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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Sept 20, 2023 18:29:03 GMT
As someone new to regular transit strikes and who planned a trip to London for that week over 6 months ago, can Londoners give me a sense of what to expect? I live in New York City and walk extensively, so I will adjust my itinerary. Are museums likely to be closed? Shows canceled?
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Sept 11, 2022 16:32:37 GMT
Don’t buy using Broadway.com. It’s a ticket reseller and you’ll pay exorbitant fees.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Aug 3, 2022 13:17:02 GMT
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Mar 7, 2022 19:55:48 GMT
Third for A Strange Loop! This production of Little Shop is fantastic, and it's a real treat to see it in a small theater. Are you open to plays, such as Take Me Out or The Minutes?
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Sept 13, 2021 2:20:49 GMT
Personally, this fall I'm most looking forward to Flying Over Sunset at LCT (had tickets for April 2020) But I think for a while you're going to have to look to off-Broadway. I hope the spring season will be more promising, but I'm also wary on what producers will take a chance on.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Oct 16, 2020 13:18:27 GMT
Next week, Playbill.com will be streaming Brian Dennehy's iconic performance in Death of a Salesman.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Jul 7, 2020 20:08:53 GMT
1776 is one of my friend's favorites, so we had our annual re-watch on July 4. In the US, it's available to rent on Prime Video, but as we discovered it's not readily available for streaming. TCM also airs it annually on July 4.
The plot of 1776 is taking place concurrently with the the very beginning of Hamilton. 1776 is set May-July, 1776 in Philadelphia. Throughout the musical, the Continental Congress receives dispatches from General George Washington out in the field. The battle of Lexington and Concord in April 1775 began the Revolutionary War. Historically, the Samuel Seabury pamphlets were published in 1774 and Alexander Hamilton met Eliza Schuyler in 1779, so you can get a sense of how the timelines line up. Thomas Jefferson is in both musicals and is portrayed very differently. John Adams is the main character of 1776. He is briefly mentioned in Act 2 of Hamilton with one line "Sit Down, John, you MF," which is a reference to one of the songs in 1776.
If you are able to get a hold of the film, it's notable because it includes many of the original Broadway cast members, including William Daniels. It's a film and musical that would be very unlikely to be made today. It was originally produced during the Nixon era, so some of the more darker musical numbers are a commentary on the contemporary politics.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Oct 14, 2019 19:42:44 GMT
You'll find lots of diners for pancakes in neighborhoods beyond midtown/Times Square. You might want to venture up to Tom's Diner (Broadway and West 112th St), the outside facade was the diner in Seinfeld.
For some New York history restaurants, check out Joe Allen's (theater hangout) or Pete's Tavern (one of the oldest bars, where O'Henry supposedly wrote "The Gift of the Magi." You'll have many food choices at a variety of price points.
The Staten Island Ferry is free, and gives great views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.
You could spend all day at the Met Museum, and the newly-renovated Museum of Modern Art opens in a few weeks. I also highly recommend The New York Public Library (as well as the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center) and the Morgan Library (if they are having exhibitions of interest. The Morgan is free on Fridays after 7pm).
You'll find many ticket discounts in September, but just be aware that many struggling shows will close in mid-August or during the first weekend in September (Labor Day).
As mentioned above, New York will still be very hot and humid in September (especially in early September). Pace yourself, but have fun. And, the most "New York" you can be is to complain about the subway!
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Aug 12, 2019 16:35:15 GMT
You definitely won't get any discounts on Moulin Rouge, but Playbill.com has discount codes for Beetlejuice and Mean Girls. I don't have any experience with access bookings, but TDF has information about theater access, as does NY Tix. Enjoy your visit!
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Oct 23, 2018 15:59:33 GMT
FYI, the Amy's Bread Cafe closes at 6pm, even when the library is open late. Two similar options are Orwashers (Amsterdam and 80th) or Bouchon Bakery (Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle). There's also a Whole Foods at the Time Warner Center, with cafe seating. But, you might want to look for restaurants on 9th Ave in the West 40s and 50s. There's some more reasonable priced food options (waiter service and counter service), and it's a 15 minute walk/5 min subway to Lincoln Center.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Jul 5, 2018 13:55:45 GMT
Re: my charming House Manager situation, I have written an email to the theatre management but not received a reply. The security man was also incredibly rude. The ban on outside water bottles is a Scott Rudin thing. It's the policy at all of his shows, and the security people are very difficult about it. I'd rather they spent their energies policing people on their phones. I think I got three emails from Telecharge about water bottles before I saw Boys in the Band, and yet the woman next to me couldn't figure out how to turn off her phone as the play was starting and left it turned-on in her bag (luckily didn't go off), but a different phone went off 10 minutes before the end of the play.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Jun 23, 2018 20:45:23 GMT
In October, New York City Ballet, the Met Opera, the NY Phil and Carnegie Hall will all be in season. You can browse their calendars now online, but single tickets won't go onsale until later this summer. The David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center has a TKTS booth that sells discount, same-day Lincoln Center constituent performances. While the Met Opera House is nowhere near as beautiful as the Royal Opera House, it is an experience. You can also take a tour of the Lincoln Center venues during the day. Carnegie Hall is also a special place to go. Balcony seats are pretty reasonable, with excellent sight lines and acoustics.
