any advice about broadway tickets?

[mariamousie1]

My mom and I are travelling to New York City in the next couple of months. We've both been there but not together. We want to go to a show on Broadway but tickets are so expensive. Does anybody have any advice on services we can go through to get cheaper tickets that are legitimate? I don't want to break any laws or anything. We've been saving up and we have around $3000 Canadian, but we're worried that won't get us too far, so we're trying to save a few dollars whenever we can. I'll appreciate any input!

[SteverinoNY]

Cheap Broadway Tickets

Hi there,

I am a student at NYU and I have access to discount broadway tickets with my school ID...give me a PM with the info of your dates and whatnot (what show you want to see and where) and I will see what I can do.

Thanks!

[AdminAssistant]

The TKTS booth on Times Square.

Or forget the mindless glittery babble that is 95% of the stuff on Broadway and hit an Off-Broadway or Off-Off-Broadway show. (Yeah, I'm a theatre snob. A world where Legally Blonde: The Musical can exist is not a world I can be a part of.)

However - you should also check out www.playbill.com. Has lots and lots and lots of info on the New York theatre scene.

Okay, checked the current shows on www.ibdb.com. IF you could get into Waiting for Godot, I would highly highly HIGHLY recommend it. Bill Irwin, Nathan Lane, John Goodman. Oh. My. DOG!!!

The other ones I would consider spending money on: 33 Variations (Moises Kauffman, same guy who did The Laramie Project), Exit the King - a musical based on Ionesco's play, and Mary Stuart. Might also consider 39 Steps. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that there are this many actually worth seeing.

Honestly, most of the big glitzy musicals will go on tour and you can see them at the closest big city to you at a fraction of the price. If you're really into theatre, go support your local and regional theatres. They need the money much more than the commercial Broadway crowd.

[KiaKat]

If you're here in April, Waiting for Godot is in previews, so it's quite a bit cheaper.

Otherwise, look around for other previews during the time you will be in town. Google is your friend for that one. Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows are usually quite good during the summer season, most of them are in previews during the late spring.

If you're here in the summer, consider Shakespeare in the Park. It's a yearly tradition here in the Delacourt Theatre in Central Park, where the Public Theater puts on two shows, the first of which is a Shakespeare play. The tickets are free, but it's first-come-first-serve, and I'll warn you of this: For Twelfth Night with Jimmy Smits and Natalie Portman I waited over 24 hours for my tickets (front row center, though), and for The Tempest with Patrick Stewart, I waited over 30 hours (but I was first in line, and had the best seats in the house).

And look at that...they're doing Twelfth Night again... http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/126/219/

Otherwise, I second the TKTS idea. It's definitely the best way to get discount tickets, and you're likely to get decent seats. I've seen many shows that way.

Another idea that just popped into my head - BAM - the Brooklyn Acadamy of Music. They have a ton of shows and events, and they're not terribly expensive, unlike Lincoln Center. Plus, they're a quick train ride from the city on most train lines that serve Midtown.

[AdminAssistant]

*squee* Shakespeare in the Park!! Ah, Joe Papp, what would we do without you? I notice the second show The Bacchae will feature the work of husband/wife team JoAnne Alkalaitis and Philip Glass. Should be very interesting.

My concern with Waiting for Godot would be actually getting tickets, at any price. With that cast, it'll sell. FAST.

[Kiwi]

I would recommend a matinee, I would seriously recommend you go to a classic. They are not usually as busy as the evening performances and most restaurants will do specials for lunch. As wonderful as wicked and avenue Q are... if it's your first time I would highly recommend a classic that has stood the test of time.

Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Hair, South Pacific, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story.

Those are the ones playing right now that I could find (such a shame Les Mis is'nt playing).

Take tissues and binoculars even if you are getting good seats, that way you can get an extreme close up.

[AdminAssistant]

By now I would say Wicked and Avenue Q are 'classic', in that they've been running for years. If you're close to any sizeable city, Phantom of the Opera will come to you eventually. Heck, at some point, they're going to start playing gymnasiums, it's been everywhere else.

[mariamousie1]

Hi, thanks for answering with such great suggestions! Sorry it took me so long to check back, I kind of forgot I posted this for a while. I'm really looking forward to seeing a show, Shakespeare in the park would be cool! I wonder if I could see MacBeth. That's one of my favourites. I'm going to check all of these out.

[KiaKat]

This year's show is Twelfth Night, with Anne Hathaway. Should be much better than the Natalie Portman one I saw... Goodness, she was awful.

I don't think Macbeth is playing anywhere in the city right now, but if it is, it's probably in a smaller theatre.

If you do decide on Shakespeare in the Park, make sure you find out how long in advance you have to wait. If it's more than 6 or so hours (tickets are handed out at 13:00, first come first serve), bring a blanket or three, plus entertainment and food. And understand that from 1:00 to...I think 5:00? Something like that... The park is closed, and they have you line up along Central Park West, keeping you in the same spot you had when you got in line.

It is a whole lot of fun, though. And it's an open-air theatre, which always adds something to the play.

[mariamousie1]

That is awesome, thank you so much! I love Twelfth Night too.

[Kogarashi]

I just asked Hubby how he and his mother get deals on Broadway tickets. Apparently you can find good prices on Ticketmaster.com. Not always the best seats, but sometimes you luck out, and if you spot empty ones elsewhere in the theater, you can often switch at intermission. That's what we did for Wicked. Warning, though: you probably won't be sitting next to each other for the show.

[PhotoChick]

Do NOT go to the tkts booth on times square. you. will. regret. it. The one down by south street seaport is 10x less crowded. I don't remember the exact address, but there is a website. Google it (sorry I'm feeling lazy right now)

[KiaKat]

It's less crowded, true, but Times Square TKTS also has slightly better seats, at least from what I've found.

But, if you want to try it (or just to visit the Seaport, it's kinda neat, for a mall):

South Street Seaport is Pier 17 on the East River. Fulton St./South St. (well, more Water St. than South St...)

Closest train to there is the 2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z, or M to Fulton Street or E train towards Fulton Street, though the 2/3 is the absolute closest stop, I believe. Double check any weekend train schedule alterations at www.mta.info, because most of the train lines have some sort of construction going on these days.