By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Got your eye on Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Ring of Fire: The Music of Jonny Cash”? Hoping to score tickets to one of the five movies that the Grand Rapids Symphony will be offering in its 2019-2020 series?
Many art organizations have made (or will be making) announcements of shows for the 2019-2020 season, and if you want to assure that you have tickets to the shows you want to see, buying tickets early not only assures that but also can save you money and give you peaks towards other things such as free ticket exchanges when life disrupts your plans.
Here’s the lowdown on a few art organizations that offer early bird specials. Make sure to keep you eyes out as others, such as Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids, will be making announcements soon.
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Packing a punch for the 2019-2020 season is Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, which will be offering “Ring of Fire: The Music of Jonny Cash,” “Frozen, Jr.,” “Elf the Musical,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Mtatilda the Musical,” “June B. Jones Is Not a Crook,” “The Wiz,” “Disney’s High School Musical,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“What I love about this season is the opportunity to present all the plays that will be new to our audiences anchored by ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ one of the greatest plays ever written. Our season is full of well-loved stories, charming musicals, and a dose of holiday magic,” said Executive Director Bruce Tinker.
Season subscriptions are available through Aug. 21, however the early bird specials end April 30, (that is TUESDAY, APRIL 30). So now is the time to snap up tickets if you are interested. Civic offers a number of early bird packages, the Perm Package which includes preferred seating on performance day for five productions picked by the directors. Those productions are “Ring of Fire,” “Elf the Musical,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Matilda the Musical,” and “The Wiz.”
There are also several flex packages available that allow patrons to building their own season by using the tickets in any combination, all for one show or split them up over several shows. Those packages are $150 for six tickets, $200 for 8 tickets, and $250 for 10 tickets.
To purchase early bird subscriptions or to learn more about other options, visit grct.org or call the box office at 616-222-6650.
Opera Grand Rapids
As part of its regular season, Opera Grand Rapids will be featuring the Gilbert & Sullivan’s satire “The Mikado,” Nov. 1 and 2 at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave. NW ; and Puccini’s “Turandot May 1 and 2 at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe NW.
“We are thrilled to bring to life two iconic works for our Grand Rapids audiences for the up-coming season,” said James Meena, Artistic Director at Opera Grand Rapids. “By pairing Gilbert & Sullivan’s beloved satire, ‘The Mikado,’ with Puccini’s final opera, ‘Turandot,’ Opera Grand Rapids offers two truly contrasting stories, continuing the company’s long-standing reputation for providing unique musical experiences to the community.”
Through May 31, early-bird subscribers receive 25 percent off ticket prices. After May 31, the discount is 15 percent for subscribers. Individuals tickets, which range from $95 – $67, go on sale June 3. Student tickets are $5 with a valid student ID.
For ticket information, visit operagr.org or call 451-2741 next. 103.
Grand Rapids Symphony
The Grand Rapids Symphony offers a host of concerts throughout the year and with that a number of subscription packages to fit about any budget. If you love moves, check out the Popcorn Package that has such films as “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Ghostbusters,” Home Alone, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and “Up.” The movie concerts often sellout.
Other packages include two for the 2019 Picnic Pops, several for the classical series, the Pops Package, SymphonicBoom, Great Eras, and Coffee Classics. For those who like a little of everything, there is a create your own package where you can pick up to four performances. Prices for the packages vary so either check them out at grsymphony.org or call the Symphony Box Office at 616-454-9451, ext. 4.
