New Yorkers, we need to have a talk. Between saving all your pennies to finally see “Hamilton” — the cheapest we’ve recently heard someone getting a ticket on the secondary market is $400 — and the many delights of summer in the city, we’ve let our theater attendance slip.
Remedy it during NYC Broadway Week when tickets are 2-for-1 at many of the newest and most popular productions to get you into those crushed velvet-covered seats. Sales are open now for performances taking place Sept. 4-17 by 23 shows, 12 of which are new to Broadway Week.
Here’s the full list of NYC Broadway Week shows, with a star next to the ones new to the program:
1984*
A Bronx Tale
A Doll’s House, Part 2*
Aladdin
Anastasia*
Bandstand*
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Cats
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*
Chicago
Groundhog Day*
Hello, Dolly!*
Kinky Boots
Miss Saigon*
Prince of Broadway*
School of Rock
The Lion King
The Phantom of the Opera
The Play That Goes Wrong*
The Terms of My Surrender*
Waitress
War Paint*
Wicked
That 2-for-1 deal is good enough that you could see every show on this list. But if you’ve only got time (and, again, probably saving those Benjamins), these are the shows to see.
Groundhog Day
It may have gotten snubbed by the Tonys, but this British import is a great example of what changing the medium can do to explore a story in greater depth. Even the original star of the film, Bill Murray, was overcome with tears! Help give it a proper send-off before the show closes Sept. 17.
1984
Broadway has traditionally leaned into escapism as its preferred theme, but that shouldn’t put you off this timely, swoon-inducing, brave production. No knowledge of George Orwell’s book is required — we basically live in the dystopia he imagined already.
A Doll’s House, Part 2
The best stories always leave you wondering what happens to the characters after they end. This new play gives you a rare answer as the heroine of Henrik Ibsen’s controversial work returns to the husband and children she walked out on 20 years ago. Warm critical reception extended the show’s planned run through Jan. 7, but why wait when the deal is this good?
Hello, Dolly!
When you’ve got someone with as much moxie as Bette Midler, even an iconic role gets new life. This classic American musical gets a breath of fresh air from the tour de force that is Midler, who took home the Tony Award in June for her spitfire portrayal of Dolly Gallagher Levi. She’s staying on through Jan. 14, and the show may well close without her, so this is your chance to see a one-of-a-kind actress in an iconic Broadway production.
War Paint
The high drama in the fashion world has gotten plenty of screen time, and the makeup biz was no less cutthroat. Two legends of the stage, Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersole, bring the unbelievably nasty story of Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden to the stage to show just how ugly being beautiful can be. Divas being divas is what Broadway is all about, after all.
