Health
The Pace Chronicle
Page 9
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012
Entertainment
Broadway Mine Till Tuesday: How-To for The Mirage of Designer Loans College Students Torraine Humes
Featured Reporter Torraine.M.Humes@pace.edu
Photo from Colby Hochmuth/The Pace Chronicle The street name says it all, Broadway, where many plays are acted, from Spiderman, The Book of Mormon, to Wicked. Colby Hochmuth
Entertainment Editor Colby.A.Hochmuth@pace.edu
Emily Riehle
Featured reporter Emily.A.Riehle@pace.edu
Whether you’re thinking of a birthday gift, Valentine’s Day present, or just a night out with friends, there’s nothing better than going to a Broadway show. As you walk down the streets of Manhattan, vivid billboard advertisements for Mamma Mia and Wicked fill the sides of buildings. Broadway musicals have become a staple in New York tourism, but how many locals actually go to Broadway shows? One of the hardest things for college student is wanting to do fun things but not always having the funds to do so. Since the Pleasantville is only a quick train ride away from the city, going to a Broadway show is an ideal night out, except for the cost of tickets. Luckily, February is one of the cheapest months to go see a show, and there are ways to avoid waiting in the long ticket lines in Times Square, or spending $100 to see a great show. By using websites like ticketmaster.com or telecharge.com, you can avoid the lines and also have the opportunity to use promotional codes for discounts. Before buying your tickets, take a few minutes to browse through Playbill, Theatremania, and Broadwaybox.com - all sites which usually have promotional codes that can save you up to 25 or 50 percent off the ticket price. Another way to save some money is by waiting for what are called “rush tickets.” You can wait till the day of the show and buy cheaper tickets in the last few hours before the show; and if they end up selling out you can always get “standing room only” tickets for about $20. Also many theatres will set aside special tickets for students that can be bought at extremely
low prices (close to $30) on the day of the show. These tickets, known as student rush tickets, don’t always apply at every theatre, so it’s a smart idea to look on the website or call ahead of time. When people think of Broadway, an assumption often wrongfully made is that they’ll sit down for three hours of cheesy songs and dancing. However, a new generation of musicals has been created over the last few years, which has succeeded in drawing in younger crowds. In the Heights, for example, is a contemporary show that takes place in the vibrant neighborhood of Washington Heights. It features different types of music such as rap, hip-hop, and Latin influences. Also popular on Broadway are musical creations from movies. Spider Man recently has entered spotlight. This show has the same action and intensity as the movie, but has risen to a whole level as a live show. There is also some Broadway shows also illustrate different parts of history that younger generations could not have experienced. The Tony award winner for Best Musical, Memphis, depicts the life of segregation during the 1940’s in the south. Jersey Boys is about the journey of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the music sensations during the 1960s. Broadway has even made the transition into the app world. With the BroadwayWorld App, available for smart phones, iPads and other tablets, you have access to the latest Broadway news, browse show listings and purchase tickets, and watch video previews of shows on Broadway. The BroadwayWorld App is free, and has quickly become one of the most downloaded apps for people living in the New York metropolitan area. Some expected hot musicals this season include The Lion King, West Side Story, The Book of Mormon, Evita, and Ghost.
It’s that time of year again award season is in full-swing. The Golden Globes, Critic’s Choice, People’s Choice and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards are behind us, and we’re gearing up for the Oscars and Grammys. While these award shows do have large followings, a lot of viewers only watch the red carpet entrances. Many forego the shows altogether and look at images online the next day. More indelible than award winners and losers are the best and worst dressed lists. People idolize these celebrity styles. They dream of the days when they can afford Angelina Jolie’s $10,000 Atelier Versace dress. But does it bother anyone that the day after the look walks the carpet, it’s boxed up and shipped back to the designer? It’s pretty much common knowledge by now that designers lend out their designs to celebrities in hopes of a photo-op, but people aren’t aware of the extent. Award shows are the biggest free publicity opportunities a brand can get. A chance for their designs to be seen in front of an audience of millions is incomparable. Whether its Christian Louboutin shoes, a Balmain motorcycle jacket, or Prada earrings; even the smallest item can be a promotional tool. The main job of a celebrity stylist is to act as liaison between their client and designer PR contacts. It’s all business. An A-list
star wearing your design will move more product than any sexually charged advertisement ever could. It’s so much of a business that celebs actually get in trouble if they don’t mention the designer when asked. You know all of those cute “oh my gosh, I forget who my dress is by” moments that happen on the red carpet? Those are actually public relations disasters. Most people believe celebs only wear borrowed clothes for awards shows: a common fallacy. Truthfully, any time a celebrity is photographed, they’re wearing something that doesn’t belong to them. No girl is going on David Letterman or even out to dinner in a dress they plucked out of their closet. Press conferences, club openings, everything has press credits. The Lady herself, Ms. Gaga, is the queen designer contract. She’s the perfect lightening rod for public attention. In 2011 alone she inked contracts to exclusively wear Chanel, Versace, and Mugler for pre-determined lengths of time. Now the issue of ethics comes into play. Is it really responsible to have people aspire to celebrity lifestyles the celebs themselves don’t live? Granted celebs garner a substantial amount of wealth; do you really think Jessica Alba considered purchasing the $2.5 million Neil Lane jewelry she wore to the Golden Globes? Not likely. Let’s just say that red carpets would look a lot less glamorous if designers weren’t lending out
clothes and accessories. Even more deceptive are street style blogs. Fashion bloggers are the celebrities of the new millennium. Websites like jakandjil.com and thesartorialist.com have made stars out of relatively average people. They photograph “regular people” like fashion assistants, editors, and journalists outside wearing looks off the runway, depicting them as common. Not unless you’re in the fashion business do you realize most of their clothes are borrowed and these people are making a $30,000 to 45,000 per year as salary. All people see is a photo and not the story behind it. “It’s crazy. I can’t even afford my clothes,” said American designer Michael Bastian, a few years ago of his price points. Surely he can’t be the only one who feels this way. High-end designers often serve the pitch that their items are “investment pieces.” How can they expect regular customers to invest when they don’t ask wealthier, (presumably) celebrity clients to do the same? In the end, capitalism rules supreme. As long as designers have willing, paying customers, ethics aren’t too important. Anyway, most of the population isn’t on the fence about whether to invest in a Gucci Spring 2012 gown, so it isn’t at the top of Obama’s todo list. But maybe from now on, when fantasizing about being rich and famous, think “I can’t wait until I can borrow those earrings for a few days.”
Photo from the Associated Press Celebrities such as Selma Hayek, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie, shown above, during the Golden Globes.
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