What You'll Get
Although 20% of babies who were exposed to classical music in utero become doctors or lawyers, 100% of babies born on stage during a classical-music performance become Bill Gates. Upgrade your evening with this deal to see an opera or violin performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Choose between the following options:
- For $30, you get one ticket for seating in rows L–LL to see Verdi’s La Traviata on Thursday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m. (a $60 value). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The opera is in Italian with English supertitles.
- For $40, you get one ticket for seating in rows L–LL to see Joshua Bell on Friday, February 22, at 8 p.m. (a $75 value). Doors open at 7 p.m.<p>
Verdi’s La Traviata
Verdi’s La Traviata transports audiences into the romantic, opulent, and dangerous world of 18th-century Parisian high society with the opera classic that inspired the feature film Moulin Rouge!. The show tells of the descent of a courtesan who must repress her love for a younger man and her obsession with anything in a ruffled collar. The opera features such timeless arias as the intoxicating opener “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” and the tender “Un di, felice, eterea.” Giuseppe Verdi’s soaring score perfectly captures the passion and underlying sadness of its world of beauty-obsessed libertines, much like a dove’s song captures the feeling of putting your toe socks on the wrong feet.
Joshua Bell
From debuting at Carnegie Hall at age 17 to winning several Grammys and the 2010 Musical America Award for Instrumentalist of the Year, Joshua Bell has seen his star shine brighter and brighter in the world of classical music. But it was perhaps his 2007 incognito performance inside a D.C. metro station—an experiment for The Washington Post—that endeared him to a wider audience, even if it was only after the fact. Over 43 minutes, Bell wove Bach’s regal yet mournful Chaconne and other masterful compositions from his beloved instrument as more than 1,000 people rushed by, only a fraction stopping to listen or toss a coin into his open violin case. The experiment was recorded on a hidden camera, later racking up more than 4 million YouTube hits.
Bell, who has lent his melodic expertise to soundtracks for films such as Angels & Demons and Defiance, helms a 300-year old Stradivarius violin during both his recordings and live shows. His success has gone on to earn him recognition in a Haim Hecht documentary and a bodyguard for his violin.
Joshua Bell performing with Sting live from the Lincoln Center <iframe width="450" height="243" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kX2BBBS0XXQ" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen="allowFullScreen"></iframe>
**Joshua Bell in a Washington Post experiment**
####Ruth Eckerd Hall A bastion of family-friendly arts and entertainment since its curtain first rose in 1983, [Ruth Eckerd Hall](http://gr.pn/PKUCsv) demonstrates its commitment to the community through concerts, movie screenings, and all-ages education at the [Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute](http://www.rutheckerdhall.com/education/). Graduates of the school go on to star in [musical and theater productions](http://gr.pn/PKWfXf) on the stage, overlooking 2,180 sloping seats arranged continental style for great sightlines and impeccable acoustics.
The Fine Print
Expiration varies. Limit 10 per person. Valid only for option purchased. Reservation req'd. Redeem starting 2/18 for a ticket. Must show valid ID matching name on voucher at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Refundable only on day of purchase. Must purchase together to sit together. Discount reflects Ruth Eckerd Hall's current ticket prices-price may differ on day of the event. Doors open 1hr before showtime. For ADA seating, call box office promptly upon receipt of voucher – availability is limited. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.