On this post I will share my experience and some tips regarding the Broadway Musicals. In a year I got to see neither more nor less than eight musicals all thanks to the Broadway Lottery.
It all started with the Cher Musical, which was not one of the most famous ones. Initially, I thought there was no chance to see one of the most popular ones, but the truth is that persistence is the key. Every now and then, I would randomly apply to them without any expectations whatsoever and then got surprized and very excited at the same time! Normally you’d have to apply to the lottery either at night or early in the morning. So, I would just access the website on my way to work and then get the result either at 9am or 2pm, depending on the musical. Of course, there were many times when I received the same unfortunate email, but eventualy you win or you make it on the «stand-by» list. If you win you have to make sure you get the ticket immediately, otherwise you lose your chance. If you are on the «stand-by» list, there are quite good chances that you can still attend the musical when no one claims their ticket. When you apply to these lotteries you can choose one or two tickets. There were a couple of times I missed my luck by not checking the email on time. I really wanted to see Beettlejuice, but by the time I saw the email it was already late. The good thing is that if it happened once, it would definitely happen twice!
By constantly persevering, I had the incredible opportunity to see Pretty Woman, Tootsie, Lion King, Aladdin, Phantom of the Opera, Frozen and The Girl from the North Country… and Broadway did not dissapoint! Each one of them had some features that made them unique in their own way. My favorite one was definitely Phantom of the Opera!! The musical score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the big chandelier, the cast and the staging was simply amazing! We left the musical singing! In this one, I got two front row seats on the orchestra. Therefore you get to enjoy the experience and the view much more than when you get a mezzanine seat!
Lion King and Aladdin were probably the two most famous ones and they both met the high expectation without a doubt! Tootsie really surprized me in a positive way. We laughed a lot on this one! Frozen was great too, especially for the staging and the 3D elements poping out of the stage. I really felt overwhelmed with excitement to see all the details up-close! All the hard work and the talented artists make outstanding musicals! The last one I saw wast The Girl from the North Country at the Belasco Theatre. Such a gorgeous theater that offers a dramatic experience, where the audience is close to the actors. I got to learn more about Bob Dylan and his famous folk-rock songs from the 60s. The musical references social and political issues in America, that also capture the hope and heartbreak written in Bob Dylan’s songs. In his words: “May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung.”
Last but not least, I will share some of the websites that I used to attend all those fantastics musicals! The main one being lottery.broadwaydirect.com, that from time to time has new upcoming shows! I have also used playbill.com, here you get access to other musicals and their respective links. On this one you can find more about Broadway Rush, Lottery and Standing Room. I have only tried the lottery, which is less of a hassle. All you have to do is click on the link and your chances to get a good spot are quite high! Luckyseat.com is another website where you can find musicals not only on Broadway, but all over the US and UK as well. In this one it’s important to choose the right location! The website is safe and there’s no compromise by having to sign-in. Usually one can find good deals on apps like Today Tix or last minute deals on the Gametime App. Although, those deals will rarely be for the orchestra seats, and most commonly for the upper mezzanine ones.
It’s pretty easy to get addictive to these shows, in which some cost less than the price of a movie theater ticket. New York City is the place for cultural events and activities. There’s always something new to discover in the city that never sleeps and I highly encourage everyone that loves theater, music and art to give it a try!
