Broadway Show Planning

Unfortunately I think it's way too early to make plans for April next year now. Broadway shows fold much quicker than West End shows. I'm sure there will be plenty of new shows arriving for the next season that haven't announced a run yet and I notice you don't mention new arrivals like Anastasia, Natasha, Pierre & bla bla, Dear Evan Hansen or the Hello Dolly-Revival with Bette Midler.

Generally (unless it's Hamilton) I'd wait with booking until the end of the year as so many shows don't make the traditionel post-christmas cull on Broadway as producers know they'd be losing too much money during the meagre months of January and February when tourism is at its lowest and people are broke after christmas.

Waitress seems to be popular, so it might make it - not sure about Colour Purple and Something Rotten. The latter has already had a really decent run. Also study the TDF website for some days/weeks to get a feel for which shows are usually discounting: www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS-ticket-booths - might be a sign that they won't live much longer but you'll also know for which shows you needn't bother booking full price tickets ahead.

As for The Fantasticks - I saw it during its original run at the Sullivan Street Playhouse many years ago and absolutely adored it. It has next-to-nothing in terms of stage sets and costumes and entirely relies on creating a charming world through lyrics and music. Not sure it's worth the current (much higher) prices, but definitely worth seeing as a piece of Broadway history.

Thank you Viserys. I see that Waitress is booking well into next year so I don't have any concerns with this one. As for the other new ones coming up not much is "tickling my fancy" so to speak, other than maybe 'In Transit'. I know I'm super eager, but the Great White Way will have a large bearing on my visit. I'm also aware that the turnaround for theatres takes longer generally between shows, so I'm hoping there'll be more choice closer to the time. 😊

Waitress is doing really well on Broadway, so it's not surprise that's booking into next year. I think The Color Purple will extend again? The show only opened at the end of last year so it should last longer than 1 year, it seems to have a good audience too?

We're off to NY in November and have so far booked A Bronx Tale, Bubble Boy & Falsettos. Going to hang fire before booking anything else. PS Secretly hoping Jake Gyllenhall reprises his Bubble Boy film role.

Reviving this thread. I'm in NYC in early November. Have booked to see The Front Page for the starry cast alone (Nathan Lane, John Slattery, John Goodman) and fortunately am hearing good things in early previews.

Was also going to book The Falsettos but am not hearing such good things so don't think I'll bother.

Are there any must-sees at the moment (Hamilton aside)? I'm not particularly inspired by anything (that isn't already in or coming soon to London), but curious to hear other views?

TIA!

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 has had excellent reviews in all of its off-Broadway runs and is starting on Broadway tomorrow night. 

I want to find out more about the Great Comet and Anastasia. There's very little out there in terms of the sound of the score to draw me in yet, but I'm keeping an open mind.

Im currently booked for Dear Evan Hansen and Waitress, with a view to booking War Paint and Hello, Dolly! soon too. I'd like to see Falsettos but unless it extends its unlikely.

People that have seen Natasha Pierre say that the score works much better in the context of the show.

One of those embarrassing moments where you write something stupid and come off looking like a wally!

I've found the film on Netflix so I'll use that as a guide I think.

I might be heading to New York in 2017, July time perhaps. I want to do Broadway this time round, becuase I missed out the last time (2008). I also want to see something exclusive, so nothing that is available here in the West End. So far, I'm drifting towards Cats right now, but Waitress might be an interesting second option.

I dunno, some tips and ideas would be really appreciated.

Cats is bound to turn up again in London sooner or later.  And rumours that Waitress is coming to London are pretty strong, too.

Emicardiff is right, it's now way too early to predict what may still be alive next July - or what may be coming in during spring still.

Personally I'd recommend to look for particular people rather than shows.  I am still annoyed that I spent a great deal of money on Broadway tickets last summer (and going to NY in the first place) only for four out of five shows to a) have opened in London already (Aladdin)  b) are firmly announced (Hamilton and American in Paris)  or are c) quite certain to open here (Finding Neverland).  So my only consolation is really that I saw the outstanding Broadway genie James Monroe Inglehart, had a dream come true in finally seeing Anthony Warlow live on stage and to see the original cast of Hamilton including LMM. 

Still, whenever I go to Broadway again, it would be for particular people that are very unlikely to come over, i.e.  Bette Midler in Hello Dolly, Josh Groban in Comet oder Patti LuPone in War Paint.  But that's just me. I'm just saying, in my experience almost everything I saw on Broadway at some point turned up in the West End sooner or later, so the "something exclusive" has rarely worked out for me. I am, however, extraordinarly proud that I caught the mega-flop Lestat on Broadway

If "exclusivity" is your main thing, I'd wait until at short notice and see which shows are flailing after only a few weeks' run. You're a) bound to get good discounts and b) big Broadway flops usually don't transfer and they're not necessarily bad musicals, just underappreciated.