Components Of A Great Broadway Show
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to shows, and these are the things we are looking for:
- Overall, it must be entertaining.
- Story / Book that moves you or compels you to care about the characters.
- The acting that brings the characters to life.
- For a musical, a great score, and the music gets weaved in effortlessly and helps to move the story along.
- The lighting, set design, and sound arent as crucial to us unless its so bad that its distracting.
- Its a bonus if its a celebrity we know, but its not our highest priority.
Broadway Theatre And Shows
Looking for Broadway tickets? Discover whats playing on Broadway with our comprehensive listings of Broadway theatre shows. You can browse Broadway shows by name, or find shows playing during a specific month or date by using our theatre calendar. Tickets to New Yorks buzziest Broadway shows including Hamilton, Chicago, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and more are all available on New York Theatre Guide. Whether youre looking for musicals, plays, or special events, explore all New York Broadway shows below and get tickets today.
Performances Beginning In October
The Show: Thoughts of a Colored Man
The Premise: Set over the course of 24 hours in Brooklyn, this daring new play by Keenan Scott II combines slam poetry, spoken word, humor, dance and music to shed a light on the diverse experiences of Black men in America. Through a series of vignettes, the show tackles such subjects as racism, gentrification and sexual identity.
Why You Should Book a Ticket: The ensemble includes three-time Emmy winner Keith David, 65, who you might recognize from his roles in Platoon, Requiem for a Dream and the OWN TV series Greenleaf.
The Details: John Golden Theatre, from Oct. 1
The Show: Dana H.
The Premise: The risk-taking playwright Lucas Hnath has had two shows on Broadway in the past five seasons: A Doll’s House, Part 2 and Hillary and Clinton . His third, which will be staged in repertory alongside Is This a Room, is undoubtedly his most experimental. The concept: Hnath’s dramatic collaborator Steve Cosson interviewed Hnath’s mother, Dana Higginbotham, a psychiatric ward chaplain who was kidnapped by an ex-convict, and then acclaimed actress Deirdre O’Connell, 68, dons a headset and lip-syncs to a recording of Dana’s voice as she tells her own story.
Why You Should Book a Ticket: This incredibly intimate form of documentary theater will scratch an itch for fans of true-crime podcasts.
The Details: Lyceum Theatre, from Oct. 1
The Show: Caroline, or Change
The Details: Studio 54, from Oct. 8
The Show: Girl from the North Country
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The Cast Of Chicago Pays A Quiet Tribute To Ann Reinking
When Chicago ended on Tuesday night, some cast members distributed roses and rose petals in a quiet tribute to Ann Reinking, the revivals Tony-winning choreographer and a celebrated Roxie Hart, who died in December.
Reinking was indelibly linked with Chicago, the John Kander-Fred Ebb musical. She stepped into the role of Roxie Hart in the original production in 1977, when she was 27, and it helped make her a star. Then in 1996, when the current revival came to Broadway, she returned to the role, in triumph.
She choreographed the revival, creating dances that she envisioned as a sort of updated tribute to the work of Bob Fosse, who had directed and choreographed the original show and who had been, for a time, her romantic partner. Reinkings work was given the Tony Award for best choreography.
Her work in the revival was widely praised. Reinking has brought her own light-handed sparkle in evoking the Fosse spirit, Ben Brantley wrote in his review in The New York Times, and the corps de ballet couldnt be better, physically capturing the wry, knowing pastiche of some of Kander and Ebbs best songs.
When the revivals director, Walter Bobbie, walked onstage earlier on Tuesday night, he used the moment to pay tribute to her, calling her the best collaborator I have had.
Chicago, he said, has turned into the legacy of the late, great Ann Reinking.
Faqs About Broadway Shows
Is there a dress code for Broadway shows?
There is no dress code for Broadway shows. Some people like to dress up and make a night of it, and some people will go in jeans. However, one thing to keep in mind is that like movie theaters, Broadway theaters can be very highly air-conditioned in the summer, so bring a sweater.
Are Broadway tickets cheaper at the box office?
If you buy tickets in-person at the box office, you can avoid paying any ticketing fees, which can get a lot more expensive the more tickets you purchase. We have explained how to buy cheap Broadway show tickets in this article.
How early should you get to a Broadway show?
Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes in advance to give yourself enough time, plus some wiggle room in case you get lost or want to look at the merchandise cart. The house typically opens 30 minutes before the stated curtain time.
Can you go to the bathroom during a Broadway show?
Yes, you will be able to leave to go to the bathroom. But its best to do so during the intermission, as sometimes, depending on the usher, you wont be allowed to get to your seat if you go in the middle of the show.
Is Broadway show worth the price?
Yes, it is definitely worth the money. Whether you are into musicals or not, seeing the Broadway show is a must and part of the New York experience. I didnt think I would like to sit through hours of singing, but it turned out that I enjoyed it quite a lot.
Can you buy Broadway show tickets at the door?
About Marco
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Whats Currently Playing On Broadway
See below to find out what’s playing on Broadwayand when previously opened shows are planning their return. For a list of all Broadway-related COVID-19 updates, please .
