AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to The Normal Heart

I don't know if it's the fact that London's National Theater is calling this play "one of the greatest 100 plays of the 20th century" or if it's the limited engagement (supply and demand, people), but I'm excited to see Broadway's newest play, The Normal Heart.

New York City during the AIDS crisis was a hotspot of controversy and reticence, yet while sadness seemed inevitable, hope prevailed in so many places. The Normal Heart is advertised as a political thriller that tells the story of a close group of friends fighting to break down the wall of silence surrounding the AIDS epidemic. Starring Ellen Barkin (Emmy® Winner, Before Women Had Wings), Patrick Breen (Next Fall), John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C), Joe Mantello (Tony® nominee, Angels in America), Luke MacFarlane (Brothers and Sisters, Lee Pace (Golden Globe nominee, Pushing Daisies) and Jim Parsons (Emmy® Winner, The Big Bang Theory), I'm sure this will be a powerful night of theater you won't soon forget.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see The Normal Heart on Broadway! The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to see this show.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a link to your tweet or blog in a comment below.


One winner will be chosen using Random.org on Thursday 4/7. You have until Thursday 4/7 at 4 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

Thank you to everyone who entered! There is some serious interest in this show! But there had to be a winner. Congratulations Amanda! You win two tickets to see The Normal Heart on Broadway! I hope you enjoy and come back and give us the recap!

For the rest of you who didn't win, you can find discounted tickets here.

Show Your Shades, Score Some Tickets

We've all heard of The Shirelles (Twist and Shout, Sixteen Candles, It's My Party...hello?!?). But have you ever heard of the woman who made them stars?

Baby It's You, a new Broadway musical, tells the story of Florence Greenberg, a suburban housewife from New Jersey, and how she came to change the face of music, discovering the original girl group and creating an influential record label. It stars Tony-award winning actress Beth Leavel as Greenberg and promises to pop with familiar toe-tapping tunes. I'm sure the costumes will be spectacular as well.

Now in previews, Baby It's You opens April 27th, but the show is holding a clever ticket giveaway contest on Facebook. All you have to do is post a picture of yourself in your favorite shades (the more retro the better) for a chance to win tickets. All you awesome readers should enter and tell your friends!

I also noticed that if you sign up for the newsletter on the show's homepage, you will also be entered to win tickets. So why not double your chances? Best of luck! I hope one of my readers wins!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

New York's a business town, that we all know. But if you're a window washer, how do you rise to the top with the aid of a self-help book? It will be interesting, that's for sure. There's bound to be a little romance action in there as well if Harry...ahem...Daniel Radcliffe has anything to say about it. 

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying brings previews February 26th at the Al Hirschfeld Theater (45th St. and 8th Ave.) Starring Radcliffe of Harry Potter Fame as J. Pierrepont Finch as well as the Emmy Award-winning John Larroquette as J.B. Biggely. The voice of Anderson Cooper will also make an appearance as the show's narrator. After seeing this show put on by my high school some years ago, I'm excited for this spunky and fun Broadway revival.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway! The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know your best tip for climbing the business ladder.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a link to your tweet or blog in a comment below.

One winner will be chosen using Random.org on Friday 2/25. You have until Friday 2/25 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!


UPDATE 2/24: Want a 5th chance to win tickets? For an extra entry, leave any comment on the photo here: bit.ly/htPp7W and then comment on this post letting me know you did so. If you already commented on the photo before today, just leave a comment below saying so and you'll get another entry. Good luck! Thanks!!

With a record number of entries in this giveaway, I'd like to extend a hearty congratulations to Jessica! She was the 37th commenter and wins 2 tickets to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying! Her tip for getting ahead - don't be a pushover! Very apt advice indeed! Thank you to everyone for entering! And don't forget to vote for me please if you haven't already. Thanks! 

AWESOME GIVEAWAY REPEAT: 2 Tickets to Lombardi!

