I'm going to NYC for a week the first week of July. What is the best way to get advance tix for a show? Can I do it on-line? I am interested in either the Lion King and/or The Producers. I also am intrested in seeing some off-broadway plays too. Any suggestions?

You're way too late to get "Producers" tickets for July and I believe you're also too late for Lion King. If you wanted to try, "Producers" tickets are sold at www.telecharge.com and Lion King at www.ticketmaster.com. I just checked on "Producers" and the *absolute* earliest available seats (and they are crappy rear balcony seats at that) are in September. I believe orchestra seats are sold out through the end of the year at least.

Don't know about off-broadway plays. Maybe someone else can give you some good suggestions. But I'd say forget "Producers" or "Lion King". Those tickets need to be ordered months in advance.

Try to get a copy of the Time Out NY magazine (www.timeoutny.com) for an excellent coverage of shows. Otherwise, Ticketmaster is your best bet. While in NYC, check out TKTS for cheap, last minute tickets.

As off Broadway I suggest The Blue Man. It's not a play, but I'm sure you'll love it. Funny and creative. Tickets can be bought online at ticketmaster/telecharge or you can call the box-office.

The above advice is quite accurate. If you call for The Lion King right away, you might get something. Knowing that, do you want other suggestions for Broadway shows? As for off-Broadway, what types of shows are you looking for?

Tix are always possible, it's just a question of how much $ you want to spend. There is a site called Americana Tickets or Tickets Americana that has had Lion King and Producers tix before. The catch: you pay more. Instead of paying $100 face for Producers, you pay $150. Same type of markup for Lion King. Still, might be worth it to get in when you want.

YOu'll pay a lot more than $150 with scalpers for tickets to The Producers right now!