Our seats are about halfway back in the orchestra...all the way to the side. An amazing deal at $35 a ticket. Anything to avoid that awful balcony in the Walter Kerr!
This is amazing news! Thanks guys. I have such terrible luck with digital lotteries and probably never would win the entire 20 weeks. Glad there is another option as this is the play I'm looking forward to the most.
"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah
SO happy there will be a rush, too! I am only in NYC for a week so the digital lotteries prove to be a little tough for me as I try to plan ahead as much as possible. Can't wait to hear back about the first preview for tonight!
I'm surprised they have built the whole marketing campaign around Saoirse Ronan. I know she's just coming off her Oscar nomination, but she's not even playing Elizabeth. When I saw the call board this morning and realized Sophie Okonedo was in this and would be playing Elizabeth my excitement grew considerably. You have a recent Tony winner as one of the leads, so where is the love?
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
I snagged a ticket for tonight through TodayTix. I caught the Ivo van Hove bug after A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE and have been waiting for this ever since they announced it. Very excited. And in my favorite theater! First time sitting in the Kerr's mezzanine.
From the rehearsal clip in that interview video, it looks like the production is set in a classroom? Maybe Ben Whishaw is the teacher who assumes the role of John? If that's the case, I'm into that concept.
Since Whizzer and I were unsure if they would accept credit cards (since this rush policy hasn't been officially announced), we each took out cash from the ATM before going to the box office this morning. Since we had the cash, and we wanted to get rid of it since no one carries cash anymore, we didn't even bother asking - we just gave the box office guy the cash to pay for our tickets knowing full well he would accept it. So sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Regarding the rush, does anyone have any idea of how many seats are available/if there would be any left if I headed to the box office for tonight's performance?
"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
From what we gathered, it seems like they were distributing rush seats as the orchestra extreme sides. Since today is the first preview, and knowledge of this rush policy is limited, it is certainly worth going over there to ask if they have any left. Also, feel free to ask if it is cash only or if they also accept credit cards and please let us know on this thread. Appreciated.
Entered the digital lottery this morning (lets you enter at once for the entire week)
Came home and received an e-mail that I won for tomorrow night --- had an email link that led me to Ticketmaster --- I've never won a digital lottery --- is this the way it normally works? I only ask because I was concerned over the ticketmonster fees --- service charge was $5 --- tickets had to be purchased by 11:59 tonight --- got Orch E (side)
Digital lotteries are usually on the day of rather than the day before, but yes, sometimes you pay online. $5 is NOT a monster fee. Especially if you're getting orchestra seats.
I have a first row seat in a couple of weeks. Please let me know if the stage is particularly high? I hate the Kerr - even the orchestra is uncomfortable. But I loved the van Hove BRIDGE and look forward to seeing this.
Thanks Neon --- yea, I was fine with the $5 fee--- I was just afraid that the "normal" Ticketmaster fees would be charged---if that would have been the case, I would have just tried to "rush" instead -- I was really pleasantly surprised at how early I was notified !!
Regarding the general box office rush, I was able to get a seat! Side mezz as well as orchestra, it seems, and they accept both cash and credit. Also, the man in the box office said there might be either one or two intermissions, he wasn't sure.
So excited for tonight!
"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
Was at the first preview tonight and Wow! It's pretty much everything as you would expect from Ivo Van Hove, meaning its a production at once highly stylized and presentational, alternately grandly theatrical and voyeuristically naturalistic and of course by nature, I'm sure will be highly divisive.
It was exciting to get to see this in a first preview capacity, because I have no doubt there will be many changes made (A VIEW FROM A BRIDGE never stopped changing in the year and half of its time between London and NYC) but I was again riveted by the wonderful and bizarre vision of this extraordinary director. Van Hove's greatest achievement is that in his stripping down, the story and language of these classic plays is never more clear. And there may be no other director who can keep an audience so rapt on the edge of their seats with the shear suspense of the dialogue.
The production is done in contemporary dress and is set in a sort of institutional setting (a school, prison or inner city court house might all possibilities). I was fascinated by the use throughout the evening of a large chalkboard. The performances are all outstanding; since I know everyone will be curious -- Saoirse Ronan seems very confident up there and is already given a very accomplished take on Abigail. Ben Whislaw and especially Tavi Gevinson (as Mary Warren) were standouts. Sophie Okonedo's performance I suspect will be controversial. It's a very stylized performance that is almost 'anti-acting' -- again a typical Van Hove approach.
The production is full of wonderfully strange (and sometimes jaw dropping in a good way) theatrical moments. The most exciting happens, natch during the girls' hysteria in the courtroom, where their 'imagined visions' finally become real in a stunning hurricane moment worthy a Stephen King story.
I'm excited to revisit this later in the run when I'm back in NYC to see how it changes. Ivo Van Hove is no doubt a love it or hate it experience, but I think for the incredible imagination and theatrical prowess he has brought to Broadway this season, he truly deserves a special Tony Award for his work this year.
“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”