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Engelhardt |
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REAL CHEAPLY: THE SEQUEL
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Let's see some theatre,
but not go broke doing it
of TheColumnists.com
(Second of two parts)
Last time I wrote about what it was like being in a
Crackerjack box in the theatre district of New York City. Today
I’ll focus on cheap theatre, cheap food, cheap things to
buy and other bargains to be had in the Big Apple.*
Let’s start with transportation.
Say you just arrived at JFK or LaGuardia Airport. What’s
the best way to get to your hotel? The gutsiest move would be
to find the subway station, buy a week-long Metro Card (a steal
at $21), take the shuttle from the airport to the subway station
and whoosh away to your destination.
But, when you arrive at night and you’re feeling a tad vulnerable,
you’ll probably be more comfortable seeking out the Ground
Transportation signs and taking either an express bus or a taxi.
We opted for the Airport Service Express Bus for $13 from JFK
($10 from LaGuardia)--a decent fare. But you want to make sure
it’ll stop somewhere near where you’re going. Otherwise,
take a $35 taxi ride directly to your door.
First thing next morning you must follow Engelhardt Rule #1: Go to a subway station and buy that marvelous Metro Card. It’s so easy to go anywhere in Manhattan either by subway or bus, and the card is good for unlimited rides on either one.
That doesn’t mean you’re not going to walk--you most definitely are because New York City is extremely easy to navigate on foot. Engelhardt Rule #2: Make sure you bring along a good pair of walking shoes.
Now let’s work on
places to go. Who doesn’t come to NYC without seeing a Broadway
play or two? We saw four and yet spent a total sum under $350
for two tickets per show.
Our first day I dutifully hiked to the Half-Price Ticket Booth
on Broadway, stood in line for about 90 minutes and scored two
super seats to see "Take Me Out" at the Walter Kerr
Theatre. At $41 each, this was a real bargain, especially because
the play was terrific! One actor, Denis O’Hare, was so riveting
that I couldn’t take my eyes off him.**
This is where I segue
not very gracefully into last column’s promise of non-prurient
nudity. Yes, there were a whole lot of nude guys in "Take
Me Out"--and that’s not even the best reason to see
it. The funny part was that I didn’t KNOW there would be
lots of guys dropping their towels and taking showers so it took
me by surprise--and from the “OHHH….” sounds around
us, I wasn't the only one! Yet, if you think about it: Hello?
Baseball team locker room? What do guys do in baseball locker
rooms? Change uniforms, take showers.
All this reminds me of Uta Haagan-Dasz, who, in her book “Contempt for Acting,“ advised, “Avoid performing naked in a crappy play.” Fortunately, "Take Me Out" is anything but crappy.
Now here’s my really big tip for anyone who’s going to New York and wants to see shows: Check out this online website: www.BroadwayBox.com. Don’t ask me how this website does it, but there are great bargains here. Our "Gypsy" tickets, for example, were regularly $66.25. We got them for $42.50 simply by printing off the discount offer from this website and giving it to the man at the box office. Wanna see "Nine?" How about $49-$66 rather than the regular price of $86-$101? You can call or order online to get these rates, too, but if you don’t know which date you want, it’s easier just to print off the discount offers and bring them with you. Trust me.
One show you shouldn’t miss is a little off-Broadway review called "Forbidden Broadway." Think "Beach Blanket Babylon" on steroids. This irreverent little show at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre has been running for 23-plus years. Basically it’s just four versatile performers and a piano player sending up as many Broadway shows as they can fit into two hours.
There were just so many great places to go….so little time AND money! Here are a few more of my personal favorites:
Stop first at the New York
Convention & Visitors Bureau info center (810 Seventh Ave.)
to pick up lots of great brochures, free maps and even discount
coupons.
Take the Radio City Music Hall Backstage Tour. This 1932 Art
Deco theatre is breathtaking--and you see so much on the one-hour
tour. I went into the preview room and watched some of the Rockettes
and their partners dancing to Frank Sinatra tunes, chatted up
a Rockette--and used the gorgeous restrooms!
Get on the Staten Island Ferry: Yes, one of the ferries had crashed
a few days before we went, but it’s still the greatest bargain
ever. It’s free. We would have gone to Ellis Island but
since 9/11 the Statue of Liberty and the museum are closed, so
you only get to walk around the park grounds. Make sure you bring
plenty of film!
Spend a day in Central Park. Incredible times three! We walked
our feet off and still missed so much. For me, walking by The
Dakota, where John Lennon was killed, then going across the street
to a Central Park garden appropriately called Strawberry Fields,
was a won’t-be-forgotten moment.
Pick up a knit cap ($5), cashmere scarf ($12), imitation designer
purse ($5) and more from the many street vendors. Great souvenirs--and
darned cheap!
I also have to mention a very special guided tour we took one morning with a former drama student of my husband, Ray. Don Stitt’s been making his living as a New York actor for about 30 years, so he knows the theatre district walking sideways. As we hopscotched from the Belasco to the New Amsterdam to the Gershwin, Shubert and more, he spun charming little stories of a theatre’s history interwoven with what show he had done there and which window had been his dressing room.
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at the right--with Rupert Gee of Dave Letterman's favorite deli. |
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“The Ed Sullivan,
where Dave (Letterman) works, was also known as the Hammerstein,
The Manhattan, and Playhouse 53,” he pointed out. “It’s
also where I once caught a 40-yard pass from Joe Montana. I think
he used to play professionally for some team out west.”
Speaking of Dave Letterman, Ray insisted we go to Rupert Gee’s
Hello Deli and have lunch one day. We did, he was there, and
the sandwiches were downright tasty (AND not overpriced). I ordered
a Regis Philbin…ham and Swiss cheese, as I recall. Naturally
my hubby had to have his picture taken with Rupert.
Let’s see, photos of Ray with Rupert….Ray with a Rockette….Ray on the Staten Island Ferry and the top of the Empire State Building. Hmmm….was I even ON this trip??
*I never actually SAW an apple in the Big Apple, though
I was trying to find some apple jelly in a ceramic apple to bring
home to my daughter….to no avail. I really think there’s
a demand for this and am willing to give away my idea…gratis…if
anyone wants to capture a hitherto-untapped souvenir market.
**Obviously I’m not the only one who thinks he’s
great--he won the 2003 Best Featured Actor Tony Award for his
performance.
©2003 by Joanne Engelhardt. The photo illustration is the
author's property. The cartoon illustration is from IMSI's Master
Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506,
USA.
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