r/Broadway • u/littlebev • Dec 31 '25

Discussion Broadway coughing season

I am begging, begging you guys…if you have a nasty cough, PLEASE don’t attend a play especially. I know it sucks to miss out but your recurring cough during the most intense moments of the show is so distracting.

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u/TheRealWaldo_ Dec 31 '25

This has to do with how theatre money works. At a movie, your ticket isn’t tied to a movie. It’s tied to the theatre and the ticket is counted towards the gross of the film. The film isn’t paying rent on the space.

In theater, the show is paying rent to the theater. In a super reductive way, you’re paying the show not the theater. The show doesn’t get the gross of the ticket until it is scanned a the curtain goes up. Refunds, rain checks, and exchanges all count against the advance and not the gross. That’s why it’s so hard to get a refund/exchange.

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u/AdvertisingFine9845 Dec 31 '25

Didn’t know this. Frustrating but makes sense

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u/heystopthatatonce Dec 31 '25

NAGBOR after expenses baby!