Posts Tagged ‘broadway’

Chapter One: Welcome Week

Friday, August 13th, 2021

I love flying into New York City at night. I always choose the aisle seat on airplanes because of my motion sickness, but I can never resist peeking through the plane’s windows in my periphery; one of my favorite views is that of the glittering lights beneath New York City’s night sky.


Bird's eye view of NYC at night
Bird’s eye view of NYC at night

In August of 2016, I flew from Colorado to New York in order to get settled in prior to beginning my college career. Once the plane landed, my stomach flipped over in excitement. My mom had come with me to help me move and I couldn’t believe that my dream of attending NYU had become a reality. 

Of course, I was also terrified. I knew that no one else from my high school class would be coming to NYU, and after my mom left I had no choice but to confront my newfound alone-ness. I sardonically thought to myself, “Well, welcome to Welcome Week.” 

I felt like a failure and my first semester had not even begun. One of my assigned roommates, whose name was also Anna, was a drama student in the Tisch School of the Arts. Off the bat, Tisch’s performing arts medium provides a tight-knit cohort community you’ll know for years, and I did not have that luxury as a Media, Culture, and Communication student since we were not placed into cohorts. I really liked the other Anna, and we made plans to hang out at one of NYU’s Welcome Week events: Drag Bingo, which featured contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race. It seemed cool, and I nostalgically wished that one of my closest high-school friends was there because he would’ve loved it. He even made up his own drag name in honor of the show: “Shaneeda Bronze” (as in, “She needs a bronze.”). 

While I wallowed in nostalgia and loneliness on the second night of Welcome Week, I knew I needed to play a more active role in my own life. Unfortunately, I arrived at Drag Bingo well after the other Anna, and there were no more seats available near her (and no one was allowed to save seats). At that point, I was still standing in a stairwell in a line (or on a line for all the “real” New Yorkers) spanning across multiple floors. When I reached one of the landings, I noticed a pair of tan double doors to my right as someone threw them open to go through. I wondered aloud to the two girls standing in front of me, “Do you think we could go up that way?” They both shrugged and we continued standing in line. I stood with the girls at the back of the room during the event, and afterward they invited me over to their shared dorm. And that is how I met my best friends.

It was serendipitous as much as it was the effort we put in to socialize with other students and get to know our college community at various events. Certainly don’t hesitate asking your roommate(s) to hang out, and seeing if you can be friends! 


Playbill at Sunday in the Park with George. (Before we knew Jake Gyllenhaal “doesn’t shower often.”)

Since we are required to live in dorms for our first year, I wanted to make the most of my dorming experience as well. NYU offers “Themed Engagement Communities,” wherein specific floors in respective dormitory buildings will schedule activities pertaining to that theme. When I applied for housing I threw my hat in the ring for the “Laughing Matters” comedy-themed fourth floor of the Weinstein building. I have loved comedy since I was in elementary school, and decided to study Media because of my reverence for political satire. Applying to the special interest floor gave me wonderful (cost-saving) opportunities to view an array of Broadway performances for $10 each. We went to see plays including Avenue Q, Sunday in the Park with George, and Dear Evan Hansen, as well as professional improvisation shows. 

Regrettably, I only joined a club, College Democrats, in senior year. I regret having waited that long to be more involved in the clubs on campus, especially because my senior year ended up being truncated due to COVID-19. NYU, like many colleges, hosts a Club Fest in both the fall and the spring, and trust me, there is no shortage of clubs to choose from, whether it’s political, athletic, improv, or food-related, etc. 

Of course, the college experience and New York City are two of the most overly-romanticized notions you may hear about. I still cried myself to sleep during those first few nights as I second-guessed my abilities to make friends. Yet, you are drawn to whatever city you end up in for a reason. You don’t have to figure it out right away. Find solace in your comfort mechanisms, like comedy is for me, and in the meantime, don’t be a passenger in your own life.


We encountered this sign outside of a restaurant (Gran Electrica) in Dumbo

Beginning your freshman year, I recommend you:

  • Do research about special dorming opportunities while selecting a dorm. Mine was the cheapest and we got to go see Br’dway shows for $10! (kudos if you get that reference)
  • Look for activities to do that are hosted by your school (after you cry a little bit because you’re overwhelmed and alone)
  • Get to know your roommates!
  • Have some adventures with said roommates. Even if it means accidentally ending up in Far Rockaway because you missed your subway stop. (I get lost nearly every day of my life; I call it sightseeing.)


By: Anna Matefy

Anna Matefy recently graduated from NYU with a Bachelor’s in Media, Culture, and Communication. She has been working in politics for the past few years, and wants to transition into a career in media entertainment/comedy. She will be attending NYU as a graduate student in Media beginning in 2021.


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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How to Get Ahead of Prices and People for Theatre This Summer and Fall

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021

Theatre’s been gone for almost a year and a half now, and with plans to reopen shortly, here’s some tips on how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to shows.

Image credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/theater/how-to-get-cheap-theater-tickets-including-hamilton.html

We all know that Broadway shows can be expensive. Even the producers who set the high prices know that, so they’ll often offer tickets at reduced prices in a lottery. These tickets would be available at the box office the day of the show, or online the day of the show; and those who get them are selected by random chance. It’s the cheapest option to get tickets, but the odds are highly variable due to the number of tickets offered and the hundreds or thousands that apply in the lottery. Therefore, it’s best to consider lotteries as a spur-in-the-moment option: great if you get it, okay if you don’t. Comparable prices are found in standing-room where you pay money to stand in the back of the theatre and watch the show from there, but the view isn’t great

Now for an option where you can actually plan to get cheap tickets and watch the show, TodayTix is the app I swear on. My entire freshman year (up to Covid) was spent milking this app for as many tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows as possible. What I like about it, and what makes TodayTix stand out from competitors like the TKTS booth at Times Square is that you don’t have to buy tickets on the day of the show; you can buy tickets months in advance at half the price of regular tickets. I was able to see shows at a cost between sixty to eighty dollars for Broadway, forty to sixty dollars off-Broadway at any night from celebrity-studded productions like 2019’s Betrayal to musical megahits like West Side Story. Though you don’t have a choice in where you are seated, I have never been disappointed as the tickets seat you in really good spots, better ones I’d say and at cheaper costs than those who get regular tickets. It’s an app I’ll be returning to use this fall and for any show I’ll see in the future.

Image credit: https://www.todaytix.com/nyc/shows/23288-seven-deadly-sins

But maybe you’re impatient. Broadway really only opens in September and October and you don’t want to wait months after getting tickets on TodayTix, nor do you feel like going through the whole lottery process. Here’s another tip. Broadway is overrated. Really. In their ticket prices, the struggle for good seats in the theatre, and the crowds to dodge in and out of the theatre (and those you have to get past in Times Square); Broadway sometimes isn’t the best option. Good thing there’s off-Broadway and other theatrical productions sprinkled throughout the City to provide the same entertainment at much cheaper prices and in a more inclusive, interactive environment. And unlike Broadway, there’s some off-Broadway shows open this summer! Seven Deadly Sins, The Office! A Musical Parody, and Blindness to name a few are shows you can buy tickets from and watch this instant this summer. Each production has their own Covid safety standards, so be sure to consult their websites before going to make your informed decision.

The world of theatre is just starting to bloom again, and as restrictions ease and the world returns to a new normal, no doubt the journey to get tickets or experience theatre will be hectic and expensive. Best to prepare beforehand to save money and be at the front of the line.



By: Jared Skoro

Jared Skoro is a junior at NYU Gallatin studying a mix of English, Political Science, and Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys reading, hiking, and exploring a new neighborhood of the city every weekend.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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