RENT: Live: A Perspective

Opening quote (photo lovingly stolen from my friend Aubrey)

So Rent: Live happened last night.

There has been MUCH discussion, complaining, judging, etc. regarding the events which occurred on Fox for this production last night. I always feel the beginning is the best place to start so if you are out of the loop here is what happened:

Rent Live was scheduled for Sunday, January 27 at 8 ET/7 CT. A few hours before the production news broke that Brennin Hunt (set to play Roger Davis) had broken his foot, but the live performance would go on. Well, actually, the reports said he had injured his foot, but didn't go into details. I didn't think too much of it figuring they would wrap it and call it a day or maybe modify some choreography, but things would go on as planned.

When the broadcast started the words 'previously recorded' appeared on the screen. This was my first time to watch one of the 'live' musicals so I didn't really know how this whole game went. I thought maybe it meant they recorded it live and then showed it (think Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunction...). I had also seen something in a Broadway group where someone had gone to the dress rehearsal and said that the recording would be amazing. I was slightly disappointed, but figured they needed time for editing or something. Whatever, no big deal.

We make it to the first commercial break and the whole cast appears, live, to explain that Brennin had severely broken his foot thus they were using the recording from the previous night, but there would be a live finale with the original Broadway cast. While I was a little disappointed I was still looking forward to seeing the OBC at the end.

The last section of the show was live (and you could see poor Brennin's cast propped up on a chair) and the finale was fantastic.

There was lots of discussion last night, but then today happened...

We found out today that there was a concert style performance for the audience who were there waiting to be present for what was to be telecast live.

You would think that someone burned down Broadway...

I am not going to go too far into the comments and analysis of why this was 'wrong'. I am simply going to give my reason for why I am 100% okay with what they did.

I teach middle school drama in a Title I school. That means that a good chunk of my kids live below the poverty line. We have free breakfast and lunch for the whole school because of this. My kids' families do not have the money to go see shows and broadcasts like these are all they have access to (along with what I show them on BroadwayHD).

I have seen so much backlash about these live performances in general. People don't like the casting, they don't think the quality is perfect, and dozens of other things. What I see about these is a whole lot of people who don't have access to theatre getting to live these stories, and regardless of your opinion on Rent the musical itself, the message of friendship and living is beautiful and something that should be out there for the world.

Now, a lot of people have complained that they should have had an understudy. This is a one time performance, not Broadway with eight shows a week. Financially it is a gamble that the network took, and I don't blame them. I mean, it's live theatre, but what are the odds of someone breaking their foot in a way that keeps them from performing? Probably pretty low.

Another complaint I saw was that they should have just shown what was happening at the sound stage. Okay, I'd be lying if I said I don't wish I could have seen that. I say that as a serious theatre person who has seen this show staged before. For the general population, however, who may have not seen this show, to get to watch the staging of this show is a gift. I am a technical theatre person and I thought the set and use of the sound stage was brilliant. It was immersive and I wish I could have been there to see it because the cast was all over the place and it was fantastic. I would have felt more cheated missing the direction and choreography than watching a previously recorded rehearsal.

I did make the comment that they could just show it next Sunday because there's not any major event it might clash with... hehe...

Overall, I am glad they did what they did.

Where there some issues with certain actor's performances because it was a dress rehearsal? Yes.

Do I forgive that? Considering the amount of shows I have seen and the amount of shows I've done, yes, yes I do. So much can go wrong at any live performance: actors changing before a show or at intermission due to illness, technical issues shutting down a show mid-performance, so many things can go wrong.

At the end of the day though, how much did you or I pay to watch this show reimagined in 2019? Not a penny.

All that being said, I also liked one other thing about it...

For those of you are not familiar with the history of this show:

Like it or not, Rent was a game changer to Broadway in 1996. Rent changed the scope of theatre. It became a cultural phenomenon very quickly and they established a lottery in order for people to be able to see it for a reasonable price. This still goes on today.

