From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jun. 06, 2008 3:17PM EDT Last updated on Monday, Mar. 30, 2009 3:49PM EDT
One of the surest signs that Europeans take their high culture more seriously than we do is that venues sell seats not only to people who can afford to pay well above $100 a pop, but to those who can't (or won't) pay more to see Fidelio than Sex and the City. Here are some safe bets for catching Elgar, Mozart, Molière and other greats on the cheap.
LONDON
In Leicester Square, you'll find the reliable TKTS booth (www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts) : This is the place to go for tickets to mostly theatrical events that are mostly half-price. It comes with a $5 booking charge.
PARIS
Le Kiosque Theatre (www.kiosquetheatre.com) specializes in same-day theatre and concert tickets. There's no phone number, though, so bargain hunters just have to sidle up to one of three locations: the Place de la Madeleine, the Ternes station and on the esplanade between the Tour Montparnasse and Gare Montparnasse. Hours are 12:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturdays and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
ROME For cheap seats at the Teatro dell'Opera (39 06 48 16 02 55), Italians line up in the Piazza Gigli 30 minutes before curtains go up. Box office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays.
AMSTERDAM No need to struggle with the language here. The last-minute ticket shop is called the Last Minute Ticket Shop (26 Leidseplein; 31 20 09 00 01 91; www.lastminuteticketshop.nl) and it opens at noon every day. Check out their website to see what's available.
MADRID There are discount tickets to more than 30 theatres at the Taquilla Ultimo Minuto (1 Plaza del Carmen; www.taquillaultimominuto.com), but you can only buy one per person. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays.
Bert Archer
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