‘You’d be a fool to miss this sale,’ Mirvish is offering a BOGO $1 sale for theatre shows this April Fool’s Day
What to know
- Mirvish Productions is bringing back its annual April Fool’s Day BOGO deal for the 15th year, offering a second ticket for just $1 when you buy one at regular price.
- The promo applies to 11 productions — including Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Great Gatsby, and & Juliet — running April 1 through Sept. 6, but excludes some major shows like Mamma Mia! and The Book of Mormon.
- The deal is legit (not a prank), available to those on Mirvish’s mailing list, and aims to make theatre more affordable.
Don’t be a fool this April Fool’s Day – Mirvish is bringing back its Buy One Get One (BOGO) for $1 deal for the 15th year.
Whether you’re a regular theatre goer or a first-time audience member, Mirvish is offering anyone who signs up for their mailing list this $1 BOGO deal.
An April Fools’ Day joke?
Since Wednesday is April Fools’ Day and there could be doubts about its authenticity, Now Toronto spoke with Mirvish’s Director of Communications, John Karastamatis.
“We always play with the fact that it is April Fools… We use, for instance, ‘you’d be a fool to miss this sale’… which is why we do it on April Fools. That’s part of the fun,” he explained.
Karastamatis shares that the deal is also available on Boxing Day.
What does this sale entail?
It’s a BOGO sale for most plays. Included in the sale are:
- & Juliet
- Cyrano
- Inside American Pie
- Moulin Rouge! The Musical
- Dog Man: The Musical
- Kinky Boots The Musical
- Paranormal Activity
- Water For Elephants
- The Secret Chord
- ONES – The Beatles #1 Hits
- The Great Gatsby
These plays start on April 1 and run through Sept. 6.
But not every show is included in this deal. Here are the exceptions:
- Mamma Mia!
- The Outsiders Musical
- The Book of Mormon Musical
- Chicago The Musical
- A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical
The good news: there’s no limit on tickets. “You can only buy nine tickets at a time because that’s all our online engine does, but you can come back and buy some more if you want more,” Karastamatis explained.
What inspired the promotion?
“You’re not going to believe this, but the idea came to me with the Mega Bus $1 promotion,” Karastamatis said.
But since Mirvish cannot sell tickets for just one dollar unless they limit it to 10 seats per show, Karastamatis decided to offer a “much better deal” via the BOGO sale. “You have a $100 ticket and you end up at nearly [$50.50] a ticket if you buy two,” Karastamatis explained.
Why is Mirvish doing this promotion?
This sale makes theatre more accessible to Torontonians. Karastamatis explained that 150 people are involved in their current production & Juliet. “It’s a handmade [production]. Every night, every performance, it’s expensive to do, and the price reflects that.”
This initiative allows Torontonians to access theatre and “the magic that is created by having a room full of audience members and artists together sharing a story,” for less.
“Are you willing to spend $100 on it? Maybe not, but at half price, you’ll try it, and hopefully you’ll have a great time and be happy that you did. Because, of course, like all art, what you leave with is a memory. It’s an experience. That’s all you buy,” Karastamatis said.
He shared that some audience members have told him this initiative allowed them to attend shows they couldn’t previously afford. “I’ve wanted to see this show, and I really couldn’t justify spending that kind of money on it, but this allows me to see it. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
