Going to a show is the quintessential New York experience. You can traipse the entire Metropolitan Museum of Art, attend a Yankees game, and ascend to the top of the Empire State Building, but you can’t really say you’ve done New York until you spend an evening at the theater. It’s an essential element in a New York City vacation, like going to the beach in Hawaii, slurping pasta in Italy, or snapping a picture with some poor sweaty guy in a mouse costume in Orlando. And though every 3 years or so some major critic issues an obituary declaring that New York theater is dead, somehow the corpse continues to rise from its glittering grave, producing Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, fine new musicals, and theatrical events of all sorts that just may, when done well, shift your perspective an iota, give you a peephole into another culture, or perhaps illuminate, for 2 fleeting hours, the human condition.
But how do you find that momentous play, that joyous musical, that thought-provoking performance-art piece? And then how do you snag an affordable ticket in a town where orchestra seats bought directly from the theater, or worse, from some commission-claiming concierge, can top $125 each? Here’s what this New Yorker — and former actor — does to find a cheap seat.
Getting Cheap(er) Seats
Let’s start with a trade secret that no one in the theater industry wants you to know: Only suckers and out-of-towners pay full price for most Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. I’d say that, on average, only five or six shows per year get away with charging full price for their seats, eight shows a week. For the other 60-or-so productions, discounts are the norm, not the exception. Don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise.
Tried-and-true methods for saving on seats include:
Culling a Discount Code from the Internet
Booking tickets before you arrive is the most time-effective strategy: You’re able to schedule your time in advance, get early dinner reservations, and not waste any of your precious New York vacation standing in line at box offices or ticket brokers. To do so, surf to one of the following websites, each of which is a treasure trove for valuable coupons and discount codes:
Both Playbill and Theatermania are clubs that negotiate their own discounts with the theaters; in order to access their codes you must become a member. That’s not a problem, though, as membership is free, the forms are easy, and both sites have strict privacy policies ensuring your information won’t be sold. Once you gain access to these lists, you can score between 35% and 50% off the ticketed price of many, many shows — usually a full two-thirds of those playing at any one time.
Broadway Box, the other prominent player, has no membership fee, as it’s actually a clearinghouse for discount codes from other sources. It, too, provides half-off coupons and codes (and occasionally discounts of 35%) for dozens of shows. The only sticky wicket here is that sometimes its printouts will not be accepted at the box office (though its codes always seem to work over the phone). I’m assuming that this has to do with the fact that it takes codes from other sites rather than negotiating its own.
The one negative to using these sites is that if you book over the phone or Internet, a handling fee will be tacked onto the cost of your ticket, usually between $4 and $5, but that would also be the case if you purchased full-priced seats remotely. I’ve also found that you won’t have quite the number of choices you would enjoy at the TKTS booth in Times Square (and at the South Street Seaport), which is why I also recommend . . .
Joining the Dreaded Line at TKTS
On an unsheltered, windy island in the center of Times Square — freezing in winter, sweltering in July and August — the TKTS booth has squatted since 1973, offering discounts of 25%, 35%, and 50% off theater tickets. As I said before, it presents a greater breadth of shows than do the online discounters, but you pay for that choice with your time (during busy periods the wait in line can be up to an hour). Those who do brave the line are often rewarded with $35 seats to Off-Broadway plays and $55 seats at big Broadway musicals.
But there are ways to “game” the line, including:
- Go to the TKTS downtown at the South Street Seaport. You’ll rarely wait longer than 15 minutes here, and you can purchase matinee tickets the day before a show (at the Uptown booth, ticket purchases are day-of-show only). The only downside here: No day-of-matinee tickets are sold.
- Don’t go early. Tickets are released from the theaters to the booths throughout the day, so you don’t necessarily increase your chances of getting the show you want by going early in the day, or waiting in line before the booth opens. Instead, go when it’s most convenient for you to do so.
- Go to the theater on a Tuesday night, which is the slowest night of the week. You’ll encounter almost no line and will have a much bigger selection than usual. A few shows play Monday nights as well; your selection won’t be big, but you probably won’t have a long wait.
- Pick a play instead of a musical. In 2005, TKTS opened a window (no. 6) dedicated to the sale of plays only. The line for this window is much shorter.
