Our March trip to New York City and its August - and October - sequels- Page 2

[bear88]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 4:26am

OP here. I have a Kimberly Akimbo ticket question for those who've seen it at the Booth Theatre.

I have been inclined to explore lottery, rush, and TKTS options for the show, which we can only see on Thursday, March 16. Trying to save a little money, keep options open, and Kimberly Akimbo rarely sells out 100 percent.

But the week we're there seems a little trickier. The Wednesday matinee is sold out for whatever reason. The Tuesday show is doing good business (not relevant for us, but I noticed it). On Thursday, most of the tickets in the center section, not counting premium seats, are gone too.

I've been inclined to wait it out but don't want to outsmart myself. There are side orchestra seats for $125 and center rear orchestra seats for $135. That's more than TKTS, and certainly a lot more than the lottery or rush, but I get to pick my seats and not waste time in line.

Are those side orchestra seats, close to the center, a good deal for this particular show? Same question about the rear seats in the center. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 8:30am

Just a question about Leopoldstadt...are we so sure it will tour? I thought of that and I'm just not 100% a tour is in it's future...

[B212323]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 9:35am

You can check the sightlines of those seats on the Telecharge site. It's a good deal for a full price seat - the Booth isn't that big. For what it's worth that date is currently selling on TDF which means they have the inventory right now. 

[bear88]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 1:03pm

hearthemsing22 said: "Just a question about Leopoldstadt...are we so sure it will tour? I thought of that and I'm just not 100% a tour is in it's future..."

I mentioned that in my first post and my wording wasn’t terribly precise. While a limited tour of select cities is possible, there is no reason to count on that and I am not some insider privy to any such plans. I was thinking more that the play could be produced by ambitious regional theater companies (acclaimed Stoppard play that is likely to win awards, et cetera). Other people have noted that it has a very large cast and that the Broadway production would be very tough to replicate.

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 1:34pm

I feel Kimberly Akimbo is a must see. It looks nicely sold for the days you are seeing shows and the Wednesday matinee appears to be sold out online. It is a really small theater. (Possible what is left could be at TKTS) I would just try to grab one of the cheaper seats upstairs ahead of time (Though you don't usually do that) to make sure you get seats. It is worth the 90 bucks. JMO

[yyys]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 1:46pm

just do rush for Kimberly Akimbo on that Thursday morning...i bet Victoria Clark will be nominated too! end your trip on a high note...

Updated On: 3/2/23 at 01:46 PM

[hak5]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 1:51pm

SHUCKED is a must see from what I hear

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 3:17pm

bear88 said: "That might all be true, but one concern I always had about getting advance tickets to seeFunny Girlwith Michele is that I paid a premium to see the musical when she is scheduled to be in the show. While she has missed few performances, people do get sick.

I know plenty of people think Benko is great, but I wouldn’t have had to pay so much to see her. It’s the inevitable risk you take, even moreso during the pandemic.

It’s also possibleSweeney Toddis a huge disappointment (no one has seen it) but I’m not as worried about seeing the standby/understudy instead in the lead roles. That show has other attractions for me."

We bought last row/upstairs tix to see Lea Michele and she called out last minute.  We asked about options at the Box office (refunds were offered) as we wanted to see the show, they got the House Manager and he moved us to very nice seats downstairs for the same price, which we thought was a VERY fair solution, as we knew from this site that Julie was going to be terrific, as she was

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 3:18pm

hak5 said: "SHUCKED is a must see from what I hear"

They are very good at Social Media.  I'd be surprised if anyone who had "heard" anything about was not hearing good things.

[bear88]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 6:23pm

Observing Telecharge and the TKTS booth situation for Kimberly Akimbo makes me more inclined to wait and take my chances.

It's less than an hour before showtime and there are a few pairs of good, center orchestra seats (normally premium) along with a few on the far sides and a decent number in the mezzanine. The TKTS booth price range is $70-85, unusally low compared to recent weeks. But it makes buying $125-$135 tickets now less enticing That's not even counting rush and the lottery, which does have the risk of getting lousy seats but is the cheapest option.

Two weeks from now may not be as easy. That's the risk.

Anyway, what's the flaw in my thinking? And if I change my mind and buy early, would you favor side orchestra, rear center orchestra, or the mezzanine for this show?

