UCB To Raise Some Ticket Prices, Again

The Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre will increase its ticket prices for the second time this year, according to an email to UCB performers partially reviewed by Paste. The email cites “rising costs across the board,” including the recent move from UCB’s longtime Chelsea theater to a new location in Hell’s Kitchen. The following increases will go into effect at UCB’s New York theaters in December: $5 shows will cost $7, with training center graduation shows remaining $5 until January; $7 shows will cost $9; and $12 shows will stay at $12. The theatre last raised its prices in early 2017.

Here is the relevant text of the email sent by Shannon O’Neill, Artistic Director of UCB’s New York theaters, this afternoon:

Ticket Price Increase: Due to rising costs across the board that include but are not limited to our move to the Hell’s Kitchen Theatre, we have to increase ticket prices. We are still cheaper than a movie ticket and will remain affordable to our fans. The increase will allow us to continue to operate, but still at a subsistence level. The theatre has never operated with a goal to generate a profit. The theatre’s existence remains a place for our talent to put on experimental, non-traditional and non-mainstream shows. A place to find your voice and fail with nearly unlimited creative freedom and with minimal risk placed upon the talent’s shoulders, and anything you do on the UCBT stage is your intellectual property. The UCB takes care of rent, maintenance upkeep, reservations, paying theatre staff (managers, box office, line control, tech’s). Did you get sick or book something and you need to cancel your show? We will notify ticket holders, process refunds, find a replacement show at no penalty to you. Both theatres are fully insured to protect both talent, staff and audience. We also have staff that work in our admin offices that most of you have never seen. Who’s making sure you have toilet paper for your bum bum and mops for your messy sketches? Who’s keeping that website live? So many people! Running a business in NYC is not easy and it is not cheap. Okay, so now to the increase, which is not too bad.

•Free shows will remain Free

•$5 Shows will increase to $7 (Grad Show prices will remain $5 in December and rise to $7 in January)

•$7 shows will increase to $9

•$12 shows will remain $12

Paste has reached out to a UCB representative to confirm these details.

Update 11/17/17: UCB appears to have raised its transaction fee for online ticket sales as well. Currently, online ticketing for performances at UCB East include a transaction fee of $1.00 per ticket. As of December 1st, that fee increases to $1.50. This is also the case for UCB’s Los Angeles theaters; its new Hell’s Kitchen location does not yet have a schedule posted for December.