I saw seven shows during my time in NYC last month (July).
Here's what we saw:
* The Addams Family
* Lend Me A Tenor
* Next to Normal
* Promise, Promises
* Memphis
* Wicked

The best show, by far, was Memphis. I loved it so much that I bought the soundtrack, and I'm now planning a trip to see it again in December.

I didn't care much for Wicked, but it was okay. I liked Promises, Promises. Another one I would recommend is Next to Normal. Very weird, but thought provoking also.

Both playbill.com and broadwaybox.com have discount offers for Billy Elliot ($89 now through September 5 and all of October for orchestra and front mezzanine; $95 for the same seats Septmber 7-30; 79 for rear mezzanine the entire time of the offer).

We saw, in order of preference:

Promises, Promises - Great Revival and Great Seats

Billy Elliot - Enjoyed it more than we expected, good seats

Addams Family - Much better than the reviews, okay seats

Memphis - Previews, something new and enjoyable, bad seats

Come Fly Away - Not a show but a dance review, good seats

Million Dollar Quartet-90 minutes but seemed longer,bad seats

Bookmarking.

I've been seeing NYC Fringe shows. So far, I've seen Our Condolences which was very good and Jewwish which is excellent. The author/performer has perfectly nailed Jewish online dating. This one deserves a longer life than the festival.

I'm looking forward to seeing Just in Time about Judy Holiday on Friday.
www.fringenyc.org

I recently unearthed (cleaning my apartment) a 30 some odd year old essay from and old Playbill that should be read by anyone who loves musicals. I've posted it here:
http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/expl...he-mosque.html

Howard I just got tickets for Billy Elliot for $95 for October, Row k centre. I could have gotten Row A but I think that is too close for a musical.

SueNYC-I just saw a play about Judy Holiday at the Winnipeg Fringe. It was excellent, but I don't think it is the same play as the one I saw was a one woman show and centred on her involvement with the McCarthy Inquiry

ita, those are good seats. Happy that my info paid off for someone. You'll love the show.
Frank, I don't mean to be sarcastic or rude, but why do you mention the quality of your seats without any additional information? By itself, that information is meaningless. If you told us, however, how you obtained the tickets (i.e., full price, with a discount offer, at TKTS, etc.), then the information might be helpful.

Howard - thanks so much for resurrecting my thread - definitely time for a new season! Are you aware that Stephen Sondheim is doing a TimesTalk on Nov 22nd? I'm going; I think it will be interesting. I really enjoyed listening to his stories during Sondheim on Sondheim.

Stephen Sondheim & Frank Rich: An Onstage Conversation
6:30 – 8 PM
On the occasion of his 80th year and the publication of his new book, “Finishing the Hat: Volume One,” the winner of seven Tonys, seven Grammys, an Oscar and a Pulitzer Prize talks with Times columnist Frank Rich about his extraordinary work and life.

ita - doesn't sound like the same play but I'll let you know later. You might enjoy Zero hour - a one man show about Zero Mostel - a good bit of it has to do with his involvement in the McCarthy inquiry.

CP Girl - the Sondheim/Rich Times talk sounds great.

(I'll never forget going to a Rich talk at the 92Y about Carol Channing's last performance in the last revival of Hello Dolly.

During the Q & A, a few rows in front of me, I heard her inimitable voice say "Mr Rich" - up until then, I didn't know that SHE was in the audience.

Sue - that's funny about Carol Channing - what a voice! I really enjoyed Zero Hour.

cpg, yes I was aware of the upcoming program. You're in for a great evening. Rich is a superb interviewer (matching his great writing talent) and Sondheim is a wonderful conversationalist. We saw him and Barbara Cook together at a Times Talk session a few years ago and loved it. I urge you to get there early for a good seat.

I just added a blog post about the Fringe as well as a couple of film festivals between now and Labor Day. The Met HD festival is terrific.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/expl...ms-met-hd.html

Howard, all seats discounted except Billy E. I strongly believe the quality of the seat affects the enjoyment of the show.

Equally important, Frank, is that your experience shows that getting discount tickets can a crapshoot. You can get great seats or not-so-great seats! Still, whenever I get discounted tickets, I always go in knowing that my seats may not be great and consider myself lucky when they are! And, thus, I consider myself lucky when they are good ones.

Howard, we buy all of our seats online and we never buy bad seats. All the bad seats we get are when we leave the buying to others, like our theater group or alumni associations.

Forgot we also saw Everyday Rapture on opening night, great seats(free), great reception, forgettable show.

A great new offer for Next to Normal on playbill.com--$59 for orchestra and front mezzanine through November 24! It gets no better when it comes to non-TKTS discounts.
Frank, still it's a crapshoot. I infer that you reject seeing a show if you don't like what's available. I think, however, that most people may not have such high "standards" or "demands" and will accept "less-than-perfect" tickets. I might add that it's relative. What I consider good or excellent may not receive the same ratings from you.

Just got a few tickets for a January visit to Broadway -- Merchant of Venice and Spiderman. Does anyone know when tickets for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown will go on sale to NON-LC-members? Members sales start on August 23 I believe.

Any guess if they will offer Am Ex pre-sale tickets?

Howard: We consider Center Orchestra 3rd through 15th row, and the first 4 seats on the side aisles as our standard. If we can't get that, we wait and usually get what we want later. We live in midtown so we can pretty much go whenever we get the right seats. We just don't enjoy a show from the 20th row, way over on the side or the Mezz.

Frank, I'm sort of with you.....I'd add the first four rows of the front mezzanine. Actually, my first choice would be first or second row center in the mezzanine. I agree with not enjoying a show as much from the back of the orchestra. At the same time, I must add that there have been a few rare times when we had no choice, got less desirable seats and ended up enjoying the show more. I best remember when after seeing and loving the original production of Ragtime, we decided to take visiting relatives to see it. Unfortunately (I thought), the only seats available were up in the balcony. Okay, we thought, at least we'll save some money! Well, sitting up there gave us a better TOTAL view and appreciation of the show, especially the brilliant opening number. All in all, we enjoyed it more because we could see the grandeur of the whole production.

TC - Tickets for non-LCT members for 'Women, etc.' go on sale Monday August 30th (I think 10 am, but not certain.)

John Guare has a new play, a comedy, opening at LCT in the Beaumont called 'A Free Man of Color.' Tix to non-LCT members go on sale Tuesday 9/12.