Sunday, April 3, 2011

How I Wish

Two weeks ago, the flyer from the Paramount Arts Center in nearby Aurora arrived. These are the musicals they are going to have this year. Oh. Wow.

Unfortunately, the cheapest ticket is for the Wednesday matinee at 1:30 p.m. To go when it was convenient for me, would cost me $79 a ticket. (heavy sigh) I can't afford that, not right now, anyway.

I think about how I don't really do anything with myself during those times when I'm not working. I used to attend productions in the Chicagloand area. That's what I find so great about living here. The wealth of things to do is amazing.

I used to be a subscriber to the Chicago Symphony. They used to have a package where you picked 8 concerts from their wide variety, paid a set fee, and got a wide variety of seats. I usually saw Jazz, but I also saw P.D.Q. Bach and the CSO perform Beethoven's "Eroica". There was a violinist who was incredible playing this very a-tonal music. It was something I wouldn't have seen had I not needed to fill my selection. I saw Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck and Wynton Marsalis that year, too.

I also used to be a subscriber at the McAninch Arts Center at nearby College of DuPage. I've seen some great performances over the years from Kurt Elling and Joan Baez to The Flying Karamotzov Brothers and The Reduced Shakespeare Company. When I was a subscriber to the Paramount's season, I saw Wayne Brady, "Porgy and Bess", the Glenn Miller Orchestra and "Cats", among other things.

I like doing this kind of thing, but the problem right now is the money it takes to go. When "Wicked" was in Chicago, so many people told me I needed to go see it. "It's awesome!" I have no doubt about that but I couldn't afford even the nosebleed seats on Thursday nights.

It can be depressing to be on mailing lists, to see what's coming, to then count one's pennies and realize one needs something else more than one needs to see "A Chorus Line". Things are better than they were a year ago and maybe, just maybe, by this time next year, when I get the Paramount's flyer for their offerings, I can actually say, "Oooh, I can afford to see these."

Beverage:  hot cocoa

Deb

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