Planning a trip to NYC? Read this first!

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 1:35pm

Congratulations on your upcoming visit to the Big Apple and the Great White Way!

Before posting your questions, read this first, it will save you time and money.

What show should I see?

Whatever show you want! Check out the first couple pages of threads and you'll find information and reviews of most current and upcoming shows. You can also do a search for a certain show and will find a plethora of threads. If you have specific questions, by all means, ask away. We're nothing if not opinionated here.

Tickets:

Getting the best seats at the best prices requires a bit of searching and comparison shopping, there is no one place to get the cheapest seats. There are different sites that offer a variety of discounts which may or may not be less than TKTS or a competitor. Shop around, you'll be glad you did. If you're a risk taker, wait until you get to NYC to see what you can find, if you're not, buy in advance.

The sites below are available to everyone and should be checked first in order to get discounted tickets to many of the shows you want to see:

https://www.theatermania.com/index.cfm
https://www.broadwaybox.com/
https://www.playbill.com
TKTS: www.tdf.org
(There's no way to know what shows will be at TKTS, but this site lists those that have been there recently as well as tells you how TKTS works and where the booth is.)
https://www.entertainment-link.com/tkts.asp
(The above site also has discount tickets if you become a subscriber, however, you don't get to choose your seats.)

For Students Only:

www.tdf.org
(Also open to union members and some other non-student groups, check to see if you qualify as it's worth joining.)
https://www.hiptix.com/
(For Roundabout Theatre only)
https://www.schooltix.com/

All shows are listed one of these two sites:
(Some discount codes from other sites will work with these as well, so try them to see if you can get better seats.)

https://www.telecharge.com/
https://www.ticketmaster.com/section/arts_theater?tm_link=tm_arts_header

Additional FAQ about tickets, discounts and how discount codes work:

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/faq/#discountcodeswhere

What is the difference between Lottery, Rush and Student Rush?

For a detailed explanation and listing of shows with a lottery or rush go here:

https://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428.html

In general:

Lotteries are open to everyone. You put your name in at a certain time and they pull out winners until all the seats are gone. There is no way to know how many people will enter or which lottery is easy to win. All lotteries limit it to two tickets per winner.

Rushes are open to everyone and limited to two tickets per person. You go to the box office to get these seats, however, each show sells out at a different rate, some of which require lining up early to get them.

Student Rushes are open only to students and operate the same as rushes. A valid student ID is required to get these tickets.

Where is the stage door for...

Check out these fabulous threads which contain pictures and instructions on finding the stage door for pretty much every theatre. Don't see yours listed? Post in that thread to get your answer.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=1&boardname=bway&thread=962304

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=975118&dt=7&boardid=1

Will *insert star's name here* be performing when I go?

There is no way to know when an actor will have to call out of a show, such is the nature of live theatre. Some actors have better track records than others. Search this site for the actor you're interested in and there will probably be a thread about their attendance.

You can also check this site if it's close to the day of your show to see if there are any updates, however, it is not definitive:

https://broadwayunderstudies.com/

This thread lists the Facebook/Myspace/Blog pages for many performers, some of whom list their planned vacations:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=1&boardname=off&thread=961566

Is Spring Awakening appropriate for my 6 year old second cousin?

Here is a site that lists Broadway shows and their age-appropriateness:

https://www.nytix.com/Links/Broadway/showsummary.html

Where to stay and eat:

Got a hotel in mind? Search for it by name on this site, chances are it's been mentioned several times and recently.

Check out these sites to find places to dine, because eating at a chain restaurant is just wrong and money is better spent on shows than food:

https://www.menupages.com/

https://www.cheapassfood.com/

How to get around:

Trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B? This site will do it for you:

https://www.hopstop.com/

Crazy enough to drive into the city? Use this site to find parking:

https://www.BestParking.com/

Want to write to your favorite performer?

This thread has it all and is the place to go:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=872593&dt=1727&boardid=1

What's the latest Broadway news?

Try these sites:

https://www.playbill.com/index.php
https://www.broadway.com/

Still at a loss for what to do?

Try exploring one of the wonderful Off-Broadway shows listed here:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/shows.php?page=oshows

New to the BWW message boards and planning to stick around?

Read this first: (Even old timers will enjoy the nostalgia.)

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=858987&boardid=#boardid%23 Updated On: 5/9/09 at 01:35 PM

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 1:44pm

**extends cookie to you**

happy now?

[heathurrr]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 1:45pm

LePetite, you kick ass.
This is for you (because I know you love LOLcats):

Updated On: 6/30/08 at 01:45 PM

[StageFan2]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 1:52pm

You ROCK LPF!

[andreabajita]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 1:53pm

This is absolutely beautiful.

http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428.html might be worth adding (it's the Playbill article on Rush/SRO policies) since it's always being updated.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 2:00pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 02:00 PM

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 2:25pm

Thank you so much! This is perfect!!

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 2:54pm

You should add Playbill.com for discounts, as well as schooltix.com


This was such a good idea LPF!

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 3:21pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 03:21 PM

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 3:37pm

Thanks so much for posting all this LePetiteFromage! What GREAT information!

[somuchtodo]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 4:23pm

Great job! I'm a big fan of HopStop. You may consider adding bestparking.com - it's a real help.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 4:36pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 04:36 PM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 7/1/08 at 12:26pm

Random question: Is the TKTS Times Square booth open?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/1/08 at 12:52pm

Another good addition is the link to menu pages. You can search by region and cusinie. This is very helpful - especially if you're on a specific diet (ie can't/don't eat meat, diabetic, etc). Online reviews, menus and prices can help you plan your trip and stick to your budget (if you have one).
Menupages.com

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 7/1/08 at 1:01pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 01:01 PM

[ExceedinglyPeculiar2]

Posted: 7/2/08 at 10:47am

americanboy99-

http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56&%20do=v

Times Square South Street Seaport
Temporary location at the Marriott Marquis Hotel during the renovation of Duffy Square: West 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Hours:
For evening performances:
Monday - Saturday: 3pm - 8pm
Sundays: 3pm until one-half hour before the latest curtain time being sold

For matinee performances: Wednesdays and Saturdays: 10am - 2pm Please note: no evening tickets are sold from 10am to 2 pm at Times Square.

Sundays: 11am - 3pm

Public Transportation:
By subway:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, N, R,W, A ,C to Times Square

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 7/2/08 at 11:40am

Very nice. Have a cookie,

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 7:36pm

The link you provided for the Playbill article on Rushes/Lottery was not only a great read, but (I'm assuming) was updated on July 18th with a list of every show and the types of rushes they have. This link and this post in general are a crucial read. I've had this bookmarked for a while. Thank you!! '

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 9:14pm

This is a WONDERFUL and extremely helpful post ! The fact that you took all the time to help others, makes you an incredible and invaluable forumer in my eyes, LPF ! This deserves a special section of its own ! I salute you ! BRAVO !!!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/27/08 at 8:11am

Bump

[BroadwayAbridged]

Posted: 10/27/08 at 2:34pm

Next to the TKTS info, consider adding this site:

http://www.entertainment-link.com/tkts

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 10/27/08 at 4:55pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 04:55 PM

[BroadwayAbridged]

Posted: 10/28/08 at 5:14pm

Well, it's been pretty reliable at showing what's recently been on TKTS; it does a better job than TDF's website in my experience.

If that site sells tickets as well, I wouldn't very well use it...

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 10/28/08 at 6:34pm

This is still the most helpful thread out there. I'm so glad it's added to my bookmarks again. Thank you! :)

[That Girl]

Posted: 10/29/08 at 8:27am

Wow thank you, that was so thoughtful!