The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York

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All information in this post is accurate as of the publishing date, however it is always best to check timetables, pricing, or opening hours before visiting a destination or venue.

If you know us in person, you know we are BIG musical theatre fans. We actually met because we bonded over a musical in New York, so we feel like we really made the most of our time there together. Apart from seeing an actual musical, there is still so much to do for musical theatre fans in New York. Theatre tours, shops, restaurants, museums, festivals and even themed cookies, there really is so much to enjoy.

If you are not a musical theatre fan but are still looking for things to do in New York, we’ve also got you covered! We have a blog post for non-touristy activities for return visitors to New York. There is also a guide to the Christmas decorations in New York if you’re visiting during that time of year.

The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York. Krissie leaning on a publicity frame for Merrily We Roll Along in New York, USA. She's standing behind the board but there's a window she's peering through and around the window are photos of Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez who are in the show. Above her it says "It Started Out Like A Song" and Krissie is smiling
We were thrilled to get to see this while in New York!

Discounted Tickets

Now of course the obvious thing for musical theatre fans in New York to do is to see shows. However Broadway isn’t exactly cheap, and because there are so many shows on at one time, seeing everything you want to is very tricky. One way to make it easier is to get cheaper tickets, which you can do with TKTS and TodayTix.

TKTS

TKTS has two physical booths, one in Times Square and one in Lincoln Centre. Both booths have different opening hours so it’s best to check their website if you want to visit. After queueing in line at the booths, you can buy discounted same day and next day tickets to shows. There’s a limit to six tickets per person per show and some tickets can be up to 50% off. The best thing about it is that even if the cheaper tickets are sold out online, TKTS may have some remaining. If you’ve got some flexibility with your time to see shows and you have a few options you’d be happy seeing, give this a shot!

TodayTix

Secondly is TodayTix which is a website and app selling discounted tickets and online lotteries. It also works not only for New York, but many cities around the world including London, LA, Sydney and Melbourne. It won’t have every show available, but will usually have discounted tickets for the shows available. This really is a one great way to get cheaper tickets.

The best thing about TodayTix is this is the easiest place to find online lottery and rush tickets. Not every show does lotteries or rush, and of the ones that do not all of them are online. But the ones that are can be found on TodayTix! Lotteries are entered one day for the week of shows ahead, and winners are down to luck with tickets at discounted prices. However, rush tickets are won on a first come first serve basis, are for shows on the day of and are usually heavily discounted. Both ways are amazing ways to get cheaper tickets to shows so hopefully they work for you.

A screenshot from the TodayTix app that says Hadestown tickets are $62. Below a Louis Armstrong Musical is also selling tickets for $62 and says 30% off underneath and it also has $49 rush tickets "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
On TodayTix you can see tickets selling for 30% off and also selling $49 rush tickets

Theatre Tours

Possibly the coolest thing you could do apart from seeing shows is to go backstage! There are a number of behind the scenes tours you can do for both Broadway and other theatres so here are a number of great options:

Possibly the coolest tour we’ve found, the Gershwin Theatre runs a behind the scenes tour of Wicked. During this 90 minute tour you will go through the Behind the Emerald Curtain Museum where you’ll see costumes, props and wigs from the show. There’s also a Q&A with cast members where you can ask them questions about the show. Tickets are $40 USD. Just make sure you know that you won’t be backstage while the show is running, and your tour ticket doesn’t include a ticket to the show.

The New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway also runs tours but isn’t doing them at the moment. However we thought we’d mention it anyway in case they start running them again!

This is a great tour, even if you’ve never seen a show at Radio City Music Hall. The foyer and auditorium are so beautiful and getting to see them up close is amazing. The 60 minute tour runs 7 days a week and costs $33 USD when purchased at the box office and $41 USD when bought online. During the tour you’ll learn about the buildings history and architecture from inside the theatre, learn about the Rockettes and even meet a current Rockette.

Another great one is the Lincoln Center tour which goes for 75 minutes. Tours run twice a day every weekday and cost $20 USD per adult. Every tour is different depending on what’s happening that day at the center. Some of the stops may include the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, the Lincoln Center Theatre and the Chamber Music Society.

Carnegie Hall is another great place in New York that offers tours. The 1 hour tour gives you an inside knowledge about the history of the 130 year old building. You can see the amazing auditorium and the beautiful stage, visit the composers gallery and go to a museum with hundreds of Carnegie Hall artefacts. Tours run Monday to Saturday during the concert season and tickets cost $20 USD per adult.

This is a great company that offers Broadway related tours. They offer virtual and in person tours, which come with both interior and exterior options. The interior options take you inside the Hudson Theatre or the New Victory theatre for an hour and 45 minutes, with tickets costing $56 USD per adult.

The exterior tours are all also 1 hour 45 minutes long and cost $41 USD per adult. There are 5 of those which are the Broadways Beginnings tour, the Shubert Brothers tour, the Hippies, Discos and Dogs tour, the Hamiltour and the Haunted Broadway tour. The best part is that all their tour guides are working actors and stage managers so have personal stories to share on the tours.

