Some go to the theater more often than they do the cinema, while for others it\u2019s a rare treat. No matter which party you belong to, choosing which show to see can be difficult given the wide variety of productions currently being performed \u2013 with this in mind, we have highlighted some of own personal favorites doing the rounds at the moment, including some top picks which are exclusive to either Broadway or the West End (at the time of writing).[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530207809403{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n
The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Based on the eponymous novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has just recently past its seventh Broadway anniversary and has set numerous records during its phenomenal run so far (and it doesn\u2019t look set to slow down any time soon).<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The show is a prequel shedding light on the life of the Wicked Witch of the West, characterizing her as a misunderstood and persecuted victim during the Wizard of Oz\u2019 corrupt rule.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a great spin on Frank L. Baum\u2019s classic works and the familiar subject matter has proved to be very accessible with audiences.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0For performances at the Gershwin Theater,\u00a0Broadway Box has tickets as cheap as $89 and the average Mezzanine seats going for roughly $100<\/a>. The cast currently features Mary Gonzalez, Katie Rose Clarke and Andy Karl.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0For performances at the Apollo Victoria,\u00a0London Theater Bookings seems to have the cheapest ticket prices starting from \u00a322<\/a>($28).<\/a>The cast currently features Rachel Tucker, Louise Dearman and Lee Mead.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034327800{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s not, as you would expect, autobiographical of Abba, but the hit songs peppered throughout have made it one of the most popular musicals ever. Set on a gorgeous Greek island, the plot follows Sophie as she tries to find her real father (out of a possible three) while in the process of getting married.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At Winter Garden Theater, the cheapest tickets we can find are around $100 via ticketsmate.com. The cast currently features Lisa Brescia, John Dossett and Alyse Alan Louis.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Prince of Wales theater,\u00a0UK Tickets are offering tickets at just \u00a332 ($41)<\/a>. The cast currently features Jessie May, Linzi Hateley and Harriet Thorpe.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034356960{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The show charters the rise and fall of The Four Seasons band during the 60s, with each act narrated by a different member of the band. They\u2019re one of the biggest selling acts of all time and were more famous than the Beatles before they turned up, and their story is an enthralling\u00a0 one (regardless of whether you\u2019re a fan of the music).<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the August Wilson Theater,\u00a0we can\u2019t find tickets cheaper than those offered here at around $120. The cast currently features Russell Fischer, Cory Grant and John Hickman.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong> At the Trafalgar Theatre,\u00a0with short-notice tickets on offer and starting from \u00a325 ($40)<\/a>. The cast currently features Ryan Molloy, Stephen Ashfield and Jon Boydon.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034380872{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The titular character is Billy Elliot, a child growing up in Northern England during the miner\u2019s strikes of 1984. Billy develops a love of ballet, much to the chagrin of his family, as the plot follows his struggle to find acceptance and success. Despite the very localized plot and references, the show has been a hit with audiences the world over.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Imperial Theater, an average ticket costs around $100. The cast currently features Joseph Harrington, Emily Skinner and Will Chase.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034450583{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Chicago is one of the most popular on Broadway, and is one of the longest running shows of all time (and the number one longest-running musical revival). Based on the 1924 novel of the same name, the story has been reincarnated numerous times on film and on stage. It also features some of the most memorable songs in show business, with \u2018All That Jazz\u2019 being a prime example.<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0A vaudevillian tale of cold-blooded murder, fame and jazz. The two lead characters, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, find themselves on death row after killing their partners. Seeing a chance to escape their fates through fame, they compete against each other for the attention of the press and their shared lawyer as all characters try to manipulate the situation for their own gain.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Ambassador Theater,\u00a0Entertainment Link beats the competition here with tickets from around $60<\/a>. The cast currently features Charlotte d\u2019Amboise, Leigh Zimmerman and Brent Barrent.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Cambridge \u00a0Theater,\u00a0we\u2019d recommend Hit The Theater for cheap tickets at a limited-offer price of \u00a339.50 ($63).\u00a0The cast currently features Sarah Soetaert, Vivien Carter and Terence Maynard.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1670607492656{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0An innovative musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film, featuring actors in full costume and gigantic puppetry. The Broadway show was a smash hit in 1997 and subsequently ran in the West End two years later, and both have been running continuously ever since.<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The musical follows the plot of the Disney film closely, albeit with some extraordinary stage effects and costume design (including 18 foot giraffes). The score also features some of the hit music which featured in the film, along with a few additions.