Suggestions for my daughter's NYC trip?

[bear88]

Posted: 6/4/22 at 8:14pm

My daughter, a recent college graduate, is headed to New York City next week (returning a day before the Tonys) for her first solo trip.

She has a whole lot of things she wants to see and do that don't involve theater but is undecided about a few shows and the best option for getting tickets. And I've never gone to NYC alone, and have forgotten a few things, so I thought I'd toss this open.

-- I should remember this but don't. On days when the TKTS booth opens early due to matinees, can you buy tickets for evening shows or do you have to wait around until 3 p.m.?

-- She is planning to see A Strange Loop and Company but is undecided about a third and possible fourth show. Is there anything she really shouldn't miss? (My daughter definitely favors musicals but would see a play if it's really good and would appeal to her.) 

On A Strange Loop and Company, any suggestions for where to sit, when to pay extra for better seats, when not to worry about it? Are there any particular locations (especially less expensive seats) that are good for those musicials? Both shows seem very available on TKTS. Is that the way to go?

Other possibilities she's discussed:

-- Six. It's a show aimed at her demographic and I'm sure she would enjoy the energy of the live musical. But she wasn't blown away by the cast recording and is worried it's a bit slight. No discount tickets available. Are the cheap seats worth it?

-- Chicago. She does love the musical and has never seen it on Broadway. The show seems to have a bad reputation in terms of uneven quality, and her older sister (who saw it) said the theater is a dump. Nothing to be done about the latter; I guess the former might depend on who's starring that week.

-- Funny Girl. She definitely wanted to see it and likes Beanie Feldstein but has been scared away by a lot of the reviews. Is it a weak revival of a so-so musical or should she give it a chance?

-- The Music Man. She hasn't felt compelled to see this revival, especially at the high cost of a ticket, but it's certainly a high-powered cast in a big, traditional production. 

-- Little Shop of Horrors. Sounds like fun.

If this helps in offering suggestions, some of her favorite musicals have been Hamilton, Wicked, the Oklahoma! revival, Hadestown and My Fair Lady. Her favorite play was probably The Humans.

She would certainly be interested in more Tony-nominated shows or performances, as long as it's something that would appeal to her. My daughter took a History of Broadway class in college, so her tastes probably skew a little more old-fashioned than many people her age. That said, I probably wouldn't recommend too many sad plays. (She has seen Paradise Square in its first incarnation at the Berkeley Rep. I know it's changed since then, but she's seen the basic story.)

Any rush options that make sense?

If there's something she really shouldn't miss that she hasn't seriously considered, feel free to toss it in the suggestion box.

 

[DCDrama2]

Posted: 6/4/22 at 11:26pm

Sit near the center for company, but the rear of the mezz is still a good view to save $.

I have the same taste in shows based on the ones you listed and I’d suggest POTUS. Great cast, limited run, and the funniest thing on Broadway right now. Also, Come From Away if she hasn’t seen it yet.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 12:03am

I saw Company from a far right mid orchestra seat for $59 in February. Don't know if they still have that but if they do, it's a great seat for the money.

There is no real story to Six but it's super high energy with great singing and dancing and a lot of fun. I played the Broadway Direct lottery and won it. Got a great seat for $30. If she wants to do a girl power show, that's the one. On the other hand, I'm visiting NYC right now and literally just saw POTUS earlier tonight. Complete waste of time. If it was a sitcom, it would be cancelled after 2 episodes. Shouting profanities at the top of your lungs is not my idea of humor. I don't have a problem with it but repeatedly using it to get laughs is hack writing. So much talent in that cast, largely wasted having them play stock stereotypes of characters. Blatant pandering to "girl power" whereas Six made it feel organic.

Two plays I would recommend are Take Me Out and How I Learned To Drive. Both master classes in acting and both Pulitzer Prize Winners or nominees. She should read up on them and see if the story lines appeal to her. Both have adult themes. Both close next week I believe.

She should check out the rush and lottery policies for each show and play them first and then if she can't get a ticket through that, use TKTS as a backup or see if there is a discount code. There is a whole other thread on here devoted to discount codes.

