Final answer:
To find last year's cost of 'The Nutcracker' tickets, we calculate 100% of the cost by dividing this year's price $74.40 by 92.9%, resulting in approximately $80.09 per ticket.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves finding the original price of ballet tickets, which were 7.1% more expensive last year compared to this year. This year, Eva and her sister paid $74.40 each, which is 7.1% less than last year's price. To calculate last year's price, we can set up the equation where 92.9% (100% - 7.1% because they paid 7.1% less this year) of last year's price is equal to $74.40.
Let x represent the original price of each ticket last year. We can express this relationship as x * 0.929 = $74.40. By dividing both sides of the equation by 0.929 we find the original price: x = $74.40 / 0.929 which gives us x ≈ $80.09. Therefore, last year's ticket price was approximately $80.09.
The rising costs of theatre tickets have made it increasingly difficult for many families to enjoy cultural experiences such as 'The Nutcracker'. This reflects a broader trend of increasing costs in the arts, where factors like production expenses and the need for a profit margin contribute to higher ticket prices. Merchandise such as t-shirts can also be very expensive, which can further raise the overall cost of attending a theatrical production.