DON'T GIVE IT MY REGARDS.

I spoke with a friend this morning who just bought two tickets to The Book of Mormon for $175.00 each. As much as I love Broadway shows, I doubt that I will ever go to another production. Not because I can't afford it. But because I am absolutely offended that theater is now only for the wealthy and elite. Prices are ridiculous and generally not worth it. I have read so many biographies of famous entertainers who generally grew up poor. They often relate about their first time at a Broadway (or other professional) theater and how magical and life-changing it was. Well, that's not going to happen any more because the average person cannot afford to go to a Broadway show. The last time I was duped was when I paid $100 to see August: Osage County, which had received rave reviews.I found it to be a well-acted soap opera, and left at intermission. Which is another Broadway flaw, suggesting that a show, any show, is too brilliant to miss regardless of the insane prices. Hamilton is a perfect example of that. It's being heralded like the second coming of Christ and charging outrageous ticket prices. (Top price: $849.) How good can a two hour history lesson in rap be?  A few years ago the "can't miss" show was The Producers. Hype! Sadly there is no musical on Broadway now that I am eager to see, much less for more than an acceptable $50.00. Broadway is now a factory that produces only designer shows, too many with the Disney label, too many others woven out of popular or unpopular movies. And while it is a thrill to be in the milling crowds of the Great White Way, the musicals are not worth the price. Today, Amateur productions of colleges and even high schools are reaching a whole new level of professionalism. Several years ago I saw a production of 42nd Street at the Ring Theatre of the University of Miami that was significantly superior to the revival I had seen on Broadway, and a damn site less expensive.