And you certainly won’t find the official Chinese Communist Party (“Socialism, with Chinese Characteristics!”) website on Shen Yun all that easily, oh no:
Cult Studies[Uh, FYI, CCP, your agitprop website looks a little crude, like it's from your little buddy North Korea, just saying.]
So I guess the lesson to be learned is that if a small group of people want to game Google so that you’ll buy tickets to this show without knowing, in a general way, what it’s about first, then they can.
Things I now know:
SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE;
THE BOLD ITALIC IS GANNETT COMPANY, INCORPORATED; and
SHEN YUN 2013 IS FALUN GONG
That’s something to consider when you’re getting the hard sell at San Francisco Costco #144, as seen last week on 10th Street:
MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED TRUTH is a rare, personal look inside the life and mind of one of the most feared men ever to wear the heavyweight crown. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Spike Lee, this riveting one-man show goes beyond the headlines, behind the scenes and between the lines to deliver a must-see theatrical knockout.
Be wary of buying tickets from any third party website. SHN has no way of validating, or replacing tickets that have been purchased through any website other than shnsf.com. We cannot seat or refund you for an invalidated ticket.
If you have any questions, please call 1-888-746-1799 before purchasing.”
I’d say that you’d have had a 10% chance of winning on Preview Night.
Realize that the scalpers and scam artists are going crazy right about now, so paying $29 for a seat what’s worth north of $290 IRL might strike you as a good deal.
Book of Mormon will play at our Curran Theatrefrom November 27th to December 30th 2012 and then it will be gone.
There is no way that the run of this smash musical comedy will be extended as the BoM crew will start up in Portland the day after New Year’s.
So here’s what you need to know:
1. This thing is going to be huge – everybody’s going to be talking about it. You know, because it’s ”the best musical of this century” per the New York Times ‘n stuff.
2. You want to go to this show whether you know it or not, even if you’re not into Broadway. Yes, Book of Mormon is profane, but it’s also “an atheist’s love letter to religion.”
3. Tickets are beyond sold out. So the scalpers and the scam artists are going to have a field day.
So that’s hundreds of dollars per seat for tickets what originally cost way less than $100.
So here’s what you do, you show up at the box office on Geary two hours early and enter the lottery.
At $29 a ticket for the winners, this is a steal.
If you don’t want to go through this kind of hassle day after day, then don’t do it because you are not a true fan, (The SHN / BoM people are making you jump through hoops for a reason, don’t you know.)
Now I’ll tell you, when they did this for Rent, back in the day, they lotteried away the two front rows for $19 a piece.
Good times.
Of course the angle was sort of ridiculous and you would see things you weren’t meant to see, but this was quite nice for students of the theatre.
(I don’t know which seats lottery winners will get – they might not get to sit right up front.)
THE BOOK OF MORMON will conduct a pre-show lottery at the box office, making a limited number of tickets available at $29 apiece; cash only. This lottery will be held prior to every performance.
Entries will be accepted at the SHN Curran Theatre box office beginning two hours prior to each performance; each person will print their name and the number of tickets (1 or 2) they wish to purchase on a card that is provided. One and a half hours before curtain, names will be drawn at random for a limited number of tickets priced at $29 each.
Only one entry is allowed per person. Cards are checked for duplication prior to drawing. Winners must be present at the time of the drawing and show valid ID to purchase tickets. Limit one entry per person and two tickets per winner. Tickets are subject to availability.
Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it’s the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, “It’s the funniest musical of all time.” And The New York Times says, “It’s the best musical of this century.” It’s THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart calls it “A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.” Contains explicit language.
For more information please visit www.bookofmormonthemusical.com.
If you come across any website other than shnsf.com claiming to sell THE BOOK OF MORMON tickets for the San Francisco engagement, buyer beware! SHN has no way of validating, or replacing tickets that have been purchased through any website other than shnsf.com. We cannot seat or refund you for an invalidated ticket.
If you have any questions, please call 1-888-746-1799 before purchasing.
*Oh, that’s just a saying – our schools won’t actually win.
MORE: Grab your scarf and mittens and make your way down to the ice rink to view several talented ice skaters from “The San Francisco Tremors Ensemble” from the Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center performing to Disney’s THE LION KING’s “Circle of Life” sung by Buyi Zama who portrays “Rafiki.”
Ever more deets, including info on GIANTS PRIDE NIGHT:
“Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines - Announces Giants’ PRIDE Night - Fans Across the Bay Area Are Invited to Come Out in Their Best San Francisco Giants Outfit
SAN FRANCISCO (November 5, 2012) – Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines will join the legion of proud Bay Area fans in celebrating the San Francisco Giants’ World Series sweep with Giants’ Pride Night on Thursday, November 8 from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The ice will be lit up in orange and fans are encouraged to come out in their favorite San Francisco Giants’ outfit for a fun night of celebration. The first 100 fans to arrive at the rink wearing Giants apparel will receive a complimentary skate admission for their guest that evening. General admission tickets are $10 and tickets for children eight years old and under are $6. Skate rentals are an additional $5. KMEL and KYLD will be at the ice rink between 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. that evening handing out custom Giants Champs placards.
