Thanksgiving 2017 NYC Theater Trip Help
 

Hi All! I will be making my way to NYC this Thanksgiving (Nov 23 - 27) and I want to see as many shows as possible! I have tickets to Hello Dolly and Hamilton already booked. I'll be coming in by Amtrak from Western New York, arriving on Thanksgiving Day. I have the choice of arriving in NYC at either 12:45 pm (a 4:30 am departure - yikes!) or arriving at 3:45 pm (a more reasonable 7:25 departure time). I got a really good deal on Hotwire, so I will be staying in the Financial District.

Nov 23 - Hope to see Phantom of the Opera in the evening (open to other options, but this is one that seems to be consistently open on Thanksgiving)
Nov 24 - Matinee TBA, Hello Dolly evening performance
Nov 25 - Matinee TBA, Hamilton evening performance
Nov 26 - Matinee TBA, considering evening performance of off-Broadway Sweeney Todd
Nov 27 - Leave by Amtrak at 10:20 am

When will more tickets for Thanksgiving week start going on sale? I've noticed alot of shows aren't selling tickets that far in advance yet. (My top choices to fill the remaining slots would be The Play That Goes Wrong, Anastasia and M Butterfly)

For the days that I have two shows, but would be some good places to eat a reasonably priced meal in between shows?

If I want to see the holiday windows, when would the best time? Perhaps after one of my evening shows lets out? Will it still be crowded around 10:30/11:00 pm?


I am so excited!!

In/near the theater district, we've had good meals at Pongsri Thai, Basera (Indian), China Green, el Centro, Thalia, Kashkaval Garden.
11/24 is a Friday--are you sure there are matinees?

Check to see which restaurants were open on Thanksgiving 2016.

Thank you, abram, I will look into those! Yes, I do expect there to be matinees added on Nov 24 to make up for the closures the previous day on Thanksgiving. It seems that alot of shows did this in previous years, so I hope it will be the same this year!

You are welcome 99.

Gotham West Market is an upscale food court in Hells Kitchen, west of the theaters, with lots of decent food. Gothamwestmarket.com

Consider Come from Away as one of your shows.

I loved Come From Away so much! I saw it in Toronto. It is a wonderful show!

I found an interesting restaurant - Dutch Fred's - I might give it a go!

We found this year that Thanksgiving week itself was crowded but not overwhelmingly so. But holiday windows do tend to be crowded at 10:30. That's not very late. One reason things aren't so crowded that week is that the Rockefeller Center tree isn't lit until the week after Thanksgiving. Most theater tickets don't go on sale until 5 or 6 months in advance, less for less than hit shows.. so that means no Thabksgiving shows until after May or perhaps after the Tonys.

Beware that after mid-June Bette Midler is no longer doing all shows of Hello Dolly on Tuesdays and other days.

Thank you Doug! That is helpful to know. Coming to terms with the fact that it will be at least another 2-3 months before I can book the rest of my shows. I've already got the rest of my itinerary planned - including what restaurants I want to eat at!

Keep a close watch on when tickets become available. I suspect Hamilton will be available very soon, and I bought my tickets for Hello Dolly for August, so more could be released soon. If you have Amex some shows release tickets to card holders early.

I do already have Hamilton & Hello Dolly booked, thank goodness. I am considering going ahead and booking Sweeney Todd for Sunday night because I know that will be a tough spot to fill.
I am keeping an eagle eye out for both Phantom and M. Butterfly. Even if I book those three shows (Phantom, M. Butterfly, and Sweeney Todd), I will still have two spots to fill. Keeping one tentatively held for Anastasia but also always on the look out for new, promising shows!

If you're a huge fan (and only if), then prioritize Phantom, but it wouldn't be even on my top 20 Broadway shows. The current production is touristy, old, and tired. There are many other great options.

If Sweeney Todd is available and you want to see it, then book tickets as soon as they come up. It's a very small theater and hard to get.

Given Amtrak and winter weather I would NOT book a show for the night you are arriving.

I get that Amtrak is unreliable, but weather seems highly unlikely to present any problems as early as Thanksgiving unless we have a freak snow or ice storm, and then the OP is going to have bigger issues to deal with.

Shamefully, I fell asleep a few times when I saw Phantom in London. Not because I didn't like it, I loved what I was, I was just so zonked. I was a high school student 15+ years ago and had just had an overnight flight and full day of sightseeing. I kind of liked the idea of revisiting the show to see it done right. But if the NYC show is now old, tired and dated, maybe it's not the best idea. I wanted Phantom to fill the Thanksgiving night slot, but wouldn't consider filling it in elsewhere if they don't end up doing a Thanksgiving day show this year. I think I will go ahead and buy Sweeney for Sunday even though!


If I take the early Amtrak, scheduled to arrive in the city around 12:45 pm, that should be fine right? I know Amtrak can run late on it's own (without any weather conditions to blame)... but surely, a 1 pm scheduled arrival would be on time enough to make a 7 pm or 8 pm show right?

Of course if there is a major freak snow or ice storm then I would be in trouble. But I think I would be in the same trouble no major the mode of transportation (train, bus, flight).