What You Need to Know About TKTS
The Times Square Booth
- Address: 46th St. between Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Important: Do not confuse TKTS with the NY Information Center, right across the street from the booth; you’ll pay full price plus commission if you purchase tickets at the latter.
- Directions: Take the N, Q, R to 51st Street or the 1, 2, 3 to Times Square.
- Hours: Monday through Saturday, 3 to 8pm; Sunday 3 to 8pm; additional matinee hours on Wednesday and Saturday 10am to 2pm.
The South Street Seaport Booth
- Address: At the corner of Front St. and John St.
- Directions: Take the 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton St.
- Hours: Monday through Friday 11am to 6pm; Saturday 11am to 7pm; Sunday 11am to 4pm.
- Special caveat: It sells matinee tickets the day before performance only.
Important: Both booths accept cash and traveler’s checks only (no credit cards).
Other Ticket Options
If you want to see a highly popular show that is not offering discounts; or are on a very tight budget and would prefer to see a show for free, here are a couple of additional methods that might work for you:
Rush tickets. A number of Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters have taken to offering “rush tickets” for the first row of seats on the day of a show. The average price is $25 for these neck-benders (it’s preferable to be a couple of rows back — the sightlines are better and there’s less danger of being spit on by performers). The rules and methods for their sale vary by show; sometimes these seats are only available to students, while in other cases any member of the public can get them (call the theater in advance to ask). In the past, these seats were given out on a first-come, first-served basis, but recently a number of the theaters have adopted a more humane lottery method. Instead of having to sit around for hours waiting, you simply show up at 5pm or so, take a lottery number and hope you get picked (at the shows I’ve done it for, about 100 people showed up in hopes of winning 20 seats; not such bad odds).
Standing room. Sold-out shows offer “standing room” tickets on the day of the show only, to about 10 people per show (depending on the size of the theater). They are sold at 10am when the box office opens, and for the really popular shows a line will form an hour earlier for these “standing spots” at the back of the house. The cost of these non-seats range from $15 to $25, again depending on the show.
House seats for sold-out shows. “House seats” are the seats reserved for members of the cast and crew of Broadway shows, and they’re always the best seats in the house. If no one involved with the production wants to use them for a particular performance, they will usually go on sale to the public at the box office 48 hours before that show, between 5:30 and 6pm. These seats won’t be cheap, but if there’s a particular show that you want to see that’s sold out, this may be your best means of snagging a seat.
Senior and student discounts. Although Broadway theaters won’t care how old you are or what you do, a number of the Off-Broadway houses do sell specially priced seats (sometimes for as little as $15) to seniors and students. While some do this on the day of show only, others allow these theatergoers to purchase in advance with the correct identification. Among the theaters that usually discount in this way are The Public Theater, the New York Theater Workshop, and The Vineyard Theater. You’ll also occasionally find $5 tickets to Off-Broadway shows for teenagers (and their chaperones) at a wonderful website called High Five (www.high5tix.org). If you’re traveling with a teen, check the site before buying any tickets.
Ushering. A number of New York theaters use volunteer ushers. The shows get free labor, while you, the usher, get to see a show without paying (or really even working that hard). Here’s how it works: You show up an hour before curtain dressed in black pants and a white button-down shirt; the management then teaches you the layout of the theater, and once patrons arrive, you help them find their seat and hand out playbills. As the lights dim, you scuttle into your own seat and enjoy the show. After the show, management may ask you to stick around for 15 minutes to help pick up discarded programs, but that’s about it.
Theaters that use volunteer ushers include:
- The American Airlines Theater (227 W. 42nd St.; tel. 212/719-9393; www.roundabouttheatre.org). The only Broadway theater that uses volunteer ushers; call at least 3 weeks in advance to secure a spot.
- Astor Place Theater (434 Lafayette St.; tel. 212/254-4370; www.bluemen.com). The home of Blue Man Group accepts four ushers per performance; call 1 week in advance.
- The Century Theater (111 E. 15th St.; tel. 212/982-7682, ext. 11). Houses a wide variety of Off-Broadway shows. Call as soon as you know you’ll be in town; the theater starts booking ushers the day tickets go on sale, and spots are coveted.
