PICKET TICKETS: METROPOLITAN OPERA RUSH SEATS

Don't count on seeing The Lion King tonight—that Broadway strike is still in force. But take heart: You can still spend the evening in the company of musical royalty, with even more Julie Taymor!

For a mere $20, you can get primo rush tickets for Taymor's take on the Mozart opera Die Zauberflöte (a.k.a. The Magic Flute) at the Metropolitan Opera.

I honestly can't believe that I continue to push the rush ticket deal at the Met, because the more that people know about it, the harder it is for me and my friends to take advantage of this amazing opportunity, the envy of opera lovers around the world. But here I go again: The rush tickets will go on sale at the Met at 6 pm for the 8 pm curtain, but you should get there early—maybe around 3 pm, to be on the safe side. Think of it as being like TKTS, but more comfortable (you wait indoors) with a better price.

To be frank, this production got a dismissive New York Times review in October, but I'm sure it's worth a try for Taymor's production design as well as the excitement of Diana Damrau's first night as the Queen of the, uh, Night.

The rush tickets are available for performances Mondays through Thursdays. Upcoming rush opportunities include the well-received Le Nozze di Figaro.

BLIND MOUTH SINGING

In June I wrote favorably of the revival of Falsettoland produced by the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO). The barebones production resembled a reading, so it was something of a revelation for me to see the company's attractive, fully-staged production of Blind Mouth Singing, running at the equally attractive Baruch Performing Arts Center (pictured) through Saturday, October 6, 2007.

Written by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas and directed by Ruben Poléndo,
Blind Mouth Singing is a psychological family drama revolving around Reiderico (Durango's Jon Norman Schneider), a timid young man under the spell of Lucero (Alexis Camins), who somehow lives within a well. The play unfolds at a deliberate pace, perhaps just a little too slow in spots, as the two interact with each other and Reiderico's embittered mother (NAATCO artistic director Mia Katigbak), secretive aunt (Sue Jean Kim), and bullying brother Gordy (Orville Mendoza). An air of allegory permeates the work, but the play also has a sense of flux that keeps matters from being too sharply defined or heavy-handed.

Just as Falsettos was cross-culturally enriched by casting Asian American actors in Jewish roles, this production blended ethnic influences. I especially liked what I considered to be Japanese touches, from Zachary Zirlin's set design to the Kabukiesque musical cues for Gordy. (Musician Adam Cochran also accompanied a cutting remark from Reinaldo's mother with an exquisitely subtle knife-sharpening swoosh.) And the work seemed to have a strong affinity with the fiction of Haruki Murakami, too.

Consider giving this play a try; ticket discounts will probably be available at most of the usual places.