I spend a lot of money on theatre and concert tickets, since I find those activities particularly enjoyable.
By far, the best $104 I have ever spent on the arts transpired as follows:
- I bought two tickets to the Boston Pops concert titled A Little Night Music, featuring the score from the Sondheim musical by the same name. I selected tickets in the very best section of Symphony Hall: first balcony left, row A, between seats 4 and 23*.
- Today, June 15th, I reviewed the tickets and discovered the concert was two days ago on the 13th, despite what I put on my calendar.
- I carefully shredded and recycled the tickets.
Were this any other event I might have employed some Synthetic Happiness. “I’m glad I missed that rotten concert,” I would have said. “The music was probably terrible, and it would have wasted my time.”
This being the Boston Pops I can hardly convince myself there was so much as a mediocre musician on the stage. Instead, I’ll settle for declaring that I enjoy giving away money. Hence, tomorrow I will be throwing $100 bills off the roof of my apartment. Linger on the sidewalk all day for a chance to get rich.
Blërg.
* The orchestra seats are too low to see the whole stage. While I agree music is meant primarily to be heard and not seen, I find enjoyment in watching great musicians at their work. The first balcony is much better, affording a view of the entire stage.
Sitting in Row A eliminates the chance a tall man in a hat will sit in front of you. The first three seats are in an awkward corner, but seats 4 – 23 (the first two sections) are all excellent choices.
The left side of the balcony is marginally better than the right – partly because we all know the brass and string sections are all more interesting than the percussionists (silly percussionists!) but also because Keith Lockhart (or whoever the conductor might be) will enter the stage in your view. People on the right side of the balcony have to infer his arrival from the applause of others, thus making them feel left out.