A theatre buff’s guide to musicals and plays in NYC

The task: see as many shows as possible in three days in New York City.  The players: two British Columbians on a work assignment in Toronto. The result: mission accomplished!

A couple of hams taking a bite out
of the Big Apple

This trip on the first weekend in May came together rather quickly when Erin McInnis and I decided to hit Broadway one more time before we’re in full TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games mode. No visits to the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building or museums on the agenda for this trip. The focus was theatre. Thanks to Erin’s research, we had our hit list – past Tony Award Winners, a revival and this year’s Tony nominees – and every show at a discount.

Tip 1:  Go to the TKTS Discount Booth at South Street Seaport for same-day discount tickets for evening shows and next-day tickets for matinees.

Tip 2: Once you purchase a ticket at the flagship TKTS location in Times Square, keep the stub and jump the queue into a short-cut line the next day. We met two locals from New Jersey in the line-up (who said they grew up with the real "Jersey Boys") who had just discovered this benefit.

It took some work, but we saw five shows – three evening performances and two matinees. Here's a quick recap of the revival, play and musicals:

On the Town  You can’t go wrong with this classic about three sailors and their 24-hour adventure in New York, New York (it’s a helluva town).  It’s a Tony 2015 nominee for best musical revival.

 

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder:  The 2014 Tony winner for best musical. This is a quick-paced, funny, operetta-style story of an heir to a family fortune who sets eliminate the relatives who stand in his way. The relatives are all played by the same actor. 

It's only $17-cocktails on a Saturday
evening at the historic Algonquin

It’s Only a Play:  This one is totally Broadway – a play about the aftermath of the opening night of a play. It’s a treat to see pros Nathan Lane and Stockard Channing exchange barbs. I was looking forward to seeing Matthew Broderick, but his alternate was on the stage for this performance. Of note in this show is 2015 Tony nominee Micah Stock (featured actor).

Something Rotten.  This show is filled with comedy, big show-stopping numbers and moving sets as we discover the birth of the musical in the Shakespearean era. There’s nothing rotten to report here with 10 Tony nominations this year including best musical.

Avenue Q  Winner of the 2004 Tony for best musical and best score. A story of discovery, social issues and acceptance, told with music and puppets.

 

On Monday, with no matinees available, it was time for a walk in Little Italy and along the Highline. This is worth seeing as it is a great example of urban renewal. The Highline is an out-of-use railroad trestle that’s been transformed into walkway – a trail above Manhattan.

 

 

Side note – I wasn’t overwhelmed by the hoopla and fan experience around Madison Square Garden for a Rangers playoff hockey game. I expected more! And no, we didn't spend $250 to see the game.

 

 

Fine spring weather in May. Perfect for a Sunday walk in Central Park. The best time to visit NYC!

 

Planning is underway for another NYC task – how many shows can one see in 48 hours? I may find out in September.

 

Giving my Regards to the Great White Way

A late summer trip to New York City turned into a weekend of theatre – four Broadway musicals in four nights.

Hooking up with Jen Lucas from Vancouver, who was in NYC to catch early action at the US Open tennis, we had only booked one show in advance of the trip.

On my first night, I got a discounted ticket at 6 p.m. for Pippin (Tony winner, best musical revival, 2013). It’s a colourful and entertaining show that’s easy to watch.

Friday’s show was Kinky Boots, winner of six Tony Awards last year including best musical – a great choice for Jen’s first Broadway show. It’s an engaging show with great costumes and big musical numbers.

Since I had a ticket from tkts from my first show, we skipped the line at the half-price booth at Times Square and picked up tickets for Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  The show won four Tony Awards this year including best actor in a musical for Neil Patrick Harris. His run ended on Aug. 17. Andrew Rannells stepped into the role on Aug. 20, so it was great to see him perform this demanding role in his first two weeks.

Capping off the weekend was yet another discounted ticket (and skipping a long line again – keep those ticket stubs!) for Rock of Ages.  Now in its fifth year, I can just describe the show as a fun party with all those 1980s songs.

“I love the variety,” said Jen as she summed up her first exposure to Broadway theatre. "For a Broadway newbie, what I found most interesting is that most of the theatres are fairly intimate. You are not that far from the stage.  Also I am constantly amazed by people go to a show and don't know how to act. Show up on time, don't use a flash or your cell phone during the performance! These people work hard putting on a show and it's disrespectful."

Other highlights of this trip:

The United Nations. With all the current conflicts around the world, a tour of the UN is a reminder of all the important work this organization does.

A leisurely morning coffee visit on the concourse at Times Square – great place to catch up if you can get a table. Lots of food and coffee trucks to choose from.

Lunch at Sardi’s.  In my NYC searching before the trip, the idea of lunch at this institution popped up. Much to our surprise, when we arrived for our 11:45 reservation, we were the only people in the restaurant for 45 minutes. Our waiter, an aspiring actor from Tennessee (yes, he just moved to the Big Apple a few months ago) said it was very unusual for it to be so quiet.  Later during the weekend, we did see more people in the restaurant.

 

Sunday morning walk in Central Park with all the walkers, joggers, boaters and cyclists.

 

9/11 Memorial Museum.  Just opened this spring, the museum is carved out of the lower levels of the World Trade Centre.  The timeline of the events has a full accounting of what happened on that day.

 

 

A trip to the observation deck of the iconic Empire State Building and a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge – nothing but Manhattan skyline views.

 

 

And, of course, a quick stop at Macy’s on 34^th Street, the largest department store in the world, for a bit of shopping to cap off the weekend.