Awhile ago someone asked about getting tickets for the Teatro Colon this season when the theatre opens after extensive renovations.
The Colon is a municipally owned and run theatre heavily subsidized by the government. Despite this, ticket prices have soared. There will be six opera productions this year. Here is a sampling of prices for subscription tickets for this season. Keep in mind that there are six performances per subscription ticket.
Each opera gets several performances which are divided into categories...Gran Abono, Nocturno and Vespertino.
The subscription prices I am quoting include a 10% discount which is no longer available, so add 10%
Subscriptions for the Gran Abono in orchestra stalls, rows 1 through 14, are $5,292 pesos. Rows 15 through 22 are $4,752 pesos
Subscriptions for the Vespertino, the cheapest subscription, are $3,321 pesos and $3,024 respectively for the same seats as above. Add 10%
Individual tickets, when available, are likely to cost more than the subscription price divided by 6 however let´s calculate based on dividing by six...Most expensive of the above...$882 pesos per single ticket....Cheapest of above $504 pesos per ticket. Add 10%
In US dollar terms...$228 USD and $130 USD. Add 10%
Now compare that with what I actually paid at the Metropolitan Opera in December and January...many opera lovers consider it the best opera company in the world. Totally dependent on ticket sales and private contributions, virtually no subsidies....
Monday evening performance, orchestra rear $80 USD
Saturday performance, prime orchestra...peak time, highest price.... $175 USD
Monday evening performance using rush tickets. Thanks to the generosity of a benefactor, there are something like 200 of the best seats in the house sold on a first come basis the same day as the performance for $20 USD. I had prime orchestra.
Yes, there are cheaper tickets at the Colon but keep in mind that the Colon is a HUGE theatre with many extremely poor visibility areas. The Metropolitan Opera has more seating however the house has fewer partial views. Keep in mind too the gap in salaries between the US and Argentina. Hard to understand where all the subsidy money goes. The last I heard, the Colon receives the lion´s share of government subsidies though that may have changed under the Kiurchners I don´t know.
The Colon is a municipally owned and run theatre heavily subsidized by the government. Despite this, ticket prices have soared. There will be six opera productions this year. Here is a sampling of prices for subscription tickets for this season. Keep in mind that there are six performances per subscription ticket.
Each opera gets several performances which are divided into categories...Gran Abono, Nocturno and Vespertino.
The subscription prices I am quoting include a 10% discount which is no longer available, so add 10%
Subscriptions for the Gran Abono in orchestra stalls, rows 1 through 14, are $5,292 pesos. Rows 15 through 22 are $4,752 pesos
Subscriptions for the Vespertino, the cheapest subscription, are $3,321 pesos and $3,024 respectively for the same seats as above. Add 10%
Individual tickets, when available, are likely to cost more than the subscription price divided by 6 however let´s calculate based on dividing by six...Most expensive of the above...$882 pesos per single ticket....Cheapest of above $504 pesos per ticket. Add 10%
In US dollar terms...$228 USD and $130 USD. Add 10%
Now compare that with what I actually paid at the Metropolitan Opera in December and January...many opera lovers consider it the best opera company in the world. Totally dependent on ticket sales and private contributions, virtually no subsidies....
Monday evening performance, orchestra rear $80 USD
Saturday performance, prime orchestra...peak time, highest price.... $175 USD
Monday evening performance using rush tickets. Thanks to the generosity of a benefactor, there are something like 200 of the best seats in the house sold on a first come basis the same day as the performance for $20 USD. I had prime orchestra.
Yes, there are cheaper tickets at the Colon but keep in mind that the Colon is a HUGE theatre with many extremely poor visibility areas. The Metropolitan Opera has more seating however the house has fewer partial views. Keep in mind too the gap in salaries between the US and Argentina. Hard to understand where all the subsidy money goes. The last I heard, the Colon receives the lion´s share of government subsidies though that may have changed under the Kiurchners I don´t know.