Many folks have spent the last couple of years Marie Kondo-ing the hell out of their possessions, pondering what gives them joy and what causes them to trip on their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Living spaces have become uncluttered and homes have been given a Zen-like makeover. As a result Christmastime gift-giving can sometimes be an unwelcome prospect, cluttering up our living room shelves, bedroom closets and kitchen junk drawers with more unnecessary, unused and unasked-for items.
One simple solution is to give friends and family items that don’t take up any space. Tickets—whether to local sporting events, theatrical productions, musical concerts or area attractions—are a thoughtful way to gift people with a special experience that will take up space in their memory but not in their home. It’s also a great way to support underpaid local artists, performers, etc., ensuring that their contribution to our community continues for another season. So here are a few suggestions.
Outpost Performance Space (outpostspace.org/support-us/membership/), a nonprofit venue hosting a wide variety of jazz concerts and other community arts programs, offers a range of “membership” programs. On the low end $55 will net you a General Membership offering one $5 discount to all Outpost shows. For $95 there’s the Supporting Membership, which gives the cardholder two discount tickets to all shows. A Patron Membership at $375 comes with one free pass and one discount to qualifying events or three discounts to events where pass is not valid. The top-end Benefactor Membership grants two free passes plus two discount tickets to qualifying events or four discount tickets to events where pass is not valid.
AMP Concerts (ampconcerts.org/page/become-a-member), which produces a diverse selection of musical events throughout Albuquerque and Santa Fe, also offers special membership packages with rewards. A regular Fan Membership ($75 adult, $65 student/senior) offers access to member-only presales and one pair of AMP Discovery Tix good for any show costing $20 or less. Duet Membership ($125) offers presale access and two pair of AMP Discovery Tix. Enthusiast Membership ($250) adds a 48-hour ticket exchange and a $100 AMP ticket credit. Outreach Promoter Membership ($500) throws in members-only drawings and giveaways, a 24-hour ticket exchange and premium seating at all concerts. If you’ve got a music lover you really appreciate, AMP offers the Encore Membership ($1,000), which bumps the ticket credit to $350 and includes special recognition on the nonprofit’s website.
Vortex Theatre (vortexabq.org) has tickets ($24) for its next two shows for sale now. Winter Tales runs Dec. 2 though 18 and Lava hits the stage Feb. 9 through 17. Albuquerque Little Theater (albuquerquelittletheatre.org) offers individual tickets ($20) as well as season tickets and flex passes for all the shows in its current season—which goes through June 25 of 2023 (call the box office at 505-242-4750 for more info). The Adobe Theater (adobetheater.org) has scheduled its shows all the way through the end of 2023. Right now you can purchase advanced tickets for The Drowsy Chaperone (Dec. 1 through 18), An Adobe New Year’s Cabaret (Dec. 31), The Dinner Party (Jan. 20 through Feb. 6) and Inherit the Wind (March 3 through 26). Plays are $24 general admission and the NYE cabaret (including food and drink) is $50. Musical Theater Southwest (mtsabq.org) is staging Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella Dec. 16 through Jan. 1. Tickets are $25 general admission. They’ve also announced their 2023 season (Cabaret, Rent, Next to Normal and Sweeney Todd) and are expected to start selling Season Passes soon (price TBA). Popejoy Hall at UNM offers Ovation Series Subscription pricing. Simply order tickets (from $15 Price C balcony to $55 Gold Circle orchestra) to four or more upcoming shows (Mariachi Christmas, H.M.S. Pinafore, Romeo & Juliet, Pilobolus, The Doo Wop Project, New Shanghai Circus and more) and hand them out like candy. You can also try scoring tickets to some of the award-winning traveling shows passing through Popejoy next year, like Dear Evan Hansen ($45 to $125) or Hamilton ($49 to $249), but seating is limited.
Although football and hockey seasons are largely over, sports fans can look forward to 2023. Our local soccer club, New Mexico United (newmexicoutd.com/tickets/), kicks off its 2023 season in March. Season passes can be secured now starting at $239 (and topping out at $799). Season pass holders get bonus benefits like priority access, additional single-game ticket discounts and an exclusive ticket holder scarf! The Duke City’s beloved baseball team, the Albuquerque Isotopes (milb.com/albuquerque/tickets/2023-season-tickets), will also be returning in spring. Season passes are up for grabs now (Reserved Level $735, Box Level $875, Club Level $1700), and would score major points with the sports lover in your life.