Broadway (and Off-Broadway)
Unless you have your heart set on a specific show, one of the best ways to acquire tickets is through the (temporary-too-long relocated) TKTS booth in Times Square (or the less crowded one near the South Street Seaport - and now Brooklyn TKTS.) TKTS tickets are sold -- for cash or travelers check only -- with the approval of the theaters. See what's been available lately.
Broadway resources:
all current Broadway shows
current Off-Broadway shows
Broadway discount codes
Theatermania discounts
OffOffOnline
NYTheatre.com
All That Chat
Audience Extras
usher a show, see it for free
Play by Play
Even sold-out shows often have (full-price) tickets for sale the day of the show at the theater box office. You can also get cheap student and standing-room tickets for several shows.
Minutes tick down as end nears for 'Rent' on Broadway
 The minutes are ticking down and “Rent” will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday.
Ticketmaster still has seats on sale through Saturday ranging from $20 to $110 each. There are also premium tickets for $250.
Jonathan Larson’s musical got its start at the New York Theatre Workshop and had its opening night on Broadway on April 29, 1996, according to The Broadway League’s profile of the musical.
Playbill’s July 2008 list of longest-running shows in Broadway history had “Rent” at No. 7, still about 300 performances behind “Beauty and the Beast,” which closed in 2007.
It plays the Nederlander Theatre, 208 W. 41st St., map.
Earlier: Final night for ‘Rent’ on Broadway extended to Sept. 7
September 2, 2008 12:52 PM Comments (0)
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20at20's $20 theater tix include 'Fela,' 'Enter Laughing'
 $20 Off-Broadway tickets today return to New York for a two-week run.
The only catch is that you can only buy the $20 tickets 20 minutes before curtain at each show’s box office when you say ”20at20.”
This year, 22 shows are taking part in the 20at20 promotion, including “Fela!,” “Enter Laughing: The Musical,” “Forbidden Broadway: Dances With The Stars,” “Gazillion Bubble Show,” “Altar Boyz” “Stomp” and “Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque Of The Red Death & The Bells & The Tell-Tale Heart.”
The promotion, organized by the Off-Broadway Theater Alliance, runs through September 14. If you see seven of the shows during the two-week stretch, the Theater Alliance will buy you dinner for two (while supplies last.)
September 2, 2008 8:40 AM Comments (0)
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'Hair' extends free Central Park run through Sept. 7
 (Update: “Hair” in Central Park has been extended yet again — through September 14. There’s also talk it may move to Broadway as early as this fall.)
Following last week’s opening to mostly positive reviews, the Shakespeare in the Park free production of “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” will run for one extra week — through September 7.
“Hair” is performed Tuesdays through Sundays at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. You can get tickets for free by lining up the day of the show, or try for the daily online lottery.
Jonathan Groff (recently of “Spring Awakening”) will play Claude only through Aug. 16 (thre original end date.) He’ll be replaced by Christopher J. Hanke (of “Cry-Baby,”) for the full extension, Playbill notes.
Here’s a sample of some of the main reviews of the “Hair”:
New York Times - “Seen 40 years after it first stormed the middle-class citadel of musical comedy, “Hair” registers as an eloquent requiem not only for the idealism of one generation but also for the evanescence of youth itself. It’s still the “tribal love-rock” celebration it was always advertised as being. But in suggesting the dawning age of Aquarius is already destined for nightfall, this production establishes the show as more than a vivacious period piece. “Hair,” it seems, has deeper roots than anyone remembered.”
Daily News - “The show still rocks, but it no longer shocks. The profanity, nudity and odes to sodomy and LSD seem tame. The tribe, in fringe and flowers, look let’s-dress-up cute. And though the anti-Vietnam message resonates today, the show is a singing catalogue of its own messy era. “
New York magazine - “Hair is the weirdest musical ever staged. There’s sort of a plot, though not really. It treats audiences to a Hamlet soliloquy set to folk music, just before the song that runs “Gliddy glup gloopy/Nieby nabby noopy/La la la lo lo.” Deadly serious activities like draft-card burning alternate with Dionysian vistas (naked boys and girls singing) and lyrics that would be at home on Sesame Street (“I got my eyes/I got my nose/I got my mouth/I got my teeth,” goes one nursery-ready stanza). The show’s hymns to love will always hold up; the shout-outs to heroin aren’t quite doing the same.”
Read the rest of this entry
August 11, 2008 2:31 PM Comments (0)
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TKTS hopes to reopen in Times Square by September
TKTS hopes its new discount-theater booth will complete construction in Times Square by September, according to an official with the not-for-profit Theatre Development Fund.
“It might be September,” Joy Cooper, the group’s director of development, told NewYorkology this morning.
 The new Times Square TKTS booth will replace the temporary location behind the Marriott Marquis on West 46th Street just off Broadway.
Other TKTS booths are located near the South Street Seaport and at Broklyn’s downtown MetroTech Center.
Picture credits: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
Earlier: No lines at TKTS Brooklyn; daily availability by e-mail
TKTS booth in Times Square targeting June 20 opening
July 31, 2008 10:16 AM Comments (0)
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2-hour wait for $26.50 'Legally Blonde' student-rush tix
 “Legally Blonde: the Musical” — now starring its own MTV reality-show winner — is such a hot ticket on Broadway that the box offices advises you show up at least two hours in advance to try to grab the daily allotment of student-rush seats.
The student-rush tickets are sold day-of-show only, for $26.50 per ticket, cash only. There are 26 seats available for each show and they go on sale at 10 a.m. (noon on Sunday) for any day there’s a performance. You need a student i.d. and there’s a limit of two per person.
“Legally Blonde” does not do standing-room tickets.
Regularly priced tickets from Ticketmaster are priced at $120 for orchestra, $65 to $120 for mezzanine, and $45 for balcony. They’re also selling premium seats for $250. Half-price tickets have also been available at TKTS.
Overall, the Palace Theater last was filled at 93 percent of its capacity last week, with the average seat price at $67.70, according to Playbill’s Broadway grosses chart, which is compliled with data provided by The Broadway League.
Earlier this month, Bailey Hanks emerged the winner of MTV’s “Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods.” She was chosen based on the decision of Broadway judges, not like in “You’re the One That I Want” which mostly let viewers choose the stars of “Grease.”
Hanks stepped into the Elle Woods role on July 23, according to Playbill, which also reports that several of the reality show’s runners-up have secured roles as understudies and ensemble cast members in the Broadway and upcoming touring production of the show.
Image source: “Legally Blonde: The Musical”
Earlier:‘Grease’ standing room tickets priced at $31.50
‘Legally Blonde’ review: Omigod, It’s So Pink
Omigod, ‘Legally Blonde’ totally opens on Broadway
Really cheap Broadway tickets not worth your time?
July 30, 2008 7:43 AM Comments (0)
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No lines at TKTS Brooklyn; daily availability by e-mail
NewYorkology stopped by the new TKTS discount-theater outlet in Brooklyn late yesterday afternoon. There were two people in line — at the window, actually — hoping to buy tickets. They left, and then there were none.
TKTS has also added a new feature you should know about: You can sign up for TKTS TODAY daily e-mails for availability at the Brooklyn and South Street Seaport locations. For Times Square, you still need to go in person or see Entertainment Link’s list of shows sold in the past week.
The new TKTS Brooklyn is located at 1 MetroTech Center, map, across the street from the Marriott and adjacent to one of the myriad exits for the Jay Street/Borough Hall A/C/F subway station.
Picture credit: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
Earlier: TKTS to open downtown Brooklyn branch July 10
July 24, 2008 9:27 AM Comments (0)
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Fierstein's 'Catered Affair' to end Broadway run July 27
 Cast aside by the Tony Awards, the musical "A Catered Affair" will play its last performance July 27.
The Bronx-based drama revolving on the expenses of a wedding (or whether to invest the money in dad's taxi business,) is based on Gore Vidal's 1956 film of the same name, which had a teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky. This Broadway version has music and lyrics by John Bucchino, and a book by Harvey Fierstein, who also performs in the show.
The show was nominated for three Tonys: Tom Wopat, (Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical;) Faith Prince (Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical;) and Jonathan Tunick (Best Orchestrations.) Many Broadway fans were surprised it wasn't nominated for best musical.