It's time for a giveaway repeat! I know you're still waxing poetic about the Jets, but Broadway wants you to celebrate the Super Bowl regardless...at Lombardi! I know I'm excited for pigs in a blanket, chili and the ever amazing commercials (honestly, they're the main reason I watch). But Dan Lauria and Judith Light will get you in the spirit even more by portraying the gridiron's favorite family, Vince and Marie Lombardi. Who knows, after seeing the show, you might even start rooting for Green Bay.

Here's another reason to get excited for football - I'm giving away TWO pairs of tickets to see Lombardi on Broadway! The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know what you are most excited for on Superbowl Sunday.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a link to your tweet or blog in a comment below.

Two winners will be chosen using Random.org on Friday 1/28. You have until Friday 1/4 at 10 a.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

The winners have been chosen! Congratulations Theo and Lisette! You were the 9th and 20th commenters and win 2 tix to see Lombardi. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone else who entered!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to La Cage Aux Folles!

Whether you see a Broadway show for the bright lights and flashy musical numbers or the celebrity appearances, whether it's for some risqué performances or decadent costumes, La Cage Aux Folles has it all. Winner of the 2010 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, this show will have you laughing, tapping your toes and enjoying a timeless identity-cover-up-turned-disaster-turned-acceptance storyline with a twist.

Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") and Douglas Hodge (2010 Tony for Best Actor winner) have been starring since the show opened as Georges, a drag nightclub owner, and Albin (or Zaza, his alterego), Georges' lover. When Georges' son Jean-Michele announces he's engaged to the daughter of the straight-laced head of the Tradition, Family and Morality Party who's goal is to shut down all drag clubs, Georges and Jean-Michele must create an elaborate plan to hide their identities, much to the disappointment of Albin. Mayhem ensues, ballads are sung and, in typical Broadway fashion, the closing number is quite fabulous. Harvey Fierstein and Jeffrey Tambor will replace Grammer and Hodge starting on February 15. 

The production is running a special ticket offer. Check out this website and scoop up tickets for one of the last performances featuring Grammer and Hodge and one of the first performances featuring Fierstein and Tambor!

One lucky reader will receive two tickets to see La Cage Aux Folles on a weeknight of his or her choosing. The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each separate comment counts as an entry. You may enter the contest a maximum of 4 times. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to go to this show and how you heard about this contest.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a comment below with a link to your tweet or blog.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Friday 1/14. You have until Friday 11/14 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Lisa! You were the 15th commenter and win 2 tix to see La Cage Aux Folles. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone else who entered!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY REPEAT: 2 Tickets to Time Stands Still!!

It's time for a giveaway repeat! Time Stands Still is an amazing show and MUST be seen! The cast, including mega-star Laura Linney with Brian D'Arcy James, Eric Bogosian and Christina Ricci is changing January 30th, and you don't want to miss them.

The show tells the story of a war photographer dealing with the realities of real life back at home. It's a very poignant and intelligent story that gives another whole perspective to the politics and realities of war and brings a personal angle to it.


The production is running some special ticket offers and has amazing seats available from 12/26-12/29 (during a time when you may have some out of town visitors around who you'd like to impress....hint, hint). Check out this website and see for yourself!


One lucky reader will receive two tickets to see Time Stands Still on a night of his or her choosing before January 30, 2011. The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each separate comment counts as an entry. You may enter the contest a maximum of 4 times. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to go to this show and how you heard about this contest.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a comment below with a link to your tweet or blog.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Friday 11/17. You have until Friday 11/17 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congrats Kim! You are the 12th commenter and lucky winner of 2 tickets to see Time Stands Still on Broadway! Enjoy the show and thanks to everyone who entered! Stay tuned for more giveaways in the new year :)

TDF - It's More Than TKTS

If you haven't figured it out yet, I love theater. Thing is, if you love going as much as I do, it can put a pretty heavy strain on your wallet. Fortunately, I've found many ways to win tickets (pay attention to Facebook and Twitter people!!), but there are always shows I just can't find giveaways for or that out of town visitors specifically request. This is when I'm glad to have discovered the Theater Development Fund.

