5 Best Performing Arts Venues in New York City, New York

Background Illustration for Performing Arts

The streets of New York alone are stageworthy. With so many people faking it 'til they make it, daily life can take on the feeling of performance—to exhausting, and inspiring, effect. No wonder that the city draws a constant influx of actors, singers, dancers, and musicians from around the globe, all striving for their big break and infusing the city with a crackling creative energy. This fiercely competitive scene produces an unrivaled wealth of culture and art that many New Yorkers cite as the reason they're here, and that millions more are determined to travel for.

Although costly ticket prices can make attending a Broadway show a less common outing for even the most devout theater-loving New Yorkers, that's not true of many other kinds of more affordable performances. Whether the audiences are primarily local or not, it's their discernment that helps drive the arts scene, whether they are flocking to a concert hall to hear a world-class soprano deliver a flawless performance, or crowding into a cramped café to support fledgling writers reading from their own work.

New York has upward of 200 "legitimate" theaters (meaning those with theatrical performances, not movies), and many more ad hoc venues—parks, churches, lofts, galleries, rooftops, even parking lots. The city is also a revolving door of special events: summer jazz, one-act-play marathons, film festivals, and music and dance celebrations from the classical to the avant-garde, to name just a few.

Apollo Theater

Harlem Fodor's choice
One of the most famous music halls in the United States, associated almost exclusively with African-American performers. It is listed on the National Register of Historical Places on January 3, 2011 in Manhattan, New York City.
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Arguably the most iconic landmark in the neighborhood, no visit to Harlem is complete without stopping by the legendary Apollo Theater. Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and James Brown are just a few of the world-class performers who have appeared on this equally famed stage. This year, Apollo's Amateur Night begins their 90th season, with shows every Wednesday night. Perhaps bigger than the 90th season of Amateur Night, the Apollo is slated to undergo renovation to expand into the Apollo Performing Arts Center, with a restoration of the Apollo Theater, and the opening of the Apollo's Victoria Theater. The Apollo Stages at the Victoria are accessible via the third floor of the newly-opened Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel. Safe to say, the Apollo is a history buff's treat with more room to explore than ever, so to dive in deeper, take a tour, held on Monday at 11 am and 1 pm, Wednesday at 11 am, and Saturday at 11 am and 1 pm, and must be reserved in advance.

Kings Theatre

Fodor's choice
Dormant since 1977, this grand and opulent 1929 movie palace reopened as a 3,000-seat performing-arts venue in 2015, with an exciting schedule of music, theater, dance, and other live performances. One of the Loew’s Wonder Theatres from the beginning of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the renovated space is quite true to the original. The ornate, French Renaissance–style building’s original art deco chandeliers have been restored; the colors on the 70-foot arched ceiling were replicated; and even the original carpeting was re-created.

Beacon Theatre

Opened in 1929 as a movie theater, the Beacon is now the premier destination north of Madison Square Garden (and operated by the same company) for concerts and residencies by music stars and comedians, from Bono to Jerry Seinfeld. The decor is 1920s but the sound system is cutting-edge, featuring the same technology as the Sphere in Las Vegas. There also are occasional family programs on weekend afternoons.

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St. George Theatre

Built for vaudeville in 1928, this classic theater is still going strong nearly a century later, with a mix of classic movie screenings, stand-up comedy, educational theater performances for kids and teens, and music concerts catering to the Gen X and older crowd—or anyone who enjoys the likes of Richard Marx, Boyz II Men, KC & The Sunshine Band, or Beatles cover bands. Without a performance, the building's interior design still dazzles; the theater is a mix of Spanish and Italian baroque styles, with paintings and murals throughout, as well as tiled fountains.

SubCulture

East Village
This intimate basement space—made cozy with exposed brick and theater-style seating—started out primarily as a venue for classical music concerts, and although there are still a few of those, the calendar is largely dedicated to weekend bookings for the comedy club Upright Comedy Brigade. The small bar serves wine, beer, a small selection of snacks.