Although New York City is famed for many incredible attractions and landmarks, seeing a Broadway show is a quintessential part of any Big Apple getaway. Whether you want to splurge on front-row tickets to the hottest show in town or you want to save money by getting last-minute deals, there is a way to fit a fantastic show in New York City into your budget and your itinerary. Broadway shows are extremely popular in the United States as well as overseas. Shows like the famous trilogy play, Wicked, has performed in a number of states as well as countries like Singapore and China. If you plan on visiting here you might want to book your New York hotel early. During event weekends prices for accommodations tend to rise. It is better to plan ahead to ensure yourself a great room. A number of visitors underestimate how hugely popular many of the shows are, and then they are disappointed when they aren’t able to get tickets to the musical or play they had set their hopes on. To avoid disappointment, use this guide to learn about which musicals and plays are the best in the city, how to find an off-Broadway play that fits into your budget and where to get the best tickets for any show.
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If You Know What You Want: If you are traveling to New York City and have your heart set on a particular musical, or if you know that your favorite celebrity will be acting in a certain play, don’t wait for last-minute tickets. Doing so just reduces the chances of you getting the seats you want or even making it into the theater at all. You can usually buy tickets directly from the theater’s website, or you could check out some other websites that offer discount pricing. These include NYTix.com, TKTS.com, along with a few others. Make sure that your ticket has a seat number on it, which means you can walk in at the last second and not worry about standing in line for a good seat.
Last-Minute Tickets: If you are one of the many travelers who decides to see a show on a whim, there are still plenty of ways that you can find tickets. If convenience is key for you, contact your hotel concierge. They will be able to tell you which shows are not sold out and then book you your tickets right from the hotel lobby. Expect to pay a surcharge for this service. You can also try standing in line at one of the two TKTS ticket boots in the city, which will allow you to pick up last-minute tickets at much lower prices. Believe it or not, you can also work as a volunteer usher for some performances and watch the show for free.
Top Plays and Musicals: Broadway is best known for its musicals, but there are also plenty of theatrical performances sans singing and dancing. Pick up a copy of the latest New York Times on the weekend to read about what shows are currently getting rave reviews and what shows you could skip. Some of the most famous performances are common household names and include Annie, Chicago, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera and Mary Poppins. However, the past decade has seen a lot of quirky and adult-humor shows gaining popularity. Some of these include The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys and Rock of Ages.
Getting Off Broadway: It is important to note that the term Broadway refers to the 40 or so theatres near Times Square that have seating of 500 or more. Off-Broadway refers to the surrounding theatres that seat anything less than 500, and they can still show some fantastic performances. Plus, the prices are much lower. Off-off-Broadway is any theatre with less than 100 seats. These can be very cheap, but quality can vary substantially.
This guide can ensure that you find the best tickets for the top shows on Broadway when you visit the incredible metropolis of New York City.