Glad to hear italybound had a good time in NYC. I just found out that I will be making yet another trip there in a month or so. Can anyone tell me what time the ticket counter opens at 49th and broadway for the half price show tickets?

I think you're referring to the TKTS booth in Times Square. It's open Monday to Friday at 3:00 for the evening performances, Wednesday and Saturday at 9:00 for the matinees and Sunday at 11:00 for all performances. And they do not accept credit cards. Have a great time!
Julie

If you can get tickets to "Mamma Mia" at the TKTS BOOTH at Times Square, grab them. We just saw the show, it was great. If you like music by ABBA, then you'll love this. Even if you don't know who ABBA is, and I didn't...I really enjoyed the music. I bought them over the internet through ticketmaster but had to buy them 8 months in advance to get good seats. So realize there may just be slim pickings. If "Mamma Mia" isn't available, try "Oklahoma"... can't go wrong with an established revival...we saw it and thought it was done well. Have a safe trip.

Eagles

pamelahamm, try to show up at the TKTS counter one hour before the counter opens. There will be some confusion if you show up early to buy the tickets for the evening shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This is because the line for the matinee will last until 2:00 pm (the matinee show starts at 2:00 pm). The line for the evening show would have started - but it is a different line. The line for the evening show starts on either side of the ticket counter, right along the side of the metal fence surrounding the statue of Col. Duffy. If in doubt ask one of the TKTS volunteers/ workers. A few people showed up early for the evening show and stood in the wrong line, and eventually had to go to the rear of the correct line. All this applies only if you want to buy the tickets for the evening show on Wednesday and Saturday.

Tickets for Mama Mia are NOT being sold through the TKTS counter - but Oklahoma is.

Near the ticket counter will be a table with brochures for all the shows for which tckets are being sold. The availability of tickets for the day's shows and the discount level (usually 50%) will be indicated on the elctronic display board approximately half an hour before the counter opens.

Go early to get the best seats, and remember to leave your American Express at home. Only cash or TCs (stick with cash). There is a McDonalds right across the street with an ATM that charges 99 cents (no fees if your account is with a credit union that is a member of the Co-Op network).

[ September 09, 2002: Message edited by: Italybound ]

Italybound, I've never used TKTS and I appreciate all the helpful info. We live about 100 miles away from NYC and bus it up via Greyhound from Southern NJ. It's a quick 1 1/2 hr trip. So to prevent any disappointment at not being able to see a particular show,we go through Ticketmaster or Ticketron on the Internet. Obviously we have to pay full price but we know in advance the show we're seeing and if we buy far enough in advance, we can get 1st or 2nd row. I didn't know "Mamma Mia" wasn't available via TKTS. Is that because of the ticket demand? I know it was sold out the day we saw it a couple of weeks ago. Italybound... how do you find the availability of seating... does it depend on the particular show... or have you been able to get fairly decent seating?

Eagles

Eagles, being fans of ABBA, my wife and I wanted to see Mama Mia. The TKTS counter informed us that since it is a show that sells out easily they do not (have to) sell their same-day tickets through TKTS. We found later that Mama Mia was sold out for all the shows we were interested in. The great thing about Broadway is that there are so many great shows running all the time. By the way after reading a reliable review about Mama Mia, my enthusiasm was somewhat diminished. Apparently there is not much of a story to hold the songs together. But the songs are what the show is all about. Hope you liked it.

At The TKTS counter you just ask for the best available seats. There is no time to view seating charts (remember there will be a long line behind you). Most theaters are small and even if you don't get front row seats you will still have a great view and a wonderful time.

As I mentioned earlier, do arrive at the TKTS counter at least an hour before the counter begins to get the best seats. By the way TKTS apparently has a lower Manhattan ticket counter where they sell tickets for the NEXT days shows - i.e. a day before the tickets are sold in Duffy Square. I haven't checked it out. Duffy Square is close to Times Square where my hotel was.

If you really want to see a specific show then by all means purchase your tickets ahead of time. I made the whole TKTS ticket buying event into part of my NYC experience. Plus I got to see two shows for the price of one.

By the way have you wondered why they call these triangular pieces of land "Squares"?

Italybound:

I agree about the lack of story to "Mamma Mia". The basic premise is the Mother's daughter finds out there were 3 men in her mother's life at the time she was born and she secretly invites the 3 men to her pending wedding in hopes of discovering who her real father is. The music makes up for the lack of story. If you're an ABBA fan, you should like it. I know that TKTS had a place in lower Manhattan but didn't know it sold "next day" tickets. I'm not sure if I'm right or not, but I thought the lower Manhattan place was in or near the WTC. As a side story to this and just one year from that awful day in September, we had tickets to see a broadway show on 9/15/01. Thinking they would be cancelling shows, I called the theatre to inquire and found that "the show would go on". We bussed up the NJ Turnpike that Saturday morning and as we neared NYC, we could see the billowing smoke from the WTC. The bus drew an eerie silence as we all looked to our right. Tears filled our eyes and rage filled our minds. Since we arrived early, we hopped a subway to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was so eerie to be walking down 5th Avenue. It was literally deserted. If you've been on 5th Avenue, you know what I'm talking about. Even St. Patrick's was virtually empty. We headed up to Times Square and had lunch in ESPN. It too was just about empty. The show went on but the theatre was only half full. At the end of the show, the cast came out and sung
"God Bless America". You couldn't see a dry eye in the cast or audience.