Making the Most of Your Visit to the Theater

A graduate of Northwestern University, Brian Lipschultz is now a trustee and co-CEO of Otto Bremer Trust. When not engaged in his duties with the trust, Brian Lipschultz enjoys attending theater productions. Here are some tips for making the most of a visit to the theater.

1. Look for discounts. Though they can be hard to track down, many theaters offer discount tickets for major productions. Occasionally, these can be found online by using a search engine. You may also be able to get discounted tickets for children or seniors.

2. Listen for the bell. Most theaters will offer some sort of signal that a performance is about to begin. Traditionally, this is a bell that will sound in the auditorium or foyer. Listen out for the bell to avoid being late, especially as some theaters don’t allow entry to latecomers. The flickering of house lights may also signal the beginning of a show.

3. Find the best place to sit. While balcony seats are often seen as the most desirable, the front mezzanine is usually where you will find the best experience. These seats offer a straight-on view while also being close enough to the stage to fall into the auditory sweet spot.

Remembering Jazz Legend Pete Fountain

Co-CEO and trustee of the Otto Bremer Trust, Brian Lipschultz shares joint responsibility for the $900 million charitable trust. Outside of the office, Brian Lipschultz is longtime jazz musician and fan. The jazz world recently lost a legend in New Orleans Jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain, who died in early August at the age of 86.

Born Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. in New Orleans on July 3, 1930, Fountain started playing the clarinet when he was a child at the advice of a doctor. Suffering from respiratory issues, the doctor suggested a wind instrument to strengthen his lungs. Aside from that, it gave the world a jazz legend.

Fountain is perhaps most famous for his regular TV appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and The Lawrence Welk Show. Known for his free-spirited approach to playing, Fountain was famously fired from The Lawrence Welk Show after a particularly loose version of “Silver Bells,” something he’d later joke about with the press.

With nearly 100 albums under his belt, he performed for everyone from the president to the pope.