Whether you want an escape or you want a show to make you think, these new shows are sure to do both.
On Broadway:
If you have family or friends visiting this winter season, and you want to take them to a good ‘ole Broadway show, go and see one of the long-running classics. If you’re going to see something new and provocative, Slave Play (written by Jeremy O. Harris) recently opened, and it is jaw dropping. I was lucky enough to see the invited dress rehearsal at the Golden Theatre before it opened. It is a play that I still think about and grapple with my everyday thoughts and conversations about race and sexuality in today’s America. Tickets are available at https://slaveplaybroadway.com.
On a cold, cold weekend, consider staying warm inside all day by watching thought-provoking theater at The Inheritance. A two-parter all-day event written by Matthew Lopez, The Inheritance is essentially a total reenvisioning of the iconic movie, Howard’s End. It discusses current topics among three generations of gay men. It has an epicness that rings similar to Tony Kushner’s Angels in America; Angels in America contends with the AIDS crisis, and The Inheritance acts as a sequel in a way, wrestling with the broken pieces left behind by the crisis in the queer community. Tickets are available at https://theinheritanceplay.com.
Seeing Broadway shows on a student budget is sometimes impossible. Broadway is not cheap, but one of the best places to get deals on tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows is TodayTix! You can order your tickets ahead of time, and there will be a TodayTix representative outside the theater 30 minutes before showtime holding your tickets for you. It can’t get any easier!
Off-Broadway:
Great theatre isn’t exclusive to just the Broadway stage. Many theater companies that classify as Off-Broadway are showcasing work that you would never get to catch in commercial theater venues. One of the best off-Broadway theater venues is local to the heart of NYU’s campus, Washington Square Park! The Public Theater produces a variety of new plays, musicals, and reimagined Shakespeare plays. The shows the theatre displays are distinct to the Public Theater’s mission. This season, The Public Theater is featuring a new musical titled Soft Power, (written by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori) takes a look at the present state of America through an Eastern lens. It is notably a reimagining of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The King and I. On TodayTix, you can try your luck for $20 tickets with their “rush tickets” feature– a certain number of tickets are released at a set time, and can be purchased on a first-come-first-served basis.
At NYU:
If you’re looking for theater that is more local and financially accessible, or if you want to see what other students are up to at NYU, consider seeing shows at the many impressive drama spheres of NYU. Tisch School of the Arts and the many acting studios within it has performances of different shows happening almost every weekend, and the tickets are either under $15 or free! The Department of Drama at Tisch uses Eventbrite to post the show dates and to release tickets to the public. The link to Tisch Drama’s page on Eventbrite is here. Not only that, but NYU Skirball (right on Washington Square Park, I mean how much closer can it get) often has discounted student tickets for touring theatre companies from all over the world. Part of the joy of living in New York is having access to all kinds of art forms from all kinds of sources. Take advantage of it while you’re here! Check Skirball’s website here for upcoming talks or performances of material that I assure you, will be a unique and one-of-a-kind experience.