- Irish Repertory Theater (132 W. 22nd St.; tel. 212/255-0270; www.irishrepertorytheater.com). Accepts two ushers per show; call at least 2 weeks in advance.
- Lucille Lortel Theater (121 Christopher St.; tel. 212/924-2817; www.lortel.org). A top Off-Broadway venue, it takes three ushers per show and starts booking them a week before a show opens (to find out when that is, check the website).
- New York Theater Workshop (79 E. 4th St.; tel. 212/780-9037; www.nytw.org). Five volunteer ushers per night; call 2 weeks ahead.
- Playwrights Horizons (416 W. 42nd St.; tel. 212/564-1235, ask for Brad Ellis). Uses four ushers per show on its main stage; three for its smaller, studio productions. The theater starts “hiring” ushers 2 weeks before the first preview of a show, so call as soon as you know you’d like to attend a performance.
- Second Stage Theater (307 W. 43rd St.; tel. 212/787-8302; www.secondstagetheater.com). Hires the most ushers (six) per show. They request that volunteers send an e-mail (to jschelifer@secondstagetheatre.com) 3 weeks in advance rather than calling.
- The Signature Theater Company (555 W. 42nd St.; tel. 212/244-7529; www.signaturetheatre.org). Uses four ushers per show; starts accepting volunteers 3 weeks before a performance begins.
- The Vineyard Theater (108 E. 15th St., off Union Sq.; tel. 212/353-0303; www.vineyardtheatre.org). Three volunteer ushers per performance; call 3 weeks ahead.
Theater Basics
There are three types of theaters in New York City: Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. They differ in size of theater, price, and esthetic:
Broadway shows: Tend to be performed in the Times Square area (the one exception being the shows at Lincoln Center). They cost, without a discount, between $46 for a balcony seat (as little as $26 at some plays), to $100 for an orchestra seat, all the way up to $225 for a so-called “premium” seat at certain musicals.
Off-Broadway shows: Are performed in venues all over town, with a good many now clustered in the Union Square area. Top prices for Off-Broadway musicals rarely go above $69, with plays topping out (usually) at $55. Off-Broadway theaters are much smaller than those on Broadway, pay less to cast and crew, and are thus able to present more controversial, less commercial plays and musicals. Many of the recent Pulitzer Prize drama winners began as Off-Broadway shows.
Off-Off-Broadway shows: Are staged in very small theaters, often featuring experimental works or actor’s showcases. These productions also play in theaters all over town; some of the best-known venues are PS 142, The Ontological Hysterical Theater, The Performing Garage, and Here. Although you’ll rarely see these shows advertised or even reviewed in the New York Times, they will be listed in the Village Voice and Time Out magazine.
Schedule: Broadway and most Off-Broadway shows perform eight times a week, most commonly Tuesday through Sunday, though some do play on Monday (instead of Tues or Sun). Matinee (daytime) performances are usually presented at 2pm on Wednesday and Saturday, and 3pm on Sunday. Evening performances take place 8pm Wednesday through Saturday, 7pm on Tuesday night. And if a show is geared towards children, evening performances may be even earlier — be sure to check before buying.
Choosing the Right Show to See
I’ll admit it: I’m a walker. If I accidentally pick an awful show, I leave at intermission rather than fork out extra money to the babysitter so that I can sit through something dull. It doesn’t happen that often because over the years, I’ve formulated the following rules to help me choose which shows to see.
Skip the long-running Broadway musicals. There should be an expiration date on Broadway musicals, just as there is on milk. After about 2 years, they turn sour.
Here’s why: The first cast usually leaves around the 1-year mark, and then a second cast is announced to much fanfare. When it comes to the third go-round, the big-name actors aren’t willing to take over the roles, so they get lesser-known pros in the parts. These second-tier actors aren’t any less talented, but because they have no clout they never get to rehearse with the director and put their own mark on the role. Instead, they are “put in” by a stage manager, and are expected to re-create what the previous actor did; that can lead to wooden, dull performances. The chorus, which usually stays with the show for a few years, simply becomes bored and starts sleepwalking through their performances. I foolishly took my niece to see Chicago in its sixth year on Broadway, and it was utterly transformed from the vibrant, sexy show I had seen in previews to a Fosse-version of Night of the Living Dead.
