I love going to shows. I love it. Theater is magical. It has the ability to suck you into another world in a way that a movie never could. The only problem is that shows can be expensive. The average movie ticket is around $10, and if you just logged on to the website of the Fabulous Fox, you'd see that you cannot even get close to that cost. For a college kid on a budget, tickets to a play or musical might seem out of reach.
Lest you use your budget as an excuse not to go see a magical story unfold before your eyes, I've compiled a little list of theaters in Saint Louis that have great student pricing.
1. The Fabulous Fox (Professional)
On average, tickets at The Fox are about $35-110. For students, you can get them for as little as $20! The trick is that you have to "student rush." This means you show up at the box office up to two hours before the show with a valid student ID and buy them there. The section of seats that you can choose from is limited and it gets tricky for shows that could possibly sell out. When Hamilton gets here next year, you can forget about this option. But if it's a marginally sold show on a Wednesday night, you are probably going to get great seats for only $20. Even though this is still a little bit of money, for a professional performance you can count on being amazing, it's well worth it. Another great option at The Fox is to take a school group. This allows you to get discounted tickets in more than one area of seating. Plus, it guarantees that you have the seats. The only trouble is you have to take 15 or more people.
2. The Repertory (Professional)
The Rep also offers student rush tickets. While their tickets are the sweet price of only $10, the process is even trickier than The Fox. At the Rep, you can only student rush ten minutes before the show. So, you have to be deliberate. Unlike The Fox that only offers tickets from a specific section, The Rep offers their student rush tickets out of ANY of the remaining seats. This means that you could end up with one of the most expensive seats for $10. Awesome, right? Also like The Fox, this makes it hard when the show is one that is likely to sell out. Choosing a lower traffic night will help guarantee that you get the ticket price you want!
3. The Muny (Professional)
The Muny is an outdoor, seasonal theater in STL. Their season runs in the summer time when the weather is nice enough to perform outside. Because the theater is located in Forrest Park, they MUST offer some tickets for free. There is a pretty large section at the Muny of free seats, but they fill up fast. When we go, we go 1-2 hours early and take a picnic. We sit in line outside the theater that way we get good seats in the free section once they start letting people in. If I'm not in the mood to fight the crowds, I buy tickets EARLY and get them in the next cheapest section under the fan. For 2 people, you can easily only spend $30.
4. New Line (Semi-Professional)
At New Line, you actually have a couple of options. Their general student pricing is $20 a ticket, but they student rush five minutes before the show. Any tickets they have left can be purchased for $10 with a valid student ID. Now, here's the tricky part. New Line actually reserves 10 tickets per show for college students that are free. You heard me, FREE. These tickets become available at 7pm the night of the show. First come, first served. So there's a chance you could see a show for free. If not, stick around and just get the $10 rush tickets.
5. Universities
First, if you haven't even been to a show at your school, do it now. Not only is it a great way to support your school (just like going to a sporting event), it will probably be a super cheap and fun way to spend the evening! At MBU, current students can get tickets to ANY show (play or musical) for $2.50! What's better? You can get 2 tickets at that price. That's a $5 date. Holla. At Fontbonne if you are a current student, university productions are FREE. A lot of other universities range from $5-$10 for their current students. Check in with your university theater department or box office for more info.
Next, all universities that have a theater department will offer some sort of student pricing even if you aren't a student there. SLU has tickets for $7 all the time with any student ID. MBU has tickets for $8-$12, depending on whether it is a play or musical. Lindenwood also depends on the show, but it can be as little as $5.
The quality of the show will be different than at a big professional company, obviously, but often universities have the opportunity to do more social justice themed pieces. Because they are educational institutions, they have an obligation to teach. Don't let that scare you away! Ask any student at MBU who has seen a show. We do quality stuff.
6. Any Community Production
Saint Louis has a thriving community theater network. There are constantly amazing shows being produced in all part of Saint Louis and the surround areas. Again, this is obviously not going to be on the same level as Broadway, but the shows are still highly entertaining! Facebook is a great place to look and find shows. Plus, they are always going to be a lesser cost than a professional production. Lots of community companies offer season tickets and student pricing. Once you get in the network, it's really easy to see great shows as often as you want!
