Courtesy of the Guthrie
A Christmas Carol
As the old saying goes, the Twin Cities has the second-most theater seats per capita in the country (behind New York). Sure, the assertion is more hyperbole than reality, but the spirit of it—that our community is remarkably theater rich—is undeniable. Especially during the holidays, our robust local theater, performing arts, and live music scene is a major cultural asset, unrivaled among metropolitan areas of our size.
Yet right now, during this holiday season, all those undeniably very many seats sit empty, and their stages’ silence is deafening. But fear not! Here are a handful of simple ways you can help make sure those empty seats stick around to someday be filled again.
Buy a gift certificate for waaaaaay future use
Help save a local stage while simultaneously giving future you a present by snagging a gift card. Whether it be the Guthrie, any stage in the Hennepin Theatre Trust fam, or the Ordway, they’re all more than cool with you paying now and deciding what to see post-pandemic.
Buy tickets for a show waaaaaay in the future
Should you want to give future you a more concrete gift, flip ahead to spring/summer 2021 and see what’s playing. Anastasia is on the books in April at the Orpheum, and comedian Nick Offerman follows in June. Meanwhile, the 2021 live music concert cal is robust and includes The Decemberists swinging through Surly Festival Field in August.
Pop for a virtual performance
One nice thing about attending virtual performances is that you can do so sit- ting on your couch in sweatpants. The other is that they’re super affordable and actually really engaging. Venues like First Ave and The Hook and Ladder host them regularly, and local theater companies are also getting in on the act. This month at the Guthrie, $10 gets you a Dickens-style four-actor dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol.
Make a donation
Have a hard time committing to actually doing things in these dog days of COVID but feel like you want to contribute some- thing, anything? You can donate directly to theaters and venues via their websites, or you can put your money to broader work by donating to an organization like the Twin Cities Music Community Trust.
Call your congressperson and get them to support Save Our Stages legislation.
Duh.