You can find out how long a show has been on by calling the theater; asking the folks at the TKTS booth; looking at Telecharge.com (which lists when shows opened); or checking The New Yorker magazine, which lists “long-running” shows separately in its theater section.
Beware the “un-nominated” Broadway shows. It doesn’t matter which shows win a Tony Award — that’s pretty much a crapshoot. But the nominating committee, which is made up of distinguished theater professionals — actors, writers, producers, and the like — is savvy about theater and usually does a good job rewarding the most interesting shows with nominations in late May. If a new play, musical, or revival can’t manage to get a nod (and in some years there’s very little competition for nominations), take it as a sign that your theater dollars may be better spent elsewhere. Each show that gets nominations will trumpet that fact in their ads (but don’t punish the Off-Broadway shows, as only Broadway shows are eligible for the Tonys). A good source for this type of information is the Telecharge.com site, which lists nominations and awards for each show.
Do a bit of research before you buy. The Web is a treasure trove of information, including past reviews of shows. Instead of going blindly to the TKTS line (see above), surf to www.nytimes.com/pages/theater/reviews/index.html before you get to New York and pick a show that’s garnered a fair number of good reviews. While the reviewers aren’t always right (and lately, I think the New York Times critics have been really off in their recommendations; John Lahr of The New Yorker has better taste), at least by reading up you’ll have a better idea of what the shows are about.
Avoid “Juke Box Musicals.” — Mamma Mia set off a frenzy of shows that simply take the catalogue of some famous pop composer and then string songs together with a silly, inorganic story. You’ll hear better renditions of these songs at your local theme park — don’t go!
Consider seeing an Off-Broadway show. Because of the huge financial pressures on Broadway producers, they usually (but not always) stick with tried-and-true formulas, revivals, or shows with a clear marketing hook. For anything slightly edgy or even intellectual, you often need to go to the smaller Off-Broadway theaters (see the “Theater Basics” box, above). These theaters also tend to charge substantially less for tickets, sometimes shaving $25 to $50 off the cost of a seat.
Although I can’t guarantee that you’ll always see a great show, the following Off-Broadway theater companies consistently produce exciting, award-winning productions. They are:
- New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th St., between Second Ave. and the Bowery; tel. 212/460-5475; www.nytw.org; 6 to Astor Place). The continued success of this intellectually heady and sometimes avant garde company may just boil down to the unerring good taste of Artistic Director James Nicola. Biggest hits include: Rent (Pulitzer Prize), Quills, and Mad Forest.
- The New Group (410 W. 42nd St., between Ninth and Tenth aves.; tel. 212/334-3380; www.thenewgroup.org; A, E, C to 42nd St.). The youngest of the Off-Broadway theater companies and the one that’s had the highest number of both critical and popular successes in the past few years, the New Group specializes in both revivals of modern classics and new plays. It’s known for the high caliber of the acting in its productions. Biggest hits include: Hurleyburley (with Ethan Hawke and Parker Posey), SIN (with John Cullum), and Aunt Dan and Lemon (with Kristen Johnson and Lili Taylor).
- Playwrights Horizons (416 W. 42nd St., between Seventh and Eighth aves.; tel. 212/564-1235; www.playwrightshorizons.org; 1, 2, 3, N, R, S to Times Sq., A, E, C to 42nd St.;). Dedicated to nurturing the art of the writer (lyricists and librettists as well as playwrights), Playwrights has always had a great eye for talent, producing the works of Stephen Sondheim, Kenneth Lonergan, Christopher Durang, A. R. Gurney, and Wendy Wasserstein. Biggest hits include: I Am My Own Wife (Pulitzer Prize), Driving Miss Daisy (Pulitzer Prize), Sunday in the Park with George (Pulitzer Prize), The Heidi Chronicles (Pulitzer Prize), March of the Falsettos.
