Wil

I am planning a family trip to NY for the middle of December. We are arriving on Saturday and will be leaving to come home that Monday. We definitely want to catch a Broadway show while we are there. My questions are as follows:

1. Are there shows on Sunday night?
2. Would I have a good chance of getting 5 seats together for a play in December at the TKTS discount booths?
3. What time should you be in line if you wanted to be sure you got the best "pick of the litter" for tickets?
4. Finally, are these booths open on the weekend?

Sorry for so many questions - thanks for your help! Any suggestions on the best way for us to get discount tickets while there are welcome.

Howard

1. There are only 3 Broadway shows playing Sunday night (at 7): Cabaret, Chicago and The Rocky Horror Show. Most shows perform at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Several off-Broadway shows give Sunday evening performances. The above-mentioned 3 shows give 2 performances on Sundays (at least they did yesterday).
2. Yes, you have a good chance of getting 5 seats together. There may be a maximum of 4 tickets per person (I'm not sure). If so, then just have 2 of you wait in line.
3. The best time to get in line for evening performances is around 2 p.m. (TKTS opens at 3). For matinee tickets, get in line by 9 (TKTS opens at 10). On Sundays, the booth sells tickets for both matinee and evening performances. On other days, only for the upcoming performance. (If you go to the TKTS in the World Trade Center, you can get weekend tickets on Friday. However, there are supposedly more tickets available at the Times Square TKTS.)
4. The TKTS booth in Times Square is definitely open on weekends.
Mid-December is a pretty good time to try for discount tickets in NY.....quite the opposite of the Christmas-New Year's periods which is peak season.

Wil

Howard -

Thanks for your help! One more - do all of the other shows offer Sunday afternoon performances as part of their standard weekly schedule?

Howard

Currently, only two Broadway shows don't have Sunday afternoon performances: Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. Both of those perform on Monday evenings, instead. And they are the only two performing that evening.

Joan

Hi, From the research I've done, Phantom of the Opera closes at the Majestic early December. Did I get that correct and do you know if it will be playing elsewhere between Dec. 16 & Dec. 18th?

Howard

I don't believe that Phantom is closing, as is still doing very good business Maybe it's moving to another theater. What you might want to do is call Telecharge (800-432-7250) and ask them.

Wil

Thanks for your help!

KenCT

An excellent source for information is Citysearch - www.citysearch.com Go to the link for New York then find the "TKTS: Discount tickets" Guide. You will find, along with all sorts of other information, a daily list of shows available at TKTS. Of course there's not guarantee that they'll be available when you get there, but it gives you some idea of what's been available recently.

Incidentally, my approach for the line is somewhat different than Howard's. Lots of people get in line before the booth opens and the lines can be enormous because no one is moving. And in December, it can be pretty chilly. I like to get there about ten minutes -after- the booth opens. The line at that point moves very quickly.

Be sure to have your top choice and an alternate or two ready, because you're going to have to make some quick decisions. And you do know that it's cash only.

One final bit of advice. Unless you're attending the theatre with someone who needs to be accompanied, go for single seats. Some of the best seats available are single seats, and you're not going to be doing much socializing once you're seated anyway.

Howard

As for Ken's approach to the TKTS line, we go to Duffy Square for Saturday matinee tickets more than any other performance. By the time the booth opens at 10 a.m., the line can be very, very long, with a wait of well over an hour. (Incidentally, you can figure about 25-30 waiting time for each blocklong length of the line. Yes, the lines can be as long as the equivalent of 4-5 blocks!) And, then, the choices will not be as great as earlier.
If you're going to wait, then I would suggest waiting until say a half hour before curtain, when there is no line. Sometimes, theaters will send over tickets at the last minute and you can luck in.