Alright people, I know the economy sucks and you're all trying to save some money, but that doesn't mean you need to hibernate (not that there is anything wrong with that, as you can see my Tapeworthy sidebar, there's plenty of free tv to keep you entertained). Go entertain yourself AND stimulate the economy! (Or go BE an entertainer, more details at the bottom).
In Toronto, cause I know you're all Canadian and cheap... er... fiscally responsible people, and you all tend to be reserved about EVERYTHING and wait until it's a sure thing before you see it, both Dog Sees God and Spring Awakening are offering Student Rush tickets for $25.
For Dog Sees God, $25 student rush starts 30 min. before the show (most shows are 7:30pm and NOT 8pm shows so make note). Cash only but there's pretty much no problem getting them at the door at Six Degrees (which is sort of a large metal indescript door where Yuk Yuk's used to be at Eglinton and Yonge). (And if you're not a student, regular tickets are only $41.50 on weeknights anyways! AND ALL tickets include a drink from the bar!)
UPDATE: This Tuesday's show will be PWYC (Pay What You Can)!!!
For Spring Awakening in Toronto, $25 Student rush seats are available 2 hours prior to each performance (12 PM for matinees, 6 PM for evenings) with valid student ID, cash only, in-person the Canon Box office (at the Victoria Street Main Entrance). Limit 1 ticket per person. Wristband policy in effect.
For those who AREN'T students, they just made the Canon Boxes (both Orchestra and Mezzanine) to be $20 side partial view seats but since the show is mostly front loaded in the centre, I doubt you'll miss much. These box seat prices are available to everyone and can be ordered ahead of time. Yes. $20 seats. For EVERYONE and ANYBODY. (They had $25 stage seats but those are now completely sold out for the entire run, save for the 2 they hold back for house seats/rush/who knows). If you want to purchase regular seats, the code "SPRING" still works for 20% off Tuesday thru Thursday performances.
Jersey Boys in Toronto now has eased up on their rush policy. $20.00 Rush Seats are available for purchase at the Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office beginning two hours prior to the following performances (Cash only, limit 8 rush tickets per person): Tuesday 8:00 pm/Wednesday 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm/Thursday 8:00 pm/Friday 8:00pm/Saturday 2:00pm/Sunday 2:00pm (Basically, all shows except Saturday night).
For Saturday 8pm show, there are $20 Partial view seats are available for purchase at the Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office two hours prior to the following performances:
Anyways, those of you in the US, Sign up with Goldstar for emailed discounts (to many cities around the US). There's always tons of deals that include tours and sporting events in addition to theatre.
In NY, there's always BroadwayBox for promotional discount codes/ coupons (which also has deals for Las Vegas and London to a lesser extent). Or check here for Rush/ Student/ Lottery/ Standing Room deals on Broadway. And Rooms: A Rock Romance Off-Broadway also has deals and student rush apparently. And don't forget the Roundabout Theatre's Hip Tix Program always has $21.50 tickets (2 per person per show, $20 + $1.50 theatre fee, can be prepurchased) for those 35 and under. And the Manhattan Theatre Club has a similar deal (but $30) for those under 30.
In Boston, the Huntington Theatre has the H_Tix program for those 21-35 for $25 seats for all shows (best available seats except for premium seats. Can be pre-purchased). They are also having a sale this Wednesday March 27th for $27 tickets for certain showings of The Miracle of Naples.
In LA, the Center Theatre Group (for shows at the Ahmanson, Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theater) offers $20 Hot Tix, available 3 weeks before the first performance of a show. 2 per person (any age), can be ordered ahead at (213) 628-2772 and use a credit card (with free shipping and no surcharges too!) or on the day of at the box office (cash only). Tickets can be anywhere but generally I've gotten side orchestra seats around the 5th row for the Ahmanson and 2nd last row in the centre section for the small Mark Taper Forum (so they were totally great seats still). But they also started a $20 pricing for almost all shows (except weekends I think) so entire sections of regular seats are only $20 now.
As for London, I have yet to find a great site that compiles the deals (if there are even any). Usually I find each play or musical will only have it listed on their individual site but either they don't list it anymore or there are very few deals to be had right now (surprisingly) because I cannot find ANYTHING. Annoying. At this point, I can only find Concession seats (rush seats in British it seems) for Three Days of Rain (Best available for £21 for students, seniors and the unwaged on the day of). The National Theatre always has £10 deals or rush or standing room or student prices (seriously, there are way too many details). The Wyndham Theatre offers £10 seats in the upper balcony and standing room rush on the day of for the Donmar In the West End productions.
If anybody knows of better sites that compile the deals in London (I can't even find any on the message boards, so maybe there are few?), let me know. So far I've only found this site that seems good at describing each theatre's seating (that compiles info on all the good and bad seats in each of London's theatres).
