Looking for ways to get involved off-campus? Head on over to the Robert A. Scott Student Center to purchase a ticket for you and your loved ones to some of your favorite events, including Broadway shows and sports games.
Sold by the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) and Roadrunner Central for an average of $35-$50, students, faculty and staff have about four opportunities each semester to purchase tickets for off-campus events that include transportation and the option to buy a guest ticket for an additional $10. This past Thursday, the first trip of the semester was to see “Wicked” on Broadway.
“My first theater trip with Ramapo was to see ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ on Broadway and I can proudly state that I got the chance to watch Jeff Daniels portrayal of Atticus Finch. I also saw ‘Jagged Little Pill’ where I got to witness Derek Klena in a Broadway role for the first time,” senior Arden Gerszberg said, who was on the “Wicked” trip. “I saw ‘A Strange Loop’ this past fall semester.”
Like Gerszberg, many students try to take every opportunity offered to see Broadway shows.
“I love Broadway, I’ve seen over 10 shows and I try to go on almost every school show. The school is great because they provide cheaper tickets and transportation which saves me a minimum of $50 on each show,” senior Faith Chang said. “Even if it’s a show I haven’t heard of, it’s a great deal.”
After an hour-long bus ride, we arrived in Times Square with about an hour to stroll around before we had to head over to the theater. In the past during this free time, I’ve visited stores, gone to eat or visited the Rockefeller Center tree on trips around Christmas time. This time around, my mom and I went to take some pictures and had some dinner before going to the theater.
Upon arrival, it was an easy check-in process and we were guided to our seats, which was a perfect view of the show. That made this experience even better!
In case you’re unaware, “Wicked” is the prequel of “The Wizard of Oz.” In this tale, we learn about the events prior to Dorothy skipping her way down the yellow brick road. Instead, we learn about Elphaba and Glinda’s time together in school and how this otherwise nice girl turned wicked due to her disapproving family and peers.
“Wicked” features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and is the 5th longest running show on Broadway, having first opened on Oct. 30, 2003. The show was also nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 2004, winning three, including Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel. It also won six Drama Desk Awards and one Grammy Award.
If you haven’t had the chance to see this amazing show, I would 10/10 recommend it. Whether it’s your first time or your 50th, this show is absolutely amazing. From the incredible sets to costumes, lighting and, of course, the spectacular cast and crew, this show is truly one of my favorites, which is why I keep coming back year after year.
“The actress who played Glinda (Britney Johnson) is the first actress of color to play the role on Broadway, so I wanted to experience this monumental moment in ‘Wicked’ history”
-Arden Gerzsberg
Following the show, we got a message from our CSI student staff member trip to meet up outside of the theater, and we waited just a few minutes for the bus to pull up. Once on board, they took attendance, made sure we had everyone and began the trek back to campus.
Information on future trips is always advertised in advance in the Daily Digest, In the Loop and on the Student Center bulletin board well before the tickets go on sale, so be sure to always keep an eye out! The remaining three trips of the semester are this week’s Devils vs. Kraken game, “Six” on Broadway in March and “Hadestown” on Broadway in April.
My experiences attending trips through CSI have all been so amazing due to the fact that we are getting awesome seats for a fraction of the cost, and knowing that transportation is included in that price is such a huge plus. So if you retain nothing else from this article, I would highly recommend checking out Roadrunner Central because their services are so worth the money and the experiences, and memories you get from these trips will truly last a lifetime.
rklain@ramapo.edu
Photo courtesy of Rylie Klain
