So I have to start by saying that this was my first experience using Broadway Roulette to get tickets, and I want to do a little review of the service before talking about Bandstand. When I heard about Broadway Roulette I was immediately intrigued. Essentially you pay a $49-59 flat rate and then allow them to "spin" the wheel and select what show you will see that night. You can reserve a night months in advance or the same day, however, the farther out you book the more you increase your chances of getting great seats and in-demand shows. I booked about two weeks in advance because I knew Jonathan would be out of town and I'd wanted to see a show that specific night. You then are able to select if you prefer to see a play or a musical, and then cross off 2 shows you do not want to see. If you pay an extra $10 you can cross off an additional two shows, which you will not receive tickets to. They also guarantee that you will never see the same show twice, which is pretty great. I "spun" and ended up getting great Orchestra tickets to Bandstand, which has been on my list of shows to see. After a quick search on Today Tix and TKTS I did discover that my tickets were pretty on par with the price everyone sitting near me paid, so I cannot say I got any benefit from "spinning the wheel". The real reason I chose to go through this service is because they have Dear Evan Hansen and Lottery tickets in play, and there was a change I could see those two in-demand shows for WAY below the current market price. I doubt I will use Broadway Roulette again, simply for the reason that I have seen so many shows that I am at too high of a risk of "repeating". Although the thought of scoring DEH or Hamilton tickets for that cheap is tempting...which is exactly why they lure them in front of Broadway addicts like me.
Review of Bandstand
I LOVED IT! It is actually one of the better shows I have seen on Broadway, and I enjoyed it more than Anastasia and Waitress. I was underwhelmed by some of the songs, but there were 3-4 songs that literally brought me to tears and are still on constant repeat on my commute playlist 3 weeks later. The set, staging and choreography were phenomenal. The choreographer actually came directly from winning a Tony on Hamilton to winning a Tony for Bandstand, and it is easy to see why. It was entertaining, fun, and moving. The issues that Bandstand deals with are deep and complex and I was surprised at how much the performances touched me, especially coming from a military family. While some of the numbers were underwhelming, the stars Laura Osnes and Corey Cott were INCREDIBLE. I have been a long time fan of Corey Cott ever since I saw him in Newsies three years ago. He is an incredible actor with a show-stopping voice, and he played his character perfectly. Laura Osnes is a Broadway staple, yet somehow I had never heard of her until this show. I was blown away by her voice and she also played her character to perfection. In summation, Bandstand is beautiful and entertaining and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see a show in the future. The added bonus is that the show is set to close in September (which makes me so sad--it deserves to run for years) but that means tickets are cheap right now. You can easily score tickets last minute at TKTS or on TodayTix for under $60.
No comments