My friends and I have narrowed down the list of shows to:

1. The Full Monty
2. Chicago
3. 42nd Street

Any opinions? We are coming to NYC in the middle of May. Where can we go to get a good deal and a good seat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Three sources of discount tickets:
1. Check the Playbill website (www.playbill.com), join its club (it's free) and then you're eligible for discounted tickets.
2. When you get to the city, go to the NYC visitors center and pickup discount chits.
3. Stand in line at TKTS, where you can pick up tickets at half-price plus $3.
You stand a good chance of getting tickets for all three at any of the above, especially for non-Saturday-night performances.

If you want to see Kathleen Turner butt-naked, I'd suggest going to see Mrs. Robinson. Full frontal nudity. Enjoy!

Have seen Chicago and 42nd Street. both are excellent. 42nd Street is flashy, corny, and wonderful. Chicago is a bit more sophisticated, but very entertaining. Full Monty is supposed to be great also. I dont think you will go wrong seeing any of them

Deb,
Here is a discount code for Chicago tickets: These are $62.50 front balc. (rows A-F) seats for $35. Call telecharge (1-800-545-2559) and tell them you have a discount code from dealsonbroadway.com the code you need to tell them is CHEMX46. The person I talked to was very nice, but automatically started to try & sell me $50 orchestra seats, I repeated my discount information and reserved the seats, no problem! I called on Sunday and my tickets arrived today (Thursday). You can use this for any performance except Saturday Evenings. Chicago is a great musical - very enjoyable.

Deb, oops - forget to mention, tickets must be ordered by April 21 to use this "deal"

Frankly, Abbey, I'd spend the extra $15 for orchestra rather than take the balcony. The balcony is NOT the mezzanine.

WOW Howard! Abbey never said the balcony was the mezzanine. And, guess what? Not everyone wants to spend $50 plus telecharges to go to a show (I'm not saying it isn't worth it, but sometimes there is a budget) And let's face it, some of these theaters are small and the differnce in seat prices is often a matter of a few rows. Lighten up.

Deb, we recently saw Chicago and really enjoyed it. We used the $35 discount ($41 w/ fees) and for our family of four it made a difference - $164 vs. $224. We were in the front row of the Balcony and it was just fine. NY theaters are not sports arenas and we could see and hear well. Enjoy!

Sorry, folks, I didn't mean to sound sarcastic! I was just trying to cite a preference!
A tip on avoiding the telephone charge (for shows like Chicago that are not selling out) especially if you plan to attend a weekday performance: Wait until you get to the city and take a copy of the Playbill offer or a discount coupon available at a NYC visitors' center facility to the box office as soon as you arrive in the city.

If the critics' opinions mean anything to you, then avoid The Graduate. Most panned the show (which opened last night....and I do mean panned!

Our family friend Billy Stritch is in 42nd Street (plays Oscar, the pianist), so I'd recommend that one!

Howard - When is the balcony the mezzanine? In the Royale Theater. All balcony seats are referred to as either front mezzanine ($75) or rear mezzanine $55).. Since the Royale is a Shubert theater it likely the same terminology is being used in other Shubert theaters. A friend, who works the theater, gave me four tickets and I saw the show last night (Elephant Man). Tickets were "mezzanine" tickets - we were two rows from the back of the balcony. Show was okay.

EDUCATIONAL POST

repeat after me:

BUCK naked

BUCK naked

BUCK naked

etc.

Used to describe for example Kathleen Turner in "The Graduate."

To answer your question, rqf, unfortunately, there is no standard about the difference or similarity between "mezzanine" and "balcony." In the old days, many larger legitimate theaters (where musicals played) had three levels--the orchestra, the mezzanine (sometimes called the first balcony) and the balcony (sometimes called the second balcony).
I'm not sure how many of those theaters are still around. (Some of the larger old ones in NYC may have the three levels.) In many large theaters, balcony seats can indeed be way, way up.
Today, I believe that most Broadway theaters are on two levels--the orchestra and the mezzanine/balcony, obviously the mezzanine comprises the first few rows.
To further confuse matters, some theaters have what they call a "rear mezzanine"! Frankly, I'm not sure whether that this is just another word for "balcony" or if there are balcony seats besides at some or all of these theaters/
(Aren't you sorry you asked?)

Thanks for all the advice!

Hi Deb:

In case you can stand one more response ... I saw 42nd Street and thought it was really fun. Amazing dancing -- a bit corny, but well worth it. I've seen Chicago in Toronto - the plot is a lot darker, so it depends what you prefer. I only heard lukewarm reviews of The Full Monty and we saw The Graduate in previews in Toronto -- DO NOT SEE IT!!! Very disapointing -- a real snooze after the first act.

Is anyone old enough to remember when the front mezz was called loggia seating?

elizabeth - you made me laugh again!

WE have seen Chicago twice, the first time years ago with Jerry Orbach, and this new one about a year ago..I would recommend it , as I have not seen the others.