Some of you might know TDF as the organization that runs the big TKTS booth in Times Square where you can buy day-of discounted tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. TDF is so much more than just TKTS. I recently signed up as a member for an annual fee of just $30 for a year and now have access to all sorts of tickets for even cheaper than they are sold at TKTS. Bonus - I can buy them in advance!! For example, I purchased two front orchestra tickets to see Rock of Ages and only spent $77 including all fees!! It really can't get much better than that. 

Some caveats - you don't always get a choice of where your seats are, but in my experience, they have been surprisingly good. Also, not everyone can join TDF. You have to be one of the following (and provide proof): full-time students, full-time teachers, union members, retirees, civil service employees, staff members of not-for-profit organizations, performing arts professionals, members of the armed forces or clergy. If you fall into one of those categories and love theater, I would recommend signing up asap. It's just a short application and you have to send in a letter proving that you qualify for membership. You can purchase up to 10 tickets for each show on your account, so tell your friends. They won't want to miss out on the cheap tickets either!

Awesome Extra: TDF also has a great guide to Broadway and theater for newbies. It will answer all of your questions - check it out! 

It's RAINing Beatles

Go ahead. Name me someone who doesn't like the Beatles.

Of course, none. Moving on.

If you want a night to relive the 60's (even if you never actually were alive in the 60s), head over to the Theater District and pick yourself up a ticket or two to see Rain - A Tribute to the Beatles. The one you want to hold hands with will love you eight days a week after you bring them to see this spectacle of timeless music, nostalgic multimedia presentations and spot-on costumes and sets.

Thanks to the awesome folks at the Times Square Alliance, I won two tickets to go see Rain, and I brought my Dad in town from LA. I'm not going to lie and not tell you that my presence in the theater brought down the mean age by a fair sum, however, no matter your age, you will love this show. It's rare that you get asked to stand up, dance, clap and sing along to a Broadway show. Also, the actor who is supposed to be playing Paul McCartney is definitely his doppelganger - he's even won awards on how much he sounds like the superstar. 

Our friends at Stage Rush are currently doing a giveaway for a couple of tickets, so I would definitely check that out. To purchase tickets, head over to Theater Mania for discount codes. Enjoy!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Promises, Promises!

There's nothing like a feel good show. Especially one with lively colors, memorable music, cheery Kristin Chenoweth, Just Jack (um, I mean Sean Hayes) and Molly Shannon making her snazzy Broadway debut. I saw this show back in April when I had some out-of-town guests in and they absolutely loved it. 

The show, based on the 1960 film The Apartment, begins by introducing a young and rather naive employee by the name of Chuck Baxter, who is willing to pretty much do anything to move up the corporate ladder. Anything includes lending out his apartment to his higher-ups for use as a love nest (see: Madmen). Trouble arises when Baxter discovers the woman of his dreams, Fran Kubelik, has become the mistress of one of his executives. You'll recognize Burt Bacharach songs like "I Say A Little Prayer" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and when the show is over you'll find yourself wanting to head back to your office to try out some of those over-the-desk dance moves.

One lucky reader will receive two tickets to see Promises, Promises on a night of his or her choosing. The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. You may enter the contest a maximum of 4 times. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to go to this show and how you heard about this contest.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a comment below with a link to your tweet or blog.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Wednesday 11/24. You have until Wednesday 11/24 at 11 a.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations to Eugene for being the 7th commenter! I hope you enjoy the show! Thanks to everyone for entering!

All That Facebook Jazz

Now don't get confused, but Chicago is awesome in New York.

The show that is. Along with some kick-ass chair dancing and sexy solos, the show also has an amazing PR team which cooked up an innovative campaign that you should really take advantage of. Chicago has plans to be the first Broadway production to pack the house entirely with its Facebook fans. All you have to do is get ten of your friends to "like" the show, and you get a FREE ticket to the 2 p.m. performance on Sunday January 30th.

Want to be a part of this razzle dazzle? Well click this link and get liking! You don't want to be a left-out-in-the-cold Mr. Cellophane now do you?

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to See Lombardi!