Rent opened Off Broadway January 25, 1996...that morning the playwright/lyricist/composer passed away unexpectedly. The last performance he saw of his show, which would take Broadway by storm, was a dress rehearsal. I found the parallel between the dress rehearsals lovely. The night that the show premiered the cast started with a concert version, but by the song La Vie Boheme the actors were up on their feet doing the choreography and completed the show full out. It was an intimate and legendary moment in theatre.

Say what you will about the decisions Fox made, but it had to be made quickly and I'm certain it wasn't made without a lot of thought. Do I think the cast and crew is disappointed things didn't go as planned? Absolutely. I'm sure they felt awful, especially Brennin Hunt. Anyone who has been part of a production would be.

This is a moment in theatre to allow for grace and thinking outside of ourselves.

PS
Jordan Fisher and Brandon Victor Dixon make my heart happy...and I'm glad I saw them together in Hamilton a few years ago...

NYC How To Guide: Hotel: You Have To Sleep Somewhere

The cute Mayfair on 49th in Manhattan

I am not a hotel snob, in the slightest. I do not spend enough time at a hotel to warrant me to be one. I have stayed at two hotels in NYC and I enjoy both of them for different reasons. If neither of these are available or are not your style I have recently started using Booking.com in a similar fashion as searching flights on Google. I will say that I always book on the hotel’s website, it eases my anxiety a bit knowing I’ve booked through the actual hotel rather than a third party. Though that tends to just be for New York. When I have traveled to other locations I have used Expedia and had great experiences.

THE MAYFAIR NEW YORK

242 W 49^th St.

New York, NY 10019

http://mayfairnewyork.com/

(800) 556-2932

First off, if you don’t like toile print (white background, pastel prints on it) then the Mayfair is not for you because the rooms are Toile-a-palooza. The Mayfair is the first place my mom and I stayed in NYC and where we stay when she goes.

Toile-a-palooza

It definitely has its advantages. For one thing, every room has a private bathroom (more on that if you read further). When I discovered that the Mayfair had single rooms which were much more economic for solo travel it became a game changer. Another advantage is the location. It is located on 49^th between Broadway and 8^th Avenue and is within about 7 blocks of most every Broadway theatre. The 50^th street subway station is close (ACE12BDFM are all available within a block or so).

The hotel is located on the same block as the Ambassador Theatre (where Chicago is playing) and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre (where The Book of Mormon is playing). There is a diner around the corner that serves amazing brunch, an Italian restaurant in the hotel, and another down the block, not to mention countless other bars, restaurants, stores, etc.

This hotel is nice if you are planning to exclusively see shows or have a higher budget.

THE JANE HOTEL

113 Jane Street

New York, NY 10014

https://www.thejanenyc.com/

(212) 924-6700

The Jane has become my home away from home and I felt like I was cheating when I did not stay there on my last trip.

This is a hotel with a rich historical background. It has been a YMCA as well as a hotel and it is actually, according to information in the rooms, where the survivors of the Titanic sinking were taken. It is also about a block away from the site where Alexander Hamilton died following the dual with Aaron Burr.

Some things to note about this hotel. It is cheap. The most I have spent on a single room is $125 per night and that was at a peak travel time. Usually it is more like $79-99. Of course there is a catch: the room is tiny, like think the size of standard master bathroom, and you share a bathroom. I found this diamond in the ruff in 2013 and was rather apprehensive about all of this when booking from afar. However, when I got there the staff was so pleasant and the history was so rich that I did not care about the compromises. Also, I don’t go to New York to hang out in a hotel room…it is simply a place to safely store my stuff and sleep so these compromises are fine by me. Oh, and the shared bathroom is CONSTANTLY cleaned, has locks on the doors for the toilets and showers, and has an ample supply of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

A benefit or drawback, depending on how you look at it, is that there is a rooftop bar and club, and apparently it is quite the hot spot. This means dragging in after a night of theatre to a line out the door and having to remind the bouncer that you could care less about ‘clubbing’ and just want to sleep. It hasn’t really been a problem for me, just sometimes annoying because of the volume.

