Seeing a Broadway Show in New York

Broadway is not a street here so much as a category. It means the 41 large professional theatres, each with 500 seats or more, packed into the blocks around Times Square between roughly 41st and 54th Streets (the one exception sits at Lincoln Center). Off-Broadway means smaller houses of about 100 to 499 seats, spread across Manhattan from the West Village to Midtown. The difference is size, not quality. Several big hits of the last twenty years started Off-Broadway, and the tickets there are usually cheaper and easier to get.

For a first trip, we think a Broadway show belongs on the list. The theatres themselves are part of it: gilded auditoriums from the 1910s and 1920s, a lit marquee outside, a crowd spilling onto the pavement at the interval. Our things to do in New York list puts it alongside the Met and Central Park for good reason.

How to choose a show

Start with what you like, not what is loudest on the billboards. A few rules of thumb:

• Long-running musicals are the safe choice for families and first-timers. The songs are familiar and the production is polished.
• New musicals are where the excitement is, and where the hardest tickets are. Check which shows won at the most recent Tony Awards.
• Plays suit people who want dialogue over spectacle, and often bring film and TV actors on limited runs of a few months.
• If English is not your first language, a musical with a story you already know is easier to follow than a talky new play.

Which seats

The orchestra is the ground floor. The front rows feel close but you look up at the stage; the middle of the orchestra is where the sound and sightlines are balanced. The mezzanine is the first raised level, and the front mezzanine is our favourite for big dance musicals, because you see the patterns of the choreography. The rear mezzanine and the balcony (only in some older theatres) are the cheapest, steep and far away. Watch for seats marked partial view or under the overhang, where the top of the set disappears.

Most of these theatres were built for smaller people a century ago. Legroom is tight everywhere, and aisle seats help tall visitors more than any upgrade.

Matinees and the weekly schedule

Most shows play eight performances a week, with matinees usually midweek and at weekends and one dark day, often Monday. Check the show's own site for the exact schedule. A matinee suits families, jet-lagged visitors on their first day, and anyone who wants the evening free for dinner. The cast and the show are the same.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits almost anyone who likes live music or stagecraft. It suits less well small children (most shows set a minimum age), people who hate sitting still in tight seats for nearly three hours, and anyone on a budget who hasn't looked at the discount routes below. If money is tight, an Off-Broadway show is often the better night out.

There are four ways in, from most to least certain:

1. The official seller. Buy through the link on the show's own website (usually Telecharge, Ticketmaster or Broadway Direct) or in person at the theatre box office, which avoids some online fees. For the biggest hits, book weeks ahead.
2. The TKTS booth. Under the red steps in Father Duffy Square, at Broadway and West 47th Street, TKTS by TDF sells same-day tickets for Broadway and Off-Broadway at discounts of up to half. The TKTS app and TDF website show what is on sale in real time. The newest hits rarely appear.
3. Digital lotteries and rush. Many shows run lotteries on Broadway Direct, Telecharge, Lucky Seat or TodayTix, usually opening the day before and drawing on the day, for a small number of cheap seats, typically two per winner. Rush tickets are released first come, first served on the day, in an app or at the box office when it opens. Bring ID matching the name on the entry.
4. Resellers. Resale sites and lookalike pages often charge far above face value. Check the address carefully and compare with the official seller first.

Tickets are usually non-refundable, though most shows offer an exchange if a performance is cancelled. Check the official site for current policies.

• Dress: jeans are fine. Smart casual is the norm, as our what to wear guide explains. Bring a light layer, because the air conditioning is strong.
• Arrive 30 minutes early. There are bag checks at the door, and latecomers wait at the back until a break in the action.
• Use the restroom before the show. The interval queue, especially for women, can outlast the interval.
• No photos or video once the house lights go down. Ushers will stop you. A photo of the curtain before the show or at the bows is usually tolerated, depending on the show.
• Phones off, not just silent. A glowing screen is visible from the stage.
• Eat before or after, not in between. Pre-theatre menus fill up fast on Restaurant Row (West 46th Street) and in Hell's Kitchen, which is also where our three-day itinerary sends you for a late dinner.
• Stage door: after many shows, cast members sign programmes at the stage door. Look for the barriers by the side of the theatre.