Broadway Theatres, commonly known as Broadway are an essential part of the artistic life of New York City. Located mostly in the Theater District, Broadway Theatres contain 40 professional theaters. Much Like London’s West End, Broadway has its own unique charm. Broadway theatres are a popular tourist attraction in New York City. According to The Broadway League, Broadway shows sold approximately $937 million worth of tickets in the 2007-08 season. No visit to New York City is complete without seeing at least one Broadway musical production.
One of the must-do activities in New York City is seeing a Broadway show. At any given time, there are approximately 40 Broadway shows available to the public. Some of these shows include long-running hits such as Phantom of the Opera and the Lion King. Although there are many well-known plays on Broadway, you will also find many strange shows as well. Some of the more offbeat Broadway shows include Shrek the Broadway musical, Spiderman and so much more.
There are actually three types of Theatrical productions in New York City: Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows and Off-Off-Broadway shows.
Broadway shows are always performed in the 38 Broadway theatres around Times Square between 41st Street and 53rd Street. Most Broadway theatres are extravagant musical productions with spectacular staging, wonderful costumes and top quality song and dance performances. Tickets for Broadway shows cost between $75 and $130.
Off-Broadway plays usually take place in much smaller theatres located all around Manhattan. Off-Broadway are much more varied than Broadway Theatres. Off-Productions may include musicals, comedies or dramas. Off-Broadway theatres are usually less spectacular than Broadway plays but the talent is usually still quite good. Tickets for Off-Broadway shows cost anywhere from $20 to $75.
Off-Off-Broadway plays are performed in various small theatres and clubs all over New York City. The quality of these plays varies considerably, varying from experimental to avant-garde plays. Tickets are usually quite cheap, ranging between $10 to $30.
Tickets for some of Broadway’s hottest shows are often sold out months in advance, so it is always a good idea to call the theatre in advance. Broadway tickets can be purchased either from TKTS booths, box office, Telecharge and Ticketron or, if your hotel has a concierge, they can probably get them as well. Tickets for the more popular shows should be purchased in advance as good seats sell quickly. Prices range anywhere from $30 to over $130 USD. Tickets to Broadway shows are not cheap, especially when you add the booking fees and taxes. One of the best resources for getting cheap tickets to Broadway shows is TKTS. TKTS offers up to 50% off same-day Broadway shows. However, because of this incredible price, lines are often quite long.
