"Rush" Ticket FIASCO!

My friend Janet and I went to the Guthrie Theater last night to ATTEMPT to get "rush" tickets for the final weekend performances of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I REALLY wanted to see this show, and "last minute" tickets only cost $20.00.

It would have been AWESOME to see the show so CHEAPLY. The PROBLEM, however, is that you have to wait in a line with a BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE, until a little while before the performance, to see if there are any available tickets for that night's show.

Those of you who know me well, UNDERSTAND that I'm NOT a "gambling on things" kind of guy. I've REALLY, REALLY REALLY tried to be better about the whole "flying standby" thing with Duane. It MAKES ME CRAZY, but I think he'll attest to the fact that I've gotten fairly GOOD at this "crap shoot" of airline travel. As a general rule, however, I DON'T like to take chances on things.

"Standby travel" is where I will now DRAW the line. I HATE, HATE, HATE the whole "rush ticket" concept. Janet has done this before and TOTALLY gets "JAZZED" on the whole "chance" aspect of the venture. I, however, find it chance-y, stressful, and a TOTAL waste of time.

So...we get there at 6:00...there are already 35 people in line ahead of us. Janet is hungry, but I am unwilling to give up my spot in line to go find food. So...I go find a sandwich counter, and get a chicken wrap to bring BACK to the line, while she saves our spot.

The ticket manager comes out and says that there will probably only be 20 tickets available. We are too far back in the line, but decide to "stick it out"...just in case. About an HOUR later, they decide to open a new line for people from the "rush" line to buy tickets at full price. Janet goes to that line, while I stay in the "rush" line.

She FINALLY gets up to the counter (our line has to stay put until the "full price" people get through), and "regular price" tickets are FIFTY dollars. We decide that's too much (I was actually okay with that, because I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to see this show), so she comes back to my line with me.

At this point there are about TWO HUNDRED people behind us in the rush line...the lobby is PACKED with people trying to get in to the show (the ticket manager said that he's only EVER seen the lobby this crowded with "rush" people ONCE before) (OF COURSE the next time it happens just HAPPENS to be the night I try to "rush" for the first time).

During all of this, we befriend a lady standing in line...Sarah...and she spends the rest of the time trying to figure out what Janet and I ARE to each other. First, she suggests "married" (I think I GUFFAWED at that!), then "dating" (how CLUELESS can some people be??!!), then brother and sister. I finally told her that we were "antagonistic theatrical buddies".

ANYHOO...we wait and wait and wait in line (the show starts at 7:30, and we're still in the "rush"line at 7:35!)...only to be told that the performance is now SOLD OUT. Grrrrr....! What a WASTE OF TIME! At this point, Janet says..."well...I'm 0 for 2 on the whole "rush" thing" (to which I'm thinking "you've done this BEFORE...and it turned out the SAME WAY??!!!! Are you INSANE??!!!").

So...I go to the "pay for tickets" line, and BUY a ticket for the Sunday night performance (which I SHOULD have done in the first place), and have vowed NEVER, NEVER, NEVER to try to "rush" a show again. $43.00 (as opposed to $20.00) is WORTH not having to stand in line for 90 minutes FOR NOTHING!!!

After purchasing tickets, we ran into Sarah again (who ALSO bought tickets for the Sunday night show), went to the bar on the 4th floor of the Guthrie, bought glasses of wine, and sat out on the "bridge to infinity" to watch the Mississippi flow towards the south, gaze at the lovely stone arch bridge, enjoy the sunset, and then went home.

I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER try to purchase "rush" tickets AGAIN...as long as I live!!!!!!