As a freshman from out-of-state, I’m still getting used to life in New York City. I stayed in the city over spring break so I could explore a little more of what Manhattan has to offer. Most of my break was spent preparing for my midterms the following week, but I made sure to set aside some time to get out into the city.
I decided to see a Broadway show over the break, and so began my quest to find affordable tickets. I’ve wanted to see Phantom of the Opera for years, but ticket prices have skyrocketed since the show’s closing was announced. I’ve been looking for tickets for the last few months, and prices have quickly gone from $100 a seat with plenty of tickets available to $500 for the last seat in the house. Fortunately, there were standing room tickets available for $30. I just needed to get to the theater before they were sold out.
With most of my homework done over the weekend, I had time on Monday to track down some tickets for the show. I made it to the theater around 11:00 am. I soon found out that they’d run out of tickets as soon as they opened that morning. Not to be discouraged, I decided to get there as early as I could the next day. I woke up at 7 in the morning, trudged through a snowstorm, and was the first in line when the box office opened. It took an hour and a half of waiting in the snow, but I got the tickets! With tickets in hand, I went home and got ready for the show.
Once I got to the theater that night, I found out that my spot to stand was right next to the sound box at the very back of the orchestra. Half the stage was blocked by the sound box, so I had to slide towards the next seat over to see any of the action. I do think it qualified as the worst seat in the house. Still, this was a show I’d been wanting to see for years. I wasn’t about to let the sound box get in the way of that. I leaned over the partition and soaked in as much of the show as I could.
The sets drew me in right away, the music set the tone perfectly, and the lighting brought everything together to create moments that made my jaw drop. The show was gorgeous. Despite the downsides of a standing ticket, I’m absolutely glad I went. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After such a stellar theater experience, I can’t wait to plan my next night on Broadway.
Feature image via https://us.thephantomoftheopera.com/