Applause-Tickets: Making Our Way Back to Broadway, Business and Life in 2022

As I sit back nearing the end of a very busy year in Broadway Theatre ticket sales (London and Las Vegas show tickets too), I have a big smile on my face. Just a year ago, we were experiencing lots and lots of canceled Covid 19 performances on Broadway. And in London too. My wife Celeste and I spent weeks refunding clients for canceled shows as well as rebooking many people into performances that did play. We rebooked people up until showtime on some nights. And dealing with all the accounting issues and credits and rebilling to and from clients and theatres. We started very early in the morning and didn’t take a break until late at night. It was hectic each and every day for a few weeks. Not to mention the anxiety of having our business “put on hold” for a year and a half already at that point. Those were the days when the Omicron Variant was all around us, making life as we knew it, quite uncomfortable. Even though Broadway’s “re-start” took place only a few months before, we were beginning to wonder if we were going to have to close the business eventually. Or whether these Covid variants would be responsible for canceled shows on an ongoing basis for the long term.

So now, just one year later, with hardly a canceled performance due to Covid 19 for most of 2022, it gives me great pleasure to say that our little company, Applause-Tickets.com, has not only survived but has just had its best year in a very long time. We thank our family, friends, and clients for this incredibly successful year. Thanks to our partners at all the theatres on Broadway, London, and Las Vegas for always taking care of our clients too. Many were flexible, taking ticket returns and exchanges on a moment’s notice. Our Broadway ticket business grew as well as our ticket sales in London and Las Vegas.

Unfortunately, several long-time ticket services decided to close their doors in the early days of the pandemic. I was so sorry to see them go as we grew up in the ticket industry together while all starting our own businesses 35 years ago. There was always enough business for all of us. And we all got along really well. But I guess it was time for some of our friends to call it a day and retire. Although I am starting to think about retiring myself, somewhere down the road not long from now, I am glad that Celeste and I continued through the difficult days of 2020, 2021, and 2022 and the significant losses the business suffered. We just didn’t want the business to end that way. And we sure are glad we stayed in business.

It turns out that hundreds of our friends in the hotel, hospitality, and travel trade industry, also went thru a difficult time. The travel industry was decimated. Fortunately, it has made a tremendous comeback this year as well. Whether it was one of our local New York City hotel concierge colleagues or veteran travel agent or tour operator clients, we are all coming back from the horrible early days of the pandemic. Yes, the travel industry is back and doing well again. True, although we sold lots and lots of theatre, sports, and concert tickets in 2022, it was “reconnecting” with these friends, colleagues, and clients that meant the most to me personally. At age 66 now, after enjoying a successful career while enjoying a good life too, it’s been this “reconnecting” with long-time friends of our little business that has meant more to me than just about anything I can think of. I am forever grateful. 

For me, it really isn’t about selling tickets any longer these days. Not at all. Each day I plan on (for a moment), remembering the difficult time we have come thru and having a great appreciation for all those special relationships I previously mentioned. And, of course, for being fortunate to have the cherished relationships we have with dear family and friends all these years. I think I may have already started this great appreciation throughout this past year. Talking with my peers about our collective “comeback” has been therapeutic I guess.

I’ve had a really great time at work this year, and have enjoyed talking with people, not only about their ticket needs but mostly about their lives. It’s important to try and make a living of course, but these relationships we have with so many people that we do business with is often taken for granted.

Celeste and I want to give our heartfelt thanks to these wonderful friends, colleagues, clients, and family members that have helped our company “comeback”. We wish everyone a safe, happy, and beautiful Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year.