Grace after Halloween. A telemarketing trick or treat?
Still in that foggy stupor from eating too much of the “extra so we won’t run out” candy we bought, I answered the phone, even though I didn’t recognize the number. My judgment was off. I should’ve known better. Especially since it was the eve of election day, when campaign calls come in one after another.
But I said hello and a very nice woman asked me if I had enjoyed the showing of Speed and Precision by the Pennsylvania Ballet Company last weekend. Without hesitation I answered enthusiastically “Yes! Very much so. The company looked really great.”
She responded, ”Well if you liked that, they’re only going to get better and we have a wonderful deal for you so you can enjoy more performances throughout the year.” Normally, at that point, I would have said,” thanks, but no thanks”, and hung up but instead I embarked on a lively conversation with Grace. Yes, she told me her name and that she was from New York but had been to Philadelphia many times and to the Barnes Foundation at its original location. “We used to live right near there I told my new stranger friend.”
We went on to discuss the new artistic director, Angel Corella, and his ABT influence, the upcoming Don Quixote, the Balanchine pieces, so rarely seen, and the Jerome Robbins show. “Didn’t he choreograph West Side Story?” I asked. “Of course!” answered Grace and then offered me the best seats in the house, to any three performances of my choice. I felt so lucky.
I had been entertaining buying season tickets this year but hadn’t gotten around to it. And here she was, doing all the work and research for me. So, I chose. I even added on so my kids could join us at Don Quixote. It was at that point I remembered I was cooking striped bass on the grill and exclaimed, “Oh no! My fish!” Grace was nice enough to wait for me to flip my fish. She even put up with the dog playing with his loud squeaky toy in the background. So patient. Through all of this, never once did I wonder how Grace knew I had been to the Pennsylvania Ballet Company last weekend.
And suddenly it was done. I was now a season ticket holder with excellent seats to three upcoming ballets at two different theatres. When the sugar worked its way out of my system, I thought, “ What happened? Who is Grace?” It all seemed like a dream. Hopefully our tickets will arrive as promised and the pricey ballets will seem like a dream come true.