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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > New New York Ideas
 
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dmccaff
Nov 8, 2010
 Going to New York from Ireland with some family in July, first time in the USA. I'd like to catch a Broadway show - do I need to book online now? Also, is there a dress code or anything for Broadway? I don't think I'd be bothered going if I have to pack a suit.

* # ¿ May 31, 2012 13:10
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# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 20:23
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dmccaff
Nov 8, 2010

bam thwok posted:

If there's something in particular that you want to see, then yes, try to book it now. Otherwise, there are "TKTS" booths littered around touristy parts of the city (e.g. there's a famous one in Times Square) where you can buy same-day tickets or next-day matinees to whatever shows happen to be unsold at the time. The line could take like an hour or so, but if you just want to spontaneously pick a show this basically the only way to do it without actually going down to the box office of every theater and seeing if they have seats available.

Sheep-Goats posted:

As above if there's a certain show you want to see you should buy it in advance. Otherwise go to the TKTS booth (the best one is on the South Street Seaport because it opens before the Times Square one, but Times Square is okay too) and buy a ticket / tickets to whatever looks best at a decent discount. The TKTS booth only sells same-day tickets (or for matinees the following day). They have an app you can download to look through the different plays on offer while you wait in line -- I saw War Horse recently and had good orchestra seats for like 110 bucks going that route.

Some of the shows don't have tickets in TKTS. These are usually the upper crust most popular ones (Book of Mormon) and some of the super-commercial ones (Lion King) as they both figure they can do better by sticking to their own sales.

The plays have differing soft dress codes, depending mostly on what venue they're in. For example, if the play is at Lincoln Center you'll look really out of place in torn jeans and a Megadeath T-shirt. You'll still get in, mind you, but some richer-than-god octogenarian is going to give you fru fru looks. For the most part any pants plus a long sleeved shirt will keep you well withing norms at any of the plays.

To pick a play or plays in advance go here: http://www.stagegrade.com/ .

Please note the "Off & Off Off Broadway" option at the top. There's a lot of great theater done outside of the theater district -- most of the original plays for example are performed down in the West Village in the area around Barrow Street. I understand if you just want to go to a Broadway show because you're limited on your time in NYC, but if you like it consider going to a smaller playhouse or something too.

Also, there's a thing called "Sleep No More" that's a weird combination of a bar and a Pulp Fiction style cut up of Macbeth with titties plus audience participation thing that's very popular right now. Consider doing this instead of Broadway as there's nothing else really like it out there now. The general advice about how to do Sleep No More is run toward music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR0MPk69Iao

Cheers, thank you both. I have one week so hopefully I'll be able to cram as much as possible into it. Since I'm with family I'll probably only be able to do the touristy stuff (not that I'm complaining, I can't wait).

* # ¿ May 31, 2012 22:54
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dmccaff
Nov 8, 2010
 Just back from New York. I would thoroughly recommend buying the New York Pass card. It gets you free entry to 70 or so attractions, including all the popular things like Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, cruises, museums etc. If we had paid seperateley to those places we'd have been out a fortune, well over $300 anyway. We went to all the tourist attractions plus some other things we would never have thought of visiting. Some of the attractions even let you skip the queues with the pass.

Ended up seeing Evita on Broadway. Wanted to go to Rock of Ages but the only seats that were available had an "obstructed view" apparently. Didn't have the time for Sleep No More.

Saw Bob Odenkirk in SoHo but he looked like he didn't want to be approached, so I didn't bother trying to talk to him.

I was so surprised at how easy getting a taxi was, I honestly thought it was only that way in the movies.

* # ¿ Jul 14, 2012 21:49
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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > New New York Ideas