CURRENTLY PLAYING ON BROADWAY
Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermissionOpened March 20, 2014To purchase tickets, . New Amsterdam Theatre: 214 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036
Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes minutes, including intermissionOpened November 14, 1996To purchase tickets, . Ambassador Theatre: 219 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019
Chicken & Biscuits
Running time: 100 minutes, no intermissionOpened March 12, 2017To purchase tickets, . Schoenfeld Theatre: 236 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
To purchase tickets, .St. James Theatre: 246 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
Running time: 2 hours and 25 minutes, including intermissionOpened April 17, 2019To buy tickets, .Walter Kerr Theatre: 219 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036
Running time: 175 minutes, including intermissionOpened August 6, 2015To purchase tickets, . Richard Rodgers Theatre: 226 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
Is This A RoomTo purchase tickets, . Lyceum Theatre: 149 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
Lackawanna BluesRunning time: 90 minutes, no intermissionOpens October 7
To purchase tickets, . Nederlander Theatre: 208 W 41st St, New York, NY 10036
Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermissionOpened November 13, 1997To purchase tickets, .Minskoff Theatre: 200 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
Currently Empty Theatres
Winnie The Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation
New York is now deep in the Hundred Acre Wood as Winnie the Pooh comes to town. In a new Disney musical, join Pooh, Christopher Robin, and the rest of the gang as they go on a brand new adventure. Life-size puppets bring all your favorite characters to life, and theres original music from the Sherman Brothers. You wont want to be a willy, nilly, silly old bear.
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Hadestown The Last Show To Win A Tony Award For Best Musical Is Back From The Underworld
To get into the underworld these days, you need more than a ticket.
Fans of Hadestown who had one for Tuesdays performance began lining up on West 48th Street long before the curtain time, in part because some knew the entry process there, as for the rest of Broadway, had changed. Each audience member had to present proof that they had been vaccinated against the coronavirus, and to allow everyone extra time, the house opened 45 minutes before show time.
Unlike Hamilton, Wicked and The Lion King, Hadestown had already put on several shows by Tuesday. And perhaps as a result, staff members appeared to have the new entry process well in hand.
Audience members were asked first to show their proof of vaccine there were three lines in which people could offer pictures or cards or apps. Then they had their bags checked, and made their way through metal detectors before stepping inside the theater to have their tickets scanned. Theatergoers found it went smoothly.
That was really efficient, really fast actually, said Kiana Gregorich, 18, of Seattle who said she was in New York visiting family. The anticipation makes it go by a lot quicker.
The show, which opened in 2019, was grossing more than $1 million a week when the pandemic forced it to shut down. Written by the singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, the contemporary adaptation of ancient Orpheus myth had been seen by some 371,000 people before the Broadway shut down last year.
Eight Is Never Enough
Wish you could decide what happens in a show? Wish no more. Eight is Never Enough combines Broadway comedy with improvisational chaos for a stellar show, where no two performances are ever the same. You could even be called upon as an audience volunteer.
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These Artists Created Broadways Biggest Hits Theyre Happy To Be Back
Lin-Manuel Miranda felt joyful seeing Elmo in Times Square.
And Stephen Schwartz is just happy to see audiences again.
The creative minds behind Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked are delighted that their shows are running again. But, even more important, theyre relieved that theater is back.
People are ready, said Taymor, the director of The Lion King, and its time.
Schwartz, the composer and lyricist of Wicked, said the long months of streaming have been no substitute for live theater.
The thing about live theater is its a community, not just onstage, but with the audience the whole theater becomes a community, and weve just really really missed that, he said. You cant equal that experience on screens on little screens or even big screens its just not the same as live people and a live audience and what happens every night between them and among them in that theater. Thats irreplaceable.
The three creators spoke to The New York Times in a joint interview Tuesday afternoon as they prepared for their own shows to open. They had decided to open on the same night to call attention to Broadway and to signal that the industry is open, ready for visitors and prioritizing safety .
Broadway is a huge part of New York City what defines New York City, and the economy of New York City, Schwartz said. So we are really thrilled to be back, and we want everyone out there to know its safe to come and join us.
Theater Is Back After A Year Of Going Dark
After a long absence, Broadway is officially back. The home base of American theater quietly began performances again in August with the play Pass Over, but on September 14, it was back in full swing with the re-openings of big tourist attractions like The Lion King, Wicked, Hamilton, and Chicago. Now the season, for the first time in more than a year, is kicking off and audiences are flocking back to theaters. The Tony Awards honoring the abridged 2019-2020 season finally happened on September 26, awarding Best Musical to Moulin Rouge!, but new blood is on the horizon. Here’s what we think you should go see if you’re in NYC and itching to see a live show.
