Are you one of the 11,000 federal employees in Washington state who isn't getting a paycheck because Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans are cowards? Well then, if you haven't already, you should apply for the state's unemployment program. Looks like it's going to be a minute. But while you're waiting (or working for free), you should head on down to Becky Benaroya's concert hall with a government-issued ID and see a show on the house.
On Thursday the Seattle Symphony announced that it's giving furloughed federal employees "four complimentary tickets for Seattle Symphony performances for the remainder of the 2018–2019 season," which runs through June of this year. You have to reserve the seats—subject to availability—by February 1. So get on it!
You can select a show from any of the symphony's major programs, including the "Delta Air Lines Masterworks Season, Seattle Pops series, Untuxed series, [untitled] series, Baroque & Wine series, In Recital series, Chamber series, Fluke/Gabelein Organ Recitals, Family Concerts and Tiny Tots Concerts."
Check out a list of Stranger-recommended shows that fall within that time period. Right off the bat I can recommend the Itzhak Perlman Bruch Violin Concerto, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, Prokofiev Symphony No. 7, Dvořák New World Symphony, and [untitled] 2 and 3.
I've said the Seattle Symphony is a fucking municipal treasure in the past, and I have no problem saying it again. They're so good about this kind of thing. Back when Trump instituted his Muslim ban, the symphony hosted a free concert featuring music from the seven countries he banned. They can't get your Iranian grandma a visa, they can't give you your back pay, but they can offer what they have, which is music. And that's really all you can really ask of an arts org.
Here's how to reserve your tickets, straight from the press release:
Phone: Call the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office at (206) 215-4747 or toll-free at (866) 833-4747.
In Person: Visit the Ticket Office in Benaroya Hall, located at Third Avenue & Union Street.
Ticket Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 1–6 p.m.
