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New York theater encompasses far more than just famous Broadway shows as many people have been led to believe. In reality, Big Apple theater productions can be divided into categories: Broadway Theatre, off -Broadway shows and off-off-Broadway productions. Outlined below are the main types of New York theaters and the top theaters that house various production types.
Broadway Theatres:
Broadway musicals and plays are the major theatre productions that are staged in New York City. Examples of popular Broadway productions include Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Mamma Mia and All Shook Up. For a show to be classified as a Broadway production, those acting in it must adhere to strict contracts and the show must be performed in a theatre seating no less than 500 people. The majority of Broadway theatre houses are located near Times Square in an area known as Midtown New York.
Featured Broadway Theater: Ambassador Theatre
The Ambassador Theatre is situated on West Street in the theater district of Manhattan. This well-known Broadway auditorium features everything that you would expect from a top theatre including a lavish and elegant art-deco interior and a seating capacity of over 1100. Major productions at the Ambassador include Passion, Hedda Gabbler and A Class Act. Tickets to shows at the theatre cost anything from $40 in the rear mezzanine to $100 for front row seats. Call (212) 239-6200 for bookings and more details.
Off-Broadway Theatres:
Off-Broadway plays and musicals are usually less commercial and not as widely advertised as Broadway productions. Productions are housed in smaller theatres and feature less well-known performers. Some off-Broadway productions are located in Midtown New York, while others are scattered throughout the city. The beauty about off-Broadway productions is that they are unique and off beat and offer theater goers an experience that is a little out of the ordinary. They are also a lot cheaper than large-scale productions. A well known example of an off-Broadway production is the hit comedy Hair.
Featured Off-Broadway Theater: New York Theatre Workshop
The New York Theatre Workshop was established in 1979 with the aim of encouraging up and coming directors and playwrights to produce distinctive and unpredictable works outside of the commercial arena. These days the theater houses up to six professional productions and workshops a week. Successful productions at the theater include Dirty Blonde, and K abul. Weekday ticket prices vary, but Sunday evening cheap tickets are available at $20 per ticket.
Address: 79 East Fourth Street, New York, NY 10003
For more information call the theatre office on (212) 780 9037 or log onto the theatre website
Off-Off-Broadway Theater:
Off-off-Broadway productions are even less commercial than off-Broadway productions and are housed in theatres with a seating capacity of 100 or less. These theatres are scattered throughout New York, with only a few actually being situated near Broadway itself. Off-off-casts are usually small, and performances informal. Productions are out of the ordinary and aim to give spectators something to think about and take away with them.
Featured Off-off-Broadway Theater : Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theatre
Details: A non-profit theater that was founded in 1978 by Richard Foreman, who still produces the majority of the productions performed at the theater. Shows are small and thought provoking, giving up-and-coming actors a chance to prove themselves. Tickets to productions at the theatre cost between $15 and $20. For more information, call the main office at the theatre on (212) 420-1916 or visit the theatre website.
Theatre tickets for all types of productions can be bought directly from New York theatre box offices. Tickets for Broadway productions and professional off-Broadway shows can usually be purchased over the phone, while tickets for smaller off-off-Broadway productions may only be sold at theatre venues. You can also purchase tickets for many productions from online agencies such as Ticket Central and Ticket Master. Be careful that the online agency you book through is a reputable one that does not charge over the top booking fees.
Discount Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets can be bought from the TKTS booths in Times Square and South Street Seaport. The booths are open seven days a week and sell same-day tickets at a discount of up to 50%. The only downfall is that you are not allowed to choose your seats so it's literally a case of take what you get. For more information and directions on how to get to discount booths in New York, visit the official TKTS website.
New York - Weekend Break
