EXCLUSIVE: DENZEL GETS DEFENSIVE OVER $900 'OTHELLO' TICKETS — AND MISLEADS ABOUT "AFFORDABLE" OPTIONS

Washington touts $49 tickets—but the math doesn’t add up. Critics say it’s more smoke than Shakespeare.

Denzel Washington may be one of Hollywood’s most respected legends, but even legends get testy when the spotlight turns from applause to criticism.

When asked about the sky-high ticket prices—some topping $900—for his Broadway run in Othello, the Oscar winner didn't blink. “But as low as $50,” he countered in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, brushing off the sticker shock with a pointed smile.

But here’s the reality: that $49 ticket Washington referenced? It's part of a limited student rush program, with only a tiny number of seats made available for each performance—and only to those who qualify. The rest of the house? Good luck getting in for under $300, unless you’re cool with a limited view and maxed-out credit card.

Insiders in the theater world are calling foul, claiming the production’s team is leaning hard into feel-good messaging about accessibility while quietly profiting from a top-tier luxury pricing model. “This isn’t about community,” one Broadway source tells us. “It’s about exclusivity—with a student rush fig leaf.”

Director Kenny Leon has likened the experience to a Lakers game or a Beyoncé concert—conveniently ignoring that both of those events often come with more transparent pricing tiers, and don’t claim to be in the ‘service phase of life.’

Washington, for his part, insists he’s “giving back” and using his celebrity to uplift others. But if giving back means a $921 front-row seat and a seatmate praying they win the digital lottery, some theatergoers aren’t buying it—and they certainly aren't buying the spin.