Murder Ballad

Musicals in the city are not cheap. For the first eighteen months that I lived here, I did not see a single one. Eighty dollars for a ticket? One hundred and twenty dollars for a ticket? No thank you!

But this year I discovered that many musicals provide rush tickets. Depending on the show, these tickets are either student rush, or general rush, or sometimes (as in the case for Wicked) lottery rush.

Yesterday my friend and I went to see the show Murder Ballad, a non-traditional rock musical playing at the Union Square Theatre. Rush tickets are $31 dollars for everyone under 30 (kind of an odd requirement), but $49 tickets are also available online with a code that's listed on the website. Regular tickets are around $80 to $90. We bought our rush tickets right when the box office opened (3 pm on Saturdays, 1 pm on Sundays, and 1 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays), but I think you could probably afford to go a little later and still get tickets. Bring your ID and cash, as the rush sales are cash only.

Immediately when you walk into the theatre, you know that this is not not your standard Broadway musical. The space is set up like a club, with audience members sitting at tables amongst the set, or along the sides in auditorium-style seating.

Those sitting at the tables were right in the middle of the action; more than once, the actors climbed up on these audience members' tables, knocked over nearby chairs, etc. I was pretty convinced that someone was going to get kicked in the head, but I guess the actors know the space well enough to avoid these kinds of collisions!

There is a bar along one side of the theatre, where audience members can order drinks before the show starts. This bar then becomes part of the set, serving as the bar in a club downtown. The set-up also features a pool table, a baseball bat, and a raised stage for the band members.

I was very impressed by the show itself. Although the plot was simple and rather predictable, the music, the set, and the talented cast of four made for an entertaining evening. The two women especially had incredible control over their voices, and effectively delivered both comedic and tragic moments. While most musicals involve speaking in addition to singing, this show was eighty minutes of continuous song. I can't imagine the stamina required of these actors to maintain their voices throughout the show, while running around the set and jumping on and off of tables.

Below is a sneak peek of the musical. This clip gives you a feel for the atmosphere (and also demonstrates that there were one too many 'hand-running-through-my-hair' moments on the part of the angsty bartender), and a feel for the music. There is no nudity in the show, but it's definitely a little promiscuous, so I would not bring along children.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening. The atmosphere and the music made up for what the plot lacked, and the $31 ticket price was very agreeable. Murder Ballad is closing July 21st, so if you're interested in seeing the show you still have a few more weeks.