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

It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since the hit revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opened on Broadway (and a year since we held a ticket giveaway for the show). Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe has vacated his role as J. Pierrepont Finch for bigger and better things (an upcoming creepy looking motion picture it seems) and teeny-bopper heartthrob Nick Jonas has taken over the reins of the lead part, much to the excitement of thirteen-year-olds everywhere.

Rounding out the rest of the cast is Beau Bridges as J. B. Biggley and Rose Hemingway as  Rosemary Pilkington. Michael Urie, of Ugly Betty fame, plays the scheming Bud Frump, and Anderson Cooper still narrates (prerecorded unfortunately).


All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away another 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 why you want to see this show and who you will bring if you win.

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 2/3. You have until Friday 2/3 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of entries in this contest - a record breaker for sure! With that said, there can only be one winner. Congratulations Kristin! She was the 95th commenter and wins two tickets to see Nick Jonas in How to Succeed! Kristin, please check your email for details.

For those of you who did not win, THANK YOU for entering and STAY AWESOME! You can still save 40% on tickets through Feb. 29 using the discount code HSFAN105 at broadwayoffers.com (restrictions and black out dates apply).

Behind the Scenes at Bonnie & Clyde

There’s not much I love more about New York than Broadway. Hence, when Theater Advisor asked me to be a guest blogger, see the new show Bonnie & Clyde and recap a post-show Q&A event with some of the cast and creative team, I jumped at the chance.

The tale of Bonnie and Clyde is one of those legendary American stories that everyone knows at least a little bit about. However, only knowing the fragment about love and crime (I didn’t even know exactly what happened to them in the end, but I won’t spoil it here!), I decided to watch the classic 1967 movie with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the night before. With that in my head before the actual show I figured I’d be able to focus more on the creative characteristics of the show itself and not merely the plot. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the show itself. The acting was wonderful and I found the songs catchy, unlike some die-hard critics out there. The simple, yet flawlessly transformable set could have easily stolen the show, but instead it functioned as an additional character with the sole purpose of connecting everything that was happening on stage. Overall, I was able to completely give myself over to the story and be swept away by the magic of Broadway.

After the performance, the show held a digital media Q&A at Hurley’s Saloon. Director Jeff Calhoun, scenic/costume designer Tobin Ost and cast members Claybourne Elder (Butch Barrow) and Melissa van der Schyff (Blanche Barrow) were in attendance and took turns answering questions related to the show, its relationship to the movie and how the real characters in the story might have reacted to the musical today.

After several questions regarding the iconic film, Calhoun commented that he did not set out to make a musical based on a movie, but rather, wanted to create a show based on a real American story – not an easy feat in the world of never-ending movie-to-Broadway musicals.

“New musicals are hard to come by,” he said. “I’m an independent contractor. I don’t write. So I’m at the mercy of finding material that speaks to me. I spent the last five years developing this show because I love it and I’m proud of it.”

Taking a unique approach to a musical and not including any large production dance numbers, Calhoun said he thinks of Bonnie & Clyde as “a play with music.”

Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes as Bonnie and Clyde  (Photo by: Nathan Johnson)

Because Broadway has seen its fair share of wackadoodle musicals (I won’t name names), the creators of this show took a risk in putting on a production essentially about criminals. I’ve heard plenty of chit chat about the implausibility of creating a musical, which is usually lighthearted, about murder and poverty. However, every musical I’ve seen seems to have some sort of take home message. For Bonnie & Clyde, the love story was pronounced and the criminals got what they deserved, but the show really emphasized the economic climate in America during that time in our history and the injustices committed on both sides of the gun, so to say. 

“Poverty made Clyde a criminal. Jail made him a murderer. Only in America at that time in our history, could two such animals have been created,” Calhoun said, adding that the show was created to be the most truthful telling of the actual events as possible, while the film was “very ‘Hollywood’ and loose with the facts.”

Van der Schyff added to that saying, “I think it’s interesting how one wrong choice can steer your life in the wrong direction.” She followed that up by noting that the choice Blanche made to follow Butch into a life of crime may have been well-intentioned (in her mind she was standing by her man), but ultimately ended up, let’s just say, poorly. 

