This year, HAI's Tickets To Go program provided over 9,400 New York City residents over 60 years of age with affordable tickets to cultural events. This discounted ticket program is funded by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and currently has 33,300 registered members. The final offering of the year was the American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House. Through the generous efforts of ABT's Company Manager, Donya Hubby, Tickets to Go was able to acquire highly discounted orchestra seats at the Metropolitan Opera House for five Wednesday matinees. Being provided with orchestra seat locations is an important factor for many seniors when deciding to go to an event. Many have mobility and/or vision problems that make it difficult to negotiate stairs or steep balconies.

Seniors were offered orchestra seats to the smash hit musicals 42nd Street and Cabaret, as well as events at the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, the New York City Ballet, Roundabout's production of Joe Egg, and the Signature Theatre's critically acclaimed revivals of Lanford Wilson's Burn This and The Fifth Of July, among many cultural events in the five boroughs.

Thousands of Tickets To Go customers were also invited to the HAI-produced Community Performing Arts Series about which Lillie Cavallari from the Margaret Tietz Center for Nursing Care writes;Your organization is remarkable to the end that it provides 'mainstream' opportunities for persons with challenges to experience first-rate performances in local and accessible venues, and daytime performances.

Two elderly Tickets To Go customers recently attended one such HAI matinee performance... Faith Prince In Concert at the Lovinger Theatre in the Bronx. The Tony Award winning musical comedy star of the hit revival of Guys and Dolls, and recipient of critical acclaim for more recent roles in Noises Off and A Man Of No Importance, Ms. Prince performed a selection of show tunes for the event. Mrs. Joseph Lukomnik wrote; I enjoyed Faith Prince at Lovinger Theatre on April 22nd. The really outstanding kindness of your volunteer workers is, however, what I remember most. Volunteer Michelle Goguen refused to leave the college before she saw Nora (96 years old) and me (86 years old) into a taxi. She stayed a long period of time and called the taxi company five times until we were picked up.

Judith McGuire, another Bronx Tickets To Go customer, writes; Ms. Prince was really wonderful. She immediately showed good sense in asking that the lights be upped so that she could see who she was singing to. In the audience were many people in wheelchairs. She made people feel good by telling them stories of how her career began so humbly. When a group of people in wheelchairs arrived late, she very nicely said that she would wait. She showed a lot of patience. And her singing….all the theatre songs from the greats. She sang so beautifully and with a lot of good humor. Class! She's got it! HAI also presented Faith Prince at the Electrical Industries Auditorium in Flushing, Queens.

A few hundred Tickets To Go customers were part of an audience of over 2,000 people at Brooklyn College for a holiday performance in December by Tony Award winner Melba Moore. They were also part of an audience of over 1,300 people attending the James Sewall Ballet Company from Minneapolis. Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times wrote; Mr. Sewall is one of American ballet's best choreographers…someone needs to give Mr. Sewall's always imaginative, often exquisite ballets a full season in New York.

Through Tickets to Go offerings and inclusion in this performing arts series, HAI continues its mission of providing accessible opportunities to enjoy the highest caliber of talent for the lowest cost possible.