There is no shortage of shows to see at UT. In just one week I had the opportunity to see the Broadway hit Legally Blonde and the creative concoction that is Circus Oz, and all on a student’s budget no less!

First, I kicked off my week by heading over to Bass Concert Hall to be a student usher for the last night of Legally Blonde. I arrived about two hours before the show was set to start, got my uniform, met my house manager for the evening, stuffed some programs, and chatted with fellow ushers. Then we headed to our posts, which for me was on the first balcony. I got the lay of the land for my section of the concert hall and got ready to greet patrons and point them in the right direction to their seats. The show started, we helped in some late-comers and then I sat down to enjoy the show.

Though not a huge fan of the movie, the Broadway production of Legally Blonde was a lot of fun, full of funny lines, catchy songs, and real live dogs! I have to say that the little Chihuahua Brusier stole the show for me, and the appearance of Paulette’s bull dog later in the show was a fun surprise met with huge cheers by everyone.

So intermission comes and I rejoin my fellow ushers. We answered a few questions from patrons, but other than that it turned out to be a great moment to chat and get to know the other ushers. The majority of them are from the community, and they are all very friendly and have interesting stories, especially from when they themselves were in college, so it made for a great break between the two halves of the show.

Intermission ended, and I went back to watch Elle use her unique bounty of knowledge to help win the big case, get the guy, and live happily ever after. All in all, a very fun night.

Next for me was Circus Oz, the Aussie troupe of acrobats and musicians who bring a whole new spin to taking a trip to the circus. Instead of ushering for this show, I attended as a regular patron, which, with $10 student tickets, is not a hard thing to do; in other words, it won’t break the bank.

The show was an exciting mix of impressive acrobatic stunts, comedy, fantastic live music, and, for me personally, fear! I mean these guys and gals are plummeting to the stage floor by sliding down a pole, flying through hoops, walking on fire, or teetering on a pile of chairs balanced on a couple of glass bottles; suffice it to say I was a bit worried for them. But they all came out fine, much to my relief, and I went home well impressed with the night’s offerings.

Finally, something I have come to realize: this year’s line-up at UT’s Performing Arts Center is so incredible that it doesn’t matter if you’ve heard of the act or not. No matter what, you are guaranteed an unforgettable show. Next up of those unforgettable shows for me: Book of Longing with the amazing Philip Glass, and the one, the only, Bill Cosby.

Stay tuned UT – the world is being brought to Austin.

Elena B.