The hotel also has a restaurant in the lobby. When I started staying there it was a French restaurant, but that closed a new rustic Italian restaurant has opened and I have enjoyed it, especially for brunch right before leaving for the airport.

The Jane offers three types of rooms: a standard cabin, a bunk bed cabin, and a standard room. I have stayed in all three. The first two have a shared bathroom and the standard room has a private bathroom along with a king sized bed and great views of the Hudson River. In January the standard room is generally around $125 per night and is a great option for a couple or a girls’ trip. Honestly, that room is pretty huge even by ‘normal’ hotel standards.

The major drawback to The Jane is it’s lack of proximity to a subway station. The closest station is at 14^th and 8th Avenue…8 blocks…half a mile. If you don’t mind walking in the heat or cold, snow or rain, then The Jane is a fantastic solution. If you don’t mind using Lyft or Uber then The Jane is a fantastic solution.

The walk to the station is a nice one and there are great restaurants on the way and fun shops plus a park market in the warmer months that I absolutely adore. Since it is located in a more residential area the neighborhood is much quieter than Times Square. Also within a few blocks are the Whitney Museum (if you’re into museums) and the High Line which is a transformed raised railroad tracks which has been turned into a park and extends from Gansevoot Street to 34^th Street. It is a great walk and takes you through several neighborhoods and has great views. It is 100% on my list of must see places if you’ve never been to the city before.

Depending upon your personal plan for a trip each of these hotels has its advantages and disadvantages. I have had nothing but great service at both and I would highly recommend them both.

AIRBNB

Personally, I have never used AirBnB in NYC, but I have friends who have and have had really good experiences. I feel more comfortable in a hotel, but you can get some steals especially if you have a large group going or you are comfortable sharing someone’s apartment.

NEW JERSEY AND OTHER BOROUGHS

I have seen in some groups people suggesting to stay in Jersey or one of the other boroughs (Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island). I have stayed in Jersey once and it was fine, though getting into Manhattan was an adventure we still talk about to this day. Personally the convenience of Manhattan if that’s where I’m spending the majority of time is worth the additional expense to me. Brooklyn is very up and coming and I know plenty of people who swear by staying there and doing things there, but I am not one of them.

FINAL THOUGHTS
When I started this series and posted how much I spent on a hotel a friend commented how much less that was than when they stayed in California and asked if I paid rent on someone's closet. I did not, however, I have said that really in NYC all I need is a cot and a small room with a lock to keep my stuff because I am in the hotel so rarely, which is true. When I travel with someone else I adjust somewhat, but for the most part this is how I travel. Also, as some sort of return from the universe I had a room in Chicago a few years ago that was bigger than any apartment I ever lived in! Sometimes the universe is cool like that.

After everything is all planned the next job is...
Packing: You Don't Need Everything You Think You Need

NYC How To Guide: Airfare: You Have To Get There

My first adventure with Spirit Airlines, June 2016

 

Some people use credit cards to get points to save money or get free fare or hotels. Personally, I do not keep any credit cards (except one for emergencies only). I know, I know, if you pay them off each month you can get great rewards, however, in times when I have had a credit card (always a store card) I have not been diligent about paying it off and it came back to bite me. I know my limitations and work within those.

For some people flying on one airline and using points or loyalty programs and do well. I do not, I book fare based upon what I find the cheapest.

FLEXIBILITY

The biggest key to getting cheap fare is flexibility. Since I started teaching I don’t have the flexibility that I once did, so I have to travel within the constraints of holidays and vacation days.

Not only is being flexible with dates important, but also being flexible with how long you go. I have purchased fare to NYC for $69 round trip, however it was a very short 24ish hour trip, but I managed to get in two shows, delicious dinner, and brunch.

There have been times that I actually save enough money on airfare by staying a day longer that it pays for another night’s hotel. By that I mean I would spend the same amount staying four days with cheaper airfare as I would if I stayed five days with an extra hotel night. I don’t save cash, but I gain experiences for the same price. You also have to factor in food, tickets, and transportation for that extra night, but I will almost always add an extra day (if I can) to get in another show if the difference won’t be that much.

