<p>I just read on another thread that our older children (mine is 25) no longer probably need “things”, they would probably appreciate “experiences” or something to that effect. With that in mind, I had the thought to purchase for my son in NYC tickets to a Broadway show. He’s been in NYC for 4 years now, but has never been to a “real” Broadway show. I have an idea which show he might like to see, Wicked…but a google search brought up way, way, way too much information. What is the best way to purchase tickets, and what are the best seats to buy for a Broadway performance. I’m willing to spend some $$ to make sure it’s an experience he’ll remember for a long time. I just don’t want to get taken advantage of…</p>
<p>Go to the official Wicked on Broadway site there’s a link there to buy tickets. [WICKED</a> Official Site Get Tickets to the Hit Broadway Musical](<a href=“http://media.wickedthemusical.com/media/]WICKED”>http://media.wickedthemusical.com/media/)</p>
<p>Brilliant show.</p>
<p>It may sound nuts but I am building my next visit to D around seeing Neil Patrick Harris on Broadway in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in spring. Bought the tickets (one for each of us, as we both adore him) and then booked the airfare. Broadway shows are a treat as most of the theaters are quite intimate.</p>
<p>I got my daughter tickets to see Aladdin. I know she will love it.</p>
<p>Centre orchestra are usually the best seats, and of course, the most expensive. For Wicked, I would recommend centre orchestra anywhere from five to ten rows back from the stage. The set is quite spectacular and you’ll get the best perspective from there. A great Christmas gift!</p>
<p>justamom, we, too, are going to see NPH in Hedwig. It’s such a fun, and crazy show. Can’t wait to see him in that role!</p>
<p>If anyone wants another suggestion of a show to see - Twelfth Night is fabulous. I’ve seen the play many times and this is probably the best production I’ve ever seen. (I still have a soft spot of the first one at the Folger Theater when I was in high school.) It’s an all male cast. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend get the $27 on the stage seats - you’ll be just one level up in the second row. If you do have money spend for the first level first row tickets and you can hold things for the actors. It’s an all male cast, which I think works particularly well for this play where the major character is supposed to be a woman pretending to be a man.</p>
<p>I’d suggest you printout the webpage and include a personalized gift certificate, indicating the price of two tickets are on mom and dad instead of guessing which performance would fit best into his schedule. If you really want it memorable, you can add another certificate that says to the restaurant of your choice pre or post theater with some crisp $$$$ bills. :)</p>
<p>I don’t know your son’s taste, but in my experience Wicked appeals primarily to girls–especially young girls. If he’s a loyal fan of the Wizard of Oz (movie or books), it’s a great choice; otherwise, I’d say no. </p>
<p>Since your son has been living in NYC for a long time but still hasn’t even made his way to the TKTS booth for discounted theater seats, I’m going to assume that he doesn’t have a long-standing interest in musical theater. My choices for such a young man would be Avenue Q (actually Off Broadway) or The Book of Mormon, both very amusing and edgy and more likely to appeal to someone who isn’t already a Broadway musical aficionado.</p>
<p>It is also possible to buy a Ticketmaster Gift Card, either via their website or at an entertainment venue near you.</p>
<p>Typical prices for “decent” seats at Broadway shows these days run around $125, so if you wanted to give him a pair of tickets, a $250 GC would about cover it, but not quite (there are always fees).</p>
<p>But, depending on the sets, you don’t always need to sit in orchestra.</p>
<p>We took my DD and her BF this past summer to see Wicked and he thoroughly enjoyed it! I don’t think it is a gender specific choice. It is really entertaining. Regarding seats, if he is tall, I would suggest a seat on the aisle.</p>
<p>I find for many theaters the ones slightly to the side in the balcony still give you a great view, but some saving. Sometimes for dance numbers it’s really better to be up a little higher. There was a really interesting article in the NYT about the differing experiences of sitting in different places for the same opera, both how perceptions change depending on where you sit, but also when in the run you see the piece. <a href=“Zachary Woolfe Sees the Met’s ‘Norma’ From 9 Perspectives - The New York Times”>Zachary Woolfe Sees the Met’s ‘Norma’ From 9 Perspectives - The New York Times;
<p>Thanks for all of the great information, but now that I see all of the other great shows playing I’m no longer sure which one he would want to see. He loves all musicals, but as a law student for the past 3-4 years, there was never enough extra money for even deeply discounted seats, so this </p>
<p>For the most part, the ticketmaster gift card could be used for most any show?</p>
<p>Not all shows sell through Ticketmaster. Some are through Telecharge.</p>
<p>I’d get a Ticketmaster gift card for an amount that covers the cost of a seat(s) and let your son decide what he wants to see. That way he can pick the play and the date. For the last few years, we’ve been doing something similar as a Christmas gift for our youngest D. We usually let her pick a show that she wants to see and then we buy tickets for all of us and take her to the show and out to dinner. She lives in Philly so it’s easy for her to get to NY–we’re in MA so it’s not that hard for us to get there either. It’s the one thing that she’s asked for consistently. IMO your getting your son a great gift.</p>
<p>Try some of the discount sites for tickets like this one:</p>
<p>[Free</a> Broadway Shows Discount Codes | Broadway Theater Tickets | BroadwayBox.com](<a href=“http://www.broadwaybox.com/]Free”>http://www.broadwaybox.com/)</p>
<p>I never pay full price for theater tickets.</p>
<p>Also, maybe a gift card to a nice restaurant - try one of the celebrity places like Beccas (Lydia’s place)</p>
<p>My suggestion would be Spamalot. My boys loved that one</p>
<p>Spamalot was a funny show but it closed on Broadway almost five years ago!</p>
<p>For Wicked I recommend left or right orchestra in Row Q. There is a break in seating so there won’t be anyone sitting in front of your son and he can stretch his legs out unlike in most Broadway theaters.</p>
<p>I also second the Avenue Q suggestion. Spamalot closed ages ago.</p>
<p>If he actually would like to go to the theater, but just cannot afford it, another option is to purchase gift certificates that can be used at the TKTS booth for same-day seats. These tickets are usually sold at half-price. He won’t get into the shows that sell out every day, but since he’s right in NYC and can see what’s available on that particular day, he can decide when to use the gift certificate. There’s an app he can download that tells him what’s available at the TKTS booth.</p>
<p>You can purchase the gift certificates through the Theater Development Fund at TDF.org.</p>
<p>(P.S. Even seats in the center front mezzanine are $125. Center orchestra seats are more.)</p>
<p>We saw Avenue Q (Off Broadway) last winter – tickets were something like $50 for decent (not front center, but a little off center) and the show was really funny. It is a very intimate theater. (Kind of subterranean, actually.) I think it would very much appeal to a law student.</p>