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Competing With Motion Pictures
The motion picture mounted a challenge to the stage. At first, films were silent and presented only limited competition. By the end of the 1920s, films like The Jazz Singer were presented with synchronized sound, and critics wondered if the cinema would replace live theatre altogether. While live vaudeville could not compete with these inexpensive films that featured vaudeville stars and major comedians of the day, other theatres survived. The musicals of the Roaring Twenties, borrowing from vaudeville, music hall, and other light entertainment, tended to ignore plot in favor of emphasizing star actors and actresses, big dance routines, and popular songs. Florenz Ziegfeld produced annual spectacular song-and-dance revues on Broadway featuring extravagant sets and elaborate costumes, but there was little to tie the various numbers together. Typical of the 1920s were lighthearted productions such as Sally Lady Be Good Sunny No, No, Nanette Harlem Oh, Kay! and Funny Face. Their books may have been forgettable, but they produced enduring standards from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Vincent Youmans, and Rodgers and Hart, among others, and Noël Coward, Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml continued in the vein of Victor Herbert. Live theatre has survived the invention of cinema.
Live Theatre Is Back In Nyc: Here Are The Shows You Can See Right Now
Theatre is coming back to New York City. Whether its indoor theatre, outdoor theatre, immersive theatre, or a dining experience, live entertainment is back in NYC. Be a part of the audiences seeing live theatre in New York City again with our roundup of shows you can see right now. You read that right right now!
Broadway shows are coming back, and there are plenty of other Off-Broadway shows, comedy shows, and other theatrical events to partake in. Check out all the live theatre opening again in New York City in the coming weeks and months.
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Restaurants & Eating Out
The one thing you can be sure about, when traveling to New York City, is that you wont get hungry. Restaurants, cafes, bistros, bars, and street vendors are multiple and can fit any taste or budget. Small family cafes and huge world-known restaurant chains, fast food bistros and luxury top-end restaurants, street food of all kinds all of these can be found in New York.
The variety of different cuisines is exquisite: French, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Middle Easter, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese this is just a short list of what you can taste in the Big Apple.
If you are on a low budget and want to cook for yourself, visit the markets: Chelsea and Fulton 55, where you can find all kinds of fresh ingredients for your meals, as well as many street food vendors and budget cafes.
There is also a list of must-try foods and drinks of New York. They dont necessarily originate from the city, but they have definitely gained their particular features here and must be appreciated. So, if you want to feel like a real New Yorker, dont avoid:
- Hot dog
- Long Island Ice Tea
When Waitress Came Back The Frequent Pie
When the news came that Waitress was reopening with the singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics, in the lead the musicals Facebook fan group exploded. The show had concluded a nearly four-year run before the pandemic, in January 2020, and Frequent Pie-ers were ecstatic at a return that had unexpectedly put their favorite Broadway flavor back on the menu.
Pie is a big deal in Waitress, which tells the story of a small-town waitress named Jenna who dreams of using her baking skills to escape her dead-end job and abusive marriage. Theres pie baking in a specially positioned convection oven that wafts the scent through the theater. And theres pie for eating in deference to Covid, now pre-ordered and picked up at a sidewalk table as post-show takeout, rather than sold by costumed vendors walking the theater aisles.
Outside the Ethel Barrymore Theater before showtime, there was also plenty of pie on lapel buttons, pie on face masks, even pie earrings.
We are huge Sara Bareilles and Waitress fans, said Diana Franco, an 11-time pie-er who was there with her cousin Kristin Smith , in matching masks mimicking the shows lattice-topped cherry-pie curtain. And we are obsessed with the pie curtain.
At the theater, audience members could choose from two flavors, chocolate salted caramel and white chocolate key lime. Onstage, the diners menu board now leads with a new item: A Big Ol Slice of Live Your Life Pie.
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Performances Beginning In November
The Show: Diana
The Premise: Fans of The Crown should seek out this biographical musical about the Princess of Wales, starring Jeanna de Waal as the beloved but doomed royal. The production was written by playwright Joe DiPietro, 60, and Bon Jovi keyboardist/composer David Bryan, 59, who won a Tony Award for best musical for their first Broadway collaboration, Memphis.
Why You Should Book a Ticket: Judy Kaye, 72, who originated the Broadway roles of Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of the Opera and Rosie in Mamma Mia!, plays Queen Elizabeth.
The Details: Longacre Theatre, from Nov. 2
The Show: Clyde’s
The Premise: This new play by Lynn Nottage, 56, is set at a truck stop sandwich shop where the kitchen is staffed by formerly incarcerated workers who are trying to make new lives for themselves. The cast includes two acclaimed television stars who got their start in theater: Ron Cephas Jones, 64, who won two Emmys playing William Hill on This Is Us, and Uzo Aduba, who won three for her roles in Orange Is the New Black and Mrs. America.
Why You Should Book a Ticket: Nottage is the only female playwright with two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, for 2009’s Ruined and 2017’s Sweat.
The Details: Hayes Theater, from Nov. 3
The Show: Flying Over Sunset
Why You Should Book a Ticket: If anyone can handle a complicated plot like this one, it’s book writer James Lapine, 72, who collaborated with Stephen Sondheim, 91, on musicals like Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park With George.