Archive for January, 2009
Do you know what you’re doing in March 2010? Think fast!
You might be seeing previews of the Addams Family on Broadway, more than a year from now. That’s what the show’s producers are thinking. Group tickets are already on sale for the Broadway premiere.
The show is in currently in workshop. Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, will star as Gomez and Morticia, and I’m sure their combined star power will sell more than enough tickets. An industry presentation is being held at the end of January.
I admire their drive and determination, but more than anything, their B@LL$! Who said this economy is going to keep Broadway down?
I’m guessing they’ll be smart enough not to scare patrons away with outrageous ticket prices like another ‘lovable monster‘ who recently bid Broadway adieu.
–Sue
January 15th, 2009
A dear friend sent me a link to a budget friendly site, replete with coupons and articles about how to stretch your dollar further and be a savvy shopper.
I was tickled pink to see a feature article in Red Plum’s “Entertainment In” section about Cyranno (with Kevin Kline) on DVD.
More than anything, it shows me that Broadway might be out of reach (and therefore, at least for the moment, out of sight), but will never be out of mind.
If you can scrape a few dollars together (some tickets are going for the price of a DVD) to see it live — because there’s no other thrill like seeing theatre live, there are a multitude of ways to get cheap tickets:
The New TKTS Booth in Times Square: Now the destination for SAME DAY cheap tickets (can be as cheap as 40% or more off reg. ticket prices) and funky architectural design takes CREDIT CARDS!!!!
TDF (which runs the TKTS Booths): A great way to get tickets if you know what you want to see and can plan ahead.
Playbill On-Line: Ticket Discounts, News, Trinkets… and joining their “club” is FREE!
Broadway Offers: Discounts to shows using promo codes.
Smart Tix: Sign up for their mailing list to get special offers and discounts right to your email.
Travelzoo: A travel website that has begun offering theatre ticket deals. (They even have deals in Vegas too!)
Ticket Central: On line, by phone, and in person at their box office… They offer some of the shows that are flying under the radar but worth a try.
TheaterMania: Discounts for Broadway and beyond (read nationwide), plus news, pics, and gossip.
TheatreMama: Subscribe to their distribution list to get promo codes for tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows.
And I’m sure there are dozens of other ways to go about it. In fact, if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments section so we can all benefit from your tip!
Wishing you and your wallet happy theatre-going!
–Sue
January 14th, 2009
Some of America’s most beloved regional theatres, like North Shore Music Theatre that may have to close its doors after 55 years, are the latest victims of the economic downturn.
As you can imagine, lots of theatre folks are upset. And some have even joined the Facebook Group: Save America’s Theatres
But this problem is one that effects more than just the theatre community, or even the arts in general. It affects each and every one of you who ever even contemplated seeing a show. If the regional theatres don’t survive, the development of new theatre in this country will be severely stunted.
Not only are we handicapping ourselves now by putting lots of people out of work, but we’re also handicapping ourselves in the future.
The idea of writing letters to congresspeople was floating around the group, and I decided to write a template for people to use. Tweak it to make it your own, or just sign your name at the bottom.
Most Senators and Representatives have email addresses, but good old fashioned letters will probably get more attention. Contacting your congressperson is easy. Click here for all the information you’ll need.
Below is the template letter (about one page in Microsoft Word). You can copy and paste directly into Word (or any other program you’re using). It is in 12pt font…Between 10-12 should work fine.
Happy Letter Writing!
–Sue
_________________________________________________________________
Congressperson
Address
Address
1/13/2009
Dear {Insert name of Congressperson here},
I am writing to you today about an issue of vital importance: Saving America’s Theatres.
With a failing economy, joblessness on the rise, and a host of problems abroad, the state of our nation’s theatres may seem trivial by comparison. In reality, theatres serve many vital purposes.
The brief period of darkness in a theatre can shed light on who we are — in our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, our country, and even the world at large.
Our hopes, fears, and dreams are all illuminated, and can thus all find a voice in a dark theatre…
Besides the importance of reflection and expression, theatre provides entertainment — a means of leaving our increasingly busy and fast-paced lives for a while.
The most vital purpose our theatres serve is as a physical place for us and our neighbors to come together as a community.
With so many outlets for diversion nowadays, we’ve become so splintered in our communities — not even recognizing our neighbors because we’re so caught up in TV, movies, the internet…
Especially at a time like this, our ability to come together as a people, as a nation — that will be our saving grace.
If all of our local and regional theatres don’t get the assistance and support they need, we won’t have any physical or emotional place where everyone, from each sex and every race and religion, can come together as one.
By preserving our theatres, you are preserving our communities. You are saving so many of the jobs of your constituents now and in the future, and sustaining a vital resource — where we can all learn and grow.
Please insure the survival of America’s Theatres by protecting the current funding in place and pushing for additional funding to be allocated to theatres and the arts in general.
Thank you for your time and continued efforts to Save America’s Theatres.
Sincerely,
January 13th, 2009
Broadway and the rest of America’s theatres are in trouble. This was the best Saturday Night Live could come up with.
At first glance, it seems kind of funny… A bunch of stereotypes from many of the “standard” shows — many of which aren’t even playing right now. And the Cutco knives reference did make me laugh. But, where’s the solidarity here? Because you know it’s writers who came up with this…
How about putting your talents towards helping, instead of kicking when the industry is down? Furthermore, I couldn’t believe that the actors even agreed to do this, knowing that a lot of their fellow actors are suffering now too.
But in all honesty, it’s dumb for me to get so upset. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and poking fun if they must.
Besides, I got a much better laugh from the delicious irony that commercials for “You’re Welcome, America,” Will Ferrell’s limited engagement on Broadway, ran like 8 times during the broadcast. Arguably SNL’s biggest breakout star in recent memory is having his own show on Broadway and hocking it during the broadcast of a show he left to pursue bigger and better things.
Ahhh, karma is sooo sweet!!!
Tune in tomorrow for a more constructive way to help our theatres…
–Sue
January 12th, 2009
For about five seconds of your time, you can help make history.
Amazingly, no one has ever thought of it before, but Quincy Jones said he would “beg” President-elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. A petition is currently circulating. I signed, and hope you will too.
–Sue
January 11th, 2009
This New Year, I’ve made a resolution that I will be sticking to, and dear readers, I post it up here so I can put it out to the universe:
This year, I will finish what I started!
I’m not talking about the Chinese food I had wrapped up, I’m talking about things I started years ago, and minutes ago.
Sometimes loose ends serve a purpose, but they’re no longer serving any valuable purpose in my life. (And I’m not sure they ever did.)
Here’s hoping your New Year is off to a wonderful start!
–Sue
January 5th, 2009
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