Does anyone else hate the Tuesday 7pm curtain?

Well, here we are, another Tuesday. This means racing through work, rushing to walk and feed the dog and hurrying down early to TKTS to see what’s available. Does anyone else hate the 7pm curtain on Tuesdays or is it just me? I don't even remember why they changed it a few seasons back but it sure is inconvenient. In fact, I have made Tuesday my Off-Broadway night almost exclusively now so I can relax like a normal human being and still get to the show at 8. I guess it's too much to hope for a return to the good old days of an 8:30 curtain.

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They changed it so more folks from the suburbs would stay in town after work, see a show and be able to head home by 9-ish, which has increased attendance (on what has always been the slowest night of the week at the box office). And even though I live and work in the city, I have to say that I like the occasional early curtain (that early in the week, I often prefer not being out too late).

I see a lot of theatre (as everyone knows) and it's nice to be able to see a show and still be home by 9:30 sometimes (or if I'm with someone, then be able to go to dinner and drinks at 9). I'm seeing Entertaining Mr. Sloane tonight and with the 7:30 curtain, my friend and I will be able to start indulging in our cocktails by 9:45. Yes, sometimes it causes a time crunch with work, but overall I like it. And hey, if you don't, there's a 8pm curtain every other night of the week.

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Updated On: 3/7/06 at 05:11 PM

I have to say, I'm THRILLED for the early curtain. I'm seeing Sweeney again tonight and have to get home to NJ (over 1 hour) then back into work tomorrow by 7:00 a.m. (which means I get up at 4:45 a.m). That extra hour means so much to me.

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Updated On: 3/7/06 at 05:14 PM

Exactly Margo. And I'll add that another reason was to have an earlier night for families that wanted to take children or young adults to the theater on a school night without it getting too late.

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I like the idea myself - I have a 7:00 curtain for Threepenny and I thought at first it was a mistake - but now I can actually go out for a bit afterwards and unwind instead of the pressure of "I have to get to bed".

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I love the 7:00 curtain. It's only once a week, but it makes my life easier. With a 7:00 show, I can see a show, grab a quick drink, and still make the last train home to NJ. If it's an 8:00 curtain, I've got to go directly back to Penn Station in order to catch that train.

I actually go to more 7:00 shows because it saves me money on parking (driving to Newark/Hoboken that's accessible 24/7).

It's not just Tuesday though - my tix are for a Thursday and it's a 7:00 curtain.

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NO, for me the early curtain works fine. But I do wish Broadway would stagger mid-week matinees. Instead of all shows playing Wednesday afternoons, why can't some do Tuesdays, some do Thurdays and some do Fridays? Seems to me it would encourage out-of-towners to attend more shows.

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There's nothing wrong with an earlier curtain. I mean, it's only one day of the week.

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I don't HATE it. But sometimes it's a pain.

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I'm with frontrowcentre with the staggered matinees. It would make tourists so happy to have Thursday matinees. I know because a lot of tourists call me asking for matinees on Thu or Fri, because they want to see as many shows as possible without having to stay the weekend, where availability is always worse.

As for 7pm Tuesdays, it's only one day a week, it's good for the actors, it's good for a majority of audiences - midweek, students, New Yorkers, etc. And there's alway Mon and Wed-Sat 8pm performances to accommodate those who can't make it to Tuesday performances.

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I hate it for the fact that I could never get to a Tuesday show unless I leave work early. I live and work in NJ, only 15 miles from the City, but taking a bus in at 5:15 with the traffic going into the Tunnel, I usually don't get into the City until nearly 7:00.

I'm not a big fan. I feel I am still stressed out from work and school at the show and have trouble just relaxing.

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