Gift makes city鈥檚 musical theater affordable for students
So far, the institute has made free or steeply discounted tickets available to Rochester undergraduates to see some of the city鈥檚 top shows, including Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra鈥檚 sold out Star Wars and More! The Best of John Williams at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; the Rochester Broadway Theatre League productions of Wicked, Matilda, and School of Rock: The Musical; and Lin-Manuel Miranda鈥檚 In the Heights at Geva Theatre.
The institute鈥檚 ticket program is supported in part by the Mantell Family Fund, which was established by alumni Dan 鈥�82 and Marcia Mantell 鈥�83, to support this program and others. Dan studied chemistry and Marcia majored in geological sciences, but they believe that liberal arts and humanities are an essential part of a college education, too. Marcia says she鈥檚 especially moved by the power of performances to get people talking. The students may often be quiet on the bus to the venue, but after the performance, they鈥檙e anything but. 鈥淪omething comes over you,鈥� she says of sharing a theater experience. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just magical.鈥�
To handle logistics, the institute partners with Wilson Commons Student Activities, which oversees a similar program, ROC Tix, that has made tickets available to students for sporting events, concerts, and film festivals.
What鈥檚 next? Tickets will probably go fast for Tony award-winning musicals Fun Home in November and An American in Paris in spring 2018. 聽鈥淲e want help build a program that makes a difference to the students,鈥� says Dan Mantell. 鈥淩egardless of what careers students pursue, the ability to appreciate performing arts increases creativity, interaction, and collaboration.鈥�
