4 Things You Don’t Know About NYC Broadway Week

By Robert Firpo-Cappiello
January 16, 2018
Wicked on Broadway
NYC & Co.
If world-class theater is at the top of your travel to-do list, this could be your favorite time of year.

The singing! The dancing! The eye-popping costumes, sets, and lights! And… the prices.

Sure, catching a Broadway show requires some fiscal planning. But there’s a cool window each year in mid-January when some of the most popular shows become a lot more accessible to those of us on a budget. Here, four things you’ll want to know about this year’s NYC Broadway Week:

1. BROADWAY WEEK IS LONGER THAN ONE WEEK

NYC Broadway Week is the best time of year to save money on show tickets. Now in its 8th year, Broadway Week runs from January 16 through February 4 (yes, the “week” is actually 20 days), and since its inaugural year in 2011 the program has sold more than 1 million tickets and raised more than $70 million. It’s an incredible celebration of one of New York City’s most storied industries, produced by NYC & Co., the city’s official destination marketing organization, in partnership with American Express, the Broadway League, Ticketmaster, Telecharge, and Audience Rewards.

2. YOU CAN BUY 2-FOR-1 TICKETS TO TOP SHOWS

Tickets for 18 Broadway shows are now available with a 2-for-1 deal (buy one, get one free, which is basically half-price), bringing typical Broadway prices back down to earth for visitors and locals alike. Available shows include the acclaimed new production of Once on This Island, Hello Dolly starring Bernadette Peters, John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons, and classics such as Aladdin, Beautiful, Wicked, and more. (Availability is subject to change as tickets get snapped up, of course.)

3. YOU COULD WIN A FREE PAIR OF TICKETS

NYC Broadway Sweeps will give away a free pair of Broadway tickets to one of 14 selected Broadway performances, Sponsored by the Shubert Organization, the sweepstakes has two drawings, on January 22 and 29.

4. ENJOY SAVINGS ON RESTAURANTS AND NYC MUST-SEES TOO

During the week of January 29 to February 4, Budget Travelers can revel in the confluence of NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week, and NYC Must-See Week. For lovers of great theater, cutting-edge cuisine, and jaw-dropping cultural institutions, mid-winter in New York may very well replace April in Paris.

Plan Your Next Getaway
Keep reading
Inspiration

Great Getaways: Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine

There's more to Florida than theme parks, beaches, and cities where you can party til dawn (although those are pretty great, too!) Whether you're looking for a quick golf getaway or your next great family vacation, here are six of our favorite family-friendly activities and affordable adventures in Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine—all within an hour's drive of Jacksonville on Florida's northeast coast. Many area hotel options start at well under $100 a night, making a trip to this area super-affordable.  Tour the World Golf Hall of FameGolf enthusiasts will love tracing the roots of the game from its early days in Scotland, testing out old versions of golf clubs, and learning where certain traditions like sand traps and caddies hail from (both stories will surprise you, I promise). The World Golf Hall of Fame also features a replica of the Swilcan Burn Bridge from the Old Course at St. Andrews, displays of the Hall of Fame Members Locker Room with more than 2,000 personal items from all your favorite players, and a large collection of memorabilia dedicated to golf lover Bob Hope. The World Golf Hall of Fame is part of the World Golf Village, home to the PGA Tour Golf Academy, two major golf courses, and a number of shops and restaurants including Murray Bros. Caddyshack, owned by actor Bill Murray and his five brothers. Want to stay close to all the action? The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort offers rooms from under $200 a night—check the website for specials for Florida Villages residents, military members, firefighters, and law enforcement officers where rates start at $109 a night, as well as Stay & Play packages for from $259 a night for two golfers. Visit TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players ChampionshipIf watching The Players Championship each May has you itching to hit the greens, you can still visit the course in Ponte Vedra and its massive clubhouse year-round, or start planning for this year's visit to this surprisingly affordable tournament held in May 6-11 in 2014. For the price of a TPC Sawgrass adult Grounds ticket (options from $66 per person per day), you'll be able to see your favorite players—like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, or Matt Kuchar—up close as they take on the 17th hole island green, one of the most famous holes in golf. Families can save money with free admission for ages 18 and under (with a paying adult), while active-duty, reserve, retired military members, and their dependents get free admission with a valid military ID. You're also allowed to bring your own food to the tournament as long as it's packed in a one gallon clear plastic bag (food items must also be wrapped in clear wrap), and bring your water bottle along to refill during the day. A variety of food trucks ranging from Corner Taco to The Swedish Bistro will also be on site, and those who plan to carpool with four or more people in the car will be rewarded with free parking this year. Looking to indulge in a little VIP experience? You can score access to The Blue Room VIP Lounge for under $150 per person per day including entry to the tournament, exclusive access to music and entertainment, unlimited food from the local restaurants, and all-inclusive beer, wine, water, and soda while you watch. Zip line over alligators at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological ParkAs if an entire zoological park full of alligators, crocodiles, caimans, pythons, lemurs, and exotic birds wasn't cool enough, just wait til you try zip lining over them. Crocodile Crossing at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park gives you two options—the 45-minute short course or the 90-minute long course—with each offering an extensive aerial obstacle course and several opportunities to zip line over the wildlife enclosures. At 20 to 60 feet up, you're out of reach of the many reptiles you're zooming over but still able to get a good look at the impressive creatures as you take on the ropes course. Make sure you're wearing closed toe shoes (with laces) and weigh less than 250 pounds, and you're good to go! Definitely give this one a try if you're in the neighborhood—the bragging rights alone are worth the cost of admission. Step back in time at Castillo de San Marcos and the Colonial QuarterGet to know Old St. Augustine with a trip to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a 20.5-acre fortress built in 1672 that has protected the city's people during various battles against the Spanish, French, British, and even attacks by pirates throughout history. Nowadays visitors can explore the fort and view colonial era weapon and cannon firing demonstrations on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. The best part: adults pay $7 while children under age 15 get in free, and your ticket is valid for up to seven consecutive days. For an in-depth look at what everyday life was like in 16th to 18th century St. Augustine, check out the Colonial Quarter, a living history museum featuring traditional musket demonstrations, a working blacksmith shop, and the chance to climb a 17th century watchtower for panoramic views of the city.  Indulge your inner pirateFormerly The Pirate Soul Museum in Key West, the entire collection was moved to St. Augustine and reopened in December of 2010 as Pat Croce's St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum. Home to one of the largest collections of authentic pirate artifacts in the world, the museum features one of only two original Jolly Roger flags in existence, Captain Thomas Tew's treasure chest, an official journal of Captain Kidd's final voyage, and one of the world's oldest wanted posters from the 1696 search for Captain Henry Every. Pick a ghost tour, any ghost tourThere seem to be an abundance of ghost tours available in the nation's oldest city. I went on the Ghosts & Gravestones St. Augustine Frightseeing Tour, a late night trolley ride around town with stops at the St. Augustine Lighthouse Grounds—you'll hear the heartbreaking story of what happened to the three little girls who can still be seen and heard playing on the playground swings more than one hundred years later—and get to explore the Old Jail at night on a tour led by an actor in traditional prison garb who tells stories of the jail's former inhabitants. While it is a fun chance to hear some creepy legends and ghost stories, the tour may not be appropriate for children under age 13.

Inspiration

Hotel We Love: Gralehaus, Louisville, KY

At most motels and hotels, if the restaurant is destination-worthy, it's an added bonus. At Gralehaus, in Louisville, KY, the dining option is a main focus, to the point where the locals who frequent the locally minded, beer-obsessed café often forget that there are lodgings upstairs. THE STORY The owners, Tyler Trotter and Lori Beck, partners in business and life, also own and run the Louisville Beer Store, which is two miles away. The couple has traveled through Europe extensively, and their Louisville B&B, which Trotter says stands for “bed and beverage,” is their way of further sharing their love for suds. “We fly brewers in from around the world and sometimes we have a hard time finding them a place to say,” says Beck, explaining the inspiration for the place. “In our travels to breweries, especially in Europe, we appreciated that a lot of them have inns on the property, even above the brewery. Now we can show them a similar hospitality.” Regardless of whether you’re in the industry, though, you have the option to purchase a beer or cider ahead of time so it's waiting in your mini-fridge when you arrive.  And in the spirit of a classic B&B, it’s self check-in and check-out. THE QUARTERS Each of the three lavish yet cozy rooms, which features either a king-size or queen-size bed, is designed distinctly from the others. That's a matter of happenstance, Trotter says. It turned out that way because as they designed the rooms, they discovered how differently the natural light affected each space. There’s a cowhide rug here, a vintage record player there. But while they look unique, they all share the owners’ love for Louisville. A local interior designer made all the curtains and local artists’ works adorn the walls. The fragrant bath products come from Peace of the Earth, a nearby boutique specializing in eco-friendly products; and the books that line the shelves, all chosen specifically to suit the vibe of each room, were purchased at Carmichael’s Bookstore, a longstanding independent shop. And if that doesn’t impress you, consider the decadent chocolates in the room from Louisville’s Cellar Door, which once was the featured chocolate at the Emmy Awards. THE NEIGHBORHOOD  Gralehaus is located in the Highlands, which is known as the oldest neighborhood in the city. It’s long been home to the city’s Restaurant Row. Today the whole area is jam-packed with bars and nightclubs, but standouts include Jack Fry’s, an historic restaurant known for its classic Southern fare and vintage photos of athletes, and Steel City Pops, an Alabama-based chain in the Southeast that peddles inventive popsicles made with fresh ingredients. There’s a Walgreen’s down the street. Street parking is available.  THE FOOD The ground-floor daytime café, a local hangout, features a fridge with about 75 bottled beers, from local brews to esoteric European options. There are also four taps and an extensive menu of coffee drinks. The from-scratch food leans Southern, but is thoroughly modern. (Think: country ham tartine, veggie hash, creative crepes.) ALL THE REST Beck and Trotter’s third business, Holy Grale, is an expansive beer hall in a church-like building that they opened in 2010. It’s right behind Gralehaus, so it’s really easy to hunker down with a brew or two and get back to your quarters without hassle. The only drawback is that with a bar outside and a cafe downstairs, it can get loud in the rooms, so each one is equipped with white noise machines. Look for the tokens in your room when you arrive. Each can be used for one of the expertly crafted coffee drinks in the café. RATES & DEETS Starting at $150. Extended-stay rates are available.  Gralehaus1001 Baxter AvenueLouisville, KY 40204(502) 454-7075 / gralehaus.com

Inspiration

Hotel We Love: The Modern Hotel and Bar, Boise, ID

Over the last few years, Boise has become known as “Little Portland” for the independent-mindedness of its business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, and culinary types. Creative chefs prize local fare, stores feature items by local artisans and creators, and the JUMP Center, a massive sprawling incubator space opened by the Simplot family, known for their potato empire, sprawls at the edge of downtown. Though progressive, it cherishes its roots, its Basque traditions not least among them. In the 1930s is saw a wave of immigrants from the region and to this day it boasts the largest Basque population outside of Spain. The Modern Hotel and Bar taps into both the city’s lively, stylish vibe, but its origin is rooted in prized traditions. THE STORY The Modern, which is about a ten-minute walk from the heart of downtown Boise, opened in 2007. To hear owner Elizabeth Tullis tell it, the hotel business was, in a sense, her destiny. Her grandmother ran owned a boarding house in the 1930s after immigrating from Spain to Boise, which had –and continues to boast—the