Theater
Unlike a trip to the movies, a night at the theater requires some advanced research and good planning. Fortunately, the Internet can give you a hand finding your way to the stage. On the Web you'll find tools to buy tickets, research shows, read news and reviews, and plan a theater vacation. Whatever your theater interests are, you can explore them on Internet.
Expand All Guide SectionsLocal Theater
Start spreading the news: you don't need to be in New York, New York to catch the best theater anymore. Many Broadway shows have touring companies that travel all over the country performing the same shows you'd catch on The Great White Way. The only thing you'll miss is the crowd in Times Square.
Or maybe you live near one of the country's top repertory theater companies. Some of the best theater in the country appears at these smaller venues, where many talented artists get their starts. See a single show or join for a season.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Repertory theaters post their whole season online as soon as it is determined. Check the site before the season begins so you can select the shows you want before they sell out.
Dulcinea's Picks
For Broadway shows ...
Touring Broadway
is the site from the League of American Theaters and Producers that lists all the Broadway shows currently on tour. Click the icon of the show you want to see and find out when it's playing in a theater near you.
For local theaters ...
The American Association of Community Theatre
's site allows you to search its member directory by zip code, U.S. map, or theater name. Through the directory, you can access the Web site of the association's 7,000 nationwide member theaters.
American Theater Web
provides information about shows and tickets for theaters all over the country. Use the box at the top of the screen to search for theaters by region and you'll get a list of venues divided by town. You can also set up an ATW account to get news updates about your local theaters when you log in.
AmericanPerforms.com
is the official site of the Association of Performing Arts Service Organization and will help you find theaters in most towns all over America and many international locations. Simply select from the list of cities on the right side of the screen and you'll be reconnected to either a tourism site or a site that sells tickets for theaters in the area.
For some of top-rated repertory theaters ...
Actorstheatre.org
is the official Web site of the Actors Theatre of Louisville in Kentucky. Find out what's playing, buy tickets, learn about the theater's history, read the interactive blog, or check out their line of "Actor's Wear" clothing if you're into polar fleece with artistic punch.
Act-SF.org
is the place to find out everything you want to know about the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. After you buy your tickets, explore the Web site to learn about their education programs for students of all ages, and their ongoing panels with community artists.
OldGlobe.org
has all the information you need about The University of San Diego's Old Globe theater. Find about the current season, find out what's coming up, or become a subscriber.
The American Repertory Theatre
at Harvard University provides information about all the season's upcoming shows, related arts events, and offers ways to get discounts.
ShakespeareDC.org
is the official Web site for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. Click "Visit" to check out their season, their ticket availability, and how to plan your trip.
Orshakes.org
is the place to find everything you need to know about the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. The site features a handy visitor's guide that helps you plan your trip around the festival with tips on accommodations, restaurants, and attractions in the area.
Theater Reviews and Theater News
There are a lot of shows out there, but not all of them are worth your time and money. To avoid the duds, do some background research before you buy tickets. Visiting a Web site devoted to theater gossip and reviews. Many theater critics are so compelling they have a fan base of their own. Read, respond, and cultivate your own tastes.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Most of the country's top newspapers make their Arts sections available online.
- Some columns and reviews appear on a weekly basis. If you forget to check a site on the day when an article first appears, you can search a paper's online archives with the name of a show, author, or date.
Dulcinea's Picks
The New York Times Theater Page
covers most nationwide and some international events. Back in days of yore, producers rushed to the Times building at 1:00 AM on opening night to read the review that would make or break them. Now, the authority on theater is right at your fingertips.
Playbill.com
is a comprehensive resource for happenings on Broadway and beyond. Check out their features such as "The Week in Review" or "Broadway Grosses." There's a useful reference section that includes awards archives and seating charts of theaters. Maybe after learning so much, you'll be ready to look for a career in the theater. If so, you can find one on Playbill.com's job site.
Backstage.com
is the official online resource for actors, but the site's "News & Reviews" section is a comprehensive report of theater and entertainment all over the country. Plus you'll get the real inside scoop, as it's written for professionals.
Theater Tickets
Sometimes it seems like the effort of acquiring theater tickets is more trouble than it's worth. Learn to buy your tickets online and you'll never listen to another automated telephone voice or wait in line at a box office again. All you need to purchase tickets online is a credit card, a few minutes, and the ability to click a mouse.
Dulcinea's Insight
- When you select tickets, the online box office puts them on hold for a few minutes while you complete your purchase. If you take too long to enter your information, your tickets are released back into the system. In most cases, you'll be redirected back to step one and will have to select your desired dates and seats again.
- Although there are many sites that "sell" theater tickets, all reputable sites will redirect to you Telecharge, Ticketmaster, or the official Web site of the theater. Never give a Web site your credit information unless you are certain it is a real site. Checking for logos of official sponsors (i.e., FedEx) is one good way to recognize whether a site is fake.
- Many of the Web sites will open a new window (called a "pop-up") to book your tickets. If the window doesn't open properly, you may need to disable your computer's pop-up blocker. Also, if you need to return to the original Web site, you should close or minimize the pop-up window.
Dulcinea's Picks
TicketboxUSA.com
is the place to go if you absolutely must have tickets to the hottest show on Broadway and money is no object. You can expect to pay twice face value, but Ticketsbox provides tickets to otherwise sold-out shows and will FedEx your tickets to you so you have them quickly.
Ilovenytheater.com
is the perfect site if you know what show you want to see but don't know whether Telecharge or Ticketmaster is the box office. Select a show's title and then click "BUY TICKETS NOW" to access the show's online box-office.
Ticket Central
is an online box office devoted to off-Broadway shows. You can search by venue, theater company, date of performance, or even enter part of a show title into their search engine (perfect for those times when you've overheard a conversation about a ground-breaking new Off-Broadway show but now you can't remember the title).
Discount Theater Tickets
If you're flexible about what you see, there are lots of opportunities to purchase show tickets for less than full price. There are Web sites that provide special discount codes that can save you money. Search their listings to see what shows are available at a reduced price; they will provide you with your code when you click the links to purchase your tickets.
If you're willing to wait until a few hours before the show, you can buy tickets at one of the many "half-price" booths around the country. Or in New York City, you can go directly to the theater and get lottery, standing room only, or student rush tickets. Or, if you're willing to be even more creative, you can see a show for next to nothing. Be a volunteer usher at many of New York's theaters. Or, be a "professional extra" and fill seats when shows need an audience.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The discount code is a combination of letters and numbers (i.e., DULCI557). The Web sites can provide you with the code, but you need to remember to enter it yourself. When you click to purchase your tickets there will be a place on the order form to enter your discount code. Make sure you don't forget! Often there's no prompt to enter a discount code-only a small, empty box and a fine-print label. (In other words, the ticketing agent would be more than happy if you forgot!)
- Some sites require you to become a member before accessing discounts. Membership is almost always free, and when you sign up you'll have the option of receiving e-mail notifications of upcoming deals.
Dulcinea's Picks
For general discounts ...
BroadwayBox.com
lets you view discount codes free of charge with no membership requirements. The site also offers reviews and ratings of shows, and even links to sites that will sell you regular-price tickets if you cannot find what you're looking for at a discount. It's no coincidence that there is also a link to a site that sells tickets to sold-out shows....BroadwayBox's parent site is TicketsboxUSA.com
TheaterMania
also offers discount codes but requires that you become a member, free of charge. The page also has theater news and advertises the hottest deals.
The Theater Development Fund
allows members to buy tickets to Broadway shows for just $32. Visit the membership page to find out if you qualify to join. Quite a few people are eligible: students, teachers, union members, seniors, and clergymen, just to name a few. If you qualify, it's the best bargain out there.
For last minute deals ...
America Performs
, as listed earlier in the section on local theaters, is the Web site for national and international local arts coalitions. This page on their site lists half-price booths where you can purchase discount tickets.
TKTS
posts information such as hours and locations for New York's two TKTS booths on this site. You won't know what shows are available until you get there, but checking online to see what was at the booths last week can give you a clue.
The Society of London Theatre page
page lists what's available at the London TKTS booth, in case you happen to be across the Pond.
Playbill.com
provides a list of all the shows that offer lottery, standing room only (SRO), or student rush tickets. It also explains each theater's policy for dispensing those seats.
For seeing shows for free ...
AtlanticTheater.org
, the official Web site of New York's Atlantic Theater Company, tells you everything you need to know about ushering at their shows.
