Help me pick a NYC play
 

We're going mid-Oct for a few days. The plays I'm think about are:

Kinky Boots
Big Fish
Buyer & Cellar

I'd consider other suggestions too.
It's likely that Kinky Boots will come to my city before long so chances are I can see it here. We like comedy. I'm OK with musicals, my SO less so, but we both like them if the music is memorable and it's a great production.

I'd also like not to spend a zillion bucks, so what's my best price bet for ordering online?

Thanks,
gtg

Good luck with Buyer and Cellar... I'm off on a trip for a month so can't plan for tickets... but
I hear it's a sell out. (And may move to Broadway)

Don;t think Kinky Boots is doing discounts - so may be too big $ for you.

Why not look at broadwaybox.com to see which shows are offering discounts?

I really liked Kinky Boots so that's a very good choice. I paid full price. Chances are good that it's sold out for mid-October. I was lucky to get tickets when I was there and only because I was buying a single ticket. It may not be an option for you, unless you pay scalper's prices.

I had hoped to see Buyer & Cellar but was fitting my visit around a friend's visit. By the time I was ready to buy tickets, they were sold out. I was thrilled they were doing so well, but disappointed and surprised.

So...if you think you want to see them, buy them now! There was a $55 special then for B&C. Kinky was full price.

Check broadwaybox.com but also the TKTS website. I use their "what was for sale recently" to get a quick idea of what may be available (there or via discounts) and which shows will be probably be full price. Mid-October is a very busy time in NYC. Have fun!

You'll have to pay full price for both Kinky Boots and Big Fish (the latter opens on October 6 and will no longer be discounted after that ... but I think you can still get some discount tickets after opening with a code from Broadway Box if you buy immediately), so if you don't want something really expensive (i.e., at least $145), I just can't recommend those.

Buyer and Cellar is cheaper and often sells out, but not always. It's routinely at TKTS, but you have to go very early to get tickets since it's only 99 seats. If you want to see it, pay full price and buy in advance. But realize that it's not a Broadway show by any means, and it's down in the Village.

I really truly loved Pippin, and I'd recommend that as a musical, and it's often discounted, though only 30%. Still, that's saving $40 or more dollars on a ticket.

Would you consider Peter and the Starcatcher, a play with some music? That might be a good compromise, but it's not on Broadway either, though very close.

I know it's not a comedy, but Trip to Bountiful is great and has an amazing performance by Cicely Tyson.

Finally, if you want to pay full price (though I'm sure it's already sold out), go to Book of Mormon, which is both riotously funny and has some fun music. The show does have a daily lottery that's not horribly time-consuming, so that might be worthwhile for a last-minute ticket.

Otherwise, if you want to see "something" but just don't want to pay full price, go to TKTS (day-before matinee tickets are available at the South Street Seaport, and the same-day offerings are not always exactly the same as the Broadway TKTS booth). Check online to see what's offered, or there's an iphone app with real-time info.

Broadway Box has discount tickets for Big Fish available through Nov 3 ($90 for orchestra and front mezzanine, less for rear mezzanine.) Season of Savings has a similar offer, but only good through Oct 20, I believe. As Doug wrote, usual price for orchestra and front mezzanine is around $150 so if you do decide on Big Fish, definitely check the offers first.

I'm a littled puzzled by your comment that you're "OK with musicals" and that your SO is even less so. So why are you only looking at musicals?

The Glass Menagerie is a great play in an amazingly great production and is available at discounts with codes of about 35% or so. Get seats in the front row of the mezzanine and you'll be entranced with the visuals!

Grandma, I'm curious where you heard that Buyer and Cellar may move to Broadway. I realize anything is possible, but frankly that little show, no matter how wonderful, does not belong on Broadway. So spill it -- where is that information coming from?

For musicals, I wouldn't hesitate to get tickets to Big Fish, although frankly it's more about the story and the colorful staging than it is about "memorable musical numbers". And discounts are available. Kinky Boots is great -- so is Pippin -- but discounts are going to be pretty difficult to come by.

OK, thanks everyone -- I'm going to start shopping in earnest right now.

NP, I didn't thing B&C was a musical. Is it?

Well, that was easy as pie -- I got two $75 tickets for $55 each for our best night via broadwaybox.com!

Thanks so much for your help.

Now, can you suggest a good restaurant nearby the Barrow Street Theatre. The show starts at 7:30 and we'll either want a light dinner before or a regular dinner after (probably before though). It doesn't have to be fancy, just tasty. Maybe Italian or seafood or just a general menu. Not Indian or Asian as my SO isn't allowed that.

NeoP .... I think I read it somewhere on line.... maybe someone was just spinning their wheels.

Ah no. Buyer and Cellar is not a musical. It's also just 90 to 100 minutes, so perhaps you'd want to do dinner after.

Re a restaurant near barrow st . Check out Little Owl. or maybe AOC Bleecker.

I'm a big booster of Buyer & Cellar. Several Fodor's posters have taken my advice, went and loved the show! And, the good news is tht discount tickets are available on broadwaybox.com thru January 4 performances. And the price is only $55. It's a small theater, so you can see from anywhere. (The theater has 199, not the 99 previously mentioned. That was the capacity at its original site.)

As for the rumor about it moving to Broadway, I doubt it for two reasons: 1. It's been reported that the show will play in Los Angeles and another city (I forget which one) in 2014; 2. It's too intimate a show for a large theater. I think it would lose a lot of it s charm in a Broadway house.

As for a place to eat near the theater, you have tons of options in that part of Greenwich Village.

I'll check out those restaurants, thanks.

We're in row C and that's only because I didn't want to be in row B. There's a balcony too, I think, if I remember the seating chart correctly.

Yes, there is a mezzanine. That's where we sat and the seats were fine.

Hooray. We decided to spend the night in the city on November 2 after seeing Big Fish so we can see Buyer and Cellar at a Sunday matinee. Got our discount tickets.

goddesstogo, the website for Barrow Theatre reminded me of A.O.C., a delightful French restaurant near by, which now I see 330east also mentioned. It's a fairly short walk to one of my favorites, however, the delightful small Lupa with great Mario Batali food. The Bucatini Amatriciana is to die for.

Thanks, NP, and I'm glad to hear you got tix too.

I'm going to look at both A.O.C. and Lupa online.

Patrick, I'm delighted that you'll be seeing Buyer & Cellar. I'll be very surprised (and disappointed!) if you don't like it!

Ah Howard, the pressure is on! I was sort of leaning toward Little Miss Sunshine that day, but the curiosity about Buyer and Cellar won out! Plus the fact that tickets are both better and cheaper.

Just made a reservation at AOL for after the play. Thanks everyone!