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| - Despite being a part of UNLV for over ten years, tonight was my first time visiting the UNLV Performing Arts Center. More specifically the Judy Bayley theatre. I went to see A Christmas Carol starring Armin Shimerman as Ebenezer Scrooge. I know him from Star Trek and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I am a fan of both shows which is what drew me here tonight.
I arrived too early tonight and sat outside for 30 minutes before the doors opened. Once inside, I was greeted by the very friendly and informative staff. They pointed out the bar, the merchandise table and the information table. They even mentioned that there would be a meet and greet after the show. More on that in a moment.
I walked around the lobby and sat for a while more before seating began. There were architectural plans for the set on display. Also, character and costume drawings. There was even a section for people to put on and get photographs of. This was all interesting and a great way to feel connected to the production. What piqued my interest the most was the collection of photographs which had nothing to do with the show. But there was a photo of David Hockney, an artist I am a fan of. There was even a photo of Andy Warhol. Cool stuff.
I made my way to my seat about 10 or 15 minutes before show time. It was enough time to get familiar with the set and the theatre as a whole. This is a nive small venue. More intimate and accessible than larger places like the Smith Center. I had a great seat in the fourth row dead center. I was practically at stage level. For sure one of the best seats in the house. Though I get the impression, based on size alone, there is not a bad seat to be found.
After nearly an hour of on stage action, there was a breif intermission followed by another 45 minutes of play time. It was a great production. Funny. Touching. Intense. A little bit frighening. I loved it. And the standing ovation at the end tells me that everbody else did too.
With bows and the curtain call complete, the cast raced their way to the lobby ready to greet adoring fans like me. The cast were all gracious but we all wanted Armin. People were asking for autographs. A group of Trekkers, myself included, wanted a picture. He asked that we wait for the line to die down. We did wait and got our picture. A great way to end a fun evening.
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