Almost Free Theater - 2

In response to a request from my Aunt Rosie, whose grandson is coming to NYC with his girlfriend, I think it's time to review the way to get off price theater tickets.  Broadway has been reinvigorated by Hamilton, and it's time for an update!

There are lots of ways to get lower priced tickets, but it will take some planning.  In no particular order, I recommend:

Playbill the theater magazine, which recently updated its list of lotteries, SRO's and student rush tix. Lotteries have become an increasingly fun way to get tickets for those of us who live in and around NYC.  Even though I was very lucky to see Hamilton with my son when it was still at the Public Theater, my mother and my boyfriend have not seen it so every morning I wake up, have my coffee (essential) and enter the daily lottery.

Most people know about the TKTS booth, operated by the Theater Development Fund, which sells day of tix at half price.

You must wait on line, but you are rewarded with a half price ticket on the day of the show. Booths are located in Manhattan in the Theater District, at the South Street Seaport, and in Brooklyn. *A new TKTS booth has just been added at Lincoln Center at the Atrium on 62nd Street.* Check the link to get hours of operation and remember the earlier you get there, the better your chance of getting the show you want.
While you are on the TKTS site, be sure to check if you qualify for TDF membership. You may be lucky enough to get deeply discounted tix with no lines and you can buy them in advance.  Here's a list of eligible people:

• Full-time students (high school or above)
• Full-time teachers (primary or junior high school faculty, high school faculty, university or college faculty, teachers of drama/dance/music)
• Recent graduates (26 years of age and under)
• Full-time union members
• Retirees (no longer working and at least 62 years of age or older)
• Full-time civil service employees
• Full-time staff members of not-for-profit organizations
• Full-time non-exempt employees (full-time hourly workers - 40 hours a week - who are eligible for overtime pay)
• Full-time performing arts professionals
• Members of the armed forces
• Freelancers
• Full-time clergy

An annual membership fee of $34 gets you tix to Broadway, Concerts, dance events, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway for $9 - $47.  I've been a member for more than 30 years and I've seen amazing performances.  Check out my last blog Almost Free Theater (August 3, 2015) for more theater tips!

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Keep calm and carry on....Lori

Happy (French) Independence Day!

Happy (French) Independence Day!

I had the best intentions to publish this on July 4th.  I am guilty of enjoying these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. So let's celebrate Bastille Day (July 14), shall we?  At least France is still in the European Union...

Just finished  reading Gloria Steinem's latest book My Life on the Road.  In it, she talks about an unfinished project she had hoped to accomplish: a book with her friend Wilma Mankiller, the great Native American organizer.  Wilma died before the book could come to fruition.  Gloria hoped Wilma would "pass on her gift for creating independence."

Saving money is one of the surefire ways I know of creating independence.  It is in your hands. So let's go!

I Left Aaron Sorkin Speechless!

With the buzz swirling around Steve Jobs, the movie based on Walter Issacson’s biography of the brilliant yet narcissistic founder of Apple, it was a priviledge to attend a screening organized by my union. The successful screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and I both belong to the Writer’s Guild of America, and frankly, that may be where the similarity ends.   Once upon a time I penned words for Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson on PrimeTime Live, but that was another lifetime ago. 

Aaron Sorkin

Sorkin was going to engage in a Q&A after we screened his latest film, so this was my second chance to ask him a question. I blew it last time when Sorkin did a Q&A after screening  the Social Network, another brilliant, rapid-fire tome that makes writer’s like me throw up our IPads and search for a dog walking job. I was intimidated by the master wordsmith’s presence and unsure of what to say, but I was younger then.  This time I was not going to throw away my shot.

Sitting in the front, I shot up my hand and was the first person called.  I said, “I loved this film but I don’t have a question about it. I’ve waited a long time to say this.  I want to thank you for the West Wing.  I have multiple sclerosis and for years in our support groups, we complained about the need for a poster child, ala Michael J. Fox with Parkinson’s disease.  Someone with an unpredictable affliction, but who still gets up, takes the nasty drugs and gets on with it. Then you gave President Jed Bartlett MS.  Fiction or not, I don’t think we could have asked for a better role model.”

Almost Free Theater!

Many of you want to see a Broadway show when you come to NYC and I don't need to tell you how frighteningly expensive this pursuit can be.  Still, a live show is an unforgetable experience and those of us who are lucky enough to live here have found several ways to "never pay retail."

By now most people know about the TKTS booth, operated by the Theater Development Fund.

You must wait on line, but you are rewarded with a half price ticket on the day of the show. Booths are located in Manhattan in the Theater District, at the South Street Seaport, and in Brooklyn.  Check the link to get hours of operation and remember the earlier you get there, the better your chance of getting the show you want.

10 Almost Free Things to do in New York

10 Almost Free Things to do in New York 

I moved last year to what we affectionately call "Upstate Manhattan."  Washington Heights had a scary reputation in the 80's but things have changed radically and it is now a very friendly, safe, family neighborhood  The 2008 Tony Award winning musical "In The Heights" is composer (and my son's 7th grade substitute English teacher(!)) Lin-Manuel Miranda's love letter to the neighborhood he grew up in and still calls home.

sunset in Washington Heights

So I thought I'd start this invitation to visit New York with a Northern focus.  Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters are really the jewel of this neighborhood.  The Cloisters feature art and architecture from the Medieval era and a reconstructed monastery,  You can easily transport yourself back to the days of Romeo and Juliet!  The Cloisters are part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and admission to one gets you same week admission to the other. The suggested entrance fee is pricey - $25 for adults, $17 for Seniors, $12 for students, under 12 free - but remember this is a recommended price.  You can (and should if you need to) pay less.

A New Computer!! 

Is your computer so slow you want to throw it out the window?  Are you delaying cutting the cable cord because you think your computer cannot handle it?  I am about to rock your world.

Crucial, a computer hardware company I discovered a few years ago, offers DIY memory upgrades that couldn't be simpler, even if you are less than confident about your computer skills.

Full disclosure here:  I frequently blame the type of nerdy guys I wouldn't date in high school  - we used to call them the AV (audio/visual) nerds - for all the unfriendly computer stuff out there.  It can be very intimidating. 

Cut the Cable

Cut the Cable

Happy New Year!

If you have decided to save significant money in 2015 - about $100 per month - read on... 

As many of you know, I am a former television writer/producer and an incurable news junkie, so this was not a decision I made lightly.  But a monthly cable/phone/internet bill that approached $300 was enough to spur me to explore the alternatives.

In my old apartment I had Verizon's FIOS and loved it. After years of TimeWarner unreliability, I was thrilled when FIOS finally was available in my old neighborhood on the Upper East Side.  I think I was the first one to sign up for the service and when they finally got it right, I was very happy.

Then I moved to my new apartment in Washington Heights and FIOS was not available.  Instead of going back to TimeWarnerCable, I decided it was time to take the plunge.