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Minskoff Theater, you can pick up a Mezzanine seat ticket for as low as $70 on Ticket Liquidator. The cast currently features Gareth Saxe, Alton Fitzgerald White and Tshdi Manye.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Lyceum Theater,\u00a0with the cheapest tickets through this site going as low as \u00a345 ($62.<\/a>\u00a0The cast currently features George Asprey, Shaun Escoffery and Brown Lindiwe Mkhize.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034415950{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Promises, Promises is the musical adaptation of the 1960 film The Apartment and features award-winning music by Burt Bacharach. It first hit Broadway in 1968 and is only now returning after forty years.<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0Set in 60s Manhattan, the musical focuses on Chuck Baxter, a city slicker who is keen to advance in his career. In exchange for promotion, he lends executives his apartment for their extramarital affairs, but things go awry when his love interest, Fran Kubelik, becomes the mistress of one of his bosses. Despite it sounding racy, it\u2019s suitable for kids.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Broadway Theater,\u00a0the NYtix site again has the cheapest prices we\u2019ve come across at around $80 per ticket<\/a>. The cast currently features Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0Not yet! There are rumors of it surfacing in the future.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034415950{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Having just passed its 400 performance mark and first anniversary on Broadway, Memphis hit the big stage in 2009 after touring the States for six years. During its time it has received four Tony Awards (including best musical). The show has polarized the critics \u2013 it\u2019s one you\u2019ll either love or hate.<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The musical is loosely based on the career of Dewey Philips, a white radio DJ who was amongst the first to play black music during the 50s and a black club singer trying to make it into the big time. The 50s Memphis music era makes for a great setting, and amongst the score are songs penned by David Bryan, founding member of Bon Jovi.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Shubert Theater, there isn\u2019t much variance on ticket discounts but good seating can be had for $112 on the New York 60 site. The cast currently features Chad Kimball, Montego Glover and Derrick Baskin.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0In the works, due in 2011.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530034415950{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n \u00a0The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Since its original Broadway production in 1957, West Side Story has been revived a few times on both sides of the Atlantic. It continues to be a success in New York, despite receiving massively varying reviews from the critics. The Broadway production is due to close in January 2011.<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0West Side Story can be thought of as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, mirroring the plot of Shakespeare\u2019s iconic play but set in NYC during the 1950s. It is an instantly accessible production to audiences from all walks of life and is heralded for its eclectic dance routines and famous songs such as \u2018America\u2019.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Palace,\u00a0with an impressive selection of good seats even at the $85 range on this site<\/a>. The cast currently features Matt Caenaugh, Josefina Scaglione and Karen Olivio.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0No plans for a West End production at the time of writing, havng concluded a 50th anniversary run last year.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530208321604{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Dirty Dancing opened in Sydney in 2004, receiving such a great reaction after a number of sell-out runs that it came to the West End in 2006 (and went on to garner the highest pre-sell in history with $12m worth of tickets). The film version\u2019s lead star, Patrick Swayze, succumbed to his long battle with pancreatic cancer in 2009 which saw the stage run extended (indefinitely).<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0A coming of age tale which sees Frances \u201cBaby\u201d Houseman fall in love with her dance tutor. Naturally, the film version featured a large amount of dancing (nearly a third of the film involved choreography) and the stage version reflects this, including all the hit songs from the movie. It\u2019s a hit with the female demographic, but has never enjoyed much widespread interest from males.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0The tour has done well throughout the States and Canada, but no Broadway dates have yet been announced.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Aldwych Theater,\u00a0you won\u2019t get much change out of \u00a340 ($64) wherever you buy from but London Theater Direct have some enticing advance and group booking options. The cast currently features Hannah Vassallo, Johnny Wright and Ray Quinn.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530208362852{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0We Will Rock You is the longest-running show in the massive Dominion Theater at the heart of London\u2019s West End. Following on from a history of successful jukebox musicals, the show was written by Ben Elton in collaboration with the surviving members of Queen. Since its opening in 2002, it has been performed around the world (with the notable omission of Broadway).<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The show features music from Queen yet takes place in a dystopian future where conformity rules. The music produced by the world\u2019s dominating corporation is all computer generated, leading to a group of rebels attempting to free the masses with rock and roll. Critics slated the plot almost universally, however it has become one of the best-loved shows still being performed.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0Scheduling issues have prevented We Will Rock You from appearing on Broadway, but an abridged production ran in Las Vegas until 2005.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Dominion Theater,\u00a0with the lowest offers we\u2019ve seen around \u00a330 ($48) on Leicester Square Box Office<\/a>. