As retold by Bruce Lowitt

Abe and Ida Greenberg have scored a pair of fifth-row-center seats to Broadway's hottest show. As the theatre darkens, they notice that the seat next to Ida is empty.

At intermission the seat still is unoccupied. Ida turns to the woman on the other side of the seat and says, "Pardon me, but this show is sold out for months and months. We were wondering why this seat is empty."

"That's my late husband's seat," the woman says.

"Oh, dear," Ida says. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for being so inquisitive."

"That's alright."

A minute passes, then  Ida turns to the woman and says, "I don't mean to be rude, but tickets to this show are almost impossible to get. Surely you must have a friend or a relative who would have wanted to come and see the show, no?"

"Yes," the woman says. "But they're all at the funeral."