Radio City Music Hall on 6th Avenue in New York City, USA. Radio City has a couple of big signs on the front in yellow and red lights and the big tree on top is red with a big red star on top. In front of it is a road with cars and lots of people around. In the very front of the photo is a fountain with some water spouts "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
Radio City Music Hall
Lincoln Centre in New York City, USA. The photo is taken at night and Lincoln Centre is lit up with 5 huge arches at the front with glass windows showing the warm light inside. Out the front is a fountain also lit up and the rest of the pavement is dark and wet "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
Lincoln Centre in New York City

Theatre Eateries & Bars

There are hundreds of eateries in New York City with live performances! If you’re after a musical theatre themed one, we’ve got some great recommendations!

This is a famous 1950s themed diner in the heart of Midtown with amazing singing waitstaff. The staff who work here are often auditioning for shows at the same time as working here. Previous staff have gone on to work in almost every Broadway and off Broadway musical. While you’re eating, they perform musical theatre and pop songs and honestly every performer is incredible. The diner is also so cute and the food is decent but do keep in mind there is often a queue.

This very similar to Ellen’s except the singing waitstaff only sing Broadway songs. The other difference is it is only open from 5pm until 8pm every day so visiting can sometimes be a bit trickier. It’s also more of a restaurant vibe as opposed to a diner but it’s worth a visit if you’re a musical theatre fan!

This is a cabaret club and restaurant with food, drinks, and 3 performances every night on 54th street. There’s a variety of musical performances from opera, jazz and musical theatre and tickets must be booked online. Some incredible past performers have included Samantha Barks, Norbert Leo Butz, Ben Platt, Patti LuPone, Jane Lynch and Tim Minchin. Check out their website to see who’s performing while you’re visiting.

Marie’s says it is “The world’s only acoustic sing-a-long showtunes piano bar”. It’s located down in West Village and is open from 4pm to 4am every day. However the piano players are there every night from 6pm to 3am. All the songs are show tunes and everyone is encouraged to sing along and have some fun! Some Broadway performers also pop in and perform every now and then, with Lea Salonga and Darren Criss having done it before. There are no reservations, and because it is a bar only people over the age of 21 can enter. Also keep in mind that there is a two drink minimum, it’s cash only, and the venue is very small.

Inside Ellen's Stardust Diner in New York City, USA. The diner is 1950s themed and the photo is taken up on the second level, looking down on the bottom level. There are lots of tables and chairs squished together with lots of people sitting at them. They're booth style and there's lots of red material all around. The top level has more seating and people and there are TVs on the balconies and a disco ball hanging from the roof "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
Inside the very cool 1950s styled Ellen’s Stardust Diner

Theatre Shops

If you want to get some theatre merchandise, there are some great shops in midtown to buy whatever you like:

  • Theatre Circle: This is located at 44th street, right in the middle of the theatre disctrict and is open 10am – 11pm every day. This is often called “Broadway’s Theatre Shop”, and it sells so much cool stuff. Here you can buy clothes, playbills, books, scripts, CDs, vinyls, mugs, magnets and much more!
  • Right nearby is One Shubert Alley, located on Shubert Alley between 44th and 45th streets. It is open various hours Tuesday to Sunday and is a much smaller store than Theatre Circle. It also sells a lot less merchandise but does still have clothes, pins, mugs and some other great stuff.
  • Lastly is The Drama Book Shop on 39th street which is open 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 7pm on Sundays. It has a small 60 seat theatre downstairs which is where the musical “In The Heights” first began in 2002. The store is now currently owed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and some friends who bought it in 2020. The shop sells books related to the performing arts including scripts and plays and also sells store merch such as clothing, stationary and water bottles. Even better is it has a café where you can read, and the whole store has been designed by the set designer of Hamilton so it’s absolutely worth a visit!
A hand holding a little book that says "Playbill" up the top in a yellow box and "Little Shop of Horrors" on the bottom in New York City, USA. Behind the Playbill are red seats and a stage with a big green curtain that says "Little Shop of Horrors" on it "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
About to see Corbin Bleu in Little Shop
A hand holding a little book that says "Showbill" up the top in a yellow box and "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" on the bottom in New York City, USA. Behind the Playbill are red seats and a stage with a circle spotlighting the stage and 4 big archways above the stage "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
This was the only non-musical we saw

This is a must do for theatre fans in New York! This museum is right in the heart of all the theatres and takes visitors through a history of Broadway from 1732 to now. It is quite expensive at $43 USD per adult but is definitely worth it if you’re a theatre fan. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the different levels and reading everything. The museum starts in a room with the playbills of all the different shows currently playing on Broadway where you can count how many you’ve seen (like we did!).

It then goes through different themed rooms going from early Broadway up to current. Even better is there’s music playing everywhere you go so you can have a little singalong too. There’s a mix of written things, costumes, props, videos and audio and little 3D models so there is so much to see. As well as shows there’s also a room dedicated to behind the scenes members of productions which is also cool. At the end there’s a gift shop where you can then buy all your Broadway merch. It really is a great experience and something all musical theatre fans in New York should do.