FINDING FARES

I always start with a general time I want to go. This is particularly for summer now that I’m teaching, but if I have several holiday weekends I will look at all of them to figure out which one will be economically best. (Opening dates of shows and limited engagements are also a factor for me.)

I always start with a simple google search for fares. On your smartphone (or at least on my Samsung) if you put in Dallas to NYC you will get a box that looks like this. (It remembers the dates from last time.)

If you tap on one of the dates it will show you prices on a calendar. If you change the departure date it will show you how much it costs to come back on any day after that. I play on that for quite some time.

Once you determine the fare that looks the best for you then you will choose those dates. As a general rule flying at non peak times (like the middle of the week rather than weekends) overall tend to be cheaper. Flying larger airports (DFW over Will Rogers in OKC) also helps. I never fly out of OKC anymore. I also live in the middle of the two so it makes as much sense to go to one as the other. It is worth checking to see if gas is expensive and you wouldn’t have to pay to park at OKC because someone can drop you off then DFW might not be the best bet for you. The key is comparison and doing research. I never book fare before looking at all the factors.

HOPPER

When I’m looking at trips in the future I will use the Hopper app. You can put in dates and locations and it will track trends and give you alerts and let you know when is the best time to book is. This is something I have recently discovered and it has helped in long term planning.

SELECTING A FLIGHT

After looking through flights and dates when I settle on a fare that is within reason I look at various places to purchase. For example, if I’m flying Spirit oftentimes they will have additional discounts if you book through their website. Sometimes booking through Expedia, Travelocity, or one of these sites will make your fare a little cheaper. I do use Expedia quite a lot and gain points through that app which will knock some dollars off of hotels or airfare from time to time, but I don’t rely on that, it’s just a bonus.

AIRLINES

I am not snobby when it comes to who I fly with. I have flown America, Delta, United, Continental, Virgin, Frontier, Spirit, and probably more if I looked back for specifics. I fly whatever I can find for the cheapest. With airlines like Frontier and Spirit you only get a carry on. I can generally fit a weekend trip in a backpack without trouble (more on that here), but if you are going to have to purchase a carry on or checked bag then you need to factor that in. Another trick for those if you are traveling with other people you can purchase one carry on or one checked bag and share to save money. My mom and I did this over the summer, just be aware that they often have a weight restriction. I have a hand held luggage scale to weigh my bags

SPIRIT AIRLINES

I fly Spirit a lot. I would say that’s what I fly the most. Spirit advertises a ‘bare fare’. This means they get you from point A to point B and really nothing more. No choosing seats, no snacks or drinks on the plane, no checking in at the airport, and you only get one personal item (18”x14”x8”). As long as you play by their rules you can get some REALLY good deals on airfare. (Check out Spirit 101 for more detailed information) I never fly first class, I fly in a seat wherever they put me. It’s three hours of my life at a time and I can endure it. If you have physical restrictions where you need more room then this is not the route for you. If you must have a window or aisle seat then you can pay (each way) for that, but it adds up. For me, being at my destination is the most important part of any trip, flights are a means to an end only.

Because I fly with Spirit so much it has taught me to pack extremely light. I used to be an over packer and even with the restrictions of one backpack I still tend to take more than I need to. There will be a whole post about how I pack.

I know several people who have issues with this airline, but I have not. There have only been two minor issues with flights and both of those were weather related. One was a cancelled flight, which was fully refunded, and the other was a delayed flight that got diverted. In the second case by the time we landed and made it to the car we had vouchers for our next flight as an apology.

Spirit is not for everyone. My style of travel is not for everyone, but it works for me and allows me to travel regularly and that is what is most important to me. Once again, it is all about priorities!