Melissa van der Schyff, Claybourne Elder, Louis Hobson and Jeremy Jordan (Photo by: Nathan Johnson)

Taking inspiration from all of the “dilapidated barns” near his home in rural Pennsylvania, Ost said the “total organic process” of creating the set enabled him to fabricate something that would flow seamlessly with the fast-paced script. In addition, the set was filled with symbolism, right down to the topography which Calhoun said was “as perilous as the times that [Bonnie and Clyde] were living in.”

In terms of how the real Bonnie and Clyde would react to the fanfare of a Broadway musical about them, Calhoun said, “I think they’d be thrilled that there was a movie, and they’d be thrilled that there was a play. They were egomaniacal and they really did both want to be famous in their own right.”

Both van der Schyff and Elder said they go into every performance not only thinking about the personalities of the real Buck and Blanche, but also about their collective spiritual presence. “We like to set an intention before each show that if [the character’s] spirits are with us that they would hopefully be happy that we’re telling their story with the intention of maybe someone is going to make a different choice in their life tonight,” van der Schyff said.

“That’s all you could ever hope for, that someone would be changed by what you do,” Elder added. “This show is a really amazing opportunity to do that because of the story.”

Summing up, Calhoun said he went into this show with the objective to create something truly original. “I try to do shows for better or for worse that don’t look like other shows,” he said. “At least if I stole, it was by mistake. I think we have our own integrity, our own DNA. It’s actually adult storytelling and I like that. I’m proud of that. The audiences that like it appreciate it on that level and I’m really grateful for that.”

To save up to 30%  on tickets for Bonnie & Clyde through December 30, 2011, visit Broadway Box, call 212-947-8844 or visit the box office at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater at 236 W. 45th Street and use code BCBBX909.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Follies (again!)

One of my favorite shows of the season was the revival of Follies, yet sadly it must close January 22! If you haven't seen the show, you don't want to miss what Ben Brantley of The New York Times called a "white-hot, vibrant, and moving" show. Bernadette Peters is fabulous and I can't get enough of Jan Maxwell, each as former Follies girls reunited for the closing of the theater in which they once performed. Danny Burstein and Rob Raines make up the rest of the quad-fecta as love interests  and strong individual characters with their own stories to tell. There are limited opportunities to see this show before it closes so make sure you get tickets!

Check out a video preview of the show here!

All of my awesome readers are in luck again! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Follies on Broadway! Tickets are good through the run of the show and there are 5 easy ways to win. Keep in mind that each comment counts as an entry. Be sure to include your email in each comment so that I can easily contact you if you win.

1. REQUIRED - Subscribe to Awesome in New York by email using the submission box in the right panel and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
2. REQUIRED - Refer a friend to this contest. You must leave a separate comment letting me know who you referred and the friend must leave a comment letting me know who referred them for both entries to count.
3. Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
4. Follow Awesome in New York using Networked Blogs or Google Friend Connect and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
5. Tweet or blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet or blog below.

You have until Friday 12/9 at 4 pm EST to enter this contest. Winners will be announced soon after. Best of luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations to Mary Ann! You have won a pair of tickets to see Follies on Broadway. I hope you have a great time and be sure to come back and tell us how you liked the show!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 4 Tickets to Lysistrata Jones

What happens when you mix a classic Greek play with high school, some flashy musical numbers and sex (or lack thereof)? Well, you get Lysistrata Jones of course. The new Broadway comedy that received rave reviews off-Broadway earlier this year begins previews November 12 and shows that even Aristophanes can be hip for the modern age.

The premise of the show revolves around an Athenian University basketball team that hasn't won in 30 years and the cheerleaders who come up with a plan to withhold any and all bow-chicka-bow-wow until the team wins. College boys can do without a lot in life (clean underwear?) but these boys, as you can imagine, are not to thrilled with the plan Lyssie J. has concocted. Could this mean an end to the legendary winning streak? You'll just have to see the show to find out what comedy ensues. 

All of my awesome readers are in luck! I'm giving away 2 pairs of tickets to see Lysistrata Jones on Broadway! Tickets are good for Mon.-Thurs. performances through December 8th and winners will pick up their tickets from the box office. There are 5 easy ways to win, and each comment counts as an entry. Be sure to include your email in each comment so that I can easily contact you if you win.

1. REQUIRED - Subscribe to Awesome in New York by email using the submission box in the right panel and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
2. REQUIRED - Leave a comment below telling me about your favorite piece of Greek or Roman classical literature and how you could imagine it as a modern Broadway show.
3. Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
4. Follow Awesome in New York using Networked Blogs or Google Friend Connect and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
5. Tweet or blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet or blog below.

