Beginning Jan. 29, both senior and junior high school students can buy $5 seats to more than 450 arts events including numerous Off-Broadway shows, ballet, contemporary dance, opera, jazz, performance art and museum exhibitions.

High 5's Spring Catalog begins its season with an all-Strauss program by the New York Philharmonic on Feb. 2, and ends with Dance Africa's visit to BAM on May 29, 1999. Theatre participants include American Globe Theatre's production of Shakespeare's King Lear , That Championship Season at Second Stage, any production at downtown's HERE theatre and art center and the all Yiddish production of Pirates of Penzance playing at Jewish Rep.

Not only do High 5's discounts run on the weekend performances, but if high-schoolers want to see a show on a school night, the $5 rate buys two tickets.

High 5's free Spring Catalog can be picked up at participating Ticketmaster outlets, N.Y.'s public libraries, various Barnes and Noble and Borders bookstores, and Coliseum Books (Broadway at 57th Street). The Catalog can also be viewed on-line at www.high5tix.org, or call (212) 445-8587.

-- By Sean McGrath