What- Broadway Shows
Where: Various Theaters
New York, New York
Who: Ages 4 and up depending on the show
Our view: One of our favorite things about where we live is how close we are to New York City. One of our favorite things to do in New York City is go to Broadway shows. Even if you have been to a theatrical production before or even if you have been to many theatrical productions before, there is still something different and special about a Broadway show. One of the things that makes Broadway special is that there are so many theaters in such close proximity. You can find every kind of show you would want within blocks of each other: dramas. comedies, musicals, and other kinds of shows that don't really fit into any traditional category. Another thing that makes Broadway special are the actual theaters. Ever theater has its own history of shows that have been performed there before and performers that have appeared in them. Every theater is just a little bit different than all the others. Some are older; some are newer. Some are more modern; some are more classical. There are shows for just about every age and interest. We would recommend that you find out as much as you can about a particular show before you go particularly if you are planning on bringing your children. Not all shows are appropriate for all ages. We will try to talk more about specific shows in future posts.
The main problem with Broadway shows is that tickets can be pricey especially if you plan to take your whole family. However, there are many web-sites that offer discount tickets or codes to obtain discount tickets to many shows. Check out Theatermania.com or BroadwayBox.com to name just a few. If you are interested in obtaining same day discount tickets visit the TKTS ticket booth under the red steps in Father Duffy Square which is located at Broadway and 47th street. The booth is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 3-8, Tuesday 2-8, Wednesday and Saturday 10-8, and Sunday 11-7. Please not that while there are evening performances almost every day, matinees are usually Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. At the booth discount tickets are available for that day's performance and full price tickets are available for future performances. There is also a TKTS booth in Downtown Brooklyn that sells same day tickets to evening shows and next day tickets to matinees. TKTS now accepts credit cards but certain shows may require cash only. Not all shows are available at TKTS at all times and the shows that are available are constantly changing even within the same day so it is wise to have several alternatives of shows you would like to see. If a show is really popular and usually sells-out , tickets will probably not be available at TKTS. We would also recommend getting to the booth as early as possible because there will be a line of people waiting to purchase tickets and sometimes it can be quite long. Generally, the nicer the weather is the longer the line is so if you can go on a colder and/or rainier day you are better off. For more information about TKTS go to the Theatre Development Fund web-site. For more information about Broadway in general , there are many web-sites you can visit Broadway.com, Playbill.com, or the web-sites previously mentioned are just a few of them. You can also visit web-sites for specific shows. We will also be talking more about Broadway in tomorrow's Talking Topic as well as in future posts.