"I am a little ashamed of the treatment we got, but I also know people weren’t being malicious. I knew you were either going to get this piece or not," Fierstein told the New York Times.
When it closes, it will have played 27 previews and 116 regular performances, according to Broadway.com.
"A Catered Affair plays at the Walter Kerr Theater. Most weekday tickets are priced from $29.50 for balcony seats to $109.50 for orchestra; but it's $10 more on Fridays and weekends. Premium seats are usually $179.50m but climb to $199.50 Fridays through Sundays.
Earlier: 'A Catered Affair,' snags 12 Drama Desk nominations
June 23, 2008 6:45 AM Comments (0)
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'Cry Baby: The Musical' to end Broadway run June 22
 "Cry Baby: The Musical" will close on Broadway on Sunday, Playbill reports.
The musical, based on the 1990 John Waters film of the same name, will have played 45 previews and 68 regular performances by the time it closes June 22, according to Playbill.
It received four Tony nominations -- for Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical; Best Original Score; and Best Choreography -- but won none at the awards show this past Sunday.
Earlier: 'Cry Baby' on Broadway seats at $54/$36 for previews
June 19, 2008 11:46 AM Comments (0)
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TKTS to open downtown Brooklyn branch July 10
TKTS is coming to downtown Brooklyn.
The not-for-profit Theatre Development Fund, which operates the discount theater ticket booths in Times Square and at the South Street Seaport, said Wednesday it will open a third location on the ground floor of 1 MetroTech Center at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue, map.
In addition to the Broadway, Off-Broadway and other performing arts offerings, the newest location will also sell tickets to Brooklyn venues -- all at prices as much as 50 percent off.
The Brooklyn TKTS booth will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first day of business will be July 10. The MetroTech location is near the Jay Street/Borough Hall subway station (A/C and F trains,) the Court Street/Borough Hall station (2/3, 4/5, R and M trains) and the Lawrence Street station (M and R trains.)
TKTS has updated its website to clarify the different tickets offerings at each location:1. The Times Square Booth sells day-of-performance tickets only.
2. The South Street Seaport Booth sells tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance, and matinee tickets the day before.
3. The Downtown Brooklyn Booth sells tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance, and matinee tickets the day before as well tickets to Brooklyn performing arts events.
TKTS Times Square accepts only cash, travelers checks or TKTS Gift Certificates. Both TKTS Seaport and TKTS Downtown Brooklyn accept credit cards, cash, travelers checks or TKTS Gift Certificates.
All locations sell tickets at 50%, 35%, and 25% off full-price (plus a $4.00 per ticket service charge, which helps support other TDF services and programs). Availability and ticket inventory change throughout the day and at the discretion of individual productions. But it's worth noting that Wednesday's press release on the new Brooklyn outpost states "Credit cards may only be used for tickets that are sold through Telecharge and Ticketmaster. All other tickets may be purchased with cash or travelers checks."
Also of note, the press release makes no mention of a precise date for the reopening of the Times Square location. It says only "a new Times Square TKTS Booth will reopen this summer within the newly renovated Duffy Square (it is temporarily located outside the NY Marriott Marquis)." TKTS has sold more than 50 million tickets since it opened June 25, 1973.
Picture credit: File photo of the old Times Square booth. Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
Earlier: TKTS booth in Times Square targeting June 20 opening
Times Square TKTS booth moving to Marriott Marquis
June 19, 2008 8:30 AM Comments (0)
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Free Friday opera paired with Opera Shop discounts
 Prospect Park is sure to be packed Friday night for the Met Opera's free concert, but that's not the only opera deal of offer this month.
The online branch of the Met Opera Shop is preparing to shutter for an overhaul and has extended through June 30 its deep discounts on all CDs and DVDs. Discounts range from 33 percent to 67 percent.
The Friday concert, "Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park," will feature married-in-real-life soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna singing Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Massenet. Ion Marin will conduct the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The 8 p.m. concert will also be broadcast live on WQXR (96.3 FM) and streamed live on www.metopera.org.
Next week, the New York Philharmonic starts its free park concerts for summer, starting with Central Park on Tuesday.
Earlier: NYC's (mostly free) summer concerts and film series
June 19, 2008 7:15 AM Comments (0)
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