A Salute to the Walter Kerr Theater
Last evening we showed up at the Walter Kerr to see Forever Tango. We used a voucher obtained through the theater in Providence where I once served on the board, and they obtain house seats through the National Theater Fund. However, there were no tickets awaiting us at he box office. The two agents were polite but had no authority to help us, so we requested the house manager as the patrons were moving inside at 7:40. My wife and I were talking about seeing the new Woody Allen movie as an alternative.
The house manager, listed in the playbill as Susan Elrod, came outside and told me this: “I can tell you two things. First, I’ve never seen this kind of voucher before, but if you give me your credit cards I’ll see if I can trace the purchase. Second, I will make this right for you.” Five minute later she returned to say there was no evidence of any purchase, but to follow her. She waived us past the ticket takers with “They’re with me” deposited us with an usher and said, “Escort these people to George 105 and 107,” which immediately told me sixth row off the aisle in the middle—house seats.
This is during a harried time before a complex show—where the curtain went up at 8:04, as good as it gets in New York. My compliments and thanks to Susan and the Walter Kerr. The theater is part of my favorite group name in New York: The Jujamcyn Theaters!
See my review elsewhere here on Forever Tango, a gorgeous evening on Broadway.
© Alan Weiss 2013
