Times Square, the Plethora of Broadway Theaters

Every trip to New York City should involve a trip to Times Square, and tickets to the latest and best Broadway Theater production. Times Square is actually an area that comprises several streets, full of historical and modern buildings, including several world-renowned theaters that have hosted the top Broadway hits.

Broadway is where plays make it or break it. Even if your time is limited, you should add a trip to Times Square. You can pick up a free tourist map while there, and embark on your own walking tour of the region.

During your visit to New York City you may even have a chance to pick up some discount tickets from the box office. But if your heart is set on one play, do buy tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.

How Can I Find Times Square?

Times Square is located in the midtown section of Manhattan, in New York City. If you want to see the famous landmark from TV and film, you want to take a cab to the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. The street then stretches from West 42nd Street to West 47th Street. While it may seem like a busy region, you can easily walk it.

Times Square is packed full of buildings, so many people may feel a bit overwhelmed. What you should look for are the many souvenir shops, restaurants, historical buildings, and theaters in the region. It’s helpful to pick up one of the those free maps that we mentioned earlier, because it can be easy to walk around in a daze and miss everything!

Why is Times Square an Entertainment Hub?

Times Square has been called “The Crossroads of the World”, and “The Center of the Universe”. It’s one of the busiest pedestrians areas in the world. At certain times of the year it can be shut down for special events and festivals, but most of the time it has crazy traffic in both directions. You’ll want to stay safe and pay attention when you cross the street!

Times Square is also the hub of the entertainment industry, particular live music and theater. Each year, over 50 million tourists come to visit. On a daily basis, over 330,000 people pass through Times Square, with a large percentage of them being tourists. On its most busiest day, about 460,000 people on average can walk through this region.

Every year, since December 31, 1907, the ball drop has occurred for New Year’s Eve. This event attracts over a million visitors to Times Square.

This traffic brings focus to all the amazing plays on Broadway. A large portion of the traffic is devoted to people who are attending the latest Broadway play.

The History of Broadway Theaters at Times Square

Surprisingly, the earliest records of theater in New York start around 1750. A theater company was established on Nassau Street, which had seating for 280 people. The main entertainment offered plays by William Shakespeare, and ballad operas.

The history of the theaters continued through Victorian times, with high society and glamour, before faltering during the world war years, then experiencing a resurgence right before the new millennium.

In 1883, the infamous Metropolitan Opera House moved their headquarters to the location at West 39th and Broadway.

Times Square used to be called Longacre Square, but was renamed in 1904. This was because the New York Times newspaper moved their headquarters to the Times building, which has just completed construction. Their address became One Times Square.

Technically, the area isn’t set out as a square, but more of a town square. It actually has a bowtie shape, with two triangular shapes of street groupings attached together.

Over the years, the locals called this district “The Rialto”, “The Main Stem”, and of course simply, “Broadway”.

The first theater to be built for that purpose in Times Square was the Olympia. It was built by Oscar Hammerstein, now famous for his love of theater, and his cigar business. The theater attracted the crowds, so many restaurants and cafes were added. And more theaters were built.

By the 1930s, the theater district suffered. Many shut down, as well as neighbouring businesses. Seedy businesses took over. It acquired a reputation for being the bad part of town. Sadly, this decline occurred into the 1980s.

Later in the 80s, a commercial building boom began in the region. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani led the effort to clean up the area. Madame Tussauds and AMC Theatres were contracted and opened up businesses in Times Square.

During the spring of 1982, a man called Joseph Papp led a “Save the Theatres” campaign. He was a Broadway producer and director. This campaign was supported by his not-for-profit group and the Actors Equity Union. The goal was to save many theaters that had been in their prime in the early part of the century, but had been converted to seedy places after the world wars. The concern was that many of these old theaters were in the planning stages for demolition.

In July 1982, a bill was presented in Congress that could save the theater district. Sadly, this bill fell through.

The campaign then turned their efforts to making this district of New York City a “historic district” instead. This meant that each theater in the district would receive landmark designation. Finally, Mayor Koch agreed, and the zone was called “Theater Subdistrict”. Without the efforts of these people, Broadway would never have ended up being what it is today.

Today, the Golden Theater, Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, and Booth Theater are some of the most popular. This region of Broadway has been named the Great White Way.

What is the Difference Between Broadway and Off-Broadway?

When searching for your favourite Broadway production you may see the term “off-Broadway”. This means that plays are not right in the Times Square Broadway region. Instead, this region is called “Theater Row”, and it’s located from 42nd Street to Ninth Avenue and up to Eleventh Avenue.

This region still has many great plays and musicals, but the distinction is simply that these theaters are located on streets separate from Broadway. There is even a section that has been called Off-Off-Broadway.

About Broadway Theaters

The Broadway theaters consist of forty-one different professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats. Theaters in this region are considered to be one of the highest levels of performance theater in the English-speaking world. The only other region that is comparable is the West End in London.

Broadway productions are a billion dollar business. Some shows are on Broadway for years, while others last weeks or months. Most productions here are Broadway musicals rather than simply plays.

What’s a Typical Schedule for Broadway Plays?

If you’re planning your trip and have some leeway on dates of the week you can actually stay in New York City, it’s worth it to plan your stay around your favorite Broadway musical.

Typically, shows that are running indefinitely have evening performances from Tuesday through Saturday nights, so don’t plan on seeing a show on Sunday evening. Usually there is a 7 or 8 p.m. curtain, so you’ll need to have completed your sightseeing and dinner, and give yourself plenty of time to get through rush-hour traffic.

If you do want to see a show on Sunday, there are matinee performances, usually around 2 or 3 pm. Note that with this type of schedule that there are usually no shows on Monday, to give the performers a break.

Do check the scheduled times in advance before you purchase your plane tickets, so you can avoid disappointment.

What is an Open-Run?

If you’re planning on a trip several months in advance, it can be tricky deciding which show to attend. You can be assured that if tickets are available on a certain date, that the production is going to happen. The fuzzy area occurs when a show is on an open-run, but ticket sales haven’t been released yet for the following year. This means that the production’s continuation is uncertain.

The success of a Broadway show depends on the critical reviews, word-of-mouth, and advertising effectiveness. Note that even the best of shows may be shut down prematurely if all of these values are not met. As a result, a lot of things can happen in the back that most theater-goers are not aware of.

Where Can I Buy Broadway Theater Tickets in New York City?

If you can’t purchase tickets in advance for a show and are open to seeing anything, you can buy them from TKTS booths. These booths are located right on the streets, and have a distinctive red banner. These booths sell only tickets to Broadway shows, including music, dance, and plays.

The benefit is that they offer 20% to 50% off in discounts. They are well worth hunting down as you do your sightseeing in New York.

These TKTS booths have four locations in New York. They are located at Duffy Square, Downtown Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan‚ and Lincoln Center.

Which Broadway Production Will You See?

There are currently hundreds of productions to choose from in Times Square. Some shows will be ending shortly, while others are on an indefinite run. You may also see some shows advertised, that won’t be starting until 2018. With all these choices, you may just wish to wind down after a long week of sightseeing and take in several shows on the weekend.