If you're going to New York City you probably want to see a show, and that means Broadway, the Great White Way. Scoring a ticket is a lot easier than it can seem from far away. But there are a few tricks.
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Broadway Shows
The heart of the theatre district is around Times Square, Broadway and 42nd street. There you'll find most of the major shows. There are many ways to get a ticket to a Broadway show. The first of course, is the box office at the theatre. Online ticketing services also serve most of the shows. Depending on the popularity of the show it may be difficult to get a ticket for exactly when you want. That's where the ticket brokers come in. You'll have to pay extra but you can probably get a seat for the date you want by dealing with a Broadway ticket broker. You may also want to sign up for a NYC tour that includes tickets to shows, maybe even some backstage tours.
If the exact show or date isn't important, you just want to go to a show there are two things you can do. First is find a discount Broadway ticket. There are discount ticket booths in Manhattan. One is in Times Square, the other at South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. You have to go to them where they sell tickets for that day's performances. If a show is sold out they won't have any tickets but what they do have are discounted up to half off.
If you really want a certain show, you can go to that theatres box office and get in the line for cancellations. There are no guarantees but you just might get into the coveted show.
Manhattan Theaters
Broadway and 42nd street aren't the only places that have theatres. For example, both Radio City Music Hall and Lincoln Center are outside the Times Square area. But that isn't all. All over Manhattan and even in the other boroughs, there are shows going on.
Some are getting ready to go to Broadway and are still a work in progress. But wouldn't it be great to see a show early and when it does win a Tony you can say, "I saw it when..." Tickets to many of these off-Broadway shows are available in the same way as tickets to the Broadway shows.
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Broadway shows come and go but some have long, long runs. Shows like Cats, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and Rent can run for years. Some shows have long runs, go away and then come back. They are the revivals. Some shows like that are How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Hair and Chicago. The shows that seem to have the longest runs are the musicals. Straight plays run for shorter periods of time.
If you are planning to go to one show or more than one, you can stay to stay in or near the theater district. There are a number of hotels located there, including some national chains. You should also be able to find a condo or extended stay hotel where you can rent a suite or small apartment.
