Due to Memorial Day, this was considered a holiday weekend, which means that I can leave work early. Given that this may be my only week day to have the chance to be there early, I decided I'd try for standing room only tickets for Book of Mormon. Not knowing exactly where to go, I wandered into the box office. One lady at the counter wanted to buy a seat and the man informed her that they were sold out until September, except for premium seats that cost $399 each. She said ok and bought one! Can you believe it? The show is sold out (it performs at 102.4% capacity according to its last week gross report), but you can score a last minute seat for $400 (and that's from the bo, I've heard scalper reports of up to $900)! So, given the chance to see the show for only $27, who wouldn't act a little crazy? I had heard through various chat boards, that all the tickets are gone by 2. Now, they don't sell the tickets until 1 hour before curtain. Given that this was Friday, the curtain was at 8, so the tickets went on sale at 7. Then how are they gone by 2? Simple: a giant line forms. Why is the line giant?
I understand that it's a hit that people want to see, but there are only 28 SRO tickets (and some people buy 2- which is the limit in the SRO line). So, if there are more than 14 (given that they are each buying 2) or 28 (given that they are each buying one) people in line, you should NOT get in line cause you won't get a ticket. Lucky for me, I got there at 1:20 and was third in line. I was going to see the show! (Granted I'd have to wait in line for almost 6 hours, but that's ok!) The second person in line realized that he wanted to be in the cancellation line and moved, and then the first person in line moved to the third place position to join with friends (so they wouldn't cut), making me the first person in line! Mommy and Daddy kept texting me that I was crazy and wondered what would I do if I didn't get tickets. Here's the deal. I'm now first. If I don't get a ticket, then none of the 50+ people in line behind will get a ticket! (Again, I don't know why you'd join the line if there were more than 28 people in it, but it's their time lost.) Around 5:30, they came out to do the lotto for tickets. (I was asked a hundred times if I was in line for lotto- and lottos don't have lines! Then I'd have to explain that I was in the SRO line and what that was. I'd also get asked about their free show promotion, as well as their current scheduling. I was like a free spokesperson for them for 6 hours!) The table for entry was on the other side of the marquee, and I would've had to weed my way through 200+ people to get there and back, so while some people left the SRO line to join in the lotto, I, not wanting to give up my sure fire spot, stayed put. Finally, 7 pm got here, the window opened, and the man asked how many I wanted. Ahh! I walked away from the Eugene O'Neill with a ticket in hand. Funny side note: this will be the first time I've been in the same Broadway house, but for a different show. Last time I was at the Eugene O'Neill, I sat onstage for Spring Awakening. This time, I'll be standing in the back- the very opposite. Does that mean this evens out to mid-orchestra for both? Just kidding! Not having much time, I went around the block to Ray's Pizza to grab a quick dinner before the show.
So, what is my review of the show? Well, while I did enjoy it, it is seriously over-hyped. That doesn't mean it's bad. It just means I can't believe that anyone would pay $400-900 for it. We do have to give it credit-it is an original musical that is both funny and heart warming, and to achieve that is quite rare these days. The facial expressions and choreography take top prize in this show. The sets were fine, though not as interesting as Spider-Man's. Mormon's music was very cute though (much better than Spider-Man's in every way: rhymes, rhythms, lyrics, etc.), and you could tell that Robert Lopez from Avenue Q had a hand in writing them. I particularly liked Elder Price's dream of Orlando (including his plea to go there that sounded curiously like "Tomorrow" from Annie: Orlando! Orlando! I love you, Orlando!). The ensemble Elders from Uganda take the prize for best quick change. They were singing about how when Mormons get bad feelings they just "Turn it Off." They all clapped their hands and the whole stage went dim, and then clapped and the lights came back on. I liked the effect of mimicking a clapper by itself (9 to 5 did a similar gag during its finale), but then they did it a second time. This time, when the lights came back on, the boys were all sporting pink, glittery tuxes and wowed with a tap number. I also enjoyed the Mormons' discussion of the worst things they've ever done which causes them to have a "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream." I laughed the hardest for the guy who said something like "My dad once had a maple donut... and I ate it." (My dad loves maple donuts. Lucky for me, I never stole one (cause they're nasty), so I didn't have a spooky hell dream.) During the final bows, we couldn't see anymore cause everyone else stood up, but a few audience members rushed past me. How rude. Then the girl standing next to me punched me in the arm and said "I think that was George Lucas!" As I exited the theatre, I saw a limo pulling away, and when I got out to the stage door, one stage door guard said to another, "Ah man, Andrew asked me to stop George if I could and have him come back stage, but I missed him!" So, take that as you will. Maybe it was George Lucas, maybe not. I think it probably was. Oh! Definitely there was Bobby Moynihan from SNL (known for playing Snooki). (According to BOM's twitter, the night before they had Tony Hawk, Kate Walsh, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Hugh Jackman, & Lucy Liu in their audience.)
