Tried to get tickets for October for Les Meserables
at the Imperial Theater near Times Square. Asked for the Messenene and was quoted $75 a piece. Won't fit in the budget. Is there a way to secure discount tickets to see a Broaday or Off Broadway Play. Please help.

You can buy discount tickets to the NY shows at the TIX booth located in Times Square. You can't miss the place. However, this is by no means a way to secure a ticket in advance because they only sell half price tickets the day of a show. Regardless, they always have tickets for something, and usually you have a choice of several shows at half price.

Agree with the above, however, if you sit in a lousy seat and love the show, you will regret for eternity not getting the best seat you could have. Les Mis is an amazing show. I saw it for the first time in nose-bleeder seats. The actors looked like peanuts. I caught none of the expressions, costume details or set configuration. A big waste of time. Next time around, I skipped the fancy dinner beforehand, ate at a pizzeria, and put more money towards the ticket. ALSO, tickets go on sale at the tkts booth in times square at 11 am for the 3:00 matinee, and either 2 or 3 pm (I forget which) for the evening performances. If you are not on line by AT LEAST 2 hours before the performance, you will probably not get your first or even second choice of shows. I suggest you take a copy of NY Magazine with you on line so that if they don't have Les Mis available, you can read about the shows that they do have. Do not rule out off-Broadway!

TCTS is the way to go - the 2 locations are in Times Square and the World Trade Center. The big secret though, is that you WILL WAIT for about 3 hours to buy discount tickets (40-50% off) in Times Square. The line at the World Trade Center, on the other hand, is only about 15 minutes long at any given time. USE THEM! I paid $40 for Miss Saigon tickets last week. Glad I did, because I would have been really mad having spent $75 on that stupid show.

Cheers!

The TKTS Booth in Times Square (47th and Broadway), or its affiliate at the World Trade Center, is the BEST place to shop for Day-of-performance tickets at half price, without a doubt. But, you have to be very flexible with which show you want, as ONLY the shows that have spare tickets for THAT day will offer the tickets there. "Plan B" is to go to the specific theater where your show is playing, and PRAY that they offer reduced price seating for that day's performance, which many often do this. "Plan C" is to consider buying a standing room ticket, which is "dirt cheap" at about 15 or 20 bucks US$, and means you will be assigned a spot to stand against the back railing of the orchestra lower level seats for the play, which is usually about 2 and a half hours, but for Les Mis is 3 hours. It does go by fast, and there are intermissions when you can sit for 15 mins or so. If you don't have a problem doing this, its a great deal, dont count it out, just dress casually and wear comfortable shoes! Good Luck, and remember, everything I said applies to buying your seat the day of the performance ONLY.

PS> I think everyone who ever sat in the back or nosebleed sections will agree, when I remind you to bring binoculars to New York performances, but keep them small enough in size so that when you use them, they wont obscure the view of the poor soul seated behind you! Make sure you dont have to extend your elbows out or above your shoulders when you use them!