The Theater Scene

Nobody does theater better than New York. No other city -- not even London -- has a theater scene with so much breadth and depth, with so many wide-open alternatives. Broadway, of course, gets the most ink and the most airplay, and deservedly so. It's where you'll find the big stage productions, from crowd-pleasing warhorses like The Lion King to more recent hits like Jersey Boys. But today's scene is thriving beyond the bounds of just Broadway -- smaller, "alternative" theater has taken hold of the popular imagination, too. With bankable stars onstage, crowds lining up for hot tickets, and hits popular enough to generate major-label cast albums, Off-Broadway isn't just for culture vultures anymore. (And Off-Off-Broadway is the cheapest theater in town, usually well under $20 a ticket.)

I can't tell you precisely what will be on while you're in town, so check the publications listed at the start of this section or the websites listed in "Online Sources for Theatergoers & Performing-Arts Fans," to get an idea of what you might like to see. Another useful source is the Broadway Line (tel. 888/BROADWAY; www.livebroadway.com), where you can get details and descriptions on current Broadway shows, hear about special offers and discounts, and choose to be transferred to Telecharge or Ticketmaster to buy tickets. The recorded service NYC/Onstage (tel. 212/768-1818; www.tdf.org) provides the same kind of service for both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

Helping to ensure the recent success of the New York theater scene has been the presence of Hollywood stars like Julia Roberts, Harry Connick, Jr., Julianne Moore, Antonio Banderas, Brooke Shields, Kevin Bacon, Liam Neeson, and Dame Judi Dench. But keep in mind that stars' runs are often limited, and tickets tend to sell out fast. If you hear that there's a celeb you'd like to see coming to the New York stage, don't put off your travel and ticket-buying plans. (The box office can tell you how long a star is contracted for a role.)

The Basics

The terms Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway refer to theater size, pay scales, and other arcane details, not location -- or, these days, even star wattage. Most of the Broadway theaters are in Times Square, huddled around the thoroughfare the scene is named for, but not directly on it: Instead, you'll find them dotting the side streets that intersect Broadway, mostly in the mid-40s between Sixth and Eighth avenues (44th and 45th sts. in particular) but running north as far as 53rd Street. There's even a Broadway theater outside Times Square: the Vivian Beaumont in Lincoln Center, on the Upper West Side at Broadway and 65th Street.

Off-Broadway, on the other hand, is not so much about location (it has to do with the contract the production has with Actors Equity). Off-Off-Broadway shows tend to be more avant-garde, experimental, and/or nomadic, in smaller theaters, usually with fewer than 100 seats, with fewer performances per week and overall. Off-Broadway productions usually run longer and on the usual 8-a-week performance schedule in slightly larger theaters. These productions are all over town, but there are mini-Theater Districts within Midtown and on the Upper West Side, as well as downtown.

Broadway shows tend to keep pretty regular schedules. There are usually eight performances a week: evening shows Tuesday through Saturday, plus matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Evening shows are usually at 8pm, while matinees are usually at 2pm on Wednesday and Saturday, and 3pm on Sunday, but schedules can vary, especially Off and Off-Off-Broadway. In recent years, especially with shows that are popular with a younger audience, shows sometimes offer more matinees, or earlier curtain times for evening performances. Broadway shows usually start on the dot, or within a few minutes of starting time; if you arrive late, you may have to wait until after the first act to take your seat (and with the plethora of shows without intermission, you may have to watch the whole thing on a monitor in the lobby!)

Ticket prices for Broadway shows vary dramatically. Expect to pay a lot for good seats; the high end for any given show is likely to be between $60 and $100 or more (though some shows have recently started charging premium prices for the very best seats, competing with the licensed ticket brokers). The cheapest end of the price range can be as low as $20 or as high as $50, depending on the theater configuration (or if they offer standing-room or rush tickets). If you're buying tickets at the low end of a wide available range, be aware that you may be buying obstructed-view seats. If all tickets are the same price or the range is small, you can pretty much count on all of the seats being pretty good. Otherwise, price is your barometer. Note that legroom can be tight in these old theaters, and you'll usually get more in the orchestra seats.

Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows tend to be cheaper, with tickets often as low as $10 or $15. However, seats for the most established shows and those with star power can command prices as high as $50 to $75.

Don't let price be a deterrent to enjoying the theater. There are ways to pay less if you're willing to make the effort and be flexible, with a few choices at hand as to what you'd like to see. Read on.

Top Ticket-Buying Tips

Before you Leave Home -- Phone ahead or go online for tickets to the most successful or popular shows as far in advance as you can -- in the case of shows like The Lion King (yes, even after all these years), it's never too early.

Buying tickets can be simple if the show you want to see isn't sold out. You need only call such general numbers as Telecharge (tel. 212/239-6200; www.telecharge.com), which handles most Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and some concerts, or Ticketmaster (tel. 212/307-4100; www.ticketmaster.com), which also handles Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and most concerts.

Theatre Direct International (TDI) is a ticket broker that sells tickets for select Broadway and Off-Broadway shows -- including some of the most popular crowd-pleasers, like Jersey Boys and Wicked! -- directly to individuals and travel agents. Check to see if they have seats to the shows you're interested in by calling tel. 800/BROADWAY or 212/541-8457; you can also order tickets through TDI via their commercial website, www.broadway.com. (Disregard the discounted prices, unless you're buying for a group of 20 or more.) Because there's a minimum service charge of $15 per ticket, you'll definitely do better by trying Ticketmaster or Telecharge first; but because they act as a consolidator, TDI may have tickets left for a specific show even if the major outlets don't.

Another reputable ticket broker is Keith Prowse & Co. (tel. 800/669-8687; www.keithprowse.com). For a list of other licensed ticket brokers recommended by the New York Convention & Visitors Bureau (NYCVB), get a copy of the Official NYC Visitor Kit. All kinds of ticket brokers list ads in the Sunday New York Times and other publications, but don't take the risk. Stick with a licensed broker recommended by the NYCVB.

You may have heard about a new development on the Broadway ticket scene: Broadway Inner Circle (tel. 866/847-8587; www.broadwayinnercircle.com), the ticket agency that, in a supposed effort to circumvent scalpers, has arranged with select in-demand shows to sell select premium seats for prices close to $500 a ticket. If price is no object, you might want to try this service.

If you don't want to pay a service charge, try calling or visiting the box office directly. Broadway theaters don't sell tickets over the telephone -- the one major exception, the Roundabout Theatre Company (tel. 212/719-1300; www.roundabouttheatre.org), charges a $5-per-ticket "convenience" fee -- but a good number of Off-Broadway theaters do.

Also, before you call a broker to snag tickets to a hot show, consider calling the concierge at the hotel where you'll be staying. If you've chosen a hotel with a well-connected concierge, he or she may be able to have tickets waiting for you when you check in -- for a premium, of course.

Online Sources for Theatergoers & Performing-Arts Fans -- Some of your best, most comprehensive, and up-to-date information sources for what's going on about town are in cyberspace.

Three competing commercial sites -- Broadway.com (www.broadway.com), Playbill Online (www.playbill.com or www.playbillclub.com), and TheaterMania (www.theatermania.com) -- offer complete information on Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, with links to the ticket-buying agencies once you've selected your show. Each offers an online theater club that's free to join and can yield substantial savings -- as much as 50% -- on advance-purchase theater tickets for select Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. All you have to do is register, and you'll have access to discounts that can range from a few dollars to as much as 50% off regular ticket prices. You can sign up to be notified by e-mail as offers change. By far, I like the Playbill Club best; it was the first of the bunch, and its discount offers tend to be the most wide-ranging, often including the best Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. TheaterMania's TM Insider is the runner-up; the Broadway.com site wants a bit too much personal information for my taste. Nothing prevents you from signing up with all of them and taking advantage of the best deals.

