marcia

Dear friends
I will be in New York in may and I would like to know about recomended plays.Should I buy tickets before travelling?
Best regards,
Marcia

howard

If you're talking about straight plays (i.e., non-musicals), then "Proof" should be at the top of the list, closely followed by "Dinner with Friends." The latter is off-Broadway on 3rd Avenue near 13th Street. Both are excellent. If you plan to go on a weekend, it's probably best to get tickets in advance. You still have time, however, for a May performance. If for a weekday performance, you have a good chance of getting tickets at the half-price booth (TKTS) or discount tickets through the Playbill website (playbill.com).
If you want musical recommendations, let us know.

Marcia

Hi Howard!
Thanks for your answer.I really prefer non musicals..I have seen Chicago and Lion King. Are there any new musicals you would recomend?As we will be staying for a week I think I can try and buy at TKTS .
Thank you,Marcia

Lori

I would recommend Cabaret, Fosse, or Contact. All were excellent.

howard

I'd second Lori's trio, with Contact topping the list. You should have not problem (especially weekdays) getting tickets at TKTS for Fosse and Cabaret. Contact's possibility. I'd also add Kiss Me Kate and The Full Monty, both very entertaining shows.
Since you prefer nonmusicals, stick with my two previous recommendations--Proof and Dinner with Friends. They are both outstanding theater.

Cheryl

I too am going to New York and plan on getting my theater tickets ahead of time. This may seem like a basic question ... but how do I get these, i.e., through the box office at the theater or through a central ticket agency?

Laurie

Marcia,
If you're a soap-oper fan, consider getting tickects to the Daytime Emmy Awards show if you're going to be in NY on May 18th. Tickets aren't on sale yet but should be available early to mid April. It's a fun thing to attend if you're into soap operas.

Caitlin

Cheryl, you can go through Telecharge for most Broadway productions and Ticketmaster for the others. Check out www.telecharge.com; if you don't want to order over the internet, you can use the toll-free number, which is on the site, but the site is a great source of info. You can find out how long each show is, what the ticket prices are, view seating charts, etc. I've noticed that this site now lists all the shows, and if they don't sell the tickets, they'll bounce you to the Ticketmaster site (which doesn't have nearly as much good info, unfortunately). BTW, they will mail you the tickets at your home unless it's right before a show or you specifically request will call.

Hey, Howard--I'm finally going to see Proof, at the end of the month, and am really looking forward to it.

lisa

Here's another vote for "Proof." Mary-Louise Parker is excellent and so is the script. I also saw "Dinner with Friends" which was good too, but I liked "Proof" slightly better.

howard

Caitlin, you'll love it.
Lisa, I agree with your comment about the two plays.
Cheryl, I'll add the following to Caitlin's comments:
1. If you use Ticketmaster or Telecharge, there is an addition $5.75 charge per tickets. (This kills me and usually try to avoid it at all costs!)
2. Check out the Playbill website (www.playbill.com) and join its club. (It's free and it's not a gimmick.) Once you join, you have access to discount tickets for some shows. You can either order these in advance (you'll still pay the extra $5.75, but at least you're getting the tickets for less) or run off a copy of the offer and take to the box office when you get to NY. (Obviously, if a show is doing well, there won't be a discount offer!)
3. When you get to NYC, you can wait in line for half-priced tickets at one of the TKTS booths (Times Square or the World Trade Center) and get same-day tickets.
If you give info on which shows you are interested in seeing, it will be easier to give advice on the best way to get tickets.
3.

xxx

Contact was fabulous!

Becky

What do you think the chances are for discount tickets to Phantom on a Monday night the last week of March? I haven't seen any discounts on Playbill yet, but they seem to have offers closer to the performance date. We will need 6 tickets, in case the larger # is relevant.

marcia

Hello
Thanks for the information. I will enter the playbill site to register .I think in my case the only play I should buy in advance should be Contact. I will try to find out how full they are entering the sites you recommended.
Marcia

Cheryl

Howard,

Thanks for your comments. I will be in New York the end of this month. I am interested in getting tickets for Contact (one ticket - Wed evening performance); and The Full Monty (2 tickets - Fri or Sat performance.)

howard

Lisa, you have a chance of getting half-price tickets at TKTS on the day of the performance. Historically, Monday night is the slowest night of the week for theater, and Phantom is not selling. However, you won't see it listing on Playbill. So, if yo're a gambler, wait until the day of the performance and get into the TKTS line early, say around 2 p.m. Also, when you get to NYC, check at the NYC Visitors' Bureau in Times Square and other tourist kiosks in the midtown area for the possibility of discount tickets that you bring to the box office.
Marcia, it's a tough call whether tickets for Contact will be at TKTS in May. That's a much busier theater season than now. It's a great show and worth the investment of full price. Incidentally, you can see from anywhere in that theater, so the less expensive tickets are fine.
Cheryl, I'm almost positive that you'll be able to get a Wednesday evening ticket for Contact when you get here. And, note what I said in the last paragraph about the theater. Since you want to go to The Full Monty on a weekend, I would advise getting tickets (full-price) in advance. Weekends are much more popular, naturally, though there is an outside chance that you could luck in at the half-price booth.
One final note: I've another straight-play recommendation--Fully Committed, a very, very funny one-man show off-Broadway in the Village. Just got an email from Playbill that tickets are only $30 (except Saturdays) for performance thru April 29. A real bargain for a funny, fuuny show.

annK

Marcia, be aware that some houses are dark on Monday nights, so you may want to find out what shows are up on Mondays, and I think Playbill can give you that info.

Have a great time while you are here.

jhm

Dinner with Friends, I'd heard, is very good, but also quite depressing (about the dissolution of marriage and relationships) -- you should be forewarned! I've heard terrific things about Contact and Proof. Tale of the Allergist's Wife is something that many people find amusing (the breakdown of an Upper West Side dilettante housewife) and something I found gratingly annoying.

xxx

Dirty Blonde is a very amusing three person play about Mae West. Great play, but only for adults due to the humor.

howard

AnnK is correct that most shows don't play on Monday nights, but Phantom does.
I left a word off my previous comment about Phantom. I meant to say that Phantom is not selling out. (left out the word "out").
As for Dinner with Friends, I wouldn't describe is as "quite depressing." Serious, yes, about the breakup of a marriage, but my wife and I didn't find it depressing.

Marcie

I've seen many of the plays currently playing. I'd highly recommend Annie Get Your Gun. Bernadette Peters is terrific and such a voice! Good Luck