Harvey

    With the close of the 2011-2012 season, comes the start of 2012-2013 season. The new theater season got off to an early start this year with the opening of The Roundabout Theater Company's production of Harvey at studio 54. This Pulitzer prize winner starred The Big Bang Theories Jim Parson's, as well as Jessica Hecht, and Tracee Chimo. They were joined in excellent supporting performances from Charles Kimbrough, Larry Bryggman, and Carol Kane.

   I decided upon the initial casting announcement that I would take my mother to see Harvey because she is a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory. Of course I waited until absolutely the last minute to get tickets, (two weeks before the show closed) and saw the show the day before it closed.

     My husband Matt and I are members of the Roundabout Theater company's wonderful Hiptix program, which offers $20 tickets to anyone under the age of 36 who registers online. There is a "Gold" version which costs $75 a year, entitles you to side orchestra seats instead of side mezzanine seats, and also to buy two tickets instead of one. This still left us 1 ticket shy so on the morning of the show I got myself up at 5am (after having already gotten up at 5am the day before to get tickets for the Public Theaters production of Into the woods, but that's another blog), and hauled myself up to the studio 54 box office to wait in line for rush tickets.

   Due to the slow weekend train schedule, I arrived to the B.O. at around 7am. There was only 1 other person ahead of me, so I felt pretty damn good about my chances. Three hours to go until the box office opened, I read some, ate some, napped some, and chatted some. More people showed up behind us. The box office finally opened at 10am, and we were told that there were no rush tickets, that the show was completely sold out, but we were welcome to wait in the cancellation line. What is a cancellation line? It's a line people without tickets stand in, in hopes that somebody with tickets will return or cancel them.

    I wasn't left with much choice. We already had two tickets, I had already waited 3 hours, and there was only one other person ahead of me. Within 10 minutes of opening the person in front of me received a ticket for the 2pm show. An hour later, another ticket became available - for the 2pm. I needed a ticket for the 8pm.

   During my time in line I got to chatting with the people in line with me about various other shows, where people were from and the like. The closer it got to 2pm the more people behind me got tickets. The more people behind me got tickets the more confident I became that I, too, would be able to purchase a ticket for that evenings performance.

   2pm came, everyone of my line buddies had gotten a ticket for the afternoon show. Even people who showed up at 1pm hoping to get a seat. Fifteen minutes after the curtain went up and I went to the window. and asked about the evening show. There were still no seats available. The woman at the window (with whom I had also had a few discussions during the course of 4 hours I had been waiting in the lobby) felt bad and told me to go get something to eat. Upon my return at 3pm, as luck would have it, an orchestra seat had become available. Granted it cost $100 more than the rush seat I had planned to buy that day, I happily purchased it.

     After making my way back home and taking a much needed nap, we all three made our way back to Studio 54. My mother sat in the orchestra seat and Matt and I sat up in the Mezz. The show was very funny. Jim Parsons is excellent on stage (as I already knew from his sassy portrayal of Tommy in The Normal Heart). The play is a bit dated in it's depiction of psychiatry and mental illness, however it still stands the test of time as far as comedy and writing are concerned.

    Even though I was deliriously tired after a long weekend, I still thoroughly enjoyed the play. We all got to see the show, and even got a few autographs afterwards (though not Jim Parsons). Mom had a great time, and she got to sit 10 feet away from Dr. Sheldon Cooper. All in all it was worth it.