Best of New York: Cheap Broadway Shows

For both visitors and locals alike, the theatrical spirit of Broadway is something you have to experience at least once. But finding affordable tickets can be a production in itself. If you're looking for a showstopping good deal, here are some tried and true ways to get a Broadway experience at a fraction of the box office cost.

TKTS Booth

By now it's the worst-kept secret in cheap Broadway tickets, but the TKTS booth still delivers discounted tickets (from 20% to even 50% off) for popular shows. The Times Square booth is the most popular, and offers dozens of Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets on the day of the performance. If you head further south, they also operate booths at the South Street Seaport and in Downtown Brooklyn, less crowded locations where you can snag matinee tickets a day in advance.

More info: tdf.org

Broadway Box

For those who are looking for a little more advance notice, or who live further afield, Broadway Box is a great online option. The website provides dozens of discount codes, which you can use on the theater's normal ticket vending site, like Tickemaster or Telecharge. The show offerings and seating assignments are somewhat limited, but your savings will work out similarly to TKTS - up to 50% off your purchase - and you don't have to sign up for anything to get the deals; all the info is posted publicly.

More info: Broadwaybox.com

Theatermania

Unlike Broadway Box, which posts its deals on a freely-accessible site, Theatermania requires that you register with your email address to get the goods. Once you do, though, you'll get a newsletter right to your inbox with all the deals available. More comprehensive and with more availability than most competing discount sites, Theatermania will also notify you of Broadway news and reviews if you request it, so you can know which show is your best bet.
More info: Theatermania.com

Youngster Deals

Especially for families, ticket prices can add up quickly. Luckily, some of the best deals on Broadway are geared toward the younger set. On the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month, the Broadway League holds Kid's Night, where anyone ages 6-18 gets a free ticket if accompanied by a full-paying adult. There are also deals for students and recent grads. Check out the Roundabout Theatre Company's Hiptix program, which offers $20 tickets to all their productions to those 18-35 (which can be often be a 75% discount or higher). Manhattan Theatre Club's also has a 30 Under 30 promotion, which lets those under three decades see two MTC productions for $30 each.

Rush Lines

If you're still looking for a cheaper ticket a few hours before a performance, hightail it over to the theater itself. Many Broadway theaters reserve a block of discounted tickets to distribute on the day of the show, called rush tickets. Others will record the names of hopeful patrons and enter them in a lottery for the coveted few seats. You can find a list of the specific practices for each theater on Playbill.

Best of New York: Movie Theaters

If you still haven’t seen the biggest movie releases of the summer, or are looking forward to the new batch of fall films, head to one of New York’s best movie theaters. Whether you’re looking for Hollywood glamour, giant screens, indie flicks or cheap seats, our list of favorite cinema spots have to ready to buy some popcorn.

Landmark Sunshine

New Yorkers flock to this downtown movie house to see both new releases and cult favorites; although it focuses on the major independent and art-house films of the season, the Sunshine will run the occasional evening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show or Donnie Darko. The building was converted from a Yiddish vaudeville house, so you can soak in the neighborhood history while you enjoy the stadium seating—known to have some of the best sightlines and comfortable chairs in NYC.

143 E Houston St, Manhattan; landmarktheatres.com

Clearview Cinema Ziegfeld

Get a dose of old New York at this historic movie theater, the same spot where the legendary Ziegfeld Follies played throughout the first half of the 20th century. The luxurious décor still remains today, so you can walk the same red carpet and wash your hands at the same marble sinks that Broadway’s earliest stars did. Although there’s only one screen, which plays blockbuster new releases, you’ll be watching in style.

141 W 54th St, Manhattan; clearviewcinemas.com

BAM Rose Cinemas

Missed your favorite flick at one of NYC's summer movie screenings? Brooklyn’s most ornate movie theater is also one of its most eclectic, screening everything from recent independent films to cinema classics on its four screens. A Brooklyn counterpart to Manhattan’s Film Forum, this is where serious film buffs in the boroughs can see rare and foreign films, as well as events with famous names in the movie biz, including directors, writers, producers and actors.

30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn; bam.org

AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13

Every movie theater list needs its multiplex, and if you want to see the season’s biggest blockbuster films, or are planning a movie day with multiple showings in one afternoon, look no further than the AMC in Lincoln Square. The theater is far enough away from the masses in Times Square to avoid the crowds, the stadium seating gives you great views, and, to top it off, it’s the only theater in NYC to show films in IMAX. Get your tickets here to the biggest action movies of the year.

1998 Broadway, Manhattan; 212-336-5020

Kew Gardens Cinemas

For those who shy away from dropping $12 on a movie ticket, head to Kew Gardens for some of the best cinema deals in New York. See a selection of current blockbusters and independent productions for almost half the NYC theater price on Tuesdays and Thursdays: all showings are $6.50. Or get some early bird deals before 5pm on weekdays and 2pm on weekends: still $6.50 for all movies! If you can only make peak times, you’ll still be saving a couple dollars, so it’s well worth the trip to Queens.

81-05 Lefferts Blvd, Queens; kewgardenstheatre.com