You have until Thursday 11/3 at 5 pm EST to enter this contest. Winners will be announced soon after. Best of luck!

Congratulations to Sarah W. and Stephanie M.! They have each won two tickets to see Lysistrata Jones on Broadway! Thanks to everyone for playing and for those awesome Broadway show suggestions. Maybe some of you should become playwrights? Just sayin...

Can't wait to buy tickets? Lysistrata Jones is offering a special discount to Awesome in New York readers. The first 12 performances are only $50 (regular $130)! To purchase these tickets visit BroadwayOffers.com and enter the code LJPVW50. You could also call 212.947.8844 or visit the box office at the Walter Kerr Theater (219 W. 48th Street between Broadway and 8th) using the same code to purchase tickets. 

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Chinglish

Oh language barriers. Why haven't the technologically savvy invented a way to overcome language barriers yet? I'd venture to guess it's because the comedy that results from culture clash and misunderstandings is too hysterical for anyone to ever eliminate. However, we must face the fact that the world is full of wonderful, and often comical, diversity.

The new Broadway show Chinglish, which opens XX, seeks to explore what happens when an American business man seeks to start a business in China and doesn't speak Chinese. To make matters worse, he's falling in love with the one girl he definitely can't have.

Here's a video explaining a bit more about the show and some perspectives from the cast :

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Chinglish on Broadway! There are 5 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 - Subscribe to this blog by email, using the submission box in the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below telling me your funniest culture clash story.

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

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

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

You have until Thursday 9/29 at 5 p.m. EST to enter the contest. A winner will be announced shortly after. Good luck!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Weiss! She was the 38th commenter and wins 2 tickets to Chinglish! I LOVED all of your culture class stories so feel free to keep them coming. Thanks to everyone who entered and stay tuned for more contests!


To save on tickets through November 13th, use code CDDMX815 when calling 212-947-8844, going online at broadwayoffers.com, or visiting the Longacre Theatre Box Office (220 W. 48th Street). Orchestra/Front Mezz. tickets will be $74.50 - $79.50 (regularly $116.50 - $121.50) and Rear Mezz. will be $62.50 - $66.50 (regularly $86.50 - $91.50).

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Relatively Speaking

What I love about Broadway is the never-ending innovation expressed through new shows. Relatively Speaking continues this tradition as it combines three one-act plays by some heavy hitters in the entertainment world - Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen. Each comedy explores the inanity of family, from weddings to death to just plain old craziness. And can't we all relate to that?

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Relatively Speaking! The tickets are good through October 19. There are 5 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 - Subscribe to this blog by email, using the submission box in the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment with a crazy family story of your own.

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

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

5) 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 9/16. You have until Friday 9/16 at 5 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Movidude74! He wins two tickets to see Relatively Speaking on Broadway. I was thoroughly entertained by everyone's family stories. Stay tuned for new contests and stay awesome!

To snag your own tickets to the show, visit Ticketmaster or visit the box office using code RSTELE before October 20. You will be able to find Orchestra and Front Mezz. seats for $74-79 and other seats for as low as $45.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 4 Tickets to Follies on Broadway!

If there's one thing I don't like about summer, it's the lack of new Broadway shows. However, the fall season is revving up and I'm getting uber excited. The Broadway revival of Follies, Stephen Sondheim's classic musical, is set to begin previews this Sunday, August 7 at the Maquis Theater on 46th Street and 7th Avenue.

Starring an award winning cast including Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein and Ron Raines, Follies focuses on the lives of two couples and tells the story of a reunion of a group of performers from the Weismann's Follies (based off the Ziegfeld Follies) in a theater that's scheduled for demolition. The women were once showgirls in a production in the same theater between the two World Wars and have now come to see life and love in different ways. The 28-piece orchestra and ensemble cast of 41 will enthrall audiences I'm sure throughout the limited engagement.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away TWO pairs of tickets to see Follies! The tickets are good for any Tues, Wed or Thurs evening performance from through the end of September. There are 5 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 - Subscribe to this blog by email, using the submission box in 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 this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) 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 Tuesday 8/9. You have until Monday 8/8 at 6 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

Winners have been chosen! Congratulations to Sarah P. and Eunice H.! You have each won a pair of tickets to see Follies on Broadway. I hope you each have a great time and be sure to come back and tell us how you liked the show!