As an information source for Broadway shows, you can't beat LiveBroadway.com (www.livebroadway.com), the official website of Broadway, sponsored by the League of American Theatres and Producers. Theater buffs will also enjoy perusing the Internet Broadway Database (www.ibdb.com), the official archival database for Broadway theater information, past and present.

When You Arrive -- Once you arrive in the city, getting your hands on tickets can take some street smarts -- and failing those, cold hard cash. Even if it seems unlikely that seats are available, always call or visit the box office before attempting any other route. Single seats are often easiest to obtain, so people willing to sit apart from their companions may find themselves in luck.

You should also try the Broadway Ticket Center, run by the League of American Theatres and Producers (the same people behind LiveBroadway.com, above) at the Times Square Information Center, 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th streets (open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 10am-3pm; hours subject to seasonal changes). They often have tickets available for otherwise sold-out shows, both for advance and same-day purchase, and only charge about $5 extra per ticket.

Even if saving money isn't an issue for you, check the boards at the TKTS Booth in Times Square.

In addition, your hotel concierge may be able to arrange tickets for you. These are usually purchased through a broker and a premium will be attached, but they're usually good seats and you can count on them being legitimate. (A $20 tip to the concierge for this service is reasonable -- perhaps even more if the tickets are for an extremely hot show. By the time you've paid this tip, you might come out better by contacting a broker or ticket agency yourself.) If you want to deal with a licensed broker directly, Keith Prowse & Co. has a local office that accommodates drop-ins at 234 W. 44th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, Suite 1000 (tel. 800/223-6108; open Mon-Sat 9am-8pm; Sun noon-7pm).

If you buy from one of the scalpers selling tickets in front of the theater doors, you're taking a risk. They may be perfectly legitimate -- a couple from the 'burbs whose companions couldn't make it for the evening, say -- but they could be swindlers passing off fakes for big money. It's a risk that's not worth taking.

One preferred insiders' trick is to make the rounds of Broadway theaters at about 6pm, when unclaimed house seats are made available to the public. These tickets -- reserved for VIPs, friends of the cast, the press, or other hangers-on -- offer great locations and are sold at face value.

Also, note that Monday is often a good day to cop big-name show tickets. Though most theaters are dark on that day, some of the most sought-after choices aren't. Locals are at home on the first night of the workweek, so all the odds are in your favor. Your chances will always be better on weeknights, or for Wednesday matinees, rather than weekends. Note: If you're in town especially to see a big star in a show, check to see that said big star is playing all eight shows a week. While most producers' contracts with visiting Hollywood stars (think Julia Roberts or Denzel Washington) require them to play every performance, if it's a vocally demanding role, they may hand the matinees off to their understudies.

Reduced-Price Ticket Deals -- Your best bet is to try before you go. You may be able to purchase reduced-price theater tickets in advance over the phone (or in person at the box office) by joining one or more of the online theater clubs. Membership is free and can garner you discounts of up to 50% on select Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.

Broadway shows -- even blockbusters -- sometimes have a limited number of cheaper tickets set aside for students and seniors, and they may even be available at the last minute; call the box office directly to inquire. Rent has offered all kinds of bargains to keep younger theatergoers coming.

The best deal in town on same-day tickets for both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows is at the Times Square Theatre Centre, better known as the TKTS booth run by the nonprofit Theatre Development Fund in the heart of the Theater District. At press time its long-time home at Duffy Square, 47th Street and Broadway was undergoing renovation, and the TKTS booth is temporarily housed across the street outside the New York Mariott Marquis between Broadway and Eighth avenues. The new booth is set to open by the end of 2007. The booth is open 3-8pm for evening performances, 10am-2pm for Wed and Sat matinees, from 11am-8pm on Sun for all performances.