biggest Basque population outside of the region. Boarding houses dotted the city through the mid-1900s, as people would come from Basque country to do farming work for the season. These days, Boise boasts the biggest Basque population outside Europe. The Hotel is an overhauled Travel Lodge, one of the early motel franchises. The long, low-rise building, is classic motel architecture, with roadside-facing room entrances opening to an outdoor corridor. Most of the second-floor rooms are located along an inside hallway. THE QUARTERS The oversized, minimalist rooms are furnished with Midcentury Modern furniture, all sleek 1960s-style designs with crisp, clean lines. But that’s about all that’s throwback here. Each room features a large flatscreen TV (suites have two), and marble showers with both rain shower heads and a handheld. (Suites have a Japanese soaking tubs.) The suites feature a kitchen that’s compact yet complete, including cabinets and a full-size fridge. Mini fridges are available for the basic rooms on request. Elizabeth explains that not having refrigerators plugged in in every room curbs their carbon footprint. The minibar, features very rationally priced snacks and drinks (candy bars for $2.50, Pepperidge Farm cookies for $4.50, mineral water for $4), and toiletries like deodorant ($3) and a toothbrush kit ($5). There is no alcohol, and for good reason: if you don’t feel like going down to the bar for one of their exquisite cocktails, you can have it brought to your room.     In December, Elizabeth opened four fully-furnished and equipped extended-stay apartments across the way. There’s a studio, two one-bedrooms and one two-bedrooms, each of which is adorned with art from San Francisco-based Creativity Explored, a collective of mentally disabled artists. THE NEIGHBORHOOD The Modern sits in the Linen District, a six-block stretch on the edge of downtown that takes its name from the Linen Building, a former linen building for laundered that’s now an environmentally-minded event space. The once gritty blue-collar neighborhood is in the throes of a renaissance, so older businesses, like a basic liquor store, sit side by side with newer spots, like Big City Coffee, a vintage-accented café with homemade pastries and Eyes of the World, a cute boutique with antique-style jewelry, women's clothing, accessories, and sundry knickknacks. It’s also a stone’s throw from Woodland Empire Brewery, which features a relaxed tasting room and yoga classes in its sprawling space.  THE FOOD There’s a reason the Modern Hotel and Bar gives its eating establishment equal billing. On any given evening, you’re likely to find visitors from California or Denver or wherever at the bar swapping stories with friendly locals. The restaurant, helmed by a James Beard Award-nominated chef, focuses on classy yet casual creative renditions of familiar dishes that spotlight local, seasonal ingredients. The farms, dairies, bakeries, and roasteries they source from are listed on the menu. The bar is a destination for its inventive craft cocktails, the handiwork of France-born manager Remi Courcenet. Drinks are arranged in order of increasing body, so there’s no question that the Bedford, a gin drink fortified with apple shrub and bubbles, is a delightful aperitif to start the evening and a the rum-based, rosemary-crowned Frau Holle a soothing nightcap to indulge in before heading back to your quarters for some shut-eye. Breakfast is complimentary on weekdays and features fruit, handmade granola, pastries and fresh-squeezed juices. ALL THE REST The hotel is almost as focused on making sure guests are entertained and amused as they are comfy and nourished. The in-room film festival, 39 on 39, (Channel 39 in all 39 rooms, get it?) features a few dozen short films, from three minutes to 20 minutes, playing on a loop. Elizabeth homed in on short films because they’re easy to take in while you’re just, say, getting ready in the morning, plus there’s simply not enough outlets for talented short-film makers. They’re selected by the staff from submissions. The lineup changes each year. But Elizabeth’s commitment to art extends far beyond film. She brought over Basque muralist Judas Arrieta. Known for vibrant murals throughout Europe, he covered the hotel’s sweeping back wall with an electric-colored, dynamic, engaging work that blends all kinds of social commentary, pulpy, kitschy images, and history of the West. Be sure to spend time taking in the details. And see if you can spot the portrait of Elizabeth’s grandmother. And no discussion of The Modern would be complete without mentioning the record player on a gnome stool and the bin of '45s in the lobby bathroom. When they first opened, the bathroom became a hotspot to the point where there'd be a line in the lobby, Elizabeth says with a laugh.  RATES & DEETS Starting at $125 The Modern Hotel and Bar1314 W. Grove StreetBoise, ID 83702(208) 424-8244 / themodernhotel.com

