By Venita Johnson, 12th grade, The Beacon School

Enter the Minetta Lane Theatre and prepare yourself for a delicious five course meal…of love and laughs! Only three actors grace the stage: talented actor/singers Heather Ayers, John Bolton and Jeff Gurner. The performance is composed of five different restaurant scenes, and in each one, all three actors play a different person—making 15 characters total!

Five Course Love starts out with character number one, Matt, on his way to meet a date he arranged on the Internet. The date takes place in the restaurant Dean’s Old Fashioned All American Down-Home Bar-B-Que Texas Eats, and there he meets the lusty Barbie and finds that maybe love cannot be found from cyber-surfing. From that point on, each restaurant sets the scene for music, songs and audience participation. Each “course” of this musical takes place in a different type of cultural restaurant. From Texas Eats (All American) to La Trattorio Pericolo (Italian), Der Schlupwinkel Speiserplatz (German), Ernesto’s Cantina (Mexican) and Star-Lite Diner (50’s style).

“ The show has an old-school vibe to it; the humor style is almost like an episode of I Love Lucy. ”

Within each scene—complete with accents and cultural references—the characters are in search of finding whom their heart belongs to, and finding their own identity in the process. Gino and Sofia, in the Italian restaurant, just want enough time together before Nikki finds out about their affair. In the German restaurant, there is Gretchen the dominatrix, who wants to be umm…“Satisfied.” Rosalinda, in the Cantina, must choose between suave Guillermo or kind-hearted Ernesto. And then there is Kitty in the 50’s diner, desperate for Clutch just to read her letter of utter affection and notice her…for once.

Each actor seamlessly transitions from one character to the next. The show has an old-school vibe to it; the humor style is almost like an episode of I Love Lucy. The characters’ in-your-face dramatics and songs caused hilarious uproar when I saw the show. One guy two seats ahead of me laughed so hard he choked… then he laughed some more. I couldn’t blame him, because I also was in a sort of laugh hysteria that only comes from witnessing phenomenal writing and great comedic timing. Five Course Love is the type of musical you might see with a friend, boyfriend or even a teacher! It’s just that good.

Five Course Love by Greg Coffin. Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane. $25 rush tickets the day of the show at the theatre box office. www.fivecourselove.com

Check out this hip-hop theater event, THE SEVEN, a street version of the classic Greek story of brotherly war, The Seven Against Thebes. Up-and-coming writer/performer Will Power has put together an evening complete with an onstage DJ, funk-soul-singers, forest spirits, psychics and horses! This one-of-a-kind, energy-filled experience is sure to sound like no other musical.

The Seven Begins January 16. New York Theatre Workshop, 79 E. 4 St. $15 student tickets. (212) 460-5475. www.nytw.org

 

Half-Price Tickets at TKTS:
The TDF Connection

What is tkts?

TKTS is the name of Theatre Development Fund’s discount ticket booths for same-day tickets to Broadway and Off Broadway shows.

 

Locations:

Times Square at Broadway and 47th Street
(Mon.-Sat., 3 pm-8 pm for 8 pm performances; Wed. and Sat., 10 am-2 pm for matinees; Sun., 11 am-3 pm for matinees; 3 pm to closing for all evening performances)

South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John Streets
(Mon.-Fri., 11 am-6 pm; Wednesday and Saturday matinee tickets are only available the day before performance; Sat., 11 am-7 pm for all evening performances; Sun. 11 am-3:30 pm.

Please note that Sunday matinee tickets are available all day on Saturday and up to one hour prior to the start of the performance on Sunday.)

What do I do when I get there?

• First, check the display boards at the front of the booths to see what shows are on sale. It’s a good idea to keep a few choices in mind in case a show is sold out by the time you get to the ticket window.

• Get in line. You may wait from ten minutes to one hour depending on how long the line is.

• When you get to the front of the line, you’ll see a row of ticket windows.

• Tell the ticket seller your first choice. Most tickets are 50% off the full price.

• The time the show starts and the address of the theatre are printed on the tickets. Theatres open their doors a half-hour before the show begins.

Join TDF and log on to see the newest Broadway and Off Broadway plays and musicals for less than $30 per ticket (a savings of up to 70% off box office prices).

TDF membership is available to full-time students and teachers, and a copy of your student or faculty ID is required for eligibility. You may join either:

1. Online at www.tdf.org/application or
2. By mail—
just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
TDF Membership
1501 Broadway, 21st Fl.
New York, NY 10036-5625
and you will be sent an application.

For more information,
call TDF at (212) 221-0885
or visit www.tdf.org