Blue Man Group

One of the greatest things about living in Chicago is that there are so many shows in the city.  I’m not talking about movie theaters; I’m talking about live theater, with actors, musicians, dancers, etc.  There is the Lyric Opera House, the Goodman Theater, the Auditorium Theater, etc.  Numerous Broadway plays come to Chicago every year, and there is always something interesting and exciting to watch. 

I only have one issue with going to the theater:  the price.  Each performance costs at least $50.  Some of them cost much more, depending on where you sit.  I am much too cheap to pay that much money very often.  However, I have recently learned about a wonderful way to save money and see great theater performances:  You can volunteer to usher! 

An usher is a person who works at the theater and shows the people how to find their seats.  Several theaters in the city allow people to volunteer as an usher (work for free).  All you have to do is go in, help people find their seats, and then you can watch the show for free. 

I’ve done this twice now for a show called “Blue Man Group” at the Briar Street Theater.  It’s a great and unique comedy show.  There are 3 actors who have their faces painted blue.  They don’t talk, but they play music and do comedy routines that are incredibly funny.  The show is part comedy, part rock music.  I really enjoyed seeing it. 

 

 

The first time, I went with some friends. Then, I went a few weeks later with my sister, who was visiting. We had to wear specific clothes: a white shirt and black pants. We also had to arrive an hour early for some training. It was a very easy job. We passed out the playbills (booklets that describe the show and actors) and we told people how to find their seats. During the show, we had great seats in the fifth row. At one point in the show the actors walked out into the audience and climbed over the chairs. One of the actors walked over me and my sister and used our heads to keep his balance. I was so surprised, but it was a lot of fun!

After the show, we had to stay for about 10 minutes and help clean up the theater. Then, we were done. We had a great time and didn’t have to pay anything. Actually, the second time that I went to the show we found $10 while we were cleaning the theater, and the staff told us to keep it. We actually made money while watching the show! If you are interested in seeing some shows, but you don’t want to pay all the money, try out volunteer ushering. Next, I’m going to usher at the Goodman Theater so that I can see some of their plays. I hope it’s as easy and fun.

What is the best live show that you have ever seen? What did you like about it?

If you haven’t seen live theater, describe the best thing that you have ever gotten for free.