News: Dreamgirls Admission Costs

Dreamgirls, the much hyped musical adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name, is playing in exclusive cities, at exclusive theaters, and only during very exclusive showtimes. Here in New York, it'll be opening at the Ziegfeld on Friday with nightly showings at 8:00 and an occasional 2:00 matinee. The price of admission? $25 per ticket. I'm guessing the excuse is that the movie mirrors the experience of a much costlier stage production. However, when this plan was figured out, the film's distributor was probably betting on it being a surefire Best Picture nominee and a huge smash. In recent weeks there has already been a backlash against the film and its latest reviews are strong but not exactly the stuff of dreams. It's being called a great spectacle, but not neccesarily a great film. Its exclusion from every major top 10 list so far this awards season further underscores this notion. I'm not sure when I'll be seeing the movie, but I can't help but think this release strategy will further negative press for the film and add to animosity against it. It seems like a fairly condescending gesture of superiority to demand a higher entrance fee than the rest of the winter's other major releases. For those of us with thinner wallets and those outside of the NYC and LA areas, the film opens wide on Christmas day with a reguar price for admission.