NYmag.com
provides a list of all the New York houses that have volunteer usher programs, along with contact information for each.
Audience Extras
has a homepage that provides a great explanation of how extra services work. This company highlights opportunities to see Off-Broadway shows, although they do offer Broadway shows as well. They use proceeds to give cash grants to not-for-profit theaters.
Theater Travel
Maybe you are feeling ambitious and want to take a theater trip to London or New York. If the idea of organizing all the details is overwhelming you, why not let the Web take care of everything with a few easy clicks? Whether you're going to New York, London, or somewhere less hectic, you can book hotel rooms, show tickets, and even prepaid restaurant reservations online. You'll be free to focus your attention where it belongs-on the stage!
If you're looking to take a theater vacation to a more idyllic location than New York or London, check out some summer theater festivals. Some of the greatest up-and-coming talent and some established theater veterans spend their summers doing top-quality shows in rural locations
Dulcinea's Insight
- Information about the summer season may be posted in increments as details fall into place throughout the year. Remember to keep checking back in so you get all the news.
- Some of the sites may encourage you to subscribe for the entire season or become a member or a donor, but it is not necessary; you can also purchase tickets to just one show.
- For more travel advice, check out the Finding Dulcinea Travel Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For travel to New York ...
Broadway Getaways
helps you book trips to New York that include hotel accommodations, theater tickets, prepaid reservations at theater-district restaurants, and even tickets to museums and other New York attractions. In addition to online services, Broadway Getaways has an 800 number hotline to call if you have questions.
NYTheater.com
offers the "Trip Planner Page": select the dates of your trip and be redirected to a page with all available shows and show times during that period.
Ilovenytheater.com
lists many of the hotels in the Times Square area, in case you want to search around yourself instead of buying a package. Finding a hotel yourself requires a little extra work, but you might find a better bargain.
For travel to London ...
Theatre.com
is the official site for theater in London and offers similar features to Broadway Getaways, but for ventures overseas.
For travel to summer festivals ...
Wtfestival.org
is the homepage for America's best-known summer theater festival. Movie stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow performed at Williamstown before they made it big. On the site you'll find information about history, education programs, and, most importantly, what's scheduled to play and how to get tickets.
BerkshireTheatre.org
gives you all the information about the Berkshire Theatre Festival's season, which runs May through October in Massachusetts. In addition to attending the festival, you can take advantage of other staple Berkshire summer events, such as the Tanglewood music festival.
The Chautauqua Theater Company
has a Summer Conservatory (free to students) and supplements that base group of top, emerging actors with internationally regarded guest artists. You won't just be helping to fund the conservatory-you'll also be seeing a top-notch show.
Shakespeare by The Sea
is a free summer Shakespeare festival that tours all over the Los Angeles and Orange Country areas and on the beach in Los Angeles. Check out the Web site to get the summer schedule, obtain information about locations, read reviews, and learn about past seasons.
Partyguideonline.com
looks a bit flashy and overwhelming at first, but if you scroll down on this page you'll find the section titled "U.S.," in which you'll find all the summer theater and Shakespeare festivals listed by state and city.
Theater Artists
Maybe going to the theater isn't quite enough for you. Maybe you want to know everything there is to know. Maybe you see a play and you absolutely need to know where you've seen that actress before. Good news: there are enough databases to keep you busy for hours. Go, obsess. We won't tell.
Dulcinea's Insight
- There is no overlap between the Broadway and the Off-Broadway databases, so if you don't find something you need try using the other database.
- To expedite your searches, stick to the theme of each database. For example, you will not find Shakespeare on a site devoted to modern playwrights.
Dulcinea's Picks
The Internet Broadway Database
(IBDB) is the official database archive for all New York theater since it began. Use it to look up casts or production staffs for any show that ever opened-even if it closed the following day. You can also search for individual actors, directors, producers, playwrights, and designers to get a full list of every Broadway show they've worked on.
Internet Off-Broadway Database
is the Internet Off-Broadway Database. It does everything the Broadway database does, but only for Off-Broadway shows.
Doollee.com
is an online guide to modern playwrights and plays. Their database includes 16,000 playwrights that you can browse alphabetically. They also offer information on play-publishers and literary agents. Impress (or annoy) your friends with endless trivia about the men and women who are the brains behind it all.
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
