High After In the Heights

I'll admit it. I'm a musical junkie. Always have been and now that I live and work here, my addiction has only grown hungrier.

On my way to the gym yesterday after work, I walked by the In the Heights theater and saw that the lottery raffle was back on. I haven't seen many people out there in the last couple of months. Last summer I waited six different times for that lottery and didn't win until the last time, when of course they called my name first. It was my first major production since moving here and I loved every minute of it. It's not hard to love when sitting in the front row being absorbed into the incredible dance choreography and hearing pre-microphone voices from 10 feet away.

So back to yesterday - in my much adopted typical New York fashion, I'm walking down the block, cell phone in one hand, gym bag slung around the shoulder and of course sunglasses hiding my computer-tired eyes, I stop to fill out the little slip of paper for two tickets. Why not? I had 30 minutes to spare reading my latest book ("Around the World in 80 Days" - very entertaining if you've never tried it). I didn't have anyone in mind for the second ticket at the time, but I figured if I won a) it would be a waste to let the second ticket go to waste and b) I know people here now who want to go to these things with me.

Flashback to last summer again. Each time I entered, at least 60 other people were there to enter as well. The show only raffles off between 20-26 tickets each night, so your odds aren't that wonderful. However, last night, for some reason, there were only 22 people present for the lottery. We all got tickets!

I sat on orchestra left last night and got a different view of the stage from last fall. Half the cast has changed over, and with the exception of the character Vanessa (she was lost and definitely not as passionate as the others), I thought they were all wonderful.

Here's a piece of advice, go get lottery tickets now for In the Heights if you want to see this wonderful show, before all the summer tourists get here that is.

Drawings take place: Tuesday - opens 4:30 with drawing at 5:00. Wednesday-Friday - opens 5:30 with drawing at 6:00. Weekends, check with the box office. Tickets are all front row for $26.50 cash.

Go see it!! You'll be singing the songs all the way home!!








Bookmark this on Delicious
Stumble It!

More Cheap Theater

As I mentioned in my last post, I FINALLY got to see Spring Awakening - a musical that takes place in 1890's Germany about repressed adolescents figuring out life, sex, themselves (the original play was banned so you know it's scandalous) on Tuesday night. I found the story a bit predictable and depressing, but the music was excellent and the passion within each of the actors was surely intense - that made for a good show.

Here's the great part (and probably why I enjoyed the show so much), for $40 you can sit on-stage. I don't mean off to the side somewhere where you can barely see the show, but I mean on the stage, with the actors - you can hear their voices from their mouths as opposed to just a mix out of the speakers. This is sometimes a drawback because you miss some words when the music gets really loud, but on the whole, it was an amazing experience that I'd highly recommend. Plus, you pay so much less than all those clamoring for front row seats.

You can buy these tickets online by choosing "on-stage seating" or by going to the box office day of. But hurry! The show closes January 18th!







Bookmark this on Delicious
Stumble It!

Too Broke for Theater? No such thing!

Although I discovered the Roundabout Theatre's HipTix mailing list a few months ago, I only recently realize how amazing it is and I feel it's time to share.

The Roundabout Theatre Company is actually based down the street from my office on 46th Street. Over the years they have produced shows like Cabaret and an original reading of Spring Awakening (which I am going to see finally tonight!), and now they are promoting Pal Joey with Stockard Channing and have some more coming out with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the Spring. Most of their tickets sell for regular prices ($74 and up), HOWEVER (this is a BIG "however" - notice the caps), if you are between the ages of 18-35, you can get tickets to ANY of their shows for only $20! Only $20! That's awesome! Also, they will have periodic promotions to get $10 tickets, sometimes with free after parties.

I went to see the play currently showing in their Black Box Theater on Sunday night called The Language of Trees about a family where the father is captured in Iraq in 2003 as a translator for the war. I thought it was good. The staging was excellent...almost a diagonal stage. There were a lot of underlying themes about different generational bridges in communication which I found fascinating. My dad was in town so I bought him (well, he ended up buying me...) a $10 ticket. Too good to be true right? Well, sort of. It turns out that not only do you have to be under 35 to buy the tickets, but also under 35 to USE the tickets. They let my dad and me pass this time, but they said it can't happen again. Oh well, at least I can still go :)

I'm going to see Streamers with some colleagues for only $15 in a few weeks. I'm telling you, if you like theater and have no money (or have money but are cheap and under 35) you should sign up for this mailing list.

http://www.hiptix.com/







Bookmark this on Delicious
Stumble It!