize this sort of thing in a way that Americans do not.

I haven't been, but the Kenbedy Center offers free shows. Here's a link that lists some free opportunities in the DC area.

https://washington.org/visit-dc/free-things-to-do-theater-and-performing-arts

I agree that $40 would be too steep for ET, even with symphonic accompaniment.

Different branches of the military offer free concerts. i've seen some great performances at NOVA community college (Alexandria?) with the US Marines Chamber Orchestra.

I love Wolftrap and go there all the time. It does seem like it's gotten more expensive the past few years. I think the new CEO has been more selective about shows and raised prices accordingly.

Follow them on Facebook and keep an eye on Certifikid and other similar sites - sometimes they offer discounts if they're not selling too well.