Drunk Shakespeare
Drunk Shakespeare is this hilarious show performed at the Lounge at Roy Arias Stages found on West 43rd St. The Lounge is a pretty cool hidden library with around 15000 books.After watching the Blue Man Group the week before, my friend invited me to watch this Off Broadway show because she said the reviews said it was hilarious.
The usual ticket prices are $55 (Balcony), $69 (Mezzanine) and $89 (Stage Side), but we managed to get the cheapest tickets at $29, half price at GroupOn. It was definitely worth it because on days when there are fewer attendees, they ask those who bought cheaper tickets to move nearer the front. We managed to sit stage side, front row!
The show which lasts about 90 minutes with no break starts with one cast member drinking at least 5 shots of whiskey. They then proceed to play a lead character in a Shakespearian play. Four sober actors will then try to keep the script on track.
To make it more interactive, viewers can pay $500 to be the King. The King gets to sit on the throne with one guest, wear a crown, drink an entire bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne, fine caviar, handmade chocolate, two signature cocktails and best of all have decision-making powers over the characters such as kill them off (“Off With His Head!”) or even make them drink more alcohol. When no one buys the seat in advance, attendees can bid for the position of King and the highest bidder gets the perks. On the night we watched, the bidder gave $100.
The performance was hilarious! It was a quirky combination of Shakespeare, modern references and alcohol. There was a lot of improv and a lot of laughs. I totally wasn’t expecting that kind of show, and how interactive it was for the audience.
Personally, I found it great value for money (especially if you bought the tickets half price from GroupOn). I would totally recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting, Off-Broadway show. I definitely will be going back one day!
To reserve or buy your tickets directly from them, check out their website here.