Ok! Stage door time! This was a rare first for me, but I actually had a pen with me this time! Maybe it was because of that, but I got pretty much every actor in the show to sign my playbill. A lady and her daughter (from Jacksonville, FL no less) who were in line next to me did not have a pen, so I let them borrow mine, and they, in turn, took some photos for me with the cast members. The cast members were very cheerful and nice. After everyone left, I went to take a picture of the stage door itself, and the stage door guard noticed and offered to take one with me in it! So even their stage door guards were super nice! I guess it's just the Mormon spirit!
I understand that it's a hit that people want to see, but there are only 28 SRO tickets (and some people buy 2- which is the limit in the SRO line). So, if there are more than 14 (given that they are each buying 2) or 28 (given that they are each buying one) people in line, you should NOT get in line cause you won't get a ticket. Lucky for me, I got there at 1:20 and was third in line. I was going to see the show! (Granted I'd have to wait in line for almost 6 hours, but that's ok!) The second person in line realized that he wanted to be in the cancellation line and moved, and then the first person in line moved to the third place position to join with friends (so they wouldn't cut), making me the first person in line! Mommy and Daddy kept texting me that I was crazy and wondered what would I do if I didn't get tickets. Here's the deal. I'm now first. If I don't get a ticket, then none of the 50+ people in line behind will get a ticket! (Again, I don't know why you'd join the line if there were more than 28 people in it, but it's their time lost.) Around 5:30, they came out to do the lotto for tickets. (I was asked a hundred times if I was in line for lotto- and lottos don't have lines! Then I'd have to explain that I was in the SRO line and what that was. I'd also get asked about their free show promotion, as well as their current scheduling. I was like a free spokesperson for them for 6 hours!) The table for entry was on the other side of the marquee, and I would've had to weed my way through 200+ people to get there and back, so while some people left the SRO line to join in the lotto, I, not wanting to give up my sure fire spot, stayed put. Finally, 7 pm got here, the window opened, and the man asked how many I wanted. Ahh! I walked away from the Eugene O'Neill with a ticket in hand. Funny side note: this will be the first time I've been in the same Broadway house, but for a different show. Last time I was at the Eugene O'Neill, I sat onstage for Spring Awakening. This time, I'll be standing in the back- the very opposite. Does that mean this evens out to mid-orchestra for both? Just kidding! Not having much time, I went around the block to Ray's Pizza to grab a quick dinner before the show.
So, what is my review of the show? Well, while I did enjoy it, it is seriously over-hyped. That doesn't mean it's bad. It just means I can't believe that anyone would pay $400-900 for it. We do have to give it credit-it is an original musical that is both funny and heart warming, and to achieve that is quite rare these days. The facial expressions and choreography take top prize in this show. The sets were fine, though not as interesting as Spider-Man's. Mormon's music was very cute though (much better than Spider-Man's in every way: rhymes, rhythms, lyrics, etc.), and you could tell that Robert Lopez from Avenue Q had a hand in writing them. I particularly liked Elder Price's dream of Orlando (including his plea to go there that sounded curiously like "Tomorrow" from Annie: Orlando! Orlando! I love you, Orlando!). The ensemble Elders from Uganda take the prize for best quick change. They were singing about how when Mormons get bad feelings they just "Turn it Off." They all clapped their hands and the whole stage went dim, and then clapped and the lights came back on. I liked the effect of mimicking a clapper by itself (9 to 5 did a similar gag during its finale), but then they did it a second time. This time, when the lights came back on, the boys were all sporting pink, glittery tuxes and wowed with a tap number. I also enjoyed the Mormons' discussion of the worst things they've ever done which causes them to have a "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream." I laughed the hardest for the guy who said something like "My dad once had a maple donut... and I ate it." (My dad loves maple donuts. Lucky for me, I never stole one (cause they're nasty), so I didn't have a spooky hell dream.) During the final bows, we couldn't see anymore cause everyone else stood up, but a few audience members rushed past me. How rude. Then the girl standing next to me punched me in the arm and said "I think that was George Lucas!" As I exited the theatre, I saw a limo pulling away, and when I got out to the stage door, one stage door guard said to another, "Ah man, Andrew asked me to stop George if I could and have him come back stage, but I missed him!" So, take that as you will. Maybe it was George Lucas, maybe not. I think it probably was. Oh! Definitely there was Bobby Moynihan from SNL (known for playing Snooki). (According to BOM's twitter, the night before they had Tony Hawk, Kate Walsh, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Hugh Jackman, & Lucy Liu in their audience.)
Ok! Stage door time! This was a rare first for me, but I actually had a pen with me this time! Maybe it was because of that, but I got pretty much every actor in the show to sign my playbill. A lady and her daughter (from Jacksonville, FL no less) who were in line next to me did not have a pen, so I let them borrow mine, and they, in turn, took some photos for me with the cast members. The cast members were very cheerful and nice. After everyone left, I went to take a picture of the stage door itself, and the stage door guard noticed and offered to take one with me in it! So even their stage door guards were super nice! I guess it's just the Mormon spirit!
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