Yeehaw! Win Tickets to Oklahoma!

Marilyn Mai | May 14, 2012 2:00 pm | 12 comments | 2701 reads

If you were lucky enough to catch Beijing Playhouse’s sold-out production of Love, Sex and the IRS, you’ll know they’re delivering great entertainment as Beijing’s only English-language Broadway theater group. Their next production, Oklahoma!, will be a grand ol’ time in the tradition of the classic, award-winning musical. It starts this week and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away, so enter now!

In the Oklahoma Territory in 1906, a rowdy community of cowboys, cowgirls and farmers rhapsodize on love and their territory's impending statehood. And as far as their concerned, you’re not having a good time without some Do-si-do-ing, shotgun weddings and box socials.

Beijing Playhouse is sure to give the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit their own wacky spin, so don’t miss out if you’re a fan of musical theater. Two lucky readers can each win a pair of tickets for a night of good, clean fun. Tickets are for their preview night on Wednesday, May 16.

To win, simply answer the following question: What actor now famous for playing a comic book character got his big break playing Curly in Oklahoma? (Hint: The answer is in this edition of our Art Attack column.) Send your answer to win@thebeijinger.com by noon on Tuesday, May 15. The winners will be notified soon after. Good luck.

For those who just can’t leave it up to chance, the show runs May 18-Jun 3 and tickets are on sale now. You can reserve yours by emailing performance@beijingplayhouse.com.

May 18-Jun 3 (Thurs-Sun only)
Musical: Oklahoma!
Thurs-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 2pm. Mako Live House (5205 1112/3)
RMB 300 (adults at the door), RMB 260 (adults, advance), RMB 150 (students/childen at the door), RMB 130 (students/children, advance).
To reserve, email performance@beijingplayhouse.com.

Photo: Cynthia He and Tong Xinhuo

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BumbleBeeTou's picture BumbleBeeTou Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 15:37

bottle-o wrote:

Let me guess.... You are Chris?

No, just someone who disagrees with your opinion.

bottle-o wrote:

150 for a half-assed GMF concert is still better value.

A half-assed GMF concert, that you paid 250 RMB for, is better value than shows that you have not seen, based on the comments of English teachers who were just in it to get more attention, according to you

Yep, that is a very convincing argument. I can clearly see why you have spent so long today fighting for it...

BumbleBeeTou's picture BumbleBeeTou Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 15:06

To use your own style of response;

bottle-o wrote:

A few of my friends have been in their productions and they are the ones who talk the most trash about this group.
bottle-o wrote:
they are just English teachers who get bored with their jobs and want a bit of attention.

So the people you say critise BP the most, are your friends who have performed in BP shows, but are 'just English teachers who get bored with their jobs and want a bit of attention'? Doesn't seem like a very good basis on which to found your remarks about BP being over priced and unworthy.

bottle-o wrote:

I say "actors" because I know people who have been in the shows and they are not actors
wikipedia wrote:
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic or comic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity.

If my use of 'flat rate' is incorrect, I guess that same can be said about your use of 'not actors' then.

bottle-o wrote:
You really think they deserve twice as much as Kevin Spacey or any other big international act who travels to China to perform?
bottle-o wrote:
I will keep saving my money for real plays and musical acts.

So the money you spend on those wonderful, professional and high quality shows is always worth it then?

bottle-o wrote:
Besides that, the entertainment they provided us with while we waited 4 hours for the main act was abysmal. A crappy Beijing expat band which was incongruous with the style and actually painful to listen to sometimes.
250 kuai at the door to see a guy who clearly doesn't care about his audience anymore. I used to love you, GMF but perhaps... just perhaps, you need to let it go.

No, didn't think so.

bottle-o wrote:
I am not saying that the "actors" are spammers and elitist, it's the organizers that I have a problem with..
bottle-o wrote:
I will pay 250 Kuai to see a real band, not to see a bunch of tired, pretentious expats flop around on stage in Yashow costumes.

Yeah, really not criticizing the performers much, are you?

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 13:38

I like their shows. Yes, steep price and it's not Broadway quality but it's community and that's what makes it fun.

One thing about this time around though -- the Mako Live House is a really poor choice of locations. It's not that it's a bad theater, its just that it's so far off the beaten path and hard to find that I find myself thinking: should I go or should I skip it? ... and I live less than a km away in Shuangjing!

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

bottle-o's picture bottle-o Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 13:15

I am not saying that the "actors" are spammers and elitist, it's the organizers that I have a problem with, especially that guy, Chris, the executive director or whatever he calls himself, I have met him a few times and he is horrendously unpleasant and douchy.

I say "actors" because I know people who have been in the shows and they are not actors, they are just English teachers who get bored with their jobs and want a bit of attention.

BumbleBeeTou wrote:

Beijing Playhouse charge a flat rate of 260 RMB
Wikipedia wrote:
A flat fee, also referred to as a flat rate or a linear rate, refers to a pricing structure that charges a single fixed fee for a service, regardless of usage.
Beijing Playhouse wrote:
Musical: Oklahoma!
RMB 300 (adults at the door), RMB 260 (adults, advance), RMB 150 (students/childen at the door), RMB 130 (students/children, advance).

BumbleBeeTou's picture BumbleBeeTou Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 12:48

I keep saying 260, because the majority of people who go to see shows like that book in advance, Advance tickets cost 260 RMB. So I keep saying 260.

And I never suggested your posts would hurt BP in any way. I am just posting my opinions, which happen to be counter to yours. There is nothing personal about it between us. We just disagree on the value and professionalism of the group.

You didn't hurt my feelings, either. This is simply an online anonymous forum, after all. But having said that, I think for you to label all the actors and performers who obviously put a lot of work and effort into their shows as "full of themselves", "elitist", spamming and over-charging, when it is very likely that none of them has any say in such things, would be offensive to them.

Real plays and musical acts? As opposed to 2 + 1/2 hour acting, singing and dancing musical productions, that achieve the same standards with a volunteer cast and crew that full time paid productions do, and in half the time? Yeah, enjoy that.

And what exactly are you trying to insinuate with your use of "actors" in quotation marks? You yourself have said your friends have acted in BP productions before, so what do you mean?

And as for where the money goes, how long have you lived here? Because you obviously don't understand the cost of things like copyrights, rehearsal and theater space rent, marketing, costumes, set design and production etc, etc. All things which you seem to be arguing about, without really understanding anything about.

bottle-o's picture bottle-o Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 10:52

It says very clearly that the tickets are 300 at the door so why keep pushing 260?

Anyway, this is silly. Since they have so many adoring fans, my suggestions of more fun things to do with 300kuai-or-less won't hurt them at all.

You should have just had a giggle at my amusing post and saved your fighting for your upcoming lawsuit.

I'm sorry to have hurt your feelings though, BumbleBee Tou, you are obviously intimately involved with this group of spamming, singing, overcharging expats.

I will keep saving my money for real plays and musical acts.. Oh look, I can go and see a dozen bands at the China Music Valley Festival for 150kuai! That means my girlfriend and I can both have 3 full days of entertainment and international acts for the same price as one showing of Oklahoma!

hmm.. those poor "actors" who don't get paid... I wonder where all the ticket money goes....

BumbleBeeTou's picture BumbleBeeTou Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 10:01

When Kevin Spacey is in the National Theater, with an audience of more than 1000 people, and ticket prices ranging FROM 200 to 2000 RMB, then it is easier to charge 200 at the base rate and still cover your production costs.

Beijing Playhouse charge a flat rate of 260 RMB, which seems more than fair to me, and their constantly sold out shows every year would also seem to agree.

And to be clear bottle-o, the only difference between 'professional' and 'amateur' is that amateurs don't get paid. That label says nothing about the quality of a production, nor the skills of those performing in it.

Anyway, I'm sure you can simply request to be removed from their mailing list. If you dislike them so much, I doubt they would have a problem taking you off.

bottle-o's picture bottle-o Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 08:54

You really think they deserve twice as much as Kevin Spacey or any other big international act who travels to China to perform?

A few of my friends have been in their productions and they are the ones who talk the most trash about this group. Other friends who have been to support people they know in the shows have also told me what a waste of money it is. The reason they get my negative vote, though is because of the relentless spamming they do even though I have never volunteered my email address to them.

"Community theater" exactly. They should be by the community, for the community. Not an elitist group of amateurs charging more than touring professionals.

BumbleBeeTou's picture BumbleBeeTou Submitted by Guest on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 21:02

I'm sure the 100's of Beijing Playhouse members, and the 1000's and 1000's of people who see their shows each year, would respectfully disagree with your assessment on the 'worth' of paying 260 RMB to see one of their shows.

Shows in the States will range from $40 to $100 for the average seat. Seeing as it is common here for western companies to charge the same in China as they do in other countries, why shouldn't Beijing Playhouse do they same?

They are a community theater that puts on professional quality shows. That is what justifies the price. Like trying to review the cost of a meal in a restaurant you have never been to, if you have never seen one of their shows, you really have little ground to comment on.

The Hilton charge 500RMB for a steak dinner??!! WTF!!! I can get 50 pot noodles for that much money! What a rip off! I'm never going to eat there while they are so disrespectful!!""

bottle-o's picture bottle-o Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/14/2012 - 15:54

300 kuai for an amateur play... or ... 10 things that are better value:

1. Kevin Spacey in Richard the 3rd. Tickets from 200RMB

2. Grandmaster Flash. Tickets 150RMB

3. Lil John. Tickets 100RMB girls 300RMB guys

4. Tairyo Teppanyaki - All you can eat and drink. 168RMB

5. A full day of hiking with The Beijing Wallkers including transportation, guides and free flow cold beer at the end. 100RMB

6. An aromatherapy hot oil massage at Bodhi done by a Thai masseuse including free food and beverages. 298RMB

7. Ten Smirnoff black martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives at Flamme. = 300RMB

8. A new ipod shuffle on taobao = 299RMB
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=12598311152&ad_id=&am_id=&cm_id=&pm_id=

9. 40 new DVDs = 300RMB

10. 20 bottles of Yanjing and 5 Annie's pepperoni pizzas for you and 6 friends to enjoy while not watching Oklahoma! = 300RMB

:H

These people are so full of themselves that they charge 300RMB a person to watch them chew scenery. Until they adjust their pricing to something slightly more respectable, I wouldn't go to their shows even if you gave me free tickets.

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