OK, let's check it out: The cheapest round trip flight you could book right now to New York City leaving today costs $769 per person (of course, that number is a moving target).
You'd leave about 1 p.m., change planes and airlines in Houston, and get to Newark around 10.
You could rent a car for about 70 bucks a day or take a cab ride to anywhere in Manhattan for around $65. A clean hotel room will run about $200 a night.
Let's see, for you and your bride for say, two nights, that's gonna run ya more than two grand. Oh, and you want to eat, too? And what's that you say? You want to take in a couple of Broadway musicals?
Sir, I'd guess you've just racked your billfold for about $3,000.
This man's just entered the economic Twilight Zone where typically there's no escape. But this week, there is.
No plane, no rental car or crazy cab rides, no hotel and no overpriced meals -- but instead, quite reasonably priced tickets to get a taste of not just one or two Broadway musicals, but nearly 30.
It's the final Main Stage offering of MSC OPAS' 37th season and, quite honestly, 100 Years of Broadway was this writer's most anticipated show on the docket.
There have been magnificent songs and dances performed on Rudder's and other stages this season but they may have indeed saved the best for last.
The music of Broadway is fine coming from a CD or your iPod, but it's nothing like hearing it live, belted from the pipes of professional Broadway stars. And starting at 7:30 Monday and Tuesday nights, five of them will take over the Rudder Auditorium stage and not let go until you're on your feet singing it with them. (But you know my rule on that -- not too loud if you're sitting near me, please).
Andrea Rivette's resume includes Jekyll and Hyde, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Show Boat, Phantom of the Opera and more. Carter Calvert starred in the Tony-nominated It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues. Raymond Jaramillo McLeod most recently starred on Broadway in Wonderful Town and his voice can be heard on the soundtracks of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Pocahontas.
Grant Norman most recently played the role of the dastardly and dumb Gaston in Broadway's Beauty and The Beast. He has also toured in the same classic as the Beast, as well as the male lead in Phantom. Robert DuSold is fresh off of a Las Vegas production of Mamma Mia! and his touring performance history is too long to list here.
Together the fivesome will perform with Neil Berg's band, which includes Berg on piano, Roger Cohen on drums, John Lang on bass and David Weinstein on keyboards.
The show is produced by Berg and Adam Friedson. Berg was the composer and lyricist for The Prince and the Pauper, which ran off-Broadway for two years, and he's the composer for the soon-to-open Broadway musical Grumpy Old Men.
The OPAS performance comes near the beginning of a 120-city tour that included Waco and Galveston this weekend and will continues well into next year.
Aggieland is in store for a list of some of Broadway's most enduring music and lyrics of the last century. Act 1 includes 14 numbers from such musicals as Chicago, Phantom, South Pacific, Jersey Boys, Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady, Funny Girl and Jesus Christ Superstar -- plus a medley from Grease.
Act 2 has 11 songs, plus a Rodgers and Hammerstein medley. Performed in full will be some of the best of West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, Cabaret, Show Boat and Rent. And trust me, I've left several out because I don't want to give it all away!
But there's more, specifically a sneak peek of what could very well be doors opening for future Broadway stars. The five performers of 100 Years of Broadway sought out audition videos and awarded two winners and 11 runners-up the chance to perform with the cast.
The winners, who will perform solos during the finale Seasons of Love from Rent, are Houston actress Katie Harrison and A&M environmental science major Bryan Burrets of Beaumont. Runners-up and singing chorus for the winners will be a group of mostly A&M and local students: Katie Woodard, Reagan Rowland, Robin Van Zandt, Veronica Gilberto, Danielle Norwood, Alexa Cepeda, Hallie Mintz, Leslie Marks, Stephanie Dew, Ryan Smith and Clayton Jones.
To check on ticket availability for 100 Years of Broadway, call 845-1234 or go online to mscopas.org. Tickets range from $15 to $67 with special discounted prices for students.
That's somewhat less than three grand!
Save the date
* Sunday: The Theatre Company presents Taking Liberty by Randy Wilson, 2 p.m. (theatrecompany.com, 696-2787)
* Thursday-Friday: Brenham Unity Theatre presents Rob Landes in concert, 7:30 p.m. (unitybrenham.org, 979-830-8358)
* Friday-March 30: Brazos Valley Arts League presents its Juried Art Show, Texas Gallery, 2275 Dartmouth St., College Station, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (686-2787,acbv.org)
* March 28: MSC OPAS Jr. presents Max and Ruby, 2 and 4 p.m., Rudder Theatre (845-1234, mscopas.org)
* March 31-April 30: Arts Council of Brazos Valley presents "Extracurricular III: Art Teachers of the Brazos Valley," Texas Gallery, 2275 Dartmouth St., College Station (696-2787, acbv.org)
* April 1-June 30: Gallery at Dartmouth presents the art of student scholarship recipients, 2275 Dartmouth St., College Station (acbv.org)
* April 6: MSC OPAS presents Frederica von Stade and Samuel Ramey, 7:30 p.m., Rudder Theatre (mscopas.org, 845-1234)
* April 9: Lone Star Honor Flight presents Texas A&M Concert Band, 7 p.m., Bryan Civic Auditorium (779-2856)
* April 11: Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra presents Romantic Masterpieces, 5 p.m., Christ United Methodist Church, College Station (845-1234, boxoffice.tamu.edu)
* April 15-May 1: Stage Center presents Dead Certain (696-2787, stagecenter.net)
* April 18: Community Chamber Concert presents La Follia's performance of La Serva Padrona, 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Bryan (www.communitychamber concerts.org, 696-7410)
* April 29-May 1: Navasota Theatre Alliance presents Life With Father (936-825-3195, navasotatheatre.com)
* April 30-May 16: The Theatre Company presents Willy Wonka (696-2787, theatrecompany.com)
* All month: Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley offers various programs, including Monday Madness, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (779-5437, www.mymuseum.org)
* All month: Until August, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum presents "The Culture of Wine," unraveling the mystery, magic and making of wine. (691-4000, bushlibrary.tamu.edu)
* Tom Turbiville is The Eagle's arts columnist. He's also sports director for WTAW-1620AM Radio. E-mail him at tom.turbiville@ theeagle.com.
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