I have been a member of the Gold club for about 8 years now. I have recommended it to everyone and have seen so many shows (good and bad) Is anyone else noticing that there are less shows than ever? It has been a terrible year with their offerings. Is there a better theater club that you could recommend? My membership is coming up for renewal and I was hoping I could hear your thoughts.
I feel your pain. The offerings, for the most part, are those they should pay you to see. When mine comes up for renewal in September, no way am I renewing.
I don't have an alternate recommendation, but as another long-time Gold Club member, I concur — this past year has been dismal and I'll probably not be renewing. I check into the site five or six times a day, and haven't seen anything worthwile in ages.
There were quite a few shows playing to half-empty houses through the winter months, and none of them were offered that I'm aware of (as they would have been in the past). Perhaps the tide has turned for services like Gold Club, or perhaps the tide has turned between producers and Gold Club specifically.
Well whatever you do, don't join Play-By-Play. Their offerings are just as bad and the majority of broadway shows they offer are actors fund performances for around $50 each plus their service fees. You can get better deals using discount codes. But I guess less and less shows are using papering services as a way to fill their houses nowadays.
I was just thinking about this on my way to work today. I agree that the offerings on Gold Club have been dismal for the past six months or so. I figured things would pick up during the horrible winter months, but they didn't. And there are some shows that are struggling, but I don't see the tickets offered on Gold Club.
I even wrote to them to complain, and I got a message back saying how wonderful the offers have been. Not! I too wonder if maybe a key employee left the company or if producers are just giving up on trying to dress the house? I read that the Heidi Chronicles is playing to a half-empty theater, and I would love to volunteer to see that.
They've begun offering discounted ticket offers, rather than comps, to many events. I'd even go for those if they were ever anything good — or, y'know, actually THEATER (Walking tours? Baseball games? "Theatermania"??).
>>I even wrote to them to complain, and I got a message back saying how wonderful the offers have been.
I guess if they consider $5 "comp" tix to $10 Off-Off Broadway showcases and jazz club sets with $20 food minimums "wonderful," then ok. Things like that response make me really think that Gold Club has lost the big picture.
I feel like ever since the redesign the offerings on the Gold Club have gone way, way downhill. There's almost never anything good on there anymore.
And by good I don't mean Broadway shows. I'm talking about anything of note Off-Broadway or at the major Off-Off-Broadway venues. It's all junky cabaret and solo shows and bands no one has heard of.
I won't be renewing for another year when my time is up.
And there-in lies another problem with the present state of offerings — when the rare real theater offering does momentarily pop up (I have no idea what the offer was being referred to above), starved members jump on it like manna from heaven and it's gone in minutes.
Unless you're able to log onto the site every 15 minutes, day and night, good luck ever catching something worthwhile.
Wow - Thanks for all the messages. There is a good shot that I cancel it in May. I also called them trying to figure out what was up. The woman who answered was very sweet but kept reiterating that there have been some great shows up -Blah Blah Blah. I'd have rather her say. It has been a liittle slow and this is the reason, instead of touting the two broadway shows that were up for a second 3 months ago.
I wonder if Scott left he was always sending emails and following up. Does anyone know a better club besides TDF?
While I don't find myself overbooked this season, both groups had offerings for Bway and off-Bway I had wanted to see, two sets of tickets makes the membership worth the $$$. I have got 16 sets of tickets from GC since July and just as many from PbP. Well worth it.
"While I don't find myself overbooked this season, both groups had offerings for Bway and off-Bway I had wanted to see, two sets of tickets makes the membership worth the $$$. I have got 16 sets of tickets from GC since July and just as many from PbP. Well worth it. "
I agree with you Pammy - I have always loved it and the offerings were so good for MANY years. The staff couldn't have been nicer either. I am happy Scott is still there. I have seen enough to already pay for my membership...I just wanted to make sure it wasn't user error:)
I'm pretty new to Gold Club but I'm underwhelmed by the offerings. I guess I've missed the boat on it's heyday. Thankfully I opted for the month to month membership because I wanted to test the waters and see what would be available during the winter months. Now that summer is coming and I think even less shows (if that's possible) will be offering seats through this service I'll probably cancel.
I also find the staff to seem like they want to come off cute in their responses but I take it to be very condescending. I understand it's part of their policy but I think if you get tickets for one show on there and a better one pops up later in the day then you should be able to switch them over. It's all a waiting game but if a Broadway show finally pops up one time then I don't want to see another Off-Broadway show that's on there every day.
On a related topic, has anyone tried Spondooly? It was asked in another thread on this topic and got no response. They're running a Living Social deal but I don't want to waste $45 on another service if they have nothing to offer.
"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah