Holiday Cheer on the Cheap

If you have seen a national news broadcast or a newspaper this holiday season, you know that consumers aren’t feeling as flush as they have in the past. It’s difficult to muster up much sympathy for huge chain stores that are feeling the pinch, but we do feel bad for local arts organizations whose turnout drops as audiences stop opening their wallets so freely. Luckily, Mayor Tom Menino has put some favorite holiday shows on special.

The Mayor’s Holiday Special is a website where theatergoers can purchase discounted tickets to some of the city’s favorite holiday shows. The site, now in its fourth year, has seats for shows as renowned the Holiday Pops and lesser known performances like the Boston Gay Men’s Choir. The site allows you to search by show or by date, making it easy to find a ticket for that night you have no plans for your guests from out of town.

We got tickets to a post-Christmas performance of The Nutcracker a few years ago and were pleasantly surprised. Instead of sitting behind a post or in the nosebleed section, we had aisle seats with a great view of the Opera House stage. It was our first experience with the Boston Ballet’s take on the holiday classic, and we loved it even more knowing we got it for half price.

If you want tickets to this year’s shows, you’ve got to act fast. The mayor’s office reports that more than half of the special tickets have already been sold. Pry apart your wallet and treat someone to a show. We won’t tell that you got the tickets for cheap.