Curtains Up in Five – Date Night at the Theatre
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I have always loved the theatre! I studied dance throughout my childhood and even though I’ve long since left it behind, I’ve always loved going to see live performances. I love the music, the costumes, the dancing and the contagious energy! While Adam hasn’t always shared my love for it, he has always allowed me to drag him along. That’s why I was so excited when he suggested getting tickets to see Rock of Ages for a date night at the theatre.
As you may have guessed, I am no stranger to theatre shows and I will go whenever I’m given the chance. I love the classics like Chicago (amazing choreography!) and also the movie-turned-into-theatre shows such as Dirty Dancing (it was awesome!). I’ve seen everything from Wicked to The Woman in Black and while I love both plays and musicals, if I’m being honest, I love musicals more – they are just so much fun!
If you’ve never been to a theatre show you should know that tickets aren’t inexpensive (we spent about $65 CDN each for Rock of Ages) but that you can almost always find something at a discount theatre tickets box office. Also, waiting until a show is in it’s last weeks (they usually offer discount discounts at the end) or going to your local community theatre can be less expensive options. While the price might be high, I’ve always thought the value was incredible. A performance that is put together professionally can dazzle you with incredible set designs, emotional dialog and gorgeous costumes – all in a live format! Shows usually span over 2 acts and last between 2 and 3 hours. Depending on the theatre (and the type of show) you may also be able to get drinks from the concession stands to enjoy in your seats.
Our trip to Rock of Ages was no exception to this and let me start by saying that it was amazing! The story is simple – boy meets girls type thing – but the music is all classic rock from the 1980′s including hits from Journey, Styx, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, Foreigner and many more! You simply can’t help but tap your feet and sing along. In addition to the incredible music, the story itself has hilarious (albeit vulgar) dialog and some very cheeky jokes. I would highly recommend it to new and seasoned theatre-goers alike, but keep in mind that this is definitely not a family friendly show!
This date night wasn’t just about seeing Rock of Ages, but spending a night on the town at a theatre. As I mentioned, this isn’t cheap and professionally done theatre shows don’t play in every major city so when you get a chance to go you might as well make the most of it. For us, theatre tickets usually show up as a birthday or anniversary gift so we can justify the cost and it also ensures that we do something memorable for a big milestone. Dinner before or after a show can be a nice touch, but even a cup of coffee afterward to talk about your favourite parts can keep your theatre date night going strong.
Do you enjoy going to the theatre? What’s your favourite show?
Pro Tips:
- Theatre performances ARE NOT concerts! Even at a show like Rock of Ages it’s important to remember the difference. Enjoy the experience but remember to be conscientious of the other people who also paid good money to be there.
- You don’t need a top and tails to attend. We enjoy dressing up a bit, but at Rock of Ages you’d fit in with a t-shirt and jeans. The subject matter of the show is usually your best clue as to how you should dress. Cut off jeans for ‘Les Miserables’ would probably be unwise.
- If you love celebrity sightings, you can often catch the stars of the show on their way out of the theatre for a quick photo or autograph.
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From Adam:
Simply put - Rock of Ages rocked! The singing was top notch, the songs were classic and the show truly was laugh-out-loud funny. If you enjoy this type of music (who doesn't?!?!) and have a chance to see this show it really was an incredibly entertaining 3 hours.
As for other theatre performances - I've seen a handful in big theatre towns and smaller venues and my appreciation for them is definitely growing. If you're skeptical there are some shows that you are more likely to enjoy than others. Familiar stories and music (the Lion King or Merry Poppins for example) can help make the experience more enjoyable, but original shows like Wicked (although I have yet to see it) gain a lot of praise for being exceptionally well written.
There is no question that this is a special occasion for us, but the one or two shows we see each year are always memorable and without question make for exceptional date nights.
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Yvonne and I absolutely love going to the theater and we had a blast at Rock of Ages. Living in New York City, we try to get out to catch a show whenever we can (although we have to admit, it does get expensive, especially for Broadway shows – so it’s not an everyday thing… still – it’s sooooooooo amazing.)
I’m so glad you liked the show. Yvonne and I were head banging all the way through the performance and once it was over, we headed straight for a Karaoke bar to sing away the 80′s and 90′s… That show was the inspiration behind a post we wrote called “Is Karaoke the Secret to Being Happily Married?”
Here in the city, there are posters now all over announcing the upcoming movie version of Rock of Ages featuring Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx – it’s so gonna ROCK!
On which is our favorite show? My personal favorite has been Wicked. What an incredible combination of visuals, music and simply “magic.”
I’m so jealous that you live in New York! Adam and I visited last year and loved it – and obviously I dragged him to a Broadway show. I would have to say that Wicked is definitely up there as one of my favourite shows- it was such an incredibly clever story. I also really enjoyed Spamalot – so funny
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve been to a karaoke bar – I will have to check out your post and then plan our next date night! Thanks!
Cool post!! My husband and I like to get theater tickets here and there – the last show we went to was “American Idiot” – and it was a really awesome show!! The next show we’re gonna see is “The Book of Mormon” – we’ve already got our tickets!!
I’ve heard that ‘The Book of Mormon’ is supposed to be really good. We hope you enjoy it!
Oh I love theater, especially musicals! I wanted to see Rock of Ages, but didn’t get to it. Going to order tickets for the Book of Mormon next. We are fortunate to have a lot of theater options here in Southern California, I just wish I had more time. My favorite is probably Wicked.