Entertainment Is Popular at Today’s 55 and Over Communities
Entertainment shows are popular at the clubhouse. There are usually lines to buy tickets and some popular shows sell out, making tickets hard to come by.
Our HOA and “It’s Showtime” provide entertainment for our community residents and both sell tickets to events . There is a new show(s) every month which includes tribute shows or other entertainers, game shows with dinner and a play performed by residents. Upcoming events are posted on the community calendar and ticket sales dates are posted.
On Friday morning tickets were going on sale for one show by Agatha’s Comedy Murder Mystery Theater including a dinner for the lucky few who were able to get a ticket.
Tickets were to go on sale at 6am when the clubhouse opened and go until 10am but everyone knows you are not likely to get a ticket unless you get in line well before 6am.
Mary Ann wanted to go and we had missed out on the tickets last year to this same show by only getting there a little early. I was not planning on making the same mistake this year, so I planned on getting there early.
Well my friend Gordon ask me if I was going to get tickets and I agreed to buy he and Sharon a ticket also. There is a limit of ten tickets that can be purchased by a resident. The tickets have to be used by residents and their name entered when the tickets are purchased.
Talking with our friend Brenda I found out she was planning on going early also to buy tickets for her husband Pete and two other couples. I suggested since I was going early anyway, I could buy her 6 tickets and our 4 tickets to make a table of 10.
How Early?
I set my alarm for 3am and laid out what I was going to wear, planned my breakfast to pack, filled up the coffee machine to be ready, got a flash lite ready, even planned on taking walking shoes in case I wanted to walk around the clubhouse parking lot.
Surely I would be first at 3am right? Wrong!
It’s Showtime Program Coordinator Sean and Treasurer Marge arrived at 2:30am along and the first ticket number given to a lady who they say is always first in line.
AT 3:10am I pulled my car in the front parking row at the clubhouse under the yellow sodium security lights and Marge gave me a pink piece of paper with the number 6. I didn’t have to tell the next person their number as Marge and Sean were giving numbers out.
My driver’s seat reclines more than I imagined and the head pillow and throw I brought along came in handy, as well as the cup of coffee. I relaxed but didn’t sleep but the time went fast.
Some things to bring with you while waiting that might be helpful are:
1. coffee
2. breakfast
3. laptop or Kindle
4. book
5. ear pods for listening to music or podcasts
6. pillow and blanket
7. comfortable clothes
8. ear plugs (there is talking among the early risers)
9. sleep mask to block out light
After you get your number you are suppose to stay there until 6am when the clubhouse opens and that’s exactly what happened. You are called by number and you list the names of residents you are buying tickets for and turn in the money, then you look at the tables chart and pick out your seats. That goes real fast after 6am and I was home by 6:25am.
There was only 18 tables of 10 seats sold for this event because the actors walk among the tables in this interactive show. So how early do you need to get there to get a ticket? Well at 5am I heard number 13 or 14 given out, so they were sure to get a ticket. But after about 5:30 lots of cars were coming in the parking lot and by six I am pretty sure it was sold out.
Is There a Better System For Ticket Sales?
Some say this is crazy getting up that early. Some may ask is there a better system to handle ticket sales.
Sean says this is the best system used so far. They looked into on line ticket sales but there is a processing fee plus some residents do not have intenet access. How other 55 and Over Communities handle ticket sales was also considered. The previous system we used was to get there early in the am to get a number and then you had to come back a 5pm to get your tickets, pretty much tying up your whole day. All in all the current system works pretty good.
Would I get up that early again for tickets sales. Yes, if it was something I really wanted to see for sure. But for most events, especially those with shows on two days, arriving that early is not necessary. Some events don’t sell out and are even opened to the friends of residents. We have been to many shows and have never been there earlier than 7am and rarely missed out on getting tickets. It just depends on how popular the group and how many shows they are doing.
Finally I would like to thank the group at It’s Showtime for volunteering their time and efforts to bring these wonderful entertainment events to us.