UPDATE: The above site TheatreMonkey also compiles the London theatre deals here!!!
Meanwhile, if you're in Canada and you think you're a star:
OPEN CALL AUDITIONS IN TORONTO FOR SPRING AWAKENING and Auditions for So You Think You Can Dance Canada starting in Vancouver, both on April 4th:
OPEN CALL AUDITIONS IN TORONTO FOR SPRING AWAKENING
Seeking Male and Female Singers ages 17-21 for future replacements for the US National Tour of Tony Award Winning Musical, SPRING AWAKENING.
SATURDAY, APRIL 4TH, 11 AM
ROY THOMSON HALL
60 SIMCOE STREET
Access via Artists' Entrance, South of Roy Thomson Hall at Wellington.
Bring a recent picture and resume and prepare a short folk/alt rock song.
Bring sheet music. An accompanist will be provided.
Call 212-719-9393 x540 for more info.
Auditions for So You Think You Can Dance Canada are starting up again:
Audition dates and locations and details
Registration begins at 8 a.m. in each city.
Auditions will be held at the locations and on the dates listed below (subject to change):
Vancouver, B.C.: Saturday, April 4, Centre for Performing Arts, 777 Homer St.
Edmonton, Alta.: Tuesday, April 7, Winspear Centre, 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square (Corner of 99th Street & 102nd Ave.)
Saint John, N.B.: Tuesday, April 21, Imperial Theatre, 24 King Square S.
Toronto, Ont.: Monday, May 18, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, John Bassett Theatre, 255 Front St. W.
Montréal, Que.: Tuesday, May 26, Théâtre St-Denis, 1594 St-Denis St.
The So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 2 cross-country auditions are open to all Canadians who, as of April 1, 2009, are of the age of majority in the province/territory in which they reside, and are no older than 30 years of age.
Competitors must be either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
All competitors must be legally eligible to work in Canada.
Competitors must be of the age of majority in the province/territory in which they reside and no older than 30 years of age as of April 1, 2009. The age of majority is as follows: 18 years of age in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan; and 19 years of age in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Yukon.
All competitors must provide two pieces of identification, including a government-issued photo ID (e.g. driver's license or passport), at the audition.
Competitors may bring a non-competing dance partner for purposes of the audition.
All competitors must bring with them, along with the proper ID, the signed personal release, the completed preliminary questionnaire, and the music sheet. All will be available at the audition site and for download soon at dance.ctv.ca.
All competitors are asked to bring with them the completed music sheet indicating the music they will use in their audition, along with the CD containing the indicated music.
All songs must be "original" songs that are commercially available. A song must not be a re-mix of a song, a song downloaded from the Internet, or a competitor-created mix.
Competitors will not be permitted to audition in any article of clothing with a visible designer, sports or other logo; artwork; name; photo; or other mark which may be subject to protection by copyright or trademark laws.
Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com
More After the Jump...
The new ROM's Crystal opening moves the main entrance from University Avenue to Bloor Street, and literally places a modern sculpture against the existing traditional building. I actually like when old buildings get new additions to them and I enjoy the juxtapositions it creates, even though I know it's still very controversial for many to accept. Sadly, this is not what disappointed me.
The interiors with wild shapes were dampened by the pedestrian white drywall covering what was an exciting matrix of steel beams. Cheap metal grates that clang as visitors walk over the hanging walkways disturb the sense of museum flow. The massive walls overlooking Bloor St. were now 25 % glass instead of the whole thing being a glowing crystal and much of the glory is lost in the cutting back (due to budgets and snowloads and rain protection). The new lobby is still flattened by its low ceilings and only in the space between the original ROM building and the addition, do we get a sense of the playfullness at work. Level 4 and 5 where the restaurant will sit overlooking another gallery, at the top peak of the crystal is probably where Libeskinds shapes come into play most effectively but the prosaic materials used to define the irregular shaped galleries softens the emotional impact a visitor should feel (unlike Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao which gave me an awing sense of wonder from the get go). From the outside you get a sense of possible wonder but the excitement is all but dissolved in the palid construction from within, and for not taking full advantage of this creative struggle between the new building and the old. Almost Canadian like, it attempts to be bold, then apologizes for trying and tries to soften the changes ending up with a dull gray feeling in the overall building.
Sadly I didn't think we were allowed to bring our camera's in so I didn't, only to find drunken party revellers at 3 am jamming the place with everyone snapping pictures at every point (most photos here are from the ROM website except the one directly above). Shoot. (or not). The event was hilarious and kudos for the ROM for having the unveiling after midnight on a Saturday. I think that that was the most young people in the museum at once, where basically the museum became the continuing after party for everyone spilling out of the clubs on Sunday morning and made for an interesting museum experience.
