“Pay what you can” tickets for Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea at the Children’s Theater in Minneapolis go on sale next week Monday, January 11 at 10:00 am. It is as the name describes, you pay whatever you can afford with a minimum purchase price of $1 per ticket.
A limited number of “pay what you can tickets” are available for 7:30 pm performances on the following dates:
January 22
January 29
February 5
February 12
February 19
Tickets cannot be purchased online, but must be purchased in person at their box office or by calling 612-874-0400. Each patron can purchase up to 6 “pay what you can tickets” with a maximum of 12 tickets per household.
I’ll remind you of this again on Sunday night. Thanks Laura, a faithful Pocket Your Dollars reader, for letting me know about this.
About Carrie Rocha
Hi all,
We LOVE the Children’s Theater and try to take advantage of Target’s 2-for-1 opening weekends to make it more affordable (plus I only take one kid at a time to save money – we alternate every other show). I’d love to take advantage of this offer, but I’d feel really awful to exploit the opportunity and pay too little. I know it’s “what you can pay,” but what do you reasonably and ethically base that amount on? If I’m a Target 2-for-1 regular, do I just pay the price of one ticket and call it fair (that’s what I guess I’d consider I could afford for all the other shows). Do I consider the fact that I just spent almost $100 taking my daughter to Cinderella – it was a must-see and we couldn’t get in on the 2-for-1 – and $50 on tickets for my son and I for Iron Ring? Although I could say I technically am “theater broke” from our recent trips, I think the true intent of this program is to benefit truly disadvantaged people who would never think of spending $150 on the theater in just a few months’ time (one of the reasons I’m so careful with groceries is to have money left over for fun, important cultural events like this for my kids). I’m interested to hear what others think about this topic.
Thanks!
Mindy
Once again Carrie, Thank u a bunch!!! any chance for discounts on shows for the parents? of course a show w/ dinner would be amazing!!!! Comedy?
Mindy, I’m struggling with that, too. We are so very tight on money right now, and my husband is losing his job at the end of the month, so we’d never spend the money outright for this. But I’m struggling with what is a fair price. I thought the $11 tickets to the Disney on Ice were a great price, but those darn Ticketmaster fees just about killed us, and that was a “can’t miss” for us. This is not a can’t miss, but my 5 year old *loves* to see shows and would so love to see another one. So I’m debating what we can afford to pay…
I am not sure if this item should have been posted. I appreciate all you do to see that families save money. I believe that the wrong people will use this item now. Target has a 2 for 1 deal. The problem is that people will take advantage of them and pay a $1.00. I don’t think this item should have been posted.
I don’t believe all free deals or almost free deals should be shared.
Nancy – I can appreciate your perspective and am glad you shared your thoughts. You’re right that some folks may pay less than what they can afford, which is not the intent of the program at all. I shared it because I know many (not all, but many) Pocket Your Dollars’ readers are in tough spots financially with one or more people laid off. I’d hate to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch when I know that an opportunity to enjoy an affordable family event would bless so many. I can only hope that people truly do pay what they can, whether $1 or $25 or something in between, per ticket. Again, thanks for your honesty. I appreciate it a lot!
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If you are blessed enough to have money for Disney on Ice, Cinderella or Iron Ring, you might consider foregoing this opportunity.
By doing so, our region’s 9% unemployed and others hard-hit by this economy will have improved chances for scoring a few tix.
Nancy,
Just because there are some dishonest people out there ,the honest people should not be punished. It is like the same old debate about guns. Yes, a lot of bad, evil people use guns for horrible reasons. However, my husband is a very ethical hunter and every year he provides our family with nearly 75 lbs. of venison that we use weekly throughout the year. Should we be punished because others choose to do bad things? I don’t think so. If you follow those rules, then evil will win every time.Laura, your current situation sounds as if you could take advantage of the $1.00 tickets without any feelings of guilt. You could use a little stress relief right now. I do hope that things get better for your family and I am so sorry about your husbands job! I know that awful, scary feeling. Mindy, just the fact that you were so honest in your post I think that you can trust yourself to pay whatever you can afford. Carrie, thank you for posting these deals as I think more honest people than not will take advantage of them. For those who choose to not do the right thing, please think of others and maybe thank God every day that your family is not going through the same struggles as others. Remember, any one of us can fall into a bad situation at any time. No one is immune to it. Now go and enjoy the show!! :)
Nancy,
Have you ever taken advantage of any of the free or almost free deals that Carrie posts on her weekly shopping lists? I’m guessing that maybe you have. Then why shouldn’t others? Yes Carrie I think you should keep posting the free deals! And a great big thank You from all of us who use them to keep our heads above water.
If deals like these hadn’t been posted on PYD, many struggling families wouldn’t be aware of them. I think this is the perfect audience to share them with…as with all deal shopping individuals should hold themselves accountable to what is ethically appropriate. If Children’s Theater felt they were being taken advantage of, they would have increased the minimum suggested donation. They chose to offer this deal. I am very appreciative of it. It is a luxurary for our family to be able to go to this….even at the reduced prices. So thank you to both Children’s Theater for offering this special rate and to Carrie for making us aware of it! :)
FWIT, this was posted on the “Deal Spotter” blog in the Star Tribune so it’s not like it’s a big secret or anything. Nancy, I took my daughter to “Disney on Ice” at $11 a ticket but would never have considered it at full price ($44 per ticket). My daughter loves theater and I take her to community theater / high school productions when I can, but there’s no way I could justify $40 a ticket or even $20 a ticket for Children’s Theater for her birthday present this year.
I *did* get tickets and very nice ones at that. The “base” price of the tickets was $4 each, and anything you pay over that goes back to CTC to support the program. I paid what I was comfortable paying – more than the base but less than half the face value, I’ll leave it at that. And I like to believe most people who are buying tickets are probably doing the same thing – paying a little extra to support the program.
I’ve been calling all day and haven’t gotten through. Hoping to still take advantage of this deal.
Waiting to get through myself. UGH!!