Springtime and the Theatre

by Mike Dang and Logan Sachon

Mike: Logan, it finally feels like spring! This is how spring affects me: iced coffees/teas (I already bought three in the last two days), rooftop bars or sitting outside for a drink or bite. Free time in the park, or walking along the Hudson, which I’ve missed doing because it’s been too cold to really enjoy it.

Logan: I’ve started going on walks again, which I hadn’t really realized I’d stopped doing. But yeah. Walking places instead of taking the subway is really nice. Noticing what flowers are blooming is nice. Spending a couple of hours doing something nice without spending money is nice.

Mike: Also, what I’m really glad about this year compared to last year is that I can enjoy it a little bit more, because last year most of my money was being spent flying around the country attending weddings. Not a single wedding yet this year! Everybody is basically married!

Logan: Oh I didn’t tell you about my destination wedding in Fiji? You’re invited. You’re also paying for it.

Mike: How much is a destination wedding in Fiji?

Logan: Google says tickets are $1,300. But you know me, I’m low maintenance. Everyone is going to camp on the beach. The flowers will be foraged. We’ll all be barefoot so that’s like, hundreds of dollars in shoe savings. And there’s no groom, so you know, half the people, half the little figurines to go on top of the cake (full cake). Super cheappppp.

Okay. Mike. For real though. You said you saw Jon Hamm but then you DIDN’T GIVE ANY DETAILS. Remedy that.

Mike: I attended a Broadway play last night (the one starring Alec Baldwin), and Jon Hamm came walking in all Hollywood handsome dressed in a suit with five other people. I like that Jon Hamm wears a suit to watch a Broadway play. We should all dress up to go to the theatre! Anyway, one lady freaked out and she ran up to the bar area and asked, “WHAT DID JON HAMM ORDER?” The bartender said, “I’m not sure. A glass of cabernet?” And she said, “I WANT TO HAVE THAT TOO.” Which was funny to me — it was like a movie scene or something.

Logan: “I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING.” Wonderful. Wonderful. Jon Hamm. A+ celebrity sighting, well done. Were you dressed up to go to the theatre?

Mike: I usually dress up, but I only had a nice shirt on with jeans because my friends and I had been running around the city for six hours before that. But I do want to see Lucky Guy the Nora Ephron play starring Tom Hanks. And if I can find an affordable ticket, I will wear a suit like Jon Hamm to the theatre.

Logan: A few weeks ago a friend was in town and we spent the afternoon in Central Park just lazing around (immediately I was like, I want to spend every afternoon in Central Park, lazing) (number of afternoons since then I’ve spent in Central Park, lazing: none). ANYWAY we walked over to Lincoln Center after and sat in the plaza there for awhile, and we got there just as people were getting there for that evening’s show, and it was really fun to see everyone meet up outside the theater and exchange tickets and go in, and it was also really nice to see that some people were in shorts and sandals and some were in longer evening gowns (okay, one was in an evening gown), but there were all types. And it was nice! Democratic! Our classless society! I mean okay so it was actually mostly like, older people who obviously had a lot of money and some young people who obviously had a lot of money and then some students and then also many foreign couples with knapsacks, who’d been like, being tourists all day. But still. I like that all are welcome to the theaaattttterrr.

Mike:A lot of the shows have student rush tickets so young people can go to the theater and pay around $30 and sit in the front row or next to Jon Hamm. We got regular discounted tickets the day of. I don’t really go to the theater because it costs a lot, but I may try just going to the box office every now and then to see if they have discounted rush tickets. Spring is the best time for dramatic plays! someone said in the theater.

Logan: As soon as I typed, “all are welcome,” I was like, wait, that’s not true, tickets are one million dollars.” I saw a play a few weeks ago because a friend had free tickets. It was THE NANCE with NATHAN LANE and it was really wonderful and the sign in the lobby was like, buy a ticket if you want, that’ll be $200. And right before I saw that sign, I was like, why don’t I go to the theater it’s so nice to go to the theater. And then I saw that sign. And you know, it answered my question to myself. But if I was a person who had money, I would go see THE NANCE again. Really! So like, if you have money, you should go see it. THAT IS MY PLUG. Should people spend money to go see the play you saw?

Mike: No. I didn’t really like it (ORPHANS). But maybe yes if they like Alec Baldwin, who was still fun and great? I would have been disappointed if not for Alec Baldwin and Jon Hamm. Hamm saved the day.

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