Next up is:
Hotel: You Have To Sleep Somewhere

NYC How To Guide: Money: How To Save To Go

Depositing my $5 savings for London April 2018

When it comes to money it is all about priorities. If you want to live in a big house with a pool then going to NYC four times a year is quite possibly not in your future. I am blessed to have very little when it comes to monthly expenses. There are some trade offs for that, but in this season of life the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks.

The main keys to financially being able to travel like I do are twofold: savings and budgeting.


SAVINGS:

Method 1: Monthly Savings
A few years ago I set up a checking account to be my vacation account. I only use it for travel. The way I have it set up 10% of my paycheck (I'm paid once a month) goes straight into my travel account (I do this with savings and other things too, but this post is about travel). It is an automatic draft so I don't even have to remember to do it. That gives me a nice little nest egg for travel each year.

Method 2: Odd Jobs Savings
When I work an extra job (stage managing for the most part) I split the pay in half and half goes to vacation and the other half to savings. That way I do not rely on it as part of my regular 'living' income. I feel responsible by putting half in savings, but still get to play with the other half. (This also goes for tax returns...basically anything that is not my normal monthly paycheck.)

Method 3: The $5 Savings Challenge
In late 2016 I saw a post floating around Facebook about a $5 Savings Challenge. Basically if you are given a $5 bill you put it up instead of spending it. This worked GREAT the first year because I had a pretty good paying job the first 8 months of 2017, aaaaaaaand then I became a teacher. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, but it doesn't pay as well. I am also aware of how many times people will give you three $5 as change from a $20 instead of one $5 and one $10 so I am much more conscientious of  my use of cash because now. In 2017 I saved nearly $1500...in 2018 I saved $475, so there was definitely a difference in income between the two. I'm still happier at my current job so it is worth it!

Method 4: Random Money
If I end up with random cash, like for birthday or holidays or other random things, I put that back as well.

The Results:
When going on my weekend NYC trips I do not touch money from Methods 3 and 4. Those are for big trips. I was able to pay for my flight, hotel, and theatre tickets when I went to London last year just from Method 3. Method 4 has stayed intact and not touched currently.


BUDGETING:

Budgeting applies to more than just when I am traveling. It is imperative to know where your money goes when you are home living your life. I am not always the best with this, but everything that I pay comes out automatically and is the same every month so I know exactly how much I have left over, which helps.

I will get more into how I find the cheap flights and hotels in later posts, but budgeting is my key.

I fly cheap and I stay cheap because I do not always see theatre cheap. If I want to see a show I will spend the money on it (think Hamilton original cast ticket...). It is a trade off, but seeing the shows I want to see as frequently as I do is worth a tiny hotel room and a compromise on airfare. I do not have restrictions on flying as some people I know do so as long as I have the ability to fly ridiculously cheap I will.

When I travel I use an app called Hand Trip. I can detail all my expenses and see where the money is going. You can also attach screenshots of receipts and boarding passes and such so everything is in one spot.

AN EXAMPLE:

For the purpose of education, I am going to be 100% transparent on my January 2019 expenses for my trip. This was a solo trip and 100% of my purpose was to see as many shows as I possibly could. That is not always the case, sometimes I want to actually poke around the city and I try to take a dance class whenever I go, but it was cold and the trip was short, so I just saw shows and ate food.

This is the breakdown of my expenses:

