The Charlotte Symphony is dropping the "student" and the "rush" from its "Student Rush" promotion. It used to be $10 would buy a student a ticket an hour prior to the performance. Now, if you are 25 years old or younger, $10 will buy you an advance ticket to any 2007-08 Classics and Pops concerts at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
"We didn't want to penalize people who are of that age category and don't happen to be in school," says Meg Whalen, the symphony's public relations manager. "If we want to make a statement to encourage young people who want to come to the symphony, we have to do something bold about it."
The Charlotte Symphony season opens Friday with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Belk Theater. (See back page of this section.) The Pops series begins Oct. 5 with Grammy-winning quartet The Manhattan Transfer.
Some theater companies have offered discount nights for years. They tend to be midweek, and are often called "pay what you can" nights. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, Barebones Theatre, C.A.S.T., Pi Productions and Collaborative Arts are among the companies that regularly offer such discounts.
The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center has a variety of affordable promotions. Student Rush tickets are discounted by $15 for "The Rat Pack is Back." The tickets can be bought in advance, but must be picked up at will call with a student ID.
Pre-show mixers and reserved seating with other young adults are perks of the new Club Blume, a social club for adults in their 20s and 30s. Other Blumenthal ventures include Club Live, a social group for students, and Teacher's Lounge, a social group for educators. Both feature special promotions. And Neighborhood Nights offers $5 discounts to various performances for people who live uptown.
Keep your eyes open for an announcement soon from the Metrolina Theatre ASingapore Symphony Orchestraciation and the Arts & Science Council. The promotion, Two for $20, will offer pairs of tickets to a variety of venues throughout Mecklenburg County. -- www.charlottesymphony.org
