by Dominic Papatola
Pioneer Planet

WHAT: The third visit by the touring company of "Rent''

WHERE: Ordway Music Theatre, 345 Washington St., St. Paul.

WHEN: Opens Tuesday; performances continue through Jan. 1.

TICKETS: $65-$30

CALL: (651) 224-4222

One of the nice things that happens when the musical "Rent'' blows into town is that they always sell the seats up front at the last minute for $20 apiece. What's even nicer is that, when the show comes to St. Paul this week, no one will have to huddle in front of the Ordway Music Theatre in the wee hours of the morning to get those tickets. Instead, in the spirit of the digital age, the company and the Ordway Music Theatre are experimenting with an online line.

Here's how it works: An online ticket lottery begins at 9 p.m. for the next day's tickets and closes at 11 a.m. the day of the performance. Anyone who wants up to two tickets may enter online at the Ordway's Web site (www.ordway.org) -- you can only enter once each day; duplicate entries will be eliminated. Winners will be selected by a random selection computer program and will be notified by telephone and/or e-mail by 11:30 a.m. Everyone else will get a sorry-but-thanks-for-trying e-mail. If you're not hooked up -- or if you insist on traipsing down to the theater for the genuine I-stood-in-line experience -- the Ordway will open its doors at 9 a.m. each day for patrons to register at a computer kiosk in the lobby.