You ever wondered how the cost of your ballpark experience compares with that of fans of other teams?  Well, wonder no more.  Team Marketing Report released it's annual Fan Cost Index this month, which outlines the average cost for a family of four to attend a Major League Baseball game. The research takes into account the following common expenditures for each MLB Venue.

* Two adult average price tickets

* Two child average price tickets

* Four small soft drinks

* Two small beers

* Four hot dogs

* Two programs

* Parking

* Two adult-size caps

The sum of these costs is termed the Fan Cost Index and represents the total expected cost for a family of four to attend a home game (minus travel expense).  As you might expect, teams from the East Coast and Chicago head the list while some of the teams with a smaller population to pull from make for the least expensive fan experience.

With the Boston Red Sox struggling thus far it will be interesting to see if they can maintain top spot going forward.

AVERAGE FCI - $197.35

1. Boston Red Sox - $339.01

2. New York Yankees - $338.32

3. Chicago Cubs - $305.60

4. Chicago White Sox - $258.68

5. New York Mets - $241.74

6. Philadelphia Phillies - $240.66

7. Los Angeles Dodgers - $226.36

8. St. Louis Cardinals - $223.18

9. Houston Astros - $221.36

10. Minnesota Twins - $213.16

11. Toronto Blue Jays - $212.68

12. San Francisco Giants - $208.15

13. Detroit Tigers - $207.28

14. Washington Nationals - $196.34

15. Seattle Mariners - $183.59

16. Oakland Athletics - $178.09

17. Baltimore Orioles -  $174.10

18. Cleveland Indians - $170.96

19. Florida Marlins - $170.24

20. Atlanta Braves - $169.02

21. Cincinnati Reds - $162.24

22. Colorado Rockies - $161.00

23. Milwaukee Brewers - $160.40

24. Kansas City Royals - $159.80

25. Texas Rangers - $159.40

26. Tampa Bay Rays - $139.68

27. Los Angeles Angels - $129.50

28. Pittsburgh Pirates - $127.71

29. San Diego Padres - $125.81

30. Arizona Diamondbacks - $120.96

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

Most Expensive Average Ticket Price - Boston Red Sox ($53.38)

Cheapest Beer - Arizona Diamondbacks ($4.00)

Most Expensive Parking - New York Yankees ($35.00)

MLB, Major League Baseball, Ticket Prices

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley is making her first guest star performance debut today, in the hit musical Chicago.

Brinkley will play the lead role of Roxy Hart – the Vaudeville entertainer wannabe, who is charged with the murder of her loved one.  Brinkley will perform in the musical for 11 weeks starting today (Aprli 8^th until June 19^th).

Brinkley, now 57 has had some brief acting performances in her career, including two appearances in Chevy Chase’s National Lampoon Vacation Series.  This current gig however, is by far the most demanding as an actress, taking a lead role in a Broadway hit musical. 

Chicago is the 5^th longest running musical in history, consecutively running since 1996, it has been played over 5900 times!  The role of Roxy Hart has been performed in the past by many superstars including such as Brooke Shields, Melanie Griffith and Michelle Williams. 

Originally scheduled to begin on April 4^th, Brinkley debut was pushed to the 8^th due to minor muscle injury.  “I can’t wait to go on stage, Roxy’s character is so energetic, it’s so much fun to play as her” said Brinkley.

You can find tickets to all the “Chicago” shows featuring Brinkley here.

Broadway Shows, Chicago the Musical

Visiting New York City with a family can sometime be a bit of a challenge.  The hustle and bustle of this amazingly vibrant city can be sometimes overwhelming for younger children.  It can also be quite stressful for the parents who need to constantly keep their children in sight among the hordes of people walking on the streets and in the subway stations. 
Luckily, New York, being a cultural Mecca, boasts hundreds of live entertainment options.   Both on and off Broadway are numerous theaters that could entrain any family!  Here are some recommendations of shows for different families:

Families with toddlers

The Lion King is a great choice for any family with young children.   The animal theme, along with the beautiful costumes and stage setup will get them excited from the first second!  The dancers frequently go off the stage and dance between the isles, which is always a thrill for the kids.  The captivating music builds on many of the hits in the original movie,   so kids can often hum along the tunes.  The show is usually sold out well in advance, so get your tickets early.  You can search for tickets to the lion king here.

Families with pre-teens

Wicked – the untold story of the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz has is Broadway’s most successful show for a good reason!  The tight storyline and excellent music are a hit with the audience.  The show is very entertaining for children who often get swept away with the story and are sitting at the edge of their seat until the end.  The show is quite long though (2 Hours and 45 Minutes), so it is probably not a good choice for families with younger children.  Again, the box office tickets sell out months in advance, but you can always search for your Wicked tickets here.

Billy Elliot, the Musical – The story of the young boys struggle to fulfill his dream of being a dancer, is another highly entertaining musical.  The mesmerizing music written by Sir. Elton John, along with the fabulous dance routines performed by the casts of 50 dancers will have kids smiling throughout this long (2 hours and 45 minutes) show.  The musical is rich with funny and witty scenes that will be enjoyed by the adults in the family as well.  The length of the performance along with some strong language used make this show non-suitable for younger children, buy kids over the age of 8 will have a great time!

Billy Elliot Tickets.

Families with Teenagers

Blue Man Group - Teenagers are a tougher crowd, that’s not as easy to satisfy.  However – The Blue Man Group’s show will likely do the trick!  This off Broadway performance brings together unique sound and visual elements to create an original theatrical performance the impacts all senses.   The show includes quite a few comic bits as well, so the experience blends in amusement and laughter.  Teenagers love this shows unique ‘out of this world’ feel, and the oddness of the 3 blue colored bald headed characters.
Blue Man Group Tickets

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Fun for all ages

Mary Poppins - Any child or teenager can hum along to the catchy and memorable tunes of Mary Poppins.  Just a spoonful of sugar is all one needs to enjoy this great production!  The set comes to life as fantasy mixes in with reality – no one can resist dreaming about having a Mary Poppins of their own to snap their dirty piles away!  Children of all ages can agree on this production.  Adults enjoy the nostalgia of supercalifragilistic songs sung by brilliant and talented actors, on a beautiful set with perfect costumes!

Mary Poppins Tickets

Broadway Shows, Lion King, Wicked, Billy Elliot, Blue Man Group, Mary Poppins

Congratulations to the women's basketball team at Texas A&M on their first national championship!

Behind 30 points from Danielle Adams (22 of which came in the second half), the Aggies beat Notre Dame in a 76-70 highly contested, high scoring battle that looked a lot like what we'd hoped the men's championship game would look like.

This championship is the first for Texas A&M in a major sport since the football team won it all back in 1939.  Interesting to note that A&M started out as an all-male military academy that didn't begin admitting women until 1963.

I was privileged to earn my graduate degree from A&M so I can say this without reservation - Gig'em Ags!