[yyys]

Posted: 3/2/23 at 8:11pm

Keep in mind the TKTS lines are always big lines these days. 

[bear88]

Posted: 3/10/23 at 11:39pm

Bought tickets to the Thursday performance of Kimberly Akimbo for $104 per ticket (side orchestra, aisle seats). It looked like a decent seat and deal and allows us to avoid having to find a TKTS booth mid-afternoon on what the long range forecast suggests should be a nice day. Shucked looks like fun and Camelot may turn out to be a big success but I had to make a choice, and I was disinclined to add another show that's in previews. It will be our final night there.

So we’re pretty much settled as far as shows - oddly for us, all in advance.

Tuesday, March 14 -- Funny Girl

Wednesday, March 15 -- Sweeney Todd

Thursday, March 16 -- Kimberly Akimbo

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions and helpful guidance (especially on the whole Lunt-Fontanne seating question). Hopefully, we won’t end up with two 6’5” guys in front of us who insist on singing along to ‘A Little Priest.’ 

Updated On: 3/11/23 at 11:39 PM

[inception]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 8:18am

KA is the show you wanted to see all along, so sounds like your best decision. 

Camelot could be around for a while.   On Reddit, after a second performance, the dissenting opinions on Shucked are starting.

I fly Monday night, & will be going for 6 days.  My biggest goal this weekend is seeing if I can pare down my luggage to just carry-on.   Fortunately NYC seems to have had a mild winter, so my worries about it being too cold at this time of year are a bit alleviated. 

 

 

[bear88]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 11:19am

inception said: "KA is the show you wanted to see all along, so sounds like your best decision.

Camelot could be around for a while. On Reddit, after a second performance, the dissenting opinions on Shucked are starting.

I fly Monday night, & will be going for 6 days. My biggest goal this weekend is seeing if I can pare down my luggage to just carry-on. Fortunately NYC seems to have had a mild winter, so my worries about it being too cold at this time of year are a bit alleviated.

My spouse is reluctantly in favor of bringing a suitcase given the variables, especially the Monday storm that’s supposed to continue into Tuesday. Most of the rest of week looks good, including the weekend for you

I’m going off reviews and comments here on Kimberly Akimbo. I know the basic plot but haven’t listened to a single song. My wife knows even less. But she favors musicals and I wanted to see a new show as opposed to all revivals. It’s definitely a lot easier when you’re seeing six shows, as we did on our last trip, than three. I haven’t been to any of the theaters where we’re seeing the musicals, which seems mildly surprising but is also a reminder of just how many theaters there are in New York City, even just limited to Broadway.

Have you settled on shows yet or do you still have open slots?

One thing about New York City is how easy it is to find interesting things to see and do. A rather quick search produced some intriguing exhibits around now as well as things our daughters have recommended from their recent trips (one famous thing we’ve never done along with other less-traveled locales). We haven’t even ruled out the Museum of Broadway, though the cost is off-putting.

[hak5]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 11:35am

LeftofLinus said: "Sell the Funny Girl tickets and see something that doesn't star someone with decades of abuse allegations."

agreed.

sell FG and re-book for SHUCKED !!!

[JasonC3]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 11:47am

Who in their right mind thinks it is helpful advice to tell someone to sell tickets they've already purchased in order to make a decision that aligns with your preferences or values?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 11:54am

Funny Girl with Lea is incredible, have a wonderful trip! 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 12:00pm

JasonC3 said: "Who in their right mind thinks it is helpful advice to tell someone to sell tickets they've already purchased in order to make a decision that aligns with your preferences or values?"

Well, I think there's pretty significant evidence that not everyone who posts on this board is in their right mind.

[inception]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 1:05pm

bear88 said: "
Have you settled on shows yet or do you still have open slots?

Yes.  The reason I chose this week was the opportunity to see Dear World at Encores. This coming week also features performances at the Met of  Lohengrin & for me that is also a must see event.   When Camelot was announced I saved a slot for that, & I got tickets to Sweeney Todd when those went on sale in September.  Then when Anthony Rapp announced his solo show with a Thursday matinee I figured that would be a good way to get an extra show in.  My flight home Sunday evening doesn't give much time for a late matinee or long show, so I'm taking a chance on The Harder They Come off-Bway at The Public because it starts at 2pm instead of 3 like most shows.

