PLEASE help me organize my show tickets for my trip !!!

All those options are viable...you should get tix now for the shows you most want to see, that are somewhat difficult (ie Jersey Boys, YF). As someone who has ushered for many decades, I can tell you that MOST shows are NOT that difficult to get, if your'e a little flexible. Don't believe ALL the HYPE, but if your time is limited and you KNOW you'll be disappointed if you don't score EXACTLY the tix you want, by all means visit Telecharge, etc. But the TKTS line is always there. Save some $$$$ on ridiculous service chgs. by being more flexible if you can. Good luck!

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: If you show up at the box office three hours prior to curtain, you will most definitely be able to snatch up a pair of front center orchestra seats for $121.50 a piece.

JERSEY BOYS: Definitely buy them now. I'm not familiar with the exact sightlines far back in the August Wilson Orchestra, so maybe someone else can be more helpful location-wise, but I do know that once you reach a certain row in the Orchestra the set begins to be obstructed by the mezzanine overhang, so keep that in mind.

THE LITTLE MERMAID: It's hard to say at this point since we're still in previews. Hold out until next month to see what reviews look like and any impact they might have on sales.

WICKED: Since you only need one ticket, if you really want a great seat, you could definitely just wait and get a great single seat on the cancellation line on the day of the performance, and avoid all of those nasty Ticketmaster service charges for a seat that definitely won't be as good.

A CATERED AFFAIR, CRY-BABY, HAIRSPRAY, AVENUE Q, XANADU, RENT, A CHORUS LINE, LEGALLY BLONDE: Wait for BroadwayBox discount codes. You most definitely will be able to get discount seats from TKTS for HAIRSPRAY, AVENUE Q, XANADU, RENT, A CHORUS LINE, LEGALLY BLONDE, and most likely A CATERED AFFAIR.

But here is the main question you should be asking yourself:

How much time do you want to be spending on your trip trying to get tickets? All of this takes some work. It may be worth it for you to buy most of your tickets online in advance with BroadwayBox discount codes (for those that will have them) and pay the service charges, so all you will need to do on the day of the performance is show up at the theatre 30 minutes prior to curtain, and the rest of your time can be spent enjoying the city.

The whole ticket searching game can be frustrating and stressful, and at times disappointing. I would say, though, that if you know how to play the game, 95% of the time it works out in your favor, and you end up with great seats to the show you want to attend for a discounted price, but it's up to you regarding how much time you want to devote to the process.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. Feel free to PM me as well.

Best of luck planning your trip!

---

I always seem to do well with Theatermania. I always get good seats. And on discount. I agree that you should order way ahead for Wicked and Jersey Boys. You said "well" after Little Mermaid. If you have any interest in seeing it, I say go ahead. I saw it here in Denver and enjoyed it.

---

Your'e welcome. Also, I forgot (in my previous answer); TUESDAY, WED, THU night are much easier to get than weekends (generally speaking), and the best locations are usually on those performances. Also, if a show has an unusual perf. date, like MONDAY night, or SUNDAY EVENING, that's easier to score, also. Front mezzanine is actually sometimes, I think better than orch. for big musicals. Better panoramic view. But make sure you specify FRONT mezz. Always have at your disposal a NY Theater seating chart (Stubs), when ordering tix on-line or in person. I have been screamed at a million times by patrons who THOUGHT they had "good" seats, but were not paying attention when ordering. Remember to be ADAMANT, but NICE to TKTS personnel, Telecharge, Box Office people.
They will try to rush you, but it's YOUR hard earned $$$$, so have several different dates. shows and locations on a piece of paper, so you don't get flustered and upset, if the sellers are in a bad mood. Preparation, knowledge and FLEXIBILITY are very important. Good luck.

Thank you all for your help !!!

jazzicat, I wasn't hostile, just sad, because I know that BWWers can be really helpful and couldn't understand why not so in my case.

Foster, a big THANK YOU !!! Basically, my biggest concern was YF. The seats available right now are, naturally, way on the side, but if you think we'll be able to get great leftover premium seats, that's definetely worth it !

I will be very flexible, that's why I want to book early for only 2-3 shows now and I am looking for Tue to Thur for very popular shows. I can pay full price, but why not save some money if i can, through discounts and tkts ?

If lotto is not hard for RENT, AVENUE Q and HAIRSPRAY, I may try it.

And I definetely have lots of non-theater related plans ! It's my pal's first time in the city and I am eager to show him why it's the greatest place on earth for me !

Finally, what makes me optimistic about getting good tickets is that, I think, early April is not a very crowded time, tourist-wise, right ?

Updated On: 11/20/07 at 06:13 AM

Expand your horizons - see a play.

tiny, trust me, there's gonna be an awful lot of walking involved ! I have been to most of these great neighborhoods and places you mention , but it's a given, that I will show to my friend all the wonderful sights that New York has to offer !

And Marc, I love plays ! But, Athens has a thriving theater scene of about 80 theaters, that consists 90% of plays (classical, contemporary, modern, you name it) ! So, I prefer to see musicals when in NYC, because it's something that I can't see where I live, especially in that scale !