Ahmanson’s “Spring Awakening” offers onstage seating at a discount

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Turn off all cell phones and pagers -- and for heaven’s sake, don’t sing:

Center Theatre Group -- which oversees the Ahmanson and Kirk Douglas Theatres and the Mark Taper Forum -- recently announced its recession-minded Entertainment Stimulus Package (which frankly sounds rather painful to Culture Monster), making available 100,000 tickets at $20 for all performances at the three venues for the 2008-2009 season, with no limitations.

For the Ahmanson’s current offering, the musical ‘Spring Awakening’ -- which opened Thursday and continues through Dec. 7 (here’s our review) -- there’s another bargain-price option that is not quite as inexpensive, but definitely higher-profile: For each show, there are 26 tickets available at $30 a pop for onstage seats that put audience members in the middle -- or at least, on the sides -- of the action. There is a two-ticket limit for each seven-day period.

This is not just a CTG phenomenon -- the Broadway ‘Spring Awakening,’ as well as touring productions, have all offered the onstage seating. In fact, on Broadway this is something of a mini-trend: The shows ‘Xanadu’ and ‘Equus’ have also offered onstage seats.

Of course, it’s not easy being a star. At the Ahmanson, stage-sitters must place all coats, bags and personal items in lockers before the show. No late seating. You get your program at the end of the show, not at the beginning -- can’t have you dropping it onstage. No restroom breaks except at intermission. No bright-colored clothing, either.

As your reward for compliance, you get an obstructed view of the performance.

And an Ahmanson information sheet warns patrons that the ‘high energy’ show contains partial nudity, adult language and situations, as well as intense scenes and situations. ‘Restraint is required...Sensitive individuals should not sit in this area,’ it reads.

Still interested? The tickets are available at the box office or by phone, but not online because CTG prefers that potential onstage ticket buyers get a briefing from a sales representative to make sure they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into.

-- Diane Haithman