04/15/12
Stay Tuned...
Thank you to all those who came to experience our production of Spring Awakening. It could not have been the great success it was without your support and patronage. We hope you enjoyed the show!
Be sure to stay tuned for precise locations and times of auditions for our Fall 2012 production of bare!
We are always accepting applications for staff, so if you are interested in joining our production team for the fall, please explore your options on our Getting Involved page.
Be sure to stay tuned for precise locations and times of auditions for our Fall 2012 production of bare!
We are always accepting applications for staff, so if you are interested in joining our production team for the fall, please explore your options on our Getting Involved page.
04/10/12
Spring Awakening is sold out!
We are pleased to announce that Spring Awakening is sold out! If you are still interested in seeing our production, an in-person waitlist will open at 7:30pm in the Risley Theatre Lobby on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Other questions can be directed to tickets@melodramatics.com.
This week, we are excited to share our reviews in the Cornell Daily Sun and The Ithaca Times. Click through to read the rave articles written about our opening weekend!
This week, we are excited to share our reviews in the Cornell Daily Sun and The Ithaca Times. Click through to read the rave articles written about our opening weekend!
04/05/12
Read About Us In The Ithaca Journal
Check out this article about the Melodramatics Theatre Company, Inc. and our current production of Spring Awakening in The Ithaca Journal!
Tonight is opening night, and tickets for Spring Awakening are still available online.
Time is running out!
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
Tonight is opening night, and tickets for Spring Awakening are still available online.
Time is running out!
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
04/04/12
Opening Night is Thursday!
We are only one day away from opening night of our Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening, running from April 5th through the 14th. A few tickets are still available for a limited time at online or any Ithaca Ticket Center location.
Take a sneak peek at shots of the show still early in rehearsals -- still a work in progress. See something on stage you've never seen before! Check out more preview pics on Facebook!
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
03/25/12
Interview with Spring Awakening Director Amina Omari
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See what Director Amina Omari has to say about our upcoming production of Spring Awakening in this tell-all interview!
What is Spring Awakening about?
"Spring Awakening is about a group of teenagers in 1890's Germany who have been raised in ignorance of sex. As the play begins, they’re just hitting puberty, and each of them has to struggle through in their own way.
The show is adapted from a play written in 1892 by Frank Wedekind, who was a fearless critic of bourgeois values in his time. Because the play was so frank about sex and sexuality, it was banned for 20 years and then condemned as pornography when it was finally performed. This musical adaptation, with music by Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Stephen Sater, translates that fearless spirit into a powerful pop-punk score and a story that’s still as rebellious as it was in 1892."
What made you want to direct Spring Awakening?
"I just fell in love with the music. I must have listened to the soundtrack at least two hundred times before I even started working on the show. The music spans an incredible emotional range, from the high-adrenaline punk numbers to unearthly-beautiful choral pieces. It really brought me back to the high highs and the low lows of being a teenager - it’s a time when every emotion is intensified, and your mood can swing from the depths to the peaks in an instant. It’s a difficult time, but it can also give you some of the most memorable and beautiful experiences of your life."
What were some of your inspirations for the direction of this production?
"Because the show skips back and forth between the period setting - 1890's Germany - and the character’s internal rock-show of the music numbers, I looked far and wide. Gustav Klimt (painter, "The Kiss") and Walt Whitman (poet, "Leaves of Grass") were particularly inspirational for me; they were both working at around the same time as Wedekind, and they, too, challenged the sexual restrictions of their society. Gustav Klimt, in particular, was a teenager at the same time that these characters were teenagers; I like to imagine that one of these characters could have grown up to be Klimt. Of course, I also drew from the rebellion of contemporary music, including the punk, grunge and riot grrrl scenes of my own youth.
Most of all, I took my cues from the language of the play; the number "Touch Me" ended up being my way into the entire show. In it, the characters try to describe sex in their own words, drawing on the metaphors they have available to them. Nobody has told them what sex really is; all they can do is describe it with a patchwork of mythology, religion, nature, dream, music, and metaphor. What they end up with is a strange collage, dense and beautiful and as much their own as they can make it - which feels to me like such a perfect metaphor for the entire process of growing up."
