Watching a Broadway Show in New York

You know the saying, “when in Rome…”

But when in New York, seeing a Broadway show is one of the absolutely unmissable things you need to experience.

Even if you’re not a regular theatre-goer, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the hype around Broadway productions in New York.

There are so many to choose from, ranging from the bizarrely-titled Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party to classics like Phantom of the Opera and movie adaptations like Disney’s The Lion King. You could see a different show each night for weeks and still not scratch the surface.

Broadway itself is a road that cuts right through Manhattan, starting in Gramercy Park and heading all the way up to the Bronx in the north. The famous theatre district is in Midtown Manhattan, with 41 official theatres bringing in over 13 million visitors a season.

We only had the time (and budget) to see just one show, and due to the fact that Brendan doesn’t really do theatre, I got to choose which one. I had my heart set on Chicago, which I’d been wanting to see for years after falling in love with the show’s famous Kander and Ebb songs.

How to get cheap tickets for a Broadway show

Following a tip I read in the New York Times (always a good source for travel tips and information), we arrived in Times Square at about 5pm and lined up at the TKTS booth, where you can buy selected Broadway and off-Broadway tickets at 20-50% discount.

We lined up for about 20 minutes, and because we weren’t sure what was available, we picked two back-up options in case our first choice was unavailable.

But we were in luck.

When we reached the front of the line, we managed to buy tickets to Chicago in the orchestra section valued at $200 each, for just $70 per ticket. Yes, I can do maths. That is more than a 50% discount. I didn’t question it though, as I was off to the theatre!

Chicago on Broadway

Chicago was fantastic!

It was exactly what I’d hoped for, and perhaps a little bit more. The beauty of this musical is the simplicity of the costumes (there are almost no costume changes throughout the performance) and the absence of sets and props, with the exception of a couple of chairs and ladders.

The orchestra takes up most of the stage and at times the characters interact with the conductor or musicians, injecting even more humour into an already hilarious production.

I do have a confession to make: I was pretty jet-lagged that evening, and may have nodded off for a moment or two, but I’m pretty sure that just gives me a great excuse to go back again one day.

I can’t recommend seeing a Broadway show highly enough; and now that I’ve discovered the TKTS booth, I wouldn’t buy tickets any other way.

You can line up at any one of their three NYC locations as soon as they open, but the New York Times suggestion was to get there at 5 or 6pm when the last batch of tickets is released. This way you’re more likely to get better tickets at a lower price, like the seats we were lucky enough to score.

One final warning: musical productions can cause side-effects such as humming show tunes for weeks afterwards, thus annoying your significant other. Just ask my husband if you don’t believe me. Pop! Six! Squish!…

Note: this post was originally published in 2010 but has been updated in 2016 to make it more relevant and informative.