Whether you’re avoiding Super Bowl crowds or just looking for ways to make the weekend even more special, there’s always Broadway.
Credit: Matthew Murphy
This Sunday, Times Square will be overrun with events centering on Super Bowl XLVIII. But fear not: Sidewalks and streets are staying open to allow you to easily access all of the theaters on Broadway. As Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said, “Broadway shows are rolling out the red carpet for visiting football fans to make it easy for them to see a show or two or three when in town!”
This is especially good news since we’re smack in the middle of Broadway Week. That means many titles are currently offering 2-for-1 tickets, which you can purchase through NYCGo.com/BroadwayWeek.
And yes, that means the shows will go on this Sunday — matinee and evening plays are still on schedule, although some start times have been adjusted to accommodate the Big Game. You can find complete ticket information at Broadway.org, which also offers a map of the routes that will remain open in the Theater District this weekend.
If you don’t want to totally ignore game day, you can still catch a show that puts you in the sporting spirit, including some that actually encourage you to have an adult beverage and finger food as you watch.
Here are our picks to help you get in the Super Bowl groove — but in Broadway style:
‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’
Housed in a giant pop-up tent in the heart of the Theater District, this play offers more than just a show; it’s an immersive event staged in a supper club setting, which means that you get to dine and drink while watching a love story unfold straight from the pages of “War and Peace.” Said a representative for the show, “We are certainly a good fit for those folks who want to go to a party that doesn’t involve football — but that DOES involve beer and vodka.” Your ticket gets you an aperitif, but plenty of other drinks and bites are available for purchase throughout the evening.
OK, so this might not be the right sport (the Yankees are soccer, right?) (just kidding), but this play will still put you in the professional sports mind-set. “Bronx Bombers” brings together historic members of this legendary franchise who would never otherwise share the same room, including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter. The core of the show is Yogi Bera and his wife, Carmen, revisiting the century that made the Yankees a team for the ages. Drinks are available for purchase in the lobby.
You’d imagine that the Seahawks and Broncos are boasting the most athletic men in the Tri-State Area, but you might reconsider that notion when you see this ensemble of drag queens singing, dancing and strutting in corsets and 5″ heels — sometimes on a moving conveyor belt. (We’d like to see Peyton Manning try that!) The story follows a young man who inherits his father’s shoe factory in times of economic turmoil and turns business around by investing in the niche market of making glam shoes for cross-dressing men. Drinks are available for purchase in the lobby.