Hope she has a great trip.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 12:08am

I would suggest she spend her first day going to the theaters to get her tickets. It is the week leading up to the Tony's. Also, some shows have discount codes. She might want to look for those and use them to save a bit if possible.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 1:03am

It’s best if she skips SIX and Funny Girl (unless Julie Benko is on for Fanny), based off professional reviews and wide reception on these boards. I received a comp for the former yet only liked it to an extent. 

She should very much consider Take Me Out and How I Learned to Drive, UncleCharlie hit the nail on the head. Both are absolutely winning some top prizes come Tony Sunday. 

Updated On: 6/5/22 at 01:03 AM

[Wick3]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 7:24am

This is exciting! On her list, I’d add at least one off Broadway show. Little shop is a lot of fun and if she’s a fan of Pitch Perfect movies then she’d recognize Skylar Astin.

Another off bway musical she might like is Islander the musical. It’s at the st Luke church theater on 46th st. This show was a hit at Edinburgh fringe festival a few years ago. 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 8:08am

This is so exciting! I still remember my first solo NYC trip - it was a blast! She's off to a very solid start with Company and A Strange Loop - two of the best shows of this current season in my book. From the shows you have listed, here are my thoughts...

-- Six. I was vastly underwhelmed. If she was underwhelmed by the cast album, she will probably be underwhelmed by the show too.

-- Chicago. If Pamela Anderson was still with the show, I would 100% consider this a must see, but since today is her last day with the show, I'm not too sure. She took the show to new heights and just elevated the entire production. It was truly a wonder to behold.

-- Funny Girl. SKIP IT. It's a bad production of a not very great show with a hummable score with a woefully miscast leading lady. 

-- The Music Man. It's fun. The production is pretty uninspired. Jackman and Foster are both quite good, but neither of them are doing anything that we haven't already seen them do before and better.

-- Little Shop of Horrors. LOVED Little Shop. This production is great, too, with the exception of Tammy Blanchard who is truly terrible as Audrey.

I would also recommend The Minutes and Take Me Out for plays.

Updated On: 6/5/22 at 08:08 AM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 9:38am

Echoing all the recommendations for Take Me Out and How I Learned To Drive! Both are special productions of great plays. If I had to pick one over the other, How I Learned To Drive would edge it out slightly purely because of Mary-Louise Parker. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 10:10am

The $59 side orchestra seats to Company are a good deal, but they're only available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They're $79 the other days. (If she rushes, the box office will likely offer her $59 seats elsewhere as well, on every day.)

[bear88]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 6:19pm

High drama for my daughter today, who flew from the West Coast bright and early and made it to the TKTS booth in time to get a left orchestra seat (Row O, in the back) for A Strange Loop for $71.25. She said the TKTS booth guy was very happy for her. There were not many tickets left.

I hope she enjoys the show. Thanks for everyone's help.

ETA: She really liked A Strange Loop.

Updated On: 6/7/22 at 06:19 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 11:05pm

MemorableUserName said: "The $59 side orchestra seats to Company are a good deal, but they're only available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They're $79 the other days. (If she rushes, the box office will likely offer her $59 seats elsewhere as well, on every day.)"

My daughter will be headed to the Jacobs Theatre to try to get rush tickets. Do you know if the $59 deal is still in effect, and is that just for side orchestra or do they give you a choice on days like Wednesday or Thursday for seats closer to the center? (She would be fine with side orchestra, I'm sure. I was just curious.)

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 11:27pm

bear88 said: "MemorableUserName said: "The $59 side orchestra seats to Company are a good deal, but they're only available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They're $79 the other days. (If she rushes, the box office will likely offer her $59 seats elsewhere as well, on every day.)"

My daughter will be headed to the Jacobs Theatre to try to get rush tickets. Do you know if the $59 deal is still in effect, and is that just for side orchestra or do they give you a choice on days like Wednesday or Thursday for seats closer to the center? (She would be fine with side orchestra, I'm sure. I was just curious.)"

If she rushes, they usually offer different price points--$43 (or $49?) obstructed view in the boxes, $59 in the mezzanine, and $79 in the orchestra.

