For me, summer in St. Louis means one thing… Muny time!
I’ve been My mom has been a season ticket holder for something like five or six years, and before that we always used to sit in the free seats (yes, I said free. Didn’t know you could explore this St. Louis treasure without dishin’ out the big bucks? Well, now you do. More on that in a minute…). The Muny has become part of our summer traditions- every Wednesday, we meet for dinner, head to the show, and spend the whole car ride home chatting about what we liked, what we didn’t like, and which singing audience member annoyed us the most.
The Muny season is about to come to a close- this is the last weekend to go see Showboat, the last show of the season!- so I thought it was high time for me to weigh in with my tips and tricks to enjoying your season at the Muny. Use them to your advantage, this season or next…
Dress appropriately
Okay, I get it. To some people, the Muny is the theee-A-tor, but remember, you live in St. Louis. It is a million degrees outside. Gals, throw on a comfy but cute sundress and pull your hair back in a bun or ponytail. Guys, polos and shorts will do the trick. Trust me on this one.
Leave the kids at home
I’m going to get a lot of debate on this one, I just know it. But seriously, the Muny is (usually) no place for children. You are asking your ADHD four-year old to sit in the heat with limited food and bathroom breaks for something like two hours and expect for them not to be a disturbance to fellow patrons? Are you kidding?
On the flipside, kids should be exposed to the theater. My advice? Make sure it is a show they really want to see (and one that is appropriate for them to see… Miss Saigon for five-year olds? Bad choice) and get them pumped beforehand by showing them the movie. My first show at the Muny was Oklahoma, one of my absolute favorite movies when I was a kid (and still now). The Muny has ‘family-friendly’ shows every year, for example Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, Annie, Peter Pan…
Take your seats
The Muny is huge. (Seriously. It is the biggest,and oldest, outdoor amphitheater in the country!) No matter where you’re sitting, you might be leaning from side to side to see around that big head in front of you. It’s just a fact of life (and a fact of the theee-A-tor). The best thing abut the Muny’s size though is that there really is no bad seat in the house. Every seat gives you a different angle, a different view. And like I mentioned before, the Muny has free seats. That means you can go for absolutely nothing! Genius.
Don’t force it
Got a family member, friend, boyfriend, or husband that doesn’t enjoy musical theater? Don’t ask them to come to the Muny. Simple. It is too hot, too long and too boring for them. Let them stay home in the AC and you can enjoy the show without their complaining.
That being sad, I believe there is a show out there for everyone to enjoy. Which leads me to my next point…
Pick your shows wisely
As I said before, every year, the Muny features at least one family-friendly option. This is usually the big, blockbuster performance that runs two weeks (aka the one they can make the most money off of). The rest of the season will be rounded out with a few classics, a sort of operetta show, and a new, trendy musical. Take this season for example:
Showboat- classic
Sound of Music- classic; family-friendly
Cats- operatic-style
Beauty and the Beast- family-friendly
Titanic- operatic-style
Footloose- new and trendy
Damn Yankees- classic
Every season is different and there will always be a handful of shows you aren’t interested in seeing (for me, it was Cats – because I didn’t like it at all last time it was there- and Sound of Music- because I’ve seen it a gazillion times and I prefer the movie to the stage version), but you’re bound to find one that fits the bill. And don’t be afraid to try new shows! Most of my favorites have been shows I had never seen before (Aida, Annie Get Your Gun, Damn Yankees, My One and Only…)!
The Muny matters
Paul Blake and the rest of the Muny crew spend countless hours bringing these shows to our city every summer. These are not traveling groups like you would see at the Fox… these shows are all unique to the Muny! Produced just for us, just for this stage! The Muny matters to St . Louis. It was part of the 1904 World’s Fair. It is part of historic Forest Park. It is a major player in St. Louis theater tradition. We should be proud of it, and enjoy it!
PS: Make sure you are following The Muny on Facebook and Twitter! They post tons of pictures and information, even in the off season!
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