I have a theatre habit. I might need an intervention:

In the last ten days, I’ve been to the theatre four times. Four. Times. Last weekend I went to see Lend Me a Tenor. An older play, to be sure, but it got fantastic reviews, was nominated for a Tony and in the Cheap Tickets line, the line for plays only had four people and the line for musicals had thousands. So Lend Me a Tenor it was. The show was tight, the blocking was clever the performances were great – but I still walked away wishing there was a little more….music.
The next day was dreary, so I went to a converted church around the corner from my house and saw Macbeth. I loved it. The weather and surroundings were perfect for such a macabre tale and I was immediately transported to that world. Leaving the theatre I had to blink several times to adjust to the light, despite the heavy clouds, not only because of my time spent in the dark room, but because of the dark subject matter.
Last night I saw a musical based on Dan Savage’s novel, The Kid, a memoire he wrote about he and his partner adopting a child from a homeless girl in Portland. The show had some old favorites – cast members from Title of Show, Avenue Q and Company – and the first act was tight, entertaining, edgy, and a lot of fun – some of the best theatre I’ve seen since I moved here. The talent was fantastic and it was a joy and pleasure to witness. The second act left something to be desired as it deteriorated into sap and schmaltz and slow, forgettable ballads about the joys of becoming a parent…blah blah blah….but overall I enjoyed myself immensely.
Today, I went to see White’s Lies with Helen, my friend from work. Helen used to work at BAM and has a membership to this online club that gets her free tickets to the arts. Once on this magical site, you can simply click a button and receive tickets to dozens of shows within a day or two of curtain….FREE! It is a dangerous site to which she’s graciously granted me access. It will be all I can do not to be on that puppy daily.
In fact, moving to New York for me is kind of like an alcoholic moving into a bar or a diabetic moving into a chocolate factory – maybe it’s too much of a good thing. I love the theatre. My very favorite, ideal, perfect day would definitely involve a visit to the theatre. I get goose bumps when the lights go down and the music swells – the energy and joy of the theatre is absolutely thrilling. It’s one of my favorite things on earth.
This is okay in a town like Seattle, where you can make plans to attend community theatre or touring shows ten times a year or so, but here, theatre is everywhere. There are four theatres within four square miles of my house. Four. And now with the obstacle of outrageous $125 Broadway ticket prices no longer an issue (thank you Helen!), I might be moving into the theatre.
I must show discretion. I must not overdose for fear of losing my love of the theatre or (heaven forbid) making it a less “special” experience due to overexposure.
I don’t really see that happening though. The theatre is magical. Every performance, every line, every note is a unique moment into and of itself. That’s an experience that will be very hard to touch, even if I see a show every single day.
So for now I’m going to push my fears aside and continue to utilize this great gift of New York City. For the next several months, you’ll know where to find me. That place where the lights go down and the curtain goes up.