Held over shows

Factual Questions
1

Here in the big city (Chicago), I notice that a lot of the more popular musicals/dramas such as Chicago, Rent, Cats, Les Miserablés and what have you get held over for a few weeks by “popular demand” which I suspect is theatre-speak for “We’re still selling out shows, so we’ll squeeze this out a bit longer”. However, these are traveling shows (New York to Boston to Chicago to wherever… etc) it seems to me that someone in Kansas City has already bought some tickets to the March 17th showing of Muppets on Ice which was supposed to leave Chicago on the 15th to go to K.C. and is instead sticking around in the Windy City until the 30th.

Does this happen? Is one taking the risk of not having the show in town by buying tickets for the first week or so of the showing? Or do the theatre groups plan a few weeks of buffer zone in there in case this happens? Seems that a buffer zone would lead to two weeks of no shows anywhere if it didn’t do as well as hoped, but extending the show in one city screws over people in another city. How do they handle this?

“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”

2

They don’t start selling tickets for the next city until they have a firm move date.

3

Ok, that would be the obvious answer. I’m just a little suprised because it seems like most shows you can start getting tickets for a month in advance and the “hold overs” seem to occur later than that. Then again, I assume they knew ahead of time they were holding it over. Makes sense. Too much sense, if you ask me :wink:

“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”

4

They ALWAYS hold shows over. It’s a marketing ploy. “You’re lucky, get it now before it’s gone.” Its soo good and popular that we had to hold it over. The theatre companies know exactly when they are going to move and do so, they only advertise it 'till then, whether or not they are selling out.

5

I’ve occasionally bought tickets for a travelling show over 6 months in advance. Do they know that far in advance that it will be held over in the previous city? If so, it sounds like a marketing ploy, pure and simple.