Normally, Consumerist doesn't cover cultural goings-on, but I was surprised to see their recent nod towards the Phil's attempt to lure the young'uns, which the orchestra has been doing for years and years now (though the free TONY subscription is a newer enticement, I think)--and a number of commenters over there have observed that there are tons of American performing ensembles providing similar schemes, and often at cheaper prices.
Nevertheless, given the obscene financial mess we collectively find ourselves in presently--and noting that many presenters and artists are already having a hard time of it--I think it's as good a time as any to highlight some other current bargains around the country. (Many of these are especially good if you're willing to drop everything to go to a performance the same evening.) Of course, many smaller and regional ensembles offer some deals as well.
- Thanks to a big donation, the Met is offering $30 tickets for prime orchestra seats to Doctor Atomic. (Monday to Thursday nights, 200 orchestra seats are usually available for $20 apiece, with 50 of those seats reserved for senior citizens.)
- The San Francisco Symphony also offers rush tickets, but they don't limit availability by age (i.e., only to students and/or seniors).
- The Boston Symphony Orchestra has something of a swingin' single thing going on for people aged 21-38: for $40, you can attend a pre-concert mixer and then head into the concert. (They also offer the same set-up for an over-40 crowd, and another scheme for
- Out in St. Louis, the orchestra has all sorts of incentives set up, ranging from a freebie "encore" ticket (loved what you heard? come back another night for a second hearing of the same program gratis) to completely free tix for police, firefighters and military to their general "50 free" program. Go to their website to read the whole explanation.
I'm also a fan of the text messaging service that the London Symphony Orchestra offers, which frequently includes steep discounts for tickets to that evening's performance.
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