EXPENSIVE THEATRE TICKETS

My 2 cents on the “expensive” theater shows being staged by different theater companies right now purely from an audience perspective.

I’ve been a fan of Philippine theater since 2016, and honestly, I think it’s amazing to see how much the industry has grown.

When I first started watching theater, I remember getting tickets for shows that were below 2k. Fast forward to today, there are so many productions happening, with even major Broadway materials being staged here and Filipino artists getting the opportunity to showcase their talent at an international level.

And as an audience member, you can really see where the money goes. Theater has leveled up tremendously not just in the sets and costumes, but also in lighting, sound, video projections, choreography, technical production, and most especially, these THEATRE ACTORS. The quality of the ensemble and the overall standard of performance we’re seeing now is something I genuinely think is worth paying for. You get me???!

And I think this is something audiences sometimes forget: being a theater actor is not easy.
What you see onstage is only the final product of years of training, workshops, rehearsals, auditions, vocal lessons, dance classes, acting classes, physical conditioning, and countless hours spent developing their craft. A performer doesn’t just show up, memorize lines, sing a few songs, and dance. They have to be able to do all of those things consistently, often 5 shows a week, while maintaining the physical and vocal demands of the role.

And the difference in the performers today is very noticeable.

I remember a time when many ensembles were primarily composed of movers who could dance well enough for the production. Today, we’re seeing performers who are triple threats!!! actors who can sing, dance, and act at an incredibly high level. (A CHORUS LINE CAST IS THE STANDARD SO FAR) Some of our Filipino performers can genuinely hold their own alongside Broadway and West End performers, and in some cases, I’d even argue that they can surpass them. IYKYK.

That level of talent didn’t happen overnight.
These artists invested years of their lives to become this good. So when you’re paying for a ticket, you’re not only paying for the two or three hours you spend inside the theater. You’re also paying for the years of training, experience, discipline, and sacrifice that made that performance possible.
And it’s not just the actors.

There are stage managers, stagehands, musicians, designers, technicians, directors, choreographers, production staff, front-of-house teams, dressers, makeup artists, creatives, and so many other people working behind the scenes to make one production happen. A theater show is literally the work of an entire community of people.

Plus, it’s 2026. Inflation is real. The cost of materials, venues, equipment, transportation, labor, and basically everything needed to mount a production has gone up. We can’t really expect the cost of producing a show to remain the same as it was years ago while everything else around it has become more expensive.

Of course, I completely understand that not everyone can afford expensive theater tickets, and I don't think anyone should feel bad for choosing shows based on their budget. Accessibility is still an important conversation, and I hope the industry continues finding ways to make theater accessible to more people.

But I also think there’s a difference between saying “this is expensive for me” and saying “this show isn’t worth the price.”

You can absolutely decide that a ticket is beyond your budget without diminishing the value of the people and the work behind it.

Personally, as someone who has watched Philippine theater for years, I’m actually happy to see the industry reaching this point. I’d rather see Filipino artists being given bigger opportunities, better productions, and fairer compensation for their craft.
If we want Philippine theater to continue growing, then we also have to understand that quality theater costs money and the people who make it happen deserve to be paid properly.

We should absolutely continue talking about accessibility, ticket prices, and how we can make theater more inclusive.

But at the same time, I hope we also learn to appreciate what we’re actually paying for.
Because behind every curtain call are years of work that the audience never gets to see. 🎭