Tickets for that day's performances are usually offered at half price, with a few reduced only 25%, plus a $2.50-per-ticket service charge. Boards outside the ticket windows list available shows; you're unlikely to find the biggest hits, but most other shows turn up. Only cash and traveler's checks are accepted (no credit cards). There's often a huge line, so show up early for the best availability and be prepared to wait -- but frankly, the crowd is all part of the fun. If you don't care much what you see and you'd just like to go to a show, you can walk right up to the window later in the day and something's always available.

You can also get same-day tickets to evening shows at the TKTS Lower Manhattan Theatre Centre, at South Street Seaport, located at the corner of Front and John streets at 199 Water St. (open Mon-Sat 11am-6pm; subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton St.). All the same policies apply. The advantages to coming down here are that the lines are generally shorter, and matinee tickets are available the day before, so you can plan ahead.

Visit www.tdf.org or call NYC/Onstage at tel. 212/768-1818 and press "8" for the latest TKTS information.

More Dramatic Venues Worth Seeking Out

When you want a spectacle, there's no place like Broadway: For jukebox musicals, singing green witches and collapsing chandeliers, Broadway is your ticket (and a high-priced one it is, too!). But you can see some amazing work at prices ranging from just-below-Broadway to less than $20 if you know where to look. For Off-Broadway, expect to pay $20 to $65 or so for tickets; Off-Off-Broadway rarely charges more than $20, and you can sometimes get in for $12 or less (so you don't feel as bad leaving at intermission if the show's a stinker!). There are even some theaters that let you see the show for free if you volunteer to usher. Visit each company's website for information about how far ahead you should call or email.

Where do you find the hidden gems? The Village Voice (which sponsors the annual Obies, or Off-Broadway Awards) is a good source. Timeout New York has excellent listings and capsule descriptions for major Off-Broadway productions, as well as a decent listing of Off-Off shows. For more offerings Off-Off-Broadway, check the reviews on Theatermania.com (which also lets you purchase tickets and offers regular discounts) and NYTheatre.com.

Three resident theaters in New York -- Lincoln Center Theater, the Roundabout Theatre, and Manhattan Theatre Club (www.mtc-nyc.org) -- present work in Broadway houses, as well as in smaller venues Off-Broadway. You'll pay Broadway prices (or whatever discount you can get) for the best seats in the big houses, but you can also usually find special, lower prices for students or seniors; or last-minute rush tickets. In their smaller spaces (MTC's Stage II; the Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre; Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse) you can find good seats for less than $50 to see new plays and revivals by the likes of Terrence McNally and John Patrick Shanley. These theaters often offer extra events like "talkbacks" with the cast and production team, and so on -- sometimes free, sometimes for a small charge. Following are a few other notable Off- and Off-Off-Broadway venues, but these are just the tip of the iceberg; check out the sources listed above for many, many more options.

Joseph Papp Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. (tel. 212/539-8500; www.publictheater.org). Legendary among Off-Broadway theaters, this is the legacy of the late visionary theater producer Joseph Papp. The Public draws top talent to the stage with its groundbreaking stagings of Shakespeare's plays as well as new plays, classical dramas, and solo performances. The Public also hosts New York's best annual alfresco event, Shakespeare in the Park, each summer. If that's not enough, it's also home to Joe's Pub.

Atlantic Theater Company, 336 W. 20th St. (btwn Eighth and Ninth aves.). (tel. 212/645-8015; www.atlantictheater.org), "produces great plays simply and truthfully, utilizing an artistic ensemble," according to its mission statement. It has recently presented new work by David Mamet, and the musical Spring Awakening transferred to Broadway in the spring of 2007, where it won the Tony award for best musical. The Atlantic also accepts volunteer ushers.

Signature Theatre Company, 555 W. 42nd St. (tel. 212/244-PLAY; www.signaturetheatre.org), presents season-long explorations of a playwright's work. You can also volunteer usher here. A corporate grant guaranteed that every seat in the 2007-2008 Charles Mee season (with a "legacy" performance of an Edward Albee play) is available for $20.