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?
"There are so many pieces to put together in a show like this - the technical complexity has definitely been the biggest challenge! Though I’ve directed many straight plays, this is the first musical I’ve directed, and there’s a whole lot more to incorporate, from music to design to fight choreography. Luckily, I have an amazing group of collaborators at the MTC - including my Music Director, Masa Gibson, as well as a large team of designers, choreographers, musicians, and theatre artists and technicians of all kinds. The results are going to be so much richer for the contributions of all their talents."
Who is your favorite character in the show, and why?
"I ended up finding a little bit of myself in every character, I think - it definitely brought me back to many specific moments in my own teenage years. Melchior’s optimism in the power of his rational mind; Wendla’s desire to understand the world by feeling; Moritz’s see-saw between intense loneliness and an equally intense fear of reaching out to others; Ilse’s bad-ass insistence on doing things her own way - all these and others were places where I really came to feel for these characters."
What do you hope the audience takes away from Spring Awakening?
"I hope that they get a real taste of the thrill and intensity and emotional rollercoaster of being a teenager. I also hope that the story resonates; as we see from the the news every day, there’s still a real and important debate happening about what place sex should have in society. Should teens be educated about sex, or kept in ignorance? Sexuality is certainly a powerful force, both for individuals and in society, but must it necessarily be a destructive force? At the end of the show, the characters are looking forward to the future; every new generation is a new chance to tackle this very human experience."
To experience this exciting production for yourself, get your tickets now at www.IthacaEvents.com or any Ithaca Ticket Center location.
What is Spring Awakening about?
"Spring Awakening is about a group of teenagers in 1890's Germany who have been raised in ignorance of sex. As the play begins, they’re just hitting puberty, and each of them has to struggle through in their own way.
The show is adapted from a play written in 1892 by Frank Wedekind, who was a fearless critic of bourgeois values in his time. Because the play was so frank about sex and sexuality, it was banned for 20 years and then condemned as pornography when it was finally performed. This musical adaptation, with music by Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Stephen Sater, translates that fearless spirit into a powerful pop-punk score and a story that’s still as rebellious as it was in 1892."
What made you want to direct Spring Awakening?
"I just fell in love with the music. I must have listened to the soundtrack at least two hundred times before I even started working on the show. The music spans an incredible emotional range, from the high-adrenaline punk numbers to unearthly-beautiful choral pieces. It really brought me back to the high highs and the low lows of being a teenager - it’s a time when every emotion is intensified, and your mood can swing from the depths to the peaks in an instant. It’s a difficult time, but it can also give you some of the most memorable and beautiful experiences of your life."
What were some of your inspirations for the direction of this production?
"Because the show skips back and forth between the period setting - 1890's Germany - and the character’s internal rock-show of the music numbers, I looked far and wide. Gustav Klimt (painter, "The Kiss") and Walt Whitman (poet, "Leaves of Grass") were particularly inspirational for me; they were both working at around the same time as Wedekind, and they, too, challenged the sexual restrictions of their society. Gustav Klimt, in particular, was a teenager at the same time that these characters were teenagers; I like to imagine that one of these characters could have grown up to be Klimt. Of course, I also drew from the rebellion of contemporary music, including the punk, grunge and riot grrrl scenes of my own youth.
Most of all, I took my cues from the language of the play; the number "Touch Me" ended up being my way into the entire show. In it, the characters try to describe sex in their own words, drawing on the metaphors they have available to them. Nobody has told them what sex really is; all they can do is describe it with a patchwork of mythology, religion, nature, dream, music, and metaphor. What they end up with is a strange collage, dense and beautiful and as much their own as they can make it - which feels to me like such a perfect metaphor for the entire process of growing up."
 |
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?