There are regularly priced $59 side orchestra tickets available (these are the ones I was talking about--they're not rush seats; on TWTh, they're always $59). It looks like there aren't many left for tomorrow (screenshots of tomorrow's matinee and evening from Telecharge below). I narrowed the search so only those $59 seats are highlighted. I wouldn't necessarily want those ones on the very end. She may want to just see what they'll give her for $79 for rush. (Although that second seat in the front row house right would be great for $59 if she wants to be close.)





 

 

 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 11:53pm

I'd recommend How I Learned to Drive. Very heavy subject matter, but I saw it this past Sunday and am still processing it. Mary Louise Parker and David Morse are absolutely as great as you'd expect them to be. Plus, the show is closing this week.

[bear88]

Posted: 6/9/22 at 1:26pm

For everyone who offered suggestions and those scouting for shows, here is my daughter’s near-final lineup: A Strange Loop, Company, Little Shop of Horrors (got the last available ticket for tonight). She has changed her mind about seeing Six and will buy a ticket tonight (once she finds out the lottery results).

My daughter enjoyed A Strange Loop and Company a lot. She was familiar with the latter show but went in pretty cold to the first. Very impressed with both Jaquel Spivey and Katrina Lenk. Surprised when I told her Lenk hadn’t been nominated for a Tony.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 6/9/22 at 5:14pm

Where'd she end up sitting for Company?

[bear88]

Posted: 6/9/22 at 5:37pm

Center orchestra, Row N. She paid the $79 after waiting in the rush line. Excellent seats. Highly recommended by her. She has seen a recording of the 2006 (?) show so got a kick out of the gender-bended element of the musical and was very impressed with both the direction and performances.

 

[bear88]

Posted: 4/17/23 at 2:56am

It's that time of year again. My young adult daughter is headed to New York City again, but she's headed with a friend instead of going alone and it's right on the weekend of the Tonys instead of the week before. She's got some sticker shock compared to last year, when she had little trouble finding shows she was excited to see for less than $100 (except Six on Friday night, which was the musical she enjoyed the least). And she won't be seeing as many shows, both for cost reasons and because she and her friend have other plans (Yankee game on Saturday night). 

Because her friend hasn't seen some famous musicals that my daughter likes (and are a lot cheaper than they used to be), she is considering shows like Hamilton, Hadestown and Chicago. (She has seen the first two on Broadway and on tour, and the latter in a local production but never on Broadway.)

Of the new musicals, she and her friend are most interested in Sweeney Todd and Parade, although she is concerned about the dark subject matter of both (especially the based-on-real-life Parade, even though she likes the score and both like Ben Platt). The casting choices for Sweeney Todd interest them as well. My wife is an advocate for Shucked, which we enjoyed and seems like a good first-night candidate as a silly, don't-have-to-think-too-hard musical comedy that shouldn't cost too much.

My theory is that she should splurge on a Friday night show and try to get the best deals possible on Thursday if they're not too tired (they're arriving that day) and either Sunday or Monday. But I've never been on Broadway during Tonys weekend so I don't know how crazy things get. 

I'm not really looking for show suggestions (she and her friend will decide for themselves) but I was curious about strategy. Last year, she had good luck at the TKTS booth and getting rush tickets in the morning. I know that's not a realistic option for Sweeney Todd. What about some of the long-running musicals? Are there rush tickets available for Chicago [TKTS booth prices for that show seem to vary from a decent bargain to "$121? Really?"] or any of the newer shows I mentioned?

One other random question: I think there's a site that tracks understudies going on. My daughter would be curious if Eva Noblezada is in Hadestown that week. It wouldn't be the deciding factor, but it might factor into what long-running musical they decide to see, so I wondered about the best way to check on vacation schedules for performers who aren't in above-the-title starring roles.

And by the way, I know this question gets asked every year, but with the Tonys reasonably far from Broadway this year, is there a greater chance of callouts on Sunday due to the rehearsals and the need for actors to head back and forth through traffic all day? Or will everyone just find out that Sunday?

Updated On: 4/17/23 at 02:56 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/23 at 8:28am

Traditionally there are very few callouts on Tony Sunday. 

There are very few shows that play on Monday.

You can almost always get tix for Chicago at tkts. 

