Chalamet thanked by Royal Ballet and Opera boss for boosting ticket sales

Chalamet thanked by Royal Ballet and Opera boss for boosting ticket sales

Alex Beard, the director of the Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO), expressed gratitude toward Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet for increasing the London-based institution’s ticket sales after the actor’s remarks about ballet and opera stirred debate. Beard noted that Chalamet’s assertion that “no-one cares” about these art forms had generated a strong public reaction, prompting the RBO to engage with the comments in a way that emphasized accessibility.

“I thought it important that we didn’t respond with a stuffy attitude to Chalamet,” Beard stated in an interview with The Times. “We simply said, ‘Take a look at what we’re doing, mate’—highlighting that our largest audience demographic is 20 to 30-year-olds.”

Chalamet’s remarks, made during a conversation with Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas in February, focused on efforts to sustain cinema. “I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore,'” the actor said. He swiftly added, “All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” acknowledging the potential misinterpretation of his words.

“Timmy, you’re welcome to use it too,” the Seattle Opera added on Instagram, leveraging the actor’s comments as a promotional tool. The company offered a discount code “TIMOTHEE” for tickets to an upcoming Carmen performance, drawing attention through social media.

In a broader discussion during his interview with The Times, Beard also addressed the RBO’s recent dynamic pricing strategy. “What we do is not full-on dynamic pricing,” he clarified. “Prices remain steady during the priority-booking period and the first few weeks of public sales, with a cap on the highest ticket costs. It’s far from the extreme flexibility of the Oasis experience.”

“Tweaking the top price could help keep the lower prices down,” Beard explained, emphasizing the balance the RBO aimed to achieve in its ticketing approach.