In addition to the museums mentioned above, there's the Brooklyn Museum of Art, which has a mixture of ancient art, paintings and decorative art, and contemporary art. It's a 30 minute subway ride from midtown. The New York Public Library (5th Ave and 42nd St) is a beautiful building, with a free tour and free exhibitions (also free wifi and a place to sit!). The library's other research locations - Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center and the Schomburg Center in Harlem - also have free exhibitions. In October, the Performing Arts Library will have a major exhibit on Jerome Robbins.
Yes, most likely due to Halloween, since it would be a low-attendance night, particularly for the Disney and kid-orientated shows. Mostly unrelated, there's a big parade in Greenwich Village along 6th Ave.
For all visitors, be aware that on nights (after 9:30pm) and weekends, there are many subway changes and the MTA isn't great about making those changes clear. It can be confusing to those of us who live here!
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Jun 20, 2018 14:37:06 GMT
There also may be closings on the first Sunday of January, and the new productions won't start previews until mid-late February. But, for what's still running, there will be discounts (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen excepted).
If you're willing to travel beyond Manhattan, I recommend the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Garden. After the holidays, it's much less crowded. It's a 20 minute train on Metro North from Grand Central Station.
I also want to mention that based on the Polar Vortex of the past few winters, it might be very cold (in temperature and wind chill) during your trip. Dress in layers!
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Jan 22, 2018 20:27:31 GMT
The specific productions and dates haven't been announced yet, but you will probably be in town for Shakespeare in the Park. There's an online lottery via TodayTix and an in-person line at the Delacorte Theater (enter Central Park at 81st St/Central Park West or 79th St/5th Ave). There's also distribution at the Public Theater downtown, but I'm not sure if it's everyday. You'll also overlap with Stephen Trask's new musical at the Atlantic Theater Company. City Center's Encores Off-Center season starts at the end of June with Songs for a New World. Oh fabulous I had no idea Songs For a New World was being revivied this summer. And time permitting I may well check out Trask's new work as well. I've resigned myself to never managing Shakespeare in the Park tickets in this lifetime after many a year trying...also my Mother may well murder me if I suggest any (long) Shakespeare as a preamble to Angels (again). But hey that's never stopped me before. Very timely, Shakespeare in the Park will be Othello, May 29 - June 24. Unfortunately for your trip, it's easier to get tickets at the beginning of the run.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Jan 22, 2018 16:50:35 GMT
The specific productions and dates haven't been announced yet, but you will probably be in town for Shakespeare in the Park. There's an online lottery via TodayTix and an in-person line at the Delacorte Theater (enter Central Park at 81st St/Central Park West or 79th St/5th Ave). There's also distribution at the Public Theater downtown, but I'm not sure if it's everyday. You'll also overlap with Stephen Trask's new musical at the Atlantic Theater Company. City Center's Encores Off-Center season starts at the end of June with Songs for a New World.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Nov 24, 2017 19:54:14 GMT
Thank you all! This is incredibly helpful and my traveling companion and I are very much looking forward to our trip.
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Nov 24, 2017 15:51:18 GMT
I'm a longtime reader and rare poster, but thank you for helping me keep up with the London theatre scene. I'm traveling to London from the States in early January and part of my trip will be a double-bill of the Cicero plays at the RSC. I hope you might have recommendations of where to stay for an overnight in Stratford, a reasonable walking distance from the train station or the RSC. I'd also welcome any recommendations for places to get a quick lunch and dinner around the RSC. Thanks in advance!
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Feb 9, 2017 22:19:48 GMT
Welcome! To echo a previous poster, consider staying outside Times Square where you might find a better hotel rate and would only be a 10 minute subway ride from the theaters. Almost all of the subway lines come into the Times Square/42nd St station.
For the subway, it's very safe, just use common sense. As someone mentioned, the map itself can be confusing. Also note that after midnight express trains will run local. And on the weekends there are a lot of service changes. It can get confusing but don't be afraid to ask the other riders.
I would recommend taking the Amtrak train between Boston, NYC and DC. It's not a pretty ride, except for when it travels along the coast in Rhode Island. But getting to and from the airports in NYC on public transit is oddly very difficult. Unlike London, there's not a direct subway line (you have to transfer to the Airtrain) and a cab can be expensive and time consuming.
When buying theater tickets, do not use Broadway.com. They are brokers disguised as official sellers. You'll pay twice your ticket price in fees. Almost all theaters sell through Ticketmaster and Telecharge (and some nonprofits have their own systems). You can find discount codes on playbill.com and theatremania.com
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Post by lucyhoneychurch on Mar 17, 2016 14:05:08 GMT
I saw the NTLive showing in NYC last night. I really enjoyed it. At times, the accents were a little difficult for me to understand, so I have a question for all of you about the ending {Spoiler - click to view} When Shirley comes back, between her accent, pitch and sobbing, I couldn't quiet make out what happened to her. I got that she was never in the garage, but perhaps waited in the train station the whole time?
Thanks!
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