[bear88]

Posted: 4/17/23 at 3:04pm

I know there aren’t many Monday shows. TKTS prices for Chicago seem to veer around a lot. Last week, they were $121, which seemed unusually high. Today, they range from $70 to $99.

But I also was curious if there is early morning rush for Chicago, if anyone has tried recently. The rush thread left me a bit uncertain if that was an option.

I don’t know if my daughter would even try to see any show on Monday night, including rush for Once Upon a One More Time, which will have started Monday previews by June. (That show might be terrible, of course; out-of-town reviews were rather tepid.)

[yyys]

Posted: 4/17/23 at 3:36pm

https://playbill.com/article/broadway-rush-lottery-and-standing-room-only-policies-com-116003

Don't think there's any demand after Jinkx left the show. 

[bear88]

Posted: 4/18/23 at 11:40pm

In an ideal world, my daughter and her friend would like to see Sweeney Todd, Hadestown and Parade. They are arriving Thursday afternoon (hopefully - they are taking an early flight from LA) on Tony Awards weekend and leaving Tuesday.

But as they also plan to see a Yankee game that weekend, they may have to make a choice. (The Yankee game would be Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.)

Sweeney Todd is their first choice, so that feels like the musical they should see Friday night. That’s the show they are splurging to see but otherwise are trying to keep costs down.

Hadestown, which my daughter loves and her friend would like to see, is their second choice. There are a few cheap tickets available now, and that’s a Saturday night or Sunday option. Or Thursday

The problem is Thursday, because I don’t think they should buy tickets in advance for any show in case their flight is delayed or they are running behind. (Then again, there are a few $55 seats available now.) If all goes reasonably well, they should make it. But prices will probably be higher buying at the last minute, although perhaps they can find two tickets below $100. Is that realistic or am I reaching?

That leaves Parade, which they would like to see but is a heavy last musical of their trip if they see it Saturday or Sunday. It’s also the more expensive show even if they act soon and buy $114 seats in the last row of the mezzanine. Sweeney Todd and Parade also will be nominated for a bunch of awards, which may drive interest even higher.

I’m concerned that prices will be high and shows sold out that weekend. Can they wait on Hadestown or, realistically, are they going to need to pick that or Parade?

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 11:40 PM

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 12:58pm

I think Sweeney is the best option here. Hadestown is currently touring, so it may come near you in the future. Sweeney Todd is less likely. Same with Parade. I'm not sure we'll see a tour of Parade. I do understand things can change, but right now casting is the main draw of Sweeney (most likely). So I'd go with Sweeney. 

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 12:58 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 5:01pm

Just got out of SHUCKED. A funny, lively show with some terrific belly laughs. I recommend it.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 12:01am

I almost messed up in my role as adviser. I knew Sweeney Todd on a Friday night in June was going to be tough for non-insane prices in seats that aren’t way up in the mezzanine.

But I underestimated demand a bit. My daughter and her friend got some of the last of the $173.50 tickets the other night in Row X of the orchestra.

They can wait a bit on the other shows. Yes, my daughter has seen Hadestown on Broadway and on tour, but her friend hasn’t, and she loves the musical. It will either be a Thursday show (they’re arriving that afternoon) or a Saturday night/Sunday matinée performance depending on when they see the Yankees game.

Parade is their other preferred musical. It could also be a Thursday or weekend performance. I am not sure if they should get those $114 seats in the last row of the mezzanine soon or wait and take their chances in the hopes of getting a better price (TKTS or rush). I assume the Saturday and Sunday of Tonys weekend might be a little difficult but you folks would know better.

My wife and I saw Shucked on our March trip to New York  City and think it would be a fine alternate show if one of the others doesn’t work out or they change their minds.

Updated On: 4/28/23 at 12:01 AM

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 12:16pm

If your daughter's trip is Tony's weekend in June, there might be a chance Ben Platt would be out in one of those performances to rest his voice for the telecast. Nothing against him but I remember in 2017 he missed 2-3 performances of Dear Evan Hansen during Tony's weekend to rest his voice. Again, not sure if this will be the same case for Parade but just putting it out there that it may be better to try and get tix to see Parade on Thursday rather than that weekend.