Goldstar (not chili) and $50 theater ticket giveaway

Like any blog, we are occasionally approached by companies promoting their products. Like many bloggers, we don't promote anything we haven't tried or wouldn't use. But occasionally a service comes along that really aligns with our goal of re-adventuring Cincinnati, and such was the case with Goldstar.com. (Not... chili.)

Goldstar is a StubHub-type site for theater tickets-- cut-rate prices for seats that venues like Music Hall or the Aronoff Center would rather see full (for less cash) than empty (for zilch). Goldstar gave me a $50 gift certificate to try it out, and I managed to finagle another $50 certificate to give away here. (Maybe you could use it to see Ovo, nudge nudge?)

I used my certificate to purchase tickets for the May Festival's Revealing show. There were quite a few other shows that looked good (Drowsy Chaperone, Shrek the Musical...), but we're long overdue for a trip to Music Hall, and I've never attended any May Festival events. (For shame!)

You have to go in understanding that you're not buying front-row seats. Ours ended up in Orchestra C-- I prefer to be closer for a visual performance, but for an orchestra performance this is perfectly acceptable to me. Just be sure to check the seating availability when you're considering various shows.

The other watch-out: service fees. I paid $6 per ticket, which-- for $27 tickets-- is noticeable. Still, $66 (or $16!) is a good price for May Festival tickets (previously $54 each).

I enjoyed the rest of my experience. The interface is packed with ways to stay up-to-date with deals, including alerts when more tickets become available for a specific show and for when reviews are posted. I see this as a good resource for three things: 1) exploring new venues, 2) keeping updated on what's new, and 3) scoring some deals on higher-priced concerts and performances you normally couldn't afford to go to.

I also think it's great that Goldstar is even catering to Cincinnati. I feel as though many services put our city on the bottom of the list, but maybe Goldstar recognized what a great arts and theater culture we have in the Queen City.

So who would like to explore Goldstar.com for themselves? I have one beefy $50 gift certificate to give away. To enter, leave a comment here and tell me which show you'd like to see from Goldstar's list. Our winner will be chosen at random on Monday!