Looking Ahead to the Opera

I think the opera is great. The costumes are beautiful, the sets are elaborate, and the stamina and talent of the singers is pretty amazing. But going to the opera can be kind of expensive, and even with the intermissions I have trouble sitting still for four or so hours. I was excited, then, to stumble upon a way to witness the opera that was free, and that allowed me to move around.

Each summer, the Metropolitan Opera hosts their annual Summer HD Festival. During this festival, HD recordings of well-known operas will be projected onto a screen set up in Lincoln Center Plaza. The festival is completely free for anyone who wants to stop by and have a seat, either on a blanket, a fold-up beach chair, or somewhere on the concrete.

Though seeing the opera on a screen is not quite the same as seeing it live on stage, it's about as close as you can get. An added benefit of the HD projections is that they include subtitles; I once went to see an opera in Italian, and since 'ciao' is pretty much the only Italian word I know, you can imagine I was quite lost without subtitles.

The festival takes place at the end of August (this year August 24th through September 2nd), and is a nice way to take advantage of the last of the summer weather, while simultaneously enjoying the opera. I find that the fresh air, combined with the ability to get up and walk around ensures that I will be alert throughout the performance (it also doesn't hurt that I can consume coffee in my seat). Plus you have the freedom to whisper to your friends next to you about what is happening on the stage. Just don't whisper too loudly if you're sitting with the main crowd, lest you'd like to be the target of a bombarding of "Shhhhs".

I plan on heading to Lincoln Center on September 2nd to see Aida. The screening starts at 8 pm, but as the seating is first-come, first-served I will try to arrive as early as possible. If you're only interested in seeing a snippet of opera you are free to come and go as you like, as there are no official tickets or seats.

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. 

At the Ballet

For fans of ballet, art, culture, or just dressing up and feeling fancy, there is nothing like a night spent at Lincoln Center. And while tickets for certain seats in the David H. Koch Theater or the Metropolitan Opera can get pretty pricey, there is a very budget-friendly way to see a performance.

Enter Student Rush. 

 Let's start with New York City Ballet. NYCB spends four seasons at Lincoln Center. For the fall, winter, and spring seasons, Student Rush tickets are available. On the Monday of each performance week, the website will list which shows will have student rush availability (not every show does). Students can then purchase tickets from the Box Office on the day of the show, with their valid student ID. The earlier in the day you can purchase the tickets the better, as they are often sold-out right before the show. The tickets are $20, with a limit of two tickets per student. The fourth season is dedicated to George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, and Student Rush is not available for these performances (regular tickets start at $29).

American Ballet Theatre performs at Lincoln Center usually around the end of May through the beginning of July (the rest of their seasons are spent in other locations). Students can purchase tickets at the Box Office on the performance day for $25 in the Orchestra, or $15 in Family Circle. Again it is best to go early in the day as tickets do sell out, especially since their season at Lincoln Center is not long. Their website does specify that students must be under the age of 26 to receive Student Rush tickets. I'm not sure how strict they are with this requirement; I think it would be worth a try, but know that they may ask to see your state ID as well as your student ID. 

If your eyesight is less than stellar, you might want to consider bringing binoculars, or opera glasses. Some of the rush tickets are pretty far back in the theatre (I've received tickets to the very last row on more than one occasion), which is great for seeing patterns but not so great for recognizing individuals. The viewing pleasure will be just as enjoyable without them, but binoculars are a tool to consider if you'd like to see faces. 

If you are not a student but still looking to see the ballet on a budget, then I recommend buying the student in your life a big cup of coffee, listening to them complain about the horrors of final exams, and then convincing them that a night at the ballet is all they need to relieve their stresses. It works, I swear.