Attending a Broadway show is a one of a kind experience that everyone should have. No matter how many live musicals or plays you've seen in your life, nothing will compare to going to an authentic Broadway show in the heart of New York City. Theater has been a significant part of NYC since the late 18th century. The Broadway we know today came around in the late 1800s. These shows have been around for a long time and they aren't going anywhere, so before you say you hate musicals and you would rather sit on your comfortable couch and watch a movie on Netflix, just hear me out.
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I love going to Broadway shows just as much as I love going to concerts. The common denominator of the two is the live music. Hearing a live orchestra play while some of the most talented performers are singing and acting on stage is a real privilege. You sit in the audience with hundreds of other people who are also watching the show for the first time. The performers on stage are singing and dancing, which they have to do up to eight times a week, yet every single time they give their 110 percent. They make sure to give every audience the same experience as the other.
One special thing about going to Broadway shows is that the whole theater will be decorated to match the theme of the play or musical. As soon as you walk in, you are taken into the world of whatever show you're seeing. When I walked into Studio 54 to see "Cabaret", I immediately felt like I had just walked into a real cabaret in Europe in the 1930s because of the lamps set up on the tables and the stage decor.
Some of the best shows are the ones that are original. The production of, "Something Rotten," started last spring and it was the funniest musical I had ever seen. Of course there are the shows that are adaptations of the movies or books such as, "The Lion King," "Cabaret," or "Wicked," that also surpass your expectations. You will never walk out of a Broadway theater thinking, "That was alright." Instead, you'll want to tell everyone about how amazing it was and how you want to see it over and over again.
If you still don't like musicals, there are always Broadway plays you can see! There really is a show for everyone in every genre.
I realize that these shows are expensive and probably not in the price range of your average college student. Montclair State students are lucky enough to have an organization, the Center for Student Involvement, that arranges monthly Broadway trips with a discount. They are usually not more than $50 per ticket, which also includes a bus that will drop you off right in front of the theater and take you back to school. This is a great way to get immersed into one of New York's finest attributes. If you're not a MSU student, there are many other ways to get discounted tickets. You can go to a TKTS location (they have stands in Brooklyn, Times Square, and South Street Seaport) and buy same day tickets for up to 50 percent off. Students can also enter a lottery at the theater about an hour before the show to get discounted tickets. As you can see, there are many ways around paying the full price to see these exquisite shows, so there really is no excuse.
I encourage everyone to go see a show or two with CSI (if you're a MSU student) because I promise, you will have an amazing time!
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