New York Theater Workshop (NYTW), 79 E. 4th St. (tel. 212/460-5475; www.nytw.org), has been around since 1979, but it was Rent that put it on the map. Since the great success of the still-running (and now filmed) musical, several other plays developed by NYTW have gone on to award-winning commercial runs. NYTW specializes in new work, rethought revivals, and collaborations. All Sunday evening performances are $20; there are discounts for students and opportunities to usher.

Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT), tel. 212/247-2429; www.eatheatre.org, has been producing new plays Off-Off-Broadway for 14 years and always seems to have something on offer: its fall and spring EATFests of short plays, its award-winning Triple Threat Premieres (three new full-length plays in repertory), and an annual month-long developmental series, which includes programs like One Woman Standing (solo shows), Laugh Out Loud (comedy), Notes on a Page (musicals), and Catch a Cabaret with ticket prices in the $10 range.

Kids Take the Stage: Family-Friendly Theater

The family-friendly theater scene is flourishing these days. There's so much going on that it's best to check New York magazine, Time Out New York, or the Friday New York Times for current listings. Besides larger-than-life general-audience Broadway shows, the following offer some dependable kid-targeted entertainment options.

The stunningly renovated New Victory Theater, 209 W. 42nd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues (tel. 646/223-3020; www.newvictory.org), is a full-time family-oriented performing-arts center, and has hosted companies ranging from the Trinity Irish Dance Company to the astounding Flaming Idiots, who juggle everything from fire and swords to beanbag chairs.

The Paper Bag Players (tel. 212/663-0390; www.paperbagplayers.org), called "the best children's theater in the country" by Newsweek, perform funny tales for children 4 to 9 in a set made from bags and boxes, in winter only, at Hunter College's Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, 68th Street between Park and Lexington avenues (tel. 212/772-4448). If you can't make it to the Kaye, call the Players to inquire whether they'll be staging other performances about town.

TADA! Youth Theater, 15 W. 28th St., between Fifth Avenue and Broadway (tel. 212/252-1619; www.tadatheater.com), is a terrific youth ensemble that performs musicals and plays with a multi-ethnic perspective for kids, including teens, and their families.

The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (tel. 212/988-9093; www.centralpark.org) puts on marionette shows for kids at its 19th-century Central Park theater throughout the year. Reservations are a must.

The "World Voices Club" of the New Perspectives Theatre, 456 W. 37th St. at Tenth Avenue (tel. 212/630-9945; www.newperspectivestheatre.org), has a different puppet show each month based on fables from different world cultures.

While David Mamet hardly seems like a playwright for the kiddies, the "Atlantic for Kids" series is making a go of it at the Atlantic Theater Company, 336 W. 20th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues (tel. 212/645-8015; www.atlantictheater.org), which Mamet co-founded with Academy Award-nominated actor William H. Macy.

Another excellent troupe that excels at children's theater is the Vital Theatre Company, 2162 Broadway, between 76th and 77th streets (tel. 212/579-0528; www.vitaltheatre.org); it's well worth seeing what's on.

If you want to introduce your kids to the magic of live opera, check out the "Opera in Brief" program, which runs most Saturdays at 11:30am, at Amato Opera Theatre. For kid-friendly classical music, see what's on at Bargemusic, which presents kid-friendly chamber-music concerts throughout their regular season. Look for Young People's Concerts and Kidzone Live!, in which kids get to interact with orchestra members prior to curtain time, at the New York Philharmonic. Also check to see what's on for the entire family at Carnegie Hall, which offers family concerts for a bargain-basement ticket price of just $8, plus the CarnegieKids program, which introduces kids ages 3 to 6 to basic musical concepts through a 45-minute music-and-storytelling performance. And don't forget "Jazz for Young People," Wynton Marsalis's stellar family concert series at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the new "Jazz for Kids" program at the Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St., between Park and Lexington avenues (tel. 212/576-2232; www.jazzstandard.net), which takes place every Sunday afternoon.