If you can't wait for the end of the contest to grab tickets or just want to know about a good discount, visit Ticketmaster or visit the box office using code 2BUDDY before October 2. You will be able to find Orchestra and Front Mezz. seats for $89 (normally $135/$125) and Mid. Mezz. seats for $65 (normally $95/$85).

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera, a quintessential musical and shame on you if you have yet to see it! One of my all-time favorites, Phantom weaves a beautiful story of love, acceptance, trust and life in the French opera 100+ years ago.

Celebrating 23 years on Broadway and 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Phantom of the Opera offers several affordable ticket options. Tickets in the last two rows of the Rear Mezzanine are priced at $26.25 for Monday through Thursday performances. These tickets may be purchased through Telecharge or at the box office. Also, Standing Room tickets are available for $26.25 at the box office only, only when the performance is sold out. I would also recommend checking TKTS for day-of tickets.


All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Phantom of the Opera! Whether you've seen it a thousand times or if this will be your first experience, you WANT to win this contest. The tickets are good for any Tues, Wed or Thurs evening performance from Sept. 13-Oct. 27. There are 5 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 - Subscribe to this blog by email, using the submission box in 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 this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) 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 Wednesday 7/20. You have until Wednesday 7/20 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Rebecca! She was the 21st commenter and wins two tickets to see Phantom of the Opera! Thanks everyone for entering and stay tuned for more awesomeness.

Spend more than $50 on Broadway? Puh-leeeease!

I cannot tell you the last time I spent more than $50, if not less, on a Broadway ticket. Honestly, between TDF's membership program, Yelp's Broadway Nights, lotteries and rush tickets, I laugh at anyone who spends more than a Ulysses S. Grant on a show. But alas! There's more! For those of us "young" theater-goers, there are several programs that you need to know about!

Roundabout's Hiptix
The Roundabout Theater Company produces some of the best shows on Broadway -- currently: The Importance of Being Earnest, Anything Goes and The People in the Picture. If you're between the ages of 18-35, you can purchase two tickets for each of their productions for only $20 each! They often run promotions for $10 tickets as well and throw parties for Hiptix members with free drinks and snacks. You have to order your tickets via phone and pick them up the day of the show with proof of age (your guest must also be between 18-35 and show proof of age as well). Signing up is free so what are you waiting for?

Manhattan Theater Club's 30 Under 30
MTC is another big name theater organization, currently producing Good People, Cradle and All and Master Class. If you are under the age of 30, you can purchase two tickets for each of their shows for just $30, pending availability. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, by phone or online and your guest can be of any age (this is different from other young patron programs). Also, MTC offers additional perks like parties, readings and giveaways that you will have access to upon signing up for the program and receiving their emails.

Lincoln Center Theater LincTix
LincTix is a program I just discovered and I think it's pretty new. You can sign up for this program if you are betweetn 21-35 for $30 tickets to any show playing at the Beaumont Theater (currently the hit show War Horse), the Newhouse Theater and all shows LCT presents on Broadway (previously Joe Turner's Come and Gone and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown). While you can buy your tickets online the catch for this one is that you can only buy one ticket per member. If you'd like to go with another friend aged 21-35 then you can request to sit with that person by filling in their member number and phone number when buying your ticket, but that person will also have to buy his/her own ticket. Still, $30 for War Horse? I'm game.

So basically, if you're under 30 or 35, there's no excuse for you to be shelling out lots of dough for a show (with the exception of Book of Mormon - just pay the money and see this AMAZING exhibit of theater at its best). If you come across any additional programs like these, comment below so I can share with the rest of the Awesome in New York community.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Lucky Guy

What do you get when you mix a singing cowboy, a used car salesman, Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordan (from Will &  Grace) and Hawaiian music? LUCKY GUY! 

A new musical comedy, Lucky Guy takes place in Nashville, and tells the story of a cast of characters all chasing the dream of a solid gold hit record. It's currently playing at  the Little Shubert Theater at 422 W. 42nd Street through July 24.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Lucky Guy! 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 Monday 5/23. You have until Thursday 5/23 at 4 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Brendon! He was the 15th commenter and wins two tickets to see Lucky Guy! Thanks everyone for entering and stay tuned for more awesomeness.