Inspiration

Why I Jump in the North Atlantic on New Year's Day

It started, as most unlikely things do, with a great deal of hesitation. But it was the gut-instinct strain of hesitation, the kind that morphs into gusto, not the kind of reluctance that’s grounded in reason, which could make you think instead of act. It was four years ago at a New Year’s Eve party in Brooklyn at my friend’s house, we’ll call her Celeste. Her friend, we’ll call her Gretta, went home early because she was meeting her Cross Fit group in the morning to go to Coney Island for the annual Polar Bear Plunge. She wasn’t going to jump. She was going to join the thousands of onlookers whose respect—or schadenfreude, depending on their sensibility—was enough to draw them out of bed and to the chilly shore of the Atlantic on the one day it’s acceptable, if not endorsed, to sleep until noon. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club meets once a week to go swimming in the ocean when the weather gets cold. It was founded in 1903, but their big day is January 1. I wanted in. Was it too late to join Gretta's Cross Fit team? Absolutely not, she said. She’d meet me there at noon. Immediately after midnight, I said my farewells, and headed home to excavate my bathing suit from one box or another. I bought fleece-lined leggings at the 24-hour CVS on the way. I have never skydived, run a marathon, or been within spitting distance of a wild animal on a safari. I have never ridden on a motorcycle, set off a firework, or attended a Black Friday sale. I eat kale, workout a great deal, and I cross to the other side of the street when I see a discarded mattress on the sidewalk. I don’t jaywalk. I make it a priority to keep my body out of harm’s way. But despite Celeste’s objections, throwing myself in 33-degree ocean water on a 24-degree day did not seem like a peril, it seemed like an inevitability. Any of my friends will tell you that I hate summer. No, really. Getting overheated just by walking two blocks or roasting in the sun while lying in sand as a sport is simply not my thing. Sand is just a classy version of dirt, the way I see it. If I must go to the beach, I’ve always enjoyed the chilly waters along Maine’s rocky coast to tepid, mellow Caribbean waves. I was born in November and I have a theory that people who take their first breath when it’s cold outside have a natural proclivity for winter. Vice versa for summer babies. Not sure if my theory is right across populations, but it’s true for me. At the launch of 2018, I’ll head to the beach at the southernmost point of Brooklyn and throw myself into the frigid Atlantic. For the fifth time. Please don’t tell my mother. A WINTER TRIP TO THE BEACH, VIA SUBWAY There are 45 stops on the F train, which runs from the center of Queens through the island of Manhattan and then on to the southern tip of Brooklyn, culminating at the Coney Island station. Each January 1, as the train rolls through Manhattan and its eastern borough, people with varying combinations of layers (ski parkas and shorts, wetsuits and sweaters, lycra pants and knitted sweaters) trickle onto each car. Most carry oversized bags filled with blankets and towels. Some tinker with their Go-Pro. People appear one of the following ways: eyes-down with controlled anxiety; visibly panicked; wide-eyed and grinning; blissed out and at one. Sometimes strangers talk to each other. (“How many is this for you?” a first-timer asked me last year. “My fourth.” “Does it hurt?”) Coney Island is everything you imagine it looks like in vintage imagery. The Cyclone roller coaster, the Wonder Wheel, the spires of the old Luna Park are all visible as you approach. They are thrills on pause, as they’re all shuttered for the winter, reminders that Coney Island would be deserted any other winter day. The original Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand is one of the first things you see when you hit the boardwalk. Rather, the line is the first thing you’ll see, as people wait on a final jolt of fortification. Several ambulances are positioned in the parking lot, which took me by surprise my first time. I choose to ignore them. And, for whatever it’s worth, I’ve never seen them in action during or after the plunge. Each year, as I make my way through the crowd to register, it’s a dependable mix of hipsters, jocks (typically in sports team garb), burly men speaking Slavic languages or Russian, septuagenarians and even a few octogenarians, petite Asian women, women in mermaid regalia or Playboy bunny costumes posing with the aforementioned jocks and burly dudes, and the leather-jacket-clad Staten Island chapter of Hell’s Angels. Stern cops stand on, looking jaded. The Polar Bear Plunge is a fundraiser, but the first time you do it, it will likely be a bit of a revelation to learn the extent to which it is a thoroughly organized event. In the past the fundraising has been for Camp Sunshine, a facility in Maine for sick children and their families, but the cause changes occasionally. You wait in line to give your money (at least $25 is suggested), sign a waiver just in case, get a colored bracelet, then move along to the T-shirt station where you shout out your shirt size. I’ve learned that you need to be slightly aggressive. And hope I’m there in time to get one of the mediums. While on line everyone chats with one another, largely to psych each other up. PLUNGERS, TAKE YOUR MARKS A large banner indicates the jump time of each of the five colored wristbands. They’re spaced in 15-minute blocks. As the beach fills up, groups stake out their turf, spread blankets, and cluster together. Flasks are passed around. People strip down to bathing suits and take a deep breath, feeling the frigid air inside and out. Jubilant announcements come over a loudspeaker. A bona fide club member welcomes us invited interlopers, rattles off safety measures, and calls the green bracelets, the first group. They line up a few hundred feet from the water, surrounded by onlookers on both sides, cameras ready. A horn sounds and everyone runs down the beach, stampede-style. Some dally and wade to their ankles, their knees, their thighs, some charge in. I am not one to understand thermodynamics, but the reason I tell people this isn’t as drastic as a cold shower is because your skin is already cold. The temperature differential is not as dramatic. There is truly nothing like the sensation of lining up with fellow revelers and waiting for the horn. Having done it several times, I know exactly what to expect: the initial clash of giddiness and wariness, a flash of will-I-or-won’t-I. Reason tries to intrude, but it’s hushed by the buzz of the crowd. Cue: the adreneline-fueled fight-or-flight sensation, it’s do-or-die. The horn blows. Showtime. I go in slowly: ankles, knees, hips, deep breath, dunk. My group is nearby but I don’t hear them. The cracking shock that takes hold of my body is like a glacier’s icy embrace. Everything is scrambled, until it isn’t. Survival mode kicks in, reality returns, every cell in my body is working overtime, and a feeling of invincibility washes over me. This is what it is to be alive. People rush out of the water faster than they ran in. Strangers high-five one another. It’s a team victory. It’s a personal triumph. And as I dry off, all of a sudden, every one of my better-living resolutions for the New Year seems like a cakewalk. If nothing else, the plunge makes you understand that perspective matters.