traveler2005, from your last list you posted, I'd replace Buyer and Cellar with Mothers and Sons.

Forbidden Broadway is a good choice, especially for Monday night when there is almost no choice.

I've seen After Midnight twice (with Phantasia and with k.d.Laing) and LOVE the show.

In my book, both Beautiful and Gentleman's Guide are much better choices than Bridges. Although if you're looking for big and fun musical that will be Tony bound, I'd head to see Bullets Over Broadway!

I don't exactly agree with some of the comments by Christina. I AM a total theatre person, with a theatre degree. While I LOVE important big drama, I am not "above" sitting down and really enjoying a lively musical -- even one put together around a bunch of songs. Some people think if it's just fun then it isn't worthwhile, and I totally disagree with that.

By the way, in my book, Bridges of Madison County is one of the most beautiful to listen to musicals I've seen in ages. Not much book and the dialogue and productions values seem lacking, but it is one beautifully written and performed score. So while overall I wouldn't rate it a must see, I will acknowledge how good the "original score is" and that seems rare today. Some insiders are already complaining the only bad thing about Bullets Over Broadway is that it isn't an original score, but frankly I know of NO ONE today who could begin to match the wonderful score of songs put together for that show.

Aren't Idina Menzel and Sutton Foster both starring in soon-to-open musicals? Or are they not opening soon enough for OP's trip?

Violet (Sutton Foster) first preview is March 28

Idina Menzel in If/Then is in previews now.

Thanks, Neo! I hope some Fodorites attend one or both and will report back.

I'm seeing If/Then on May 10, not sure when I'll see Violet.

Wonderful sounding production of Threepenny Opera opened this week at Atlantic Theatre Company with F.Murray Abraham and Laura Osnes among others. I'm seeing that week after next.

Sorry, I should have said Threepenny Opera started previews this week. It opens in April.

RE" Buyer and Cellar - Broadway Box says that it is starring How to Succeed's Christopher J. Hanke. So I take that to mean that Michael Urie is no longer there.

A check through Broadway Box didn't show any tickets available for Mothers and Sons. However, I went to what I think is their direct site (sometimes hard to know) and did see tickets AND they are dark on Tuesday rather than Monday.

I wonder if I should replace Forbidden Broadway with Mothers and Sons.

An update:

I wish we had some more slots to fill because there are more plays that I want to see than available times. We hope to arrive early enough on Sunday to go to an evening play and plan to leave on Thursday. That gives us 4 nights and 1 matinee.

Still assuming that we can't get tickets for Kinky Boots and might be able to get tickets for Beautiful, here are the plays in the top running right now:

Mothers and Sons (possibly Tony Bound)
Forbidden Broadway (for a Monday night when most are dark)
After Midnight (nightclub-like)(worth seeing twice acc to NeoPatrick)
Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (musical) (possibly Tony Bound)(also funny)
Beautiful (musical) (possibly Tony Bound)

Ones that are on the fall-back list - but I am open to change are:
Buyer & Cellar (play I think) (highly recommended by mclaurie- very funny) (check on when Michael Urie is leaving - it is a one man show)
Bullets over Broadway - Tony bound - big musical

More choices, but now they are in my third string:
Motown
Bridges of Madison County - good score, but mixed thoughts

More thoughts?

And thank you all because I would have had no idea where to start without your help.

I am going to try to take time tonight to check on availability of Beautiful and Kinky Boots. In the past, I usually just took the Broadway Box coupon code to the box offices. But that might not be a good idea for some of these.

First of all, there is a discount offer for Mothers and Sons on playbill.com.
I would add my strong recommendation for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. An absolute delight.
I also enjoyed Buyer & Cellar with Michael Urie, who has left the New York production to take the show on the road.....to Los Angeles, I believe. Who knows how good his replacement will be, but it is a delightful show.
Also, Matilda is one show that no one has mentioned. We really liked that one, too.

I think you are going to have problems getting same-day or same-week tickets for almost everything on your list except for Buyer and Cellar, Forbidden Broadway, and After Midnight.

The others are pretty hot tickets, particularly Beautiful.

I don't see After Midnight up there, but it was definitely one of the best shows I have ever seen. Just jaw-dropping, and if you like jazz, there's nothing quite like the Jazz at Lincoln Center band.

After Midnight is up there - thanks for verifying that it is great.

Thanks also for the tip about discounts on playbill.com. I checked broadway box, travelzoo(none on my list) and expedia (none on my list).

Decisions, decisions.

Does anyone know the theaters well enough to know if some of my first or second list shows are off the beaten track? If so, that might be a good one for the Wednesday matinee.

Mothers and Sons
Forbidden Broadway
After Midnight
Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Beautiful

Buyer & Cellar
Bullets over Broadway

Bridges is very enjoyable.. not glitzy or gimmicky but beautifully sung. Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale give wonderful performances

Buyer & Cellar is, as you put it, off the beaten track in Greenwich Village. And, it certainly qualifies as an interesting area to spend a few hours in, with many options for lunch.

I checked both Kinky Boots and Beautiful. Tickets are available through Telecharge. So I guess that add Kinky Boots into my mix.

Thanks for the location, HowardR. I am making a spreadsheet of times and locations in addition to the one that has all the other notes. I did found some conflicting information for Mothers and Sons. I need to make some phone calls, but too late for tonight since the box offices are closed (at least the first one that I tried).

Not to muddy the waters, but I wonder also about If/Then. I saw that it was by the same person as Next to Normal and I thought that was excellent (not on my list as it was local).

So it looks to me like all of these would be good choices.

Mothers and Sons
Forbidden Broadway
After Midnight
Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Beautiful
Buyer & Cellar
Bullets over Broadway
Kinky Boots
If/Then

To look at this another way, if you could see all of these EXCEPT say 3, which would you eliminate?

Well............ Jessica Mueller (sp?) is not going to be there on the nights that we have available - (Beautiful)