We know that many of you have already made plans to see Upside Down when you are at Reach2016 next summer. Steve Johnson and Sherwin Mackintosh took a few minutes this week to do a follow-up interview, and answer some of your questions about the show, tickets, and future plans for the Upside Down Ministry.
How are ticket sales going so far?
We have been so thankful for how many people raced to buy their tickets. It's still about 9 months until the show--and of course the Reach2016 conference!-- and already 3100 tickets have been sold. Because we're only able to do 5 shows [with 1400 seats per show], that means that we're nearly 50% sold out now! Almost all the VIP seats for all shows are sold, and most of the orchestra seats for every show are gone as well. There are still some orchestra and mezzanine seats to be had, and I've been told by our team--We have a team!!--to be sure that I mention that you can still get early bird prices if you hurry to this site: https://upsidedown2016.ticketleap.com/upside-down-2016/dates
A few people have expressed concerns that the “front and center” seats are selling out quickly. Is it really true that every seat is great, even in the Upper Tier?
We were in the theatre only last week and I went up to the highest, furthest seat in the Upper Tier and took pictures. You can see one of them to the right. It's really a great seat. For anyone worried about sitting up there, I'm not exaggerating, there's not a bad seat in the house. Not for this show.
I (Steve) was in a very similar seat, in a London theatre, with my wife, Lisa, and Tom and Kelly Brown, when I first saw Les Miserables. Tom bought the best seats he could find, and the nosebleed section was all that was left for that show. If I didn't know this for a fact and remember that, I wouldn't have been able to tell you what i'm telling you now; that while I know I sat with my back against the furthest, highest wall of that show, my memory is that I was in the middle of the stage. That musical sucked me down from my seat and held me in that world for three hours. Such is the power of theatre, and such is the power of an old, failing memory. And such is my effort to say, buy those seats while they're really, really cheap! If we have any empty [Upper Tier Seats] left a few months from now, they will probably cost what Orchestra seats are going for today!
Speaking of ticket pricing...when the link was made publicly available, there was a mention that the current ticket prices are discounted, so at some point there will be a price increase. Can you share more information about this?
Yes, before long we're going to go to normal ticket prices, which will not be discounted. But we're intent on giving everyone plenty of time to have a chance at the early bird prices. We did first make them available to the folks who'd registered already for Reach2016. Then we opened it up to everybody and, like I said, we're nearly half sold out already. But sometime soon we will have to change to regular ticket prices, or else what advantage did the early birds get? Unless, of course, we sell out before there's even time to change prices.
If we do make it to a time that we have some tickets left and can increase the price, then the regular prices will be significantly higher than what we're selling now. Now is the time to get the best seats, at the cheapest price ever.
We know that some people will want to take home a piece of the show with them. What kinds of items will be available for purchase?
We'll have a few surprises by then, I'm sure. A cast album, for one. But for now everyone can go to our website and see t-shirts and caps, that sort of thing. Did you know we have a website? You can find it at https://upsidedowntheatre.com
As you probably know, one of the tracks at the conference is our Deaf Ministry. Will subtitles be available at one of the shows?
We've been working with the Ferarra Theatre on that. It's unclear yet if it will be working, but they have had a system there before for deaf and hard of hearing. We're trying to do everything we can about that, but at this point I don't think we have the tech for subtitling the show.
We’ve also had a few inquiries for wheelchair/service animal seating. If someone will need special accommodations, is there a particular seating section the should look for?
Yes, and it's already clearly marked and available on our ticket sale site. I believe it's the area just between the orchestra and the mezzanine. That's a great view of the show!
You had mentioned in your last interview that Upside Down has picked up some patrons. If someone wanted to do more to support this ministry and become an Upside Down patron, is there a way to do this?
Ticket sales alone would not have paid to stage this production. We're going all out to make this the most amazing show we possibly can in order to do justice to the event, the opportunity, and the incredible story.
Our first and foremost purpose in Upside Down 2016 is to inspire a new generation to turn the world upside down for Jesus and to help us all to remember the Lord. Fortunately, we already have a group of disciples who share this dream and have donated money to see us accomplish this show.
We hope to create something that Sherwin and I will be able to use, to establish a way that we can do more to move people through dramatic arts. We created a non-profit entity, Upside Down Ministry, and donations will be tax deductible. We're inviting others to help us; you can find the avenue for donating through our website. Just click on "Become a Patron," or, as my team would like to say, let's make it easy for you and just give you the URL [for the ministry] now: http://upsidedownministry.org
No theatre company I've ever heard of exists without patrons, and we are hoping over time to build a membership of Upside Downers who will form an ongoing support for the musicals we've already written and are currently developing. Yes, Lord willing, Sherwin and I have a lot more we hope to do to make the scriptures come alive. And we also hope to be mentors and a conduit for others who are hoping to build on what we started almost 30 years ago.