Hours: The ice rink opens November 7 through to January 21, and will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with the exception of December 31, 2012 when it will close at 9:30 p.m.
Ticket prices: General admission tickets are $10 and tickets for children eight years old and under are $6. Figure and hockey skate rentals are $5. Advance tickets go on sale Monday, October 15, 2012 at www.unionsquareicerink.com. Starting Wednesday, November 7, 2012 tickets will be available at the ice rink ticket window in Union Square. Group rates and private parties are also available.
Sponsors: Safeway, Alaska Airlines, Kaiser Permanente, Macy*s, Marmot Mountain, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, Square, American Conservatory Theater, Union Square Business Improvement District, The Westin St. Francis San Francisco, JW Marriott, Chancellor Hotel, Galleria Park Hotel, Grand Hyatt Union Square, John’s Grill, SFMTA, Emporio Rulli Caffé, Disney’s THE LION KING, UNIQLO, San Francisco Examiner, NBC BAY AREA, Telemundo, KSTS-TV 48, STAR 101.3, 98.1 KISS FM, 106.1 KMEL, KOSF 103.7, WiLD 94.9 and KGO 810
About the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink Since 2007, the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink has delighted children and adults with a holiday-themed ice park located in San Francisco’s Union Square. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $6 for children eight years old and under. Figure and hockey skate rentals are $5. Ice rink hours are from 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. daily. A portion of ticket proceeds benefit Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. For tickets or more information, please visit www.unionsquareicerink.com or call 415-781-2688.
Robert Keith, Ice Rink General Manager at Willy Bietak Productions
Karin Flood, Executive Director at Union Square Business Improvement District
Keith Turner, Director of Public and Government Affairs atSafeway Inc., NorthernCaliforniaDivision
Steven Carhart, Veteran representative from Safeway Inc.
Randy Wittorp, Public Affairs Area Director at Kaiser Permanente
The Book of Mormon, the so-called “best musical of this century,” is coming to town November 27 – December 30th, 2012 at our SHN Curran Theatre on Geary in Union Square.
This thing is going to sell out with extreme prejudice due to:
1. All those recent Tony awards, including Best Musical 2011;
2. Extremely good reviews;
3. A relatively small theatre (The Curran is big but the Orpheum and the Golden Gate are bigger); and
4. A short, five-week engagement – this show will bug out of here for Portlandia on Dec. 30th, 2012 NO MATTER WHAT, no extensions
And for the first time in my life, I can articulate a reason to have an AMEX card. The remaining decent-priced good seats at (those not already promised to SHN Members) will get sold today starting at 10:00 AM.
Choose or lose…
“AMERICAN EXPRESS CARDMEMBER EXCLUSIVE - GET EARLY ACCESS TO THE BOOK OF MORMON TICKETS!
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12 AT 10AM
Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it’s the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, “It’s the funniest musical of all time.” And The New York Times says, “It’s the best musical of this century.” It’s THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart calls it “A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.” Contains explicit language.
Coming to the SHN Curran Theatre for a strictly limited five-week engagement, November 27 – December 30.
SHNews customers: if you are an AMERICAN EXPRESS® cardmember, you can purchase tickets beginning today at 10 am, before the general public on sale which begins Friday, Sept. 21 at 10am.
To purchase, click here or call 888 746 1799. We recommend purchasing online for faster transaction process.
Please note: Tickets for the American Express® pre-sale can only be purchased using the above link or by phone. They are not available at any SHN Box Office.
It’s a great show. You (and your kin aged 12 and up) ought to go see it.
And oh, BTW, if you don’t already have tickets for The Book of Mormon, you know, the Best Musical of the Century (already!) per the New York Times, well, it’s time to start freaking out. You can’t buy tickets now because the only way to do that is to get a subscription for the 2012-2013 season (you know, Lion King, Wicked, etc.) but here’s the catch: SOLD OUT, baby! Already. So you’re going to need to move move move when individual tickets go on sale, whenever that will be. BoM, which is, fundamentally, a “love letter to religion written by an atheist,” however foul-mouthed it may be, will only be here for five short weeks. Every last show will sell out, just saying.
(So, as I said yesterday, get your tickets at SHN now - they’re not getting any cheaper and this musical leaves us on August 26th, 2012.)
Now here’s Emily L’s review from the Orchestra Section’s Row U:
“Extraordinary musical! Les Miz is a beautiful story of a man’s life struggles, portraying bourgeois issues such as poverty, child abuse, prostitution and other political corruption in 1800 France. I was instantly enthralled from the very first scene of the show. This cast is amazing and captivating in every way. The voices went with each characters’ every movement and the visual sets were stunning. The orchestra seating was a special treat as the sound resonated throughout, spot on with the actors. In 2 hours, Les Miz will bring out smiles, pains, laughs, cries, ‘aww’s, and cheers – it’s a roller coaster ride definitely worth riding at least once!“
So there you have it.
Les Miz reminds me of that other famous, long-running show, Phantom of the Opera, in a way. But guess who saysLes Miz is “far superior?” It’s Steven Winn of the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Just saw #lesmiserables@shnsf at the Orpheum – perfection – standing ovation .. Highly recommend it!”
All right, see you there!
“Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.
Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master Of The House” and many more.
