The theater has been an integral part of New York City for centuries. Making a Broadway show one of the most common tourist attractions to go see when staying in Manhattan . Broadway has been known to sell over or close to a billion dollars in tickets on a yearly basis. Tickets can be purchased and are advertised all over New York City. In the 2008 and 2009, according to the Broadway League, Broadway shows sold close to 943.3 million dollars worth of tickets season.
This isn’t to say the history of theater on Broadway hasn’t had a bumpy ride, though. In 1847 the Astor Palace opened. The patrons of the Bowery Theater took acceptance to what they perceived as a snub from the Astor’s upper class audiences and rioting broke out in 1849, two years later. Not to mention the fact that until recently stage actors frowned on performers who did variety shows or, heaven forbid, worked in recorded media. This opinion is much rarer today when film holds the potential for equal or much better pay. There are still performers who view the stage as their, spending most of their time “on the boards” and only appearing in cameos on television and film.
When you decided to go to a stage production in Manhattan keep in mind to look on and off Broadway as the city is littered with theaters and be sure to research which shows are running. If you are in the mood for Phantom of the Opera you probably would be disappointed to find the only musical running at the moment was Avenue Q, though not likely to happen as musicals recorded to draw larger crowds than plays that are not. Also, if you’re staying in the Manhattan for more than a weekend and want to include a show on a budget look to see if your hotel offers ticket discounts or attend a matinee on Tuesday or Wednesday in the early afternoon, usually with a 2pm or 3pm curtain.
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