quick nyc trip
 

I am taking my sister and her 17 yr. old daughter to nyc for the w/end (will get in late fri. and have to leave Sun.a.m., so we will only have 1 full day on Sat.) They have never been and we want to go to a play--Wicked, Mamma Mia or Hairspray preferably. I've looked online for tickets, but there are so many sites--can anyone suggest a good site for the best prices? Also is the Oyster Bar at Grand Central worth having lunch at? They want to see the Statue of Liberty. Should we take a 2 hr. cruise or the Staten Island Ferry? Any other suggestions for the one full day??

I would recommend the Staten Island ferry if you just want to SEE the statue of liberty. It is a fairly quick trip and takes you past the statue. Good view of lower Manhattan too. It is free (at least it was a couple of years ago)

Your best chance--and the best price--for tickets for those three shows would be for Hairspray.
For the best price, check out either
www.broadwaybox.com or www.playbill.com.
With your limited time, I would recommend the Staten Island Ferry.

Thanks for the info. Is the Oyster Bar at Grand Central a good place for early dinner before the theater? If I have theater tickets at 8 p.m. what time would you suggest making dinner reservations?

It's a pretty good walk from Grand Central to Hairspray. I personally don't trust taxis at theatre curtain time -- they're most effective for sitting in traffic in the theatre district between 7:30 and 8:00.

For just a 1 day trip, you might want to consider one of the tours that would allow you to see a lot in a day. This one, kingofnyc.com gets very good reviews for the enthusiasm and knowledge of the guide.

If you don't want to be tied to a tour all day, there are 2 half day options. The morning midtown/downtown would be good.

The other tour co. that might work even better for you is nypartyshuttle.com since they include a ride on the SI ferry.

I prefer the Oyster Bar for lunch, sitting at the bar or perhaps in the saloon area. Their clam chowder and their oysters are very good. Otherwise, it's pricey and not worth it (imo). The place is a bit dark and dingey at night. You'd want to be a bit closer to the theater I think for dinner (although you could jump on the Times Square shuttle from there, you'd still be 10 blocks south of any of those theaters).

If you want to eat in an iconic NY place, the 21 Club is not far from those theaters. Their pre theater dinner is $40. Eat in the barroom which has more character. If you book online, there's an offer for a free drink.
http://www.21club.com/web/onyc/onyc_c5a4_offers.jsp

Other dining options near those theaters

ViceVersa or Maria Pia for Italian (both have prix fixe menus). For seafood, the Redeye Grill would be closer to the theater.