- The Public Theater (425 Lafayette St., off Astor Place; tel. 212/564-1235; www.publictheater.org; 6 to Astor Place). A strong emphasis on American playwrights, especially Asian-, Latin- and African-American writers, has kept this theater in the forefront of “the scene” since 1967. Biggest hits include: A Chorus Line (Pulitzer Prize), Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk (Pulitzer Prize), Elaine Stritch at Liberty (Tony Award), Topdog/Underdog (Pulitzer Prize), and the monologues of Anna Deveare Smith. In all, Public Theater productions have been awarded 40 Tonys (for shows that moved to Broadway) and 138 Off-Broadway or “Obie” awards.
- Signature Theatre (555 W. 42nd St.; tel. 212/244-PLAY; www.signaturetheatre.org; A, E, C to 42nd St.). Devotes each season to just one playwright, who gets to choose which works he or she wants represented. Because the theater picks only established playwrights to showcase, the productions are often peopled by these bigwigs’ big-name actor friends, meaning that star-gazing is virtually guaranteed. But so is fresh, often compelling theater. Biggest hits include: Burn This (with Edward Norton) and The Fifth of July (with Robert Sean Leonard and Parker Posey).
- The Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15th St., off Union Sq.; tel. 212/353-0303; www.vineyardtheatre.org; 4, 5, 6, N, R to Union Sq.). The Vineyard may well be the biggest risk-taker of the major Off-Broadway theaters, presenting out-and-out performance art alongside less far-out plays and musicals. When they’re good, they’re great; and when their shows miss the mark, they’re still usually intellectually intriguing. Biggest hits include: Avenue Q (Tony Award), Three Tall Women (Pulitzer Prize), and How I Learned to Drive (Pulitzer Prize).
- Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM; 30 Lafayette Ave. and 651 Fulton St., both in Brooklyn; www.bam.org; 2,3,4,5,B,Q to Atlantic Ave). For European performance art and dance, BAM has no peer in New York; it’s the premier house for this type of work. Biggest hits include: Works by Pina Bausch, Ingmar Bergman, Peter Brook, and Robert Wilson.
Kids’ Night on Broadway
For two Tuesday nights each winter (usually in late Jan, early Feb), the League of American Theater Producers does something unheard of — it gives away free seats to a number of Broadway shows. These freebies have a purpose: They’re the Broadway community’s attempt to create new theatergoers out of young people between the ages of 6 and 18. Note that each child must be accompanied by an adult who is paying full price for the tickets, and that tickets must be purchased in pairs. I took my then-6-year-old daughter to see Fiddler on the Roof thanks to this program, and sitting in an audience full of families, seeing a classic musical, was truly a golden affair. At the end of the show, the cast traditionally gives a short talk for the children, which only adds to the experience. For full details, go to www.kidsnightonbroadway.com or www.nycvisit.com; be sure to book your tickets several months in advance, as these nights inevitably sell out.
Children’s Theater
Broadway theaters do not allow children under the age of 5 to attend, nor do they give discounts to kids (with one exception — see below). But beyond Broadway is affordable, often mesmerizing theater that’s aimed squarely at the pre-puberty crowd, with dozens of offerings each week. Two organizations in particular present a roster of consistently challenging and entertaining family shows.
New Victory Theater (209 W. 42nd St., just off Broadway; tel. 646/223-3020; www.newvictory.org; tickets $10-$30; 1, 2, 3, S, N, Q, R, W to Times Sq.) is an organization that books shows from around the U.S. and abroad that are inventive and smart enough for the entire family to enjoy. One musical that made its debut here even moved to Broadway (now how about that for a kiddie show?). Past offerings have included quality puppet shows, acrobatic and circus troupes, “new vaudeville” acts, and theater pieces (you can see a preview of their offerings on their website, thanks to streaming video).
In 2005, after years of touring the United States and presenting highly acclaimed shows at schools, theaters, and even football stadiums, Theaterworks NYC (121 Christopher St. between Bleeker and Hudson sts.; tel. 212/279-4200; www.theatreworksusa.org; tickets $35; 1 to Christopher St.) decided to create a home base for itself in Greenwich Village. Now, nearly every weekend of the year it presents lively, educational shows, often based on classic children’s books such as Curious George, Charlotte’s Web and Harold and the Purple Crayon. Many of the authors and performers who’ve worked at Theaterworks have gone on to stellar Broadway careers, so this is a good place to see new talent first.
This article is an excerpt from Pauline Frommer’s New York City, 1st Edition, available in our Online Bookstore now.
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