That's 6 shows, and I had 3 empty slots.   

I decided to go with the tried & true & booked a ticket to see Funny Girl again over a new show.

I was surprised that producers went ahead with bringing Parade to Broadway.   It isn't a show that I particularly love, but maybe I can respect it?

1 slot left. I drew vector diagrams and drew lots from a hat.

Finally a discount code poppped up & I went with & Juliet.  Seeing that also gives me something of a theme, by seeing three shows in a row all set sort of in Medieval times - but all with very different music: a Wagner opera, classic showtunes, and recent pop songs.  Unfortunately my chain-mail Knight cosplay probably won't fit in my carry-on.  

I also have plans one day to get over to the the Brooklyn Museum for the Thierry Mugler exhibit.  Another morning I booked the tour at The Merchants House Museum which a lady on TripAdvisor raved about recently.   The Orchid show at the New York Botanical Gardens also looks interesting, but it looks like a long trip to get there. 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 3:02pm

$104 to see Kimberly Akimbo? I regret spending $55 and my time seeing that garbage.

[bear88]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 3:03pm

Hey inception,

You have quite the packed schedule with 9 shows in 6 days plus your other plans. I knew about the Orchid show, share your concern about travel time. The Merchant’s House looks very intriguing as I’m always very interested in history as people lived it. Our plans during the day will depend on what part of the city we decide to go.

As always, we won’t get to everything we’d like to do.

Updated On: 3/11/23 at 03:03 PM

[LeftofLinus]

Posted: 3/11/23 at 4:40pm

JasonC3 said: "Who in their right mind thinks it is helpful advice to tell someone to sell tickets they've already purchased in order to make a decision that aligns with your preferences or values?"

I really find it interesting that standing up for victims of abuse is a controversial preference or anyone's values say they should align themselves with someone who has behaved the way Lea has with no real growth or repercussions.

Also very interesting how this forum will delete any posts that talk about Lea's decades of abuse.  As a victim of abuse in the theater industry, it is truly disheartening that we continue to protect monsters.

[bear88]

Posted: 3/12/23 at 7:06am

muscle23ftl said: "$104 to see Kimberly Akimbo? I regret spending $55 and my time seeing that garbage."

I have found, over the years, that you and I very often have different opinions of shows. That doesn’t make you wrong, or me wrong, just that we frequently like different musicals. It’s art, so it’s just our opinion, man (as I borrow weakly from The Big Lebowski). You have written that you strongly dislike an earlier incarnation of Sweeney Todd, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and In The Heights. You expressed particular contempt for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, referring to the musical as ‘pure garbage.’

I enjoyed all those musicals, and would rank Hedwig and Great Comet as two of my favorite shows. I don’t know what I will think of the Sweeney Todd revival this week, but I regard the original as a classic and thoroughly enjoyed a local production a few years ago.

My spouse and I may end up being disappointed with Kimberly Akimbo and I’ll be sure to let you know. But this whole thread, and a few related ones, has been about me trying to pick shows and find the best seats for the best price given logistical complications - just like many threads from out-of-towners.

As usual, I have gotten a lot of recommendations, show suggestions and helpful advice since I started this thread in January. I appreciate all of it. Hey, this is my first trip to New York City in nearly four years. I’m looking forward to it.

 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 3/12/23 at 7:31am

LeftofLinus said: "JasonC3 said: "Who in their right mind thinks it is helpful advice to tell someone to sell tickets they've already purchased in order to make a decision that aligns with your preferences or values?"

I really find it interesting that standing up for victims of abuse is a controversial preference or anyone's values say they should align themselves with someone who has behaved the way Lea has with no real growth or repercussions.

Also very interesting how this forum will delete any posts that talk about Lea's decades of abuse. As a victim of abuse in the theater industry, it is truly disheartening that we continue to protect monsters."

Questions about the performer in question have been covered ad nauseam in threads about her casting and show.  Standing up for victims is necessary, but your comment reads more like an attempt to shame someone who merely had asked for show recommendation. It seems out of place and unlikely to change any minds.

 

Updated On: 3/12/23 at 07:31 AM

[bear88]

Posted: 3/14/23 at 3:10pm

Ah, improvisation in New York City. Canceling our Funny Girl tickets.