Last night, Mr. Expiration Date and I debated going to a Broadway show we want to see.  We've agreed on the show: 'Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.'  We've agreed on the date: Next Wednesday. (He gets Veterans Day off from work.)  What we debated, was how we'd get the tickets and how much we'd pay.  At the theater box office, they're over $100 apiece.  You spend that kind of money, you get peace of mind.  Tickets in hand ahead of time, an ability to plan the whole day.  Mr. E. prefers this kind of ticket procurement.  But I want to go a different route - the TKTS Booth in Times Square.  A friend of mind recommended the TKTS Booth, where you can get a same-day discount of up to 50%.  50%?  I'm intrigued!  We can go to twice as many plays and musicals!  We can be young, hip, urbanites who decide to 'catch a show' on the spur of the moment!  It sounds so affordably glamorous.  You wait in line in the early a.m. for the matinee, or you wait in line in the early afternoon for the evening show.  The problem, according to Mr. E., is the waiting in line (in forty degree weather) and the uncertainty if you'll even get tickets.  We might end up having lost his entire holiday to waiting in line, with nothing to show for it.  "But," I said, "50% off!."  Debate to be continued...

We caught 'the bug' about three weeks ago.  I'm talking about the Broadway bug.  Mr. E.'s family was in town, and we went to a matinee showing of 'Wicked'.   It was spectacular - the packed theater, the huge set, iridescent costumes and the powerful, beautiful singing that you could feel vibrate through you.  It was infectious.  Mr. E. still sings 'Popular' (sung by Galinda in the musical) around the house sometimes.  We now scour the listings of the Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway listings in the New York Times.
Check back next week to read our review of 'The 39 Steps'.