"There are so many pieces to put together in a show like this - the technical complexity has definitely been the biggest challenge! Though I’ve directed many straight plays, this is the first musical I’ve directed, and there’s a whole lot more to incorporate, from music to design to fight choreography. Luckily, I have an amazing group of collaborators at the MTC - including my Music Director, Masa Gibson, as well as a large team of designers, choreographers, musicians, and theatre artists and technicians of all kinds. The results are going to be so much richer for the contributions of all their talents."
Who is your favorite character in the show, and why?
"I ended up finding a little bit of myself in every character, I think - it definitely brought me back to many specific moments in my own teenage years. Melchior’s optimism in the power of his rational mind; Wendla’s desire to understand the world by feeling; Moritz’s see-saw between intense loneliness and an equally intense fear of reaching out to others; Ilse’s bad-ass insistence on doing things her own way - all these and others were places where I really came to feel for these characters."
What do you hope the audience takes away from Spring Awakening?
"I hope that they get a real taste of the thrill and intensity and emotional rollercoaster of being a teenager. I also hope that the story resonates; as we see from the the news every day, there’s still a real and important debate happening about what place sex should have in society. Should teens be educated about sex, or kept in ignorance? Sexuality is certainly a powerful force, both for individuals and in society, but must it necessarily be a destructive force? At the end of the show, the characters are looking forward to the future; every new generation is a new chance to tackle this very human experience."
To experience this exciting production for yourself, get your tickets now at www.IthacaEvents.com or any Ithaca Ticket Center location.
03/22/12
Two Weeks Until Opening Night
We are only two weeks away from opening night of our Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening, running from April 5th through the 14th. Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased at www.IthacaEvents.com or any Ithaca Ticket Center location.
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
03/13/12
UPDATE: Win Tickets to See Spring Awakening!
Congratulations to our two winners, Katie Spallone and Elaine Tripoulas, who will each receive two, free tickets to our opening night performance of Spring Awakening!
Thank you to everyone else who participated in this offering!
If your name wasn't selected, you can still see the show, so be sure to get your tickets now at www.IthacaEvents.com or any Ithaca Ticket Center location.
Thank you to everyone else who participated in this offering!
If your name wasn't selected, you can still see the show, so be sure to get your tickets now at www.IthacaEvents.com or any Ithaca Ticket Center location.
03/13/12
PHOTOS: Cast & Staff Work with Nick Leavens
Check out these photos of our cast and staff working with Nick Leavens!
Don't miss out on seeing Spring Awakening on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14! Tickets are now available and are going fast at www.IthacaEvents.com!
Don't miss out on seeing Spring Awakening on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14! Tickets are now available and are going fast at www.IthacaEvents.com!
03/10/12
Tickets - Now On Sale!
Tickets to our performances of Spring Awakening, running from April 5th through the 14th, are now on sale! Get yours before they're gone! Tickets may be purchased at: IthacaEvents.com
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
Tickets are also available in person, or by phone, at the following locations:
Ticket Center Ithaca
171 The Commons (Next to 15 Steps)
Monday - Saturday, 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Phone: (607) 273-4497
Dillingham Box Office
Ithaca College
Monday - Friday, 12:00PM- 5:00PM
Phone: (607) 274-3224
Please read our Ticket FAQ before ordering.
Tickets are also available in person, or by phone, at the following locations:
171 The Commons (Next to 15 Steps)
Monday - Saturday, 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Phone: (607) 273-4497
Dillingham Box Office
Ithaca College
Monday - Friday, 12:00PM- 5:00PM
Phone: (607) 274-3224
03/05/12
Win Tickets to See Spring Awakening!
Beginning today, you can enter to win a pair of tickets to our April 5th, opening night performance of Spring Awakening.
All you have to do is:
Click here to ENTER!
Tickets will soon be available for purchase at www.IthacaEvents.com.
- "Like" our Page on Facebook,
- "Share" the contest offer image on our Page, and
- Comment on the image with your full name
Click here to ENTER!
Tickets will soon be available for purchase at www.IthacaEvents.com.
03/02/12
Cast Rehearses with Orchestra
Take a look at the cast of Spring Awakening rehearsing with our orchestra!
