Top Tips for Broadway Musicals

lisa71541
Aug 9, 2022
4 min read

I am sure like me you have a local area that has off-broadway or broadway musicals. We have a great one here in Cleveland called Playhouse Square. But nothing compares to seeing something in NYC on Broadway.

I have been fortunate enough to see 3 different shows in NYC on Broadway; Hamilton, Wicked, and Lion King. All of which, are spectacular! My adult kids have seen a few more shows than I have and they can not seem to get enough either, we are a big musical theatre family. I have also seen shows at our local Playhouse Square as well as other local venues in other states. But, there is nothing quite like seeing the shows on Broadway in NYC.

When to buy your tickets?

It truly depends on how new the show is. For legacy shows such as Lion King or Wicked, you can get them a month or two in advance unless you want to secure one of the first-row seats. Then I would secure them as early in advance as you book your trip.

For a new show or even for Hamilton, I would secure them 6-9 months in advance if you can.

However, there is a TKTS kiosk in Times Square that has last-minute show tickets available for that specific day, at a reduced cost.

Disclaimer, the big shows are not available and you must be flexible as to where you sit and if you get to sit with your party or not. My brother and my son wanted to grab a last-minute show to School of Rock when we visited a couple of years ago at 50% off the retail ticket price. Most of the time you are not lucky enough to get seats next to each other, it just so happens they were able to secure seats together. This really is a great way if you find you have extra time and just want to see a show.

Does it matter where I sit?

No matter where you sit in the theatres you will be able to see and hear very well. It is Broadway. The sound is amazing and the actors move around throughout the stage. Also, the stages are not very deep so even if you sit up close you will not miss anything in the back. Most Broadway theatres average around 500 seats at two levels. For Hamilton, we were in the second row of the balcony and had an amazing view.

If you have not seen Hamilton, I highly recommend the show. The music and the performance are absolutely amazing! It is my all-time favorite!!

So the question is, is it worth it to sit in the front of the theatre? Here is my opinion. YES!!

When I visit my local Cleveland Playhouse square, I will NOT get seats way in the back. I feel like you are missing out. But if you are price conscious in NYC you do not have to sit in the front to enjoy the show. But here are some benefits to sitting up close.

Lion King, choose a seat in the floor /orchestra section on the aisle. The cast and puppets come down the aisles a couple of times during the performance. It is very cool to be right next to them.
If you are an instrument fan, sit close to the orchestra. The band is underneath the stages on Broadway. We sat in one of the first 3 rows of Wicked and the first 7 rows of Lion King. The conductor for Wicked was so animated and even had some interactions with the cast. It was truly fun to watch. I would also recommend before the show starts or during intermission walking up to where the orchestra is and it is pretty cool to see the 'behind the scenes' set up of the orchestra.

It was also cool to sit so close to the stage during Wicked, there were a lot of details in the costumes that I could see but would not have been able to, had we been further away and we had the cast members catch our eyes a few different times. I enjoyed all of that!

Other Tips:

If you want to time check out merch, take some pictures or selfies I would arrive a bit early. Doors do not open for performances until 30 min before show time. So don't get there too early.
How should I dress? However you would like. I have worn a dress before, but days of formal dressing for a show are over. So however you would dress for a nice dinner out is perfect. There are some people that will be a bit more casual (jeans and a trendy top and guys with a nice pair of jeans or shorts and a polo) too if that is more your style.
Take your pictures before the performances begin because your phone is not allowed to come out once the curtain opens. The staff is watching.
The saying dinner and a show was created for this purpose. There are a ton of restaurants within walking distance of all of the theatres. Restaurants are very respectful if you let them know once you sit down that you have a show so they can prioritize and make sure you can get out the door in time. Just leave enough time when making your reservation.
If you have to park, most of the theatres have lots close by so you can park your car. If you have a rental just be aware parking is fairly pricey in NYC, especially around the theatre district. Plan to pay around $55-70 depending on the time of day and night of the week. Some of the theatres do offer discount coupons for parking, but you have to print them out vs a QR code on your phone. So you may want to check into that before you leave home.
Every show has an intermission and although the women's restroom line looks daunting. They have it down to a science as getting you through the line. But don't take your time getting food and using the restroom. If you are with someone, split your duties.
How much time should we plan for? Between show time and intermission, I would plan for a solid 3 hours to 3 1/2 hours.