Final payment reminder

A reminder that the final balance of $1300 must be paid in full by tomorrow, December 9th.

We leave for NYC in less than a month!!!

Confirmed purchases

Our Mary Poppins tickets have been confirmed for Friday, January 6th at 8:00pm! We're sitting in the orchestra aisles, rows M-O on either side.

Also, we have purchased the NY City Passes and shuttle service from Newark to Manhattan.

More to come soon!

Hotel info

We'll be staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania, at 33rd St. and 7th Ave. near Herald Square, right in the Garmet District (for all you Project Runway fans!).

There is a lot of great shopping nearby, it is right on major subway lines, and only 9 blocks from the heart of Broadway and Times Square!

Here's a link to the hotel:

http://www.hotelpenn.com/


You'll be staying in Superior 2 Double Bed rooms.

Mary Poppins!

Hey all!
   One of the shows we will all be going to see together is Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam theater. We also will be taking a backstage tour of the theater, which includes a history of the theater and possibly a chance to walk on the stage! After the show we'll have a private talkback with the actors :)

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Hotel and Flight are booked!

Hi team!
   I now have confirmation of hotel and flights for NY!

Second Deposit Deadline Friday!

The next $350 Deposit is due this Friday, October 14th.

Airline tickets, and probably also hotel will be secured by the end of the week.

Deadline is tomorrow!

The deadline to commit to the trip and course is tomorrow! Your $400 deposit is due to the cashier. If you have paid and are planning to go, please e-mail Dr. Purin right away, so you can be on the official list.

Once deposits are paid, airfare arrangements will be made by next week. At that point, I will be able to determine a final budget for the trip.

Fine Arts Credit

Some deans have allowed individual students use this course to satisfy their fine arts general education requirment. Check with you dean to see if you can do the same!

Fund Raising!

First year student Robyn Blanchard has agreed to chair the fund raising committee for the New York trip. Yesterday, she and I met with Will Smallwood, Vice President for Univeristy Advancement, to discuss fund raising options. Robyn has some great ideas already in the works to make the trip more affordable, so stay tuned!

A few notes:
-In order to receive funds for the trip, you will need to be involved in fundraising efforts. Money raised will be split according to time invovled in planning and working events, with everyone interested getting equal opportunities to be involved.
-Money raised can only be applied to the cost of the trip, and not the course cost. Course credits can be paid for through financial aid, loans, grants and scholarships.

Broadway discounts

The best way to experience Broadway is through discounted tickets! We have several options available for discounts:

-Playbill online. Register for a free account and receive regular e-mails with discount offers and look to see what shows are playing and which ones have discounts. The website provides a wealth of information oabout Broadway musicals
http://www.playbill.com/

-Hiptix- $20 tickets to Roundabout theatre shows. Anything Goes is included. You need to buy in advance.
http://hiptix.com/

-Student Rush. If you can make it to the box office when it opens, many shows offer a student rush ticket for around $20-$30

-Lottery. Many shows have lotteries in which you have the chance to win up to 2 tickets around $20-$30

-TKTS. This is a ticket booth in NYC that sells tickets day-of-the-show for up to 50% off



I will post more in the future

Information from meeting Friday 9/9

In case you missed it here is the information from the meeting on Friday (it has been updated):

J-Term 2012- MUSC 1999: Experiencing Broadway Musicals (3 Credits)

            Instructor: Dr. Peter Purin

            Why this course? Having the opportunity to experience music performed professionally is a valuable learning experience for any student. For the musical theatre, no higher level of professionalism can be experienced than on Broadway in New York City. This course will give you an opportunity to study the history, theory and performance of Broadway musicals both in the classroom and abroad in New York City. I will combine my knowledge of Broadway musicals with my extensive experience touring, researching in and navigating New York to give you the best possible experience at the most reasonable cost!

This course combines elements of music history, analysis and performance.

The content of the course will be determined by the musicals that will be playing on Broadway in January 2012. I will choose 3 musicals that we will study in great detail- from concept to creation all the way through production. We will examine performance by going to New York City and seeing the shows on Broadway. This will be compared to any and all existing cast recordings. You will also choose up to 2-3 additional shows to see, about which you will give a final presentation, which can be performance, history or analysis based.

The shows I choose will be as varied as possible in style, and will ideally feature at least one revival, one long-running show and at least one brand new show. It is important for you to experience a “classic” show as well as get an idea of what a popular, long-running show is like, and finally to experience the newest of what Broadway has to offer.

Course outline: (Depending on air and hotel costs, weeks 1 and 2 may be switched)

Week 1-  Travel to New York City on Tuesday, and arrive in time to see a musical Tuesday night. See 2 musicals on Wednesday (matinee and evening). See 1 musical Thursday and Friday night, and travel back to Shawnee Saturday. While we are in NYC, we will take a group sightseeing tour, I will make appointments for us to visit the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and we will experience other NYC culture. I will also try to schedule a backstage tour of at least one of the shows we go to see, and try to have a meet-and -greet with cast and crew.

Week 2- Spend time examining the production history and studying the score and recorded performances of a variety of musicals.

Week 3- Have follow up discussions about the shows we saw, and do our class presentations.

Updated Cost Breakdown:   (all are approximate)  

                       

            Hotel Range                                                             $200-$300

            Airfare Range                                                          $300-$600

            Other Transportation (Subway, shuttle bus, etc.)     $75                             

            Sightseeing                                                               $100

           

            Approximate Budgeted Total                                    $1075

5 Broadway Show tickets (app. $80 each)                           $400

         You'll need to budget this amount for show tickets on your own. We are going to make every attempt to secure student rush, lottery and discounted tickets from TKTS to bring this cost down.

            *Souvenirs, shopping, food and other expenses are variable- To be safe, you should budget about $20 a day for food.

          

*I have some air and accommodation quotes from travel companies, but exact prices cannot be calculated until I know the number of students traveling. Because of this, you need to commit to this class and trip by September 30^th with the first  deposit of $400. The sooner this deposit is received, the more likely I can secure us cheaper airfare.

Payment schedule: (each deposit is non-refundable)

Friday, September 30^th            $400

            -At this point, if prices permit, non-refundable airfare will be purchased. If there is extra deposit money, it will be applied to your hotel costs

Friday, October 14^th                $350

            At this point, if prices permit, non-refundable hotel rooms will be booked. If there is extra deposit money, it will be applied to your other costs

Friday, November 18^th            $350

            At this point, non-refundable transportation and sightseeing tickets will be purchased

Friday, December 9^th              $375 (or remaining actual balance)

            If airfare and hotel are low enough, you may not have to pay much or any of this!

Welcome!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the OBU Experiencing Broadway Musicals J-Term 2012 blog! I will be keeping this blog updated regularly with information about the course and the trip, including:
-news about current happengings on Broadway
-links to a number of NYC theatre sites
-updated itineary for the trip
-info on how to pay and register for the class and the trip