It's rare to walk into a Broadway theater surrounded by a swarm of big, burly men in suits. So when I entered the Circle in the Square Theater to see Lombardi, I knew something would be different. With the stage set up in the round, and not a single "bad" seat available, Lombardi stars Dan Lauria from "The Wonder Years" as famed Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi and Judith Light, most recently from "Ugly Betty," as his wife Marie. Following the premise of a young sports journalist trying to write a Pulitzer Prize winning story on the football coach, the audience learns a great deal about both the professional and home lives of Lombardi and his families, because as the show states, he truly loved his players.

I'm not a huge sports fan, but I love a good sports movie, and if you're the same, you will appreciate this show. Of course those big, burly men in the theater came because they love football, so ladies, this is your chance to get your man to a Broadway show!

One lucky reader will receive two tickets to see Lombardi on a night of his or her choosing. The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to go to this show and how you heard about this contest.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a comment below with a link to your tweet or blog.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Thursay 11/4. You have until Thursday 11/4 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations to Sofia for being the 13th commenter! I hope you enjoy the show! Thanks to everyone for entering!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to A Little Night Music

With so many musicals trying to be new and different these days, it's always refreshing to see a classic that just does everything right and is memorable for that alone. A Little Night Music is one of those shows. I was invited to watch an exquisite performance last week and was really in awe of the fact that multiple-award winning actresses Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch were on the stage in front of me. Though the setting is a conservative country villa in turn-of-the-century Sweeden, the dialogue is full of wit and snark and you really grow to love each and every character for their personalities. By the end, you are singing the songs and want to go on a weekend in the country of your own.

A Little Night Music is playing at the Walter Kerr Theater only until January 9, but I'm giving away tickets! 

One lucky reader will receive two tickets to see A Little Night Music on a night of his or her choosing. The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show.  There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to go to this show and how you heard about this contest.
3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a comment below with a link to your tweet or blog.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Friday 10/29. You have until Friday 10/29 at 12 p.m. EST to enter this contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congrats Kathleen, you were the 10th commenter! I hope you and your mother enjoy the show. Let us know how you liked it! 


If you didn't win this time around - stay tuned! You can win tickets to another hot Broadway play on Monday. 

Missed the Giveaway?

After the giveaway I held two weeks ago for Time Stands Still tickets, I felt badly that I couldn't award all of the entrants with tickets, as it's really one of the best plays I have seen in a while. Even if you didn't win (or even if you missed the contest entirely), I have good news.

Time Stands Still is offering discounted seats for as low as $43! Using the code TSAMC813 here, you can get what I call "rich (or lucky) persons" seating for just $79.50, rear mezz. seating for $60 and "poor persons" seating for just $43. This code is valid for all performances through 11/24, excluding Saturday nights. 


To save even more money, I often buy my theater tickets at the box office to avoid pesky ticket website fees. You can go to the Time Stands Still website to find more details on box office hours and the show itself. Believe me, you do not want to miss Laura Linney in this awesome show!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Time Stands Still

Every so often there comes a play that really moves me. When I saw "Time Stands Still" produced by the Manhattan Theater Club on a limited engagement last spring, I was so mesmerized and amazed at how a story I had no connection to could really make me think the way I did. It also didn't hurt that Laura Linney, one of my favorite actresses, played one of the main characters.

Back for a more permanent run, "Time Stands Still" started previews at the Cort Theater on Sept. 23rd and opens Oct. 7. It tells the story of a war photographer dealing with the realities of real life back at home. It's a very poignant and intelligent story that gives another whole perspective to the politics and realities of war and brings a personal angle to it.

One lucky reader and a guest will get to attend the Yelp night at "Time Stands Still" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday October 12th. You must be able to attend this showing so please do not enter if you are not available that night. There are 4 easy ways to win. Please include your email in any comment so I know how to get a hold of you if you win.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know why you want to go to this show and how you heard about this contest.
3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a comment below with a link to your tweet or blog.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Thursday 10/7. You have until Thursday 10/7 at 10 a.m. EST to enter this contest. The winner will have to pick up his/her tickets at the box office the day of the show. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congrats Jessica who writes the blog See Jessica Go! Jessica was the 5th commenter and was chosen using Random.org. I hope you like the show. Let us all know how you enjoyed it!