$921 to see Denzel Washington’s Othello? How Broadway tickets got so expensive

A blockbuster production of the Shakespeare tragedy might boast Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal but it’s sparked a debate over excessive pricing

How much would you pay to be in the same room as Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, watching them work? Is that price in the mid-hundreds of dollars? And would you double it to nearly a thousand for a slightly better seat?

The 15-week limited Broadway run of William Shakespeare’s Othello, featuring one of our greatest living actors in the title role (and another, pretty damn good actor as Iago), is betting that at least some people would. Orchestra-level advance tickets to the show run between $216 and $921, depending on where you sit (those $216 tickets, more in line with what a less starry straight play might charge, are at the far side of the row, which at least means you’re getting a slightly lesser chance of catching Covid or the flu alongside your mild discount). It’s the latest innovation in live-theater pricing, where you no longer need to visit a scalper to get price-gouged. But if you do peruse the second-hand sites, you could fork over that same grand to see the revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr – an intriguing cast to be sure, albeit all a bit further down the list of greatest living actors than Washington.

Topics

With $921 Seats, Denzel Washington’s ‘Othello’ Breaks a Box Office Record

Demand to see Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal play Shakespeare has set a record in a year when big stars have been driving up the prices of Broadway plays.
The New York Times - Mar. 15
Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Othello' breaks 'Harry Potter's' Broadway record

'Othello,' starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, hasn't officially opened on Broadway yet, but the show's earnings for its preview performances have already broken a record.
Los Angeles Times - Mar. 11
Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal on their record-breaking "Othello"

The stars of a new Broadway production of Shakespeare's tragic tale about friendship and betrayal explain why they say they've worked their whole careers for this moment.
CBS News - 1d
Othello review – Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal’s underwhelming blockbuster

Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York . The record-breaking take on the Shakespearean tragedy might already be a smash, but it’s disappointingly muddled. With the smell of doom and regression in the ...
The Guardian - 1d
Denzel Washington speaks to Colorado football

null
ESPN - Mar. 14
How Will Tariffs Change Clothing Prices?

Our critic explains the difference between the cost to manufacture a piece of clothing and the price you end up paying for it, and how tariffs might affect these markups.
The New York Times - 1d
How did childcare in the US become so absurdly expensive?

Families are taking out lines of credit, working second jobs, commuting for hours and forgoing careers. It doesn’t need to be this way, experts say. Here’s how much I pay for childcare – and what ...
The Guardian - 1d
Companies Might Soon Have to Tell You When Their Products Will Die

If everything’s computer, it would be nice to know how long computer last.
Wired - Mar. 13
How much tariffs could drive up car prices—and how to tell if you should buy now

With new tariffs expected to push car prices higher, buyers might want to act soon.
CNBC - 1d