Outside the Museum of Broadway in New York City, USA. There's a red sign saying "Museum of Broadway" above a mannequin of a woman popping out of a cake with a feathered head piece "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
The Museum of Broadway in New York City
Inside the Museum of Broadway in New York City, USA in the section about people behind the scenes in theatre. There's arrows on the ground showing you where to walk and around the path are cabinets with things in them and writing on them and a pole with a small tv screen on it too "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
Inside the amazing Museum of Broadway

Theatre Festivals

As well as being home to some of the best theatre in the world, NYC is also home to some of the best theatre festivals too. They’re all on at different times of year so getting to go to one will either have to be planned or happen out of luck. And of course there are probably HUNDREDS of theatre festivals in New York year round so here are just some of the most popular ones you could visit:

As the name suggests, this is a convention for Broadway lovers. This happens over three days in February every year and is held at the Midtown Hilton hotel. There are so so many events including singalongs, workshops, showcases for new shows, talks and panels. There is also a cosplay contests and a “Star To Be” competition where performers compete to win prizes. Broadway celebrities also sometimes show up and honestly this would be the BEST experience for a Broadway lover! Tickets aren’t cheap though at $94 USD for one day or $233 USD for all three days so it’s definitely something you’ll need to plan into the budget.

This is an amazing event that offers free productions at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park. They perform mostly Shakespeare productions but sometimes other shows and musicals. It has been going since 1962 and tickets are given out on the day in person and via lottery. Past shows have included some of the most incredible actors such as James Earl Jones, Meryl Street, Martin Short and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Over time it has become super popular and queues can be hours long for the free tickets. But while the theatre has less than 2000 seats, over 80,000 people attend every year. It really would be an amazing experience watching live theatre in the middle of Central Park!

We would be silly not to mention Elsie Fest, as it was created by Darren Criss, aka the reason we met (thanks Glee). This festival is held around September to October in different outdoor locations in New York every year. Different Broadway performers perform songs from old and new musicals on the main stage. Darren himself also always performs and sometimes brings fellow Glee cast members or members from his college theatre group Starkid. Previous guests have also included Rachel Zegler, Lea Salonga, Aaron Tveit, Cynthia Erivo, Gaten Matarazzo and Alan Cumming. General admission tickets are $50 USD or premium tickets are $150 USD.

& More!

Of course there are so many other festivals in the city such as the Australian Theatre Festival in NYC held in November. There’s also the She NYC Arts Summer Theatre Festival held in July showcasing works by women, non-binary and trans artists. Lastly there’s Queerly, which showcases theatre, comedy and films from LGBTQ+ artists which runs from June to July as part of Pride. There really are SO many different theatre festivals and if you’re visiting during summer here’s a list of even more.

The Belasco Theatre in New York City, USA. There's a big sign lit up at the top that says "Belasco". Underneath there's a marquee that says "How to Dance in Ohio" in a yellow square. Under that are people lining up, and behind them is a road with cars and more buildings behind it. The photo is taken at night and you can see it's lightly snowing! "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
The beautiful Belasco theatre all lit up
Inside a theatre in New York City, USA. The stage has the set for Hamilton on it which has a wooden banister around the wooden stage and there's lights above the stage. The photo is taken from the second level so it's looking down at the stage from above "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
The amazing stage of Hamilton the musical

If you get hungry while walking around midtown, head to Schmackary’s for some delicious cookies. And you may be thinking “how are cookies related to musical theatre”, but these ones are! Schmackary’s was started by a wannabe Broadway star who started baking in his New York apartment. He’s now made it to Broadway, but as a baker instead, and they’ve now become “The Official Cookie of Broadway”. The original shop is still in Manhattan in Hell’s Kitchen, but there’s also another shop in New Jersey.

They have over 100 different flavours and a selection of at least 20 will be available every day. You can check which ones are available on their website but we can confirm “The Classic” is absolutely delicious. The best part is that almost every month they partner with a different Broadway show to create a special themed cookie. In the past they’ve had a corn bread cookie for Shucked, Glinda’s cotton candy cookie for Wicked and a deep dish blueberry bacon cookie for Waitress.

Every year they also have a charity event called Broadway Bakes where Broadway stars come together to serve customers at Schmackery’s and raise money for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. It really is worth a visit because what could be better than Broadway and cookies?!

Inside Schmackery's in New York City, USA. In the bottom of the photo are heaps of drinks in bottles and above that is the counter with a glass barrier. Behind it you can see lots of cookies with signs, and behind that are some signs with the cookie flavours "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
Look at all the delicious things on sale!
Two hands holding a cookie each in a white bit of paper in New York City, USA. On the right behind the hands is a bit of greenery with some Christmas lights in it "The Ultimate Guide for Musical Theatre Fans In New York"
Schmackery’s cookies are very tasty

Final Thoughts

There really is so much cool stuff to see and do for musical theatre fans in New York. We hope you get discounted tickets to some great shows, enjoy some singing waiters, get some delicious cookies and just have a wonderful time! Let us know what you got up to and if you’d like to talk musical theatre with us, definitely get in contact.

If you want to see everything we got up to during our month in New York, check out our NYC vlogs here:

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