Saturday, January 12, 2019 - Monday, January 14, 2019

Souvenir 1% - $10.83 (I have been enough that shopping is not a thing, but I found a cute "Goodnight Broadway" board book that needed to come home with me...I also spent a chunk of change on monologue books for school at the Drama Book Shop, but I counted those out of my regular budget since they were for school)
Etc 1% - $13.35 (rather than wasting room in my backpack I either use hotel shampoo, conditioner, and body wash or buy when I get there...at this hotel it was a buy when I got there kind of place...the extra I'll use when I road trip travel so it's not a waste)
Transportation 3% - $35.45 ($30 to park at DFW and $5.45 for subway/bus fare to get from and to the airport...more on that here...I paid for my gas to and from DFW out of my regular account, but that could go either way...I technically spent more than $5.45 on a MetroCard, but the excess will stay there until my next trip)
Food 16% - $205.14 (this included a sushi splurge dinner, water and snacks at three shows because my throat was killing me and water was imperative, and only eating two meals a day with a few snacks thrown in)
Hotel 18% - $227.34 (this was actually a splurge for me, but saved me in subway fare and Lyft rides in the long run)
Flight 19% - $241.38 (I'm pretty annoyed by this one...I got good airfare $157, but had to change my dates because of some conflicts with a show so I had to add $71 to change dates...I also bought the airfare protection which I never do so that accounts for the rest...I usually do much better on airfare...to add to my annoyance I kept seeing my exact flights for like $124 a few weeks before...)
Admission 42% - $524.94 (seeing shows is my priority and it is reflected in my budget..for this trip I way overpaid for one show from a ticket broker, bought one on TodayTix but splurged a bit, bought one as a cheap rush ticket at the box office, and got $50 off one at the box office because it was about 30 minutes before curtain...the average for each show was $131.24 which isn't the best I've spent, but also not the worst)

My total for this trip was $1,258.43. (It's actually slightly more than that, but the tip for brunch before I left has not gone through as of this moment so for accuracy I'll likely fix that later).

Now some may look at this and think OH MY GOSH OVER $1200 FOR A WEEKEND?!?! That's fair and I respect your opinion. I was actually excited it was this cheap! I tend to overspend and this one was pretty good. It did not come close to wiping out my vacation budget and I did not touch any money from methods 3 and 4. This was all done with 1 and 2.

Some trips I take are cheaper than this (Atlanta last year was right at $400, but I did not go by myself, so I was able to split expenses). I also didn't have a ton of souvenirs to buy for other people and I was sick for most of the trip so I didn't do a lot of extras (I really meant to make it to Tiffany's and buy myself a Christmas present). As I finish posts about each area of spending I will link them above.

My biggest splurge was theatre tickets. I could have very easily gone to see four shows and spent less than half of that, but to see the shows that I wanted to see this go round this is what I did.

Stay tuned for the next How To installment...Airfare: You Have To Get There

NYC: A How To Guide

Leaving NYC by plane August 2017

For the average person living in a small town in Southern Oklahoma who has never lived in New York I go to NYC a lot. The reality is actually 3-4 times a year and that only started about four years ago. Before that time I lived in a big house with a pool so I stayed home a lot. Somewhere along the way (okay there was a flood and I moved back to my home town) I changed my priorities and the big house with the pool was not one of those.

Due to the fact that I tend to go a lot I get a ton of questions about my travel. The two most popular are:
1. I'm going to New York what should I do?
2. You're in New York AGAIN, how do you do it?

So I've decided to put together a how to guide. This will all be accessible from this little blog post so if you should travel to NYC you can access it from this blog. I'm going to write several posts, but link them all here.

A few things to know about this:

First off, it will likely be a work in progress for awhile.

Second, I do not travel like everyone else. (Dave Ramsey says 'live like no one else so later you can live like no one else.' Now that has to do with savings and debt and all of that, but I travel like no one else so I can travel like no one else.)

Third, my priorities may not be the same as your priorities and this will be based upon my worldview and what I actually do.

Fourth, my income situation is not the same as yours. I do try to travel as cheaply as humanly possible, but there are many reasons I am able to have the available income for travel that I do (which will be addressed).

So jump in and check it out (if there isn't a hyperlink then it's not written yet...keep coming back):

The Money:
Money: How To Save To Go

The Basics:
Airfare: You Have To Get There

Hotel: You Have To Sleep Somewhere

Packing: You Don't Need Everything You Think You Need
Transportation: Point A to Point B

The Theatre:
Broadway: You Have To See a Show!

The Food:
Brunch: It's My Life
Dinner: My Second Favorite Meal of the Day
Snacks: To Keep You Going

The Sites:
Site-seeing: Where to Go and What to See