Don't miss out on seeing Spring Awakening on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14! Tickets will be available soon at www.IthacaEvents.com!
Don't miss out on seeing Spring Awakening on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14! Tickets will be available soon at www.IthacaEvents.com!
02/24/12
Cast & Staff to Work with Nick Leavens!
The Melodramatics Theatre Company, Inc. is very excited to announce that cast and staff members in its upcoming production of Spring Awakening will have the opportunity to participate in workshops with renowned director, producer, and writer Nick Leavens.
Nick Leavens is the Founder and Artistic Director of |the claque|, a theatre company based in New York City which brings new and innovative works to the stage. Mr. Leavens was also the Company Manager of the Atlantic Theatre Company during the time that Spring Awakening was being developed on Broadway. His recent directing credits include Research (a novel for performance), Wipe Away, No Bueno, Meanwhile in Baghdad, Apocalypse: Book One, and Wishing Time.
Mr. Leavens will lead two workshops with the cast and staff. The first will be an opportunity for the cast of Spring Awakening to work with an established director to refine their performances and staging; the second will be a Q&A session that gives the company’s staff a chance to learn more about the world of professional theatre.
Nick Leavens is the Founder and Artistic Director of |the claque|, a theatre company based in New York City which brings new and innovative works to the stage. Mr. Leavens was also the Company Manager of the Atlantic Theatre Company during the time that Spring Awakening was being developed on Broadway. His recent directing credits include Research (a novel for performance), Wipe Away, No Bueno, Meanwhile in Baghdad, Apocalypse: Book One, and Wishing Time.
Mr. Leavens will lead two workshops with the cast and staff. The first will be an opportunity for the cast of Spring Awakening to work with an established director to refine their performances and staging; the second will be a Q&A session that gives the company’s staff a chance to learn more about the world of professional theatre.
02/20/12
Photos from Our Read-Through
Check out these photos of our company members at the read-through for Spring Awakening!
Don't miss out on seeing Spring Awakening on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14! Tickets will be available soon at www.IthacaEvents.com!
Don't miss out on seeing Spring Awakening on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14! Tickets will be available soon at www.IthacaEvents.com!
02/12/12
Spring Awakening Cast Announcement
Thank you to all those who auditioned for our Spring 2012 production: Spring Awakening. All those who auditioned displayed great talent and courage throughout the entire process and should be very proud of the work they presented.
We invite you to peruse our Members page to learn more about our newest cast!
If we were unable to find a place for you in our cast for this production, we strongly encourage you to consider joining our company as a member of the staff. It is a wonderful opportunity to gain months of hands on training and experience, while working with other talented and dedicated individuals. More information on staff positions can be found on our Getting Involved page.
We invite you to peruse our Members page to learn more about our newest cast!
If we were unable to find a place for you in our cast for this production, we strongly encourage you to consider joining our company as a member of the staff. It is a wonderful opportunity to gain months of hands on training and experience, while working with other talented and dedicated individuals. More information on staff positions can be found on our Getting Involved page.
01/17/12
Auditions for Spring Awakening
Open auditions for The Melodramatics Theatre Company, Inc.'s Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening will be held at both Cornell University and Ithaca College.
January 31, 2012
9:00PM-11:00PM
Cornell University
Lincoln Hall
Room 124
February 2, 2012
8:30PM-10:30PM
Cornell University
RPCC
Room 203
February 3, 2012
6:00PM-9:30PM
Ithaca College
Whalen Center for Music
Room 3304
February 4, 2012
1:00PM-4:00PM
Collegetown
St. Luke Lutheran Church
109 Oak Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850
February 7, 2012
9:00PM-11:00PM
Cornell University
Lincoln Hall
Room 124
February 9, 2012
8:30PM-10:30PM
Ithaca College
Whalen Center for Music
Room 3304
Spring Awakening offers eleven singing roles for actors in the age range of 17-28, and two non-singing roles for actors in the age range of 40-65. We invite actors of all races and ethnicities to audition. Please check the Casting Breakdown for details on roles and vocal ranges.
For details on what to bring to the audition, please read the Audition FAQ.
Callbacks for potential cast members will be held on Saturday, February 11th.
There will be six performances of Spring Awakening in Cornell University's Risley Theatre on the following dates:
- Thursday, April 5, 2012 @ 8:00PM
- Friday, April 6, 2012 @ 8:00PM
- Saturday, April 7, 2012 @ 8:00PM
- Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:00PM
- Friday, April 13, 2012 @ 8:00PM
- Saturday, April 14, 2012 @ 8:00PM
Be sure to check our Getting Involved page and FAQ for more information!
01/01/12
Introducing Two, New Board Members!
Along with the New Year, we welcome in two, new members to the Board of Trustees of the Melodramatics Theatre Company, Inc.
Ariel Arbisser Tim Dyster
Learn more about these two, new, valuable additions to our Board on our About Us page!
Ariel Arbisser Tim Dyster
Learn more about these two, new, valuable additions to our Board on our About Us page!
12/24/11
Rent Photo Gallery Premiere!
"December 24th, 10:00pm EST.
I can't believe a year went by so fast.
Time to see what we have time to see.
Turn the projector on!"
Just in time for the holidays, our production photos from Rent are now available for your viewing pleasure in our Rent Photo Gallery. We hope you enjoy them!
Don't forget that spring is just around the corner and our production of Spring Awakening will be premiering in April 2012. Staff positions are still available, so check out the many positions we offer on our Getting Involved page, and apply today!
I can't believe a year went by so fast.
Time to see what we have time to see.
Turn the projector on!"
Just in time for the holidays, our production photos from Rent are now available for your viewing pleasure in our Rent Photo Gallery. We hope you enjoy them!
Don't forget that spring is just around the corner and our production of Spring Awakening will be premiering in April 2012. Staff positions are still available, so check out the many positions we offer on our Getting Involved page, and apply today!
12/19/11
Director Announcement
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It's official! Our Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening will be directed by Amina Omari.
Amina Omari is an actor, director, and writer based in Ithaca, New York. After graduating from Cornell University with a concentration in Creative Writing, Amina completed a two-year course of study the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca, where she went on to teach acting and helped to found the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca Theatre Company. Her directing credits at AWITC include Is He Dead?, Dog Sees God, Orange Flower Water, and Far Away. She has written a number of short films, including the award-winning script "Spring Cleaning". Recent stage roles have included Helen in the Readers' Theatre production of Fat Pig, Countess Geschwitz in a new translation of Frank Wedekind’s Lulu, and Medea in an original adaptation of Euripedes's play developed for the first Indy Convergence festival.
There is a variety of staff positions still available, so check out our Getting Involved page before they're all filled to learn more.
Amina Omari is an actor, director, and writer based in Ithaca, New York. After graduating from Cornell University with a concentration in Creative Writing, Amina completed a two-year course of study the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca, where she went on to teach acting and helped to found the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca Theatre Company. Her directing credits at AWITC include Is He Dead?, Dog Sees God, Orange Flower Water, and Far Away. She has written a number of short films, including the award-winning script "Spring Cleaning". Recent stage roles have included Helen in the Readers' Theatre production of Fat Pig, Countess Geschwitz in a new translation of Frank Wedekind’s Lulu, and Medea in an original adaptation of Euripedes's play developed for the first Indy Convergence festival.
There is a variety of staff positions still available, so check out our Getting Involved page before they're all filled to learn more.
12/14/11
Production Staff for Spring Awakening
We are currently accepting applications for staff positions for our Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening.
There is a variety of positions currently available, so please check our Getting Involved page to learn more about what each position entails and how you can become an integral member of our company.
We look forward to hearing from you!
There is a variety of positions currently available, so please check our Getting Involved page to learn more about what each position entails and how you can become an integral member of our company.
We look forward to hearing from you!
12/11/11
Stay Tuned...
Thank you to all those who came to experience our production of Rent. It could not have been the great success it was without your support and patronage. We hope you enjoyed the show!
Be sure to stay tuned for precise locations and times of auditions for our Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening!
We are always accepting applications for staff, so if you are interested in joining our production team for the fall, please explore your options on our Getting Involved page.
Be sure to stay tuned for precise locations and times of auditions for our Spring 2012 production of Spring Awakening!
We are always accepting applications for staff, so if you are interested in joining our production team for the fall, please explore your options on our Getting Involved page.
12/01/11
It's Opening Night!
Tonight is the opening night of our Fall 2011 production of Rent, which runs from December 1st through the 10th. Tickets are almost all gone, so don't miss out! Order yours now at melodramaticstickets.com.
Please read our Ticket FAQ before placing your order.
Please read our Ticket FAQ before placing your order.
11/30/11
Off-Broadway Cast of Rent to Perform AIDS Benefit Pageant
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2011 RENT HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EXTRAVAGANZA SPECTACULAR
TO BENEFIT
BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5th, 11:00PM
@ NEW WORLD STAGES
The cast of the off-Broadway hit Rent will perform the 2011 Rent Holiday Christmas Pageant Extravaganza Spectacular on Monday, December 5th, at 11:00pm at New World Stages, 340 West 50 Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, New York City, New York. The event benefits Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.
The 2011 Rent Holiday Christmas Pageant Extravaganza Spectacular will be an evening of holly jolly follies and magical musical mayhem, as the cast of Rent presents a classic holiday pageant, performing seasonal favorites such as “White Christmas” and “The Dreidel Song” as well as comedy sketches and scenes from classic holiday movies.
On Friday, November 18th, the cast of Rent became part of television history when it surprised Regis Philbin with a performance of a specially written version of “Seasons of Love” during the closing minutes of his final episode of “Live! with Regis and Kelly."
The off-Broadway cast of Rent includes Annaleigh Ashford, Margot Bingham, Adam Chanler-Berat, Nicholas Christopher, Arianda Fernandez, Marcus Paul James, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Corbin Reid, Michael Rodriguez, Matt Shingledecker, Ephraim Sykes, Ben Thompson, Michael Wartella, Morgan Weed, Xavier Cano, Sean Michael Murray, and Genny Lis Padilla.
Advance tickets are $15, with tickets available at the door for $20. A special VIP ticket package is available for $50, which includes reserved seating, drink service at your table, and a copy of the off-Broadway Rent Playbill signed by the entire company. To reserve tickets in advance, email RSVP@newworldstages.com.
Visit www.siteforrent.com for more information.
BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5th, 11:00PM
@ NEW WORLD STAGES
The cast of the off-Broadway hit Rent will perform the 2011 Rent Holiday Christmas Pageant Extravaganza Spectacular on Monday, December 5th, at 11:00pm at New World Stages, 340 West 50 Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, New York City, New York. The event benefits Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.
The 2011 Rent Holiday Christmas Pageant Extravaganza Spectacular will be an evening of holly jolly follies and magical musical mayhem, as the cast of Rent presents a classic holiday pageant, performing seasonal favorites such as “White Christmas” and “The Dreidel Song” as well as comedy sketches and scenes from classic holiday movies.
On Friday, November 18th, the cast of Rent became part of television history when it surprised Regis Philbin with a performance of a specially written version of “Seasons of Love” during the closing minutes of his final episode of “Live! with Regis and Kelly."
The off-Broadway cast of Rent includes Annaleigh Ashford, Margot Bingham, Adam Chanler-Berat, Nicholas Christopher, Arianda Fernandez, Marcus Paul James, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Corbin Reid, Michael Rodriguez, Matt Shingledecker, Ephraim Sykes, Ben Thompson, Michael Wartella, Morgan Weed, Xavier Cano, Sean Michael Murray, and Genny Lis Padilla.
Advance tickets are $15, with tickets available at the door for $20. A special VIP ticket package is available for $50, which includes reserved seating, drink service at your table, and a copy of the off-Broadway Rent Playbill signed by the entire company. To reserve tickets in advance, email RSVP@newworldstages.com.
Visit www.siteforrent.com for more information.
