Overbidding scale: tickets for the play with Matveev are sold for 120 thousand rubles.

Tickets for the Beggars Opera at the Pushkin Theater are sold out before the end of the year, and on the secondary market they are asking for up to 120 thousand rubles. The production with Maxim Matveev in the title role became a new theatrical hit in Moscow, pushing Hamlet off the pedestal at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater with Yura Borisov in the role of the Prince of Denmark. Another full house turned into a familiar problem: not everyone can afford to go to a high-profile performance now. Read more about the reasons for the hype in the Izvestia article.

Demand creates a rise in price

At the time of writing, tickets for the next seven screenings of the Beggars Opera in November and December were no longer available on the official website of the Pushkin Theater. At the same time, the starting prices were moderate, even taking into account the star cast: seats in the center of the stalls, from where Maxim Matveev and Alexandra Ursulyak were clearly visible, cost 9,5 thousand rubles.

For those who are not ready to wait, there is only one thing left — to look for tickets from resellers. For seats in the stalls at third-party venues, they ask from 60 thousand to 120 thousand rubles, depending on the date and location of the seats. The first row of the dress circle will cost 56 thousand rubles, the far rows of the stalls — 87 thousand, and aisle seats in the first row — 100-120 thousand rubles. In December, the choice is wider, but prices even for a balcony start from 14.5 thousand rubles.

To convince people of the authenticity of the tickets, sellers publish detailed guarantees and arrange the ads as official notices. When buying, you need to specify the passport data of each viewer.

The premiere of The Beggars Opera took place at the Pushkin Theater on September 17. The play is based on Bertolt Brecht's "Threepenny Opera" and tells the story of the bandit Mackie the Knife, who intends to marry the daughter of a local beggar leader. A conflict flares up between an overbearing father and a charismatic scoundrel, threatening to escalate into a confrontation between representatives of the social bottom.

Photo: teatrpushkin.ru/Екатерина Christ's

The production by the artistic director and director of the theater, Evgeny Pisarev, caused a mixed reaction from the audience. Some praise her for her good-naturedness and charm, while others, on the contrary, accuse the creators of a frivolous approach and excessive grotesqueness. Ironically, the story of the simple joys of poor people can now be seen only by those who are not intimidated by the impressive price tags.

Izvestia contacted the press service of the Pushkin Theater for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

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This is not the first time that the hype around a performance has led to a sharp increase in ticket prices. Andrei Goncharov's production of Hamlet at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater has reached record levels. The choice of Yura Borisov for the main role aroused unprecedented interest not only among theater-goers, but also among the general public. Two months before the premiere, resellers demanded fabulous sums for tickets — from 165 thousand to 200 thousand rubles for a seat in the stalls.

However, the audience's expectations were not fulfilled. At that time, Izvestia noted that the public was handing over tickets en masse. In October, prices became noticeably more democratic: the main star left the project, giving up the role of the Prince of Denmark to a young actor Oliver Mare. The new Hamlet will appear on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater on November 25. Tickets from 1.8 thousand to 12.5 thousand rubles are available on the official website of the theater.

Photo: mxat.ru/Александра Torgushnikova

If the excitement around Hamlet was fueled by the participation of Yura Borisov, then the interest in the Beggars' Opera is largely due to Maxim Matveev. After a long break, the actor returned to the stage in the form of the bandit Mackie the Knife.

However, the artists themselves are concerned about another problem. Recently, Alexandra Ursulyak, who plays the role of the prostitute Jenny-berry, appealed to fans to observe a simple rule of theatrical etiquette — not to take musical numbers on their phones. The reason was the numerous publications in social networks after the premiere. The actress admitted that she was unpleasantly surprised by the number of videos in which the audience recorded the entire performance. She also reminded that it is possible to preserve the memory of the evening in other ways — for example, to take pictures of the artists during the bow.

Ursulyak's appeal quickly caused a public outcry. The actress was supported by colleagues and fans. Soon Maxim Matveev posted a similar video. He explained that filming interferes not only with the actors, who have to play under the light of dozens of screens, but also with other viewers. In addition, recording a performance and publishing a video may violate the rights of its creators.

The discussion went far beyond the Russian theater community. At the end of September, Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett started talking about this issue. After the London screening of the play "Elektra/Persona" the actress addressed the public with an unequivocal request to remove the phones.

Photo: mxat.ru/Александра Torgushnikova

However, the high interest in the production allows the troupe to defend its rules more confidently. The story of the Beggars Opera has once again shown how quickly audience excitement turns a popular performance into an unaffordable luxury. And while the demand for high-profile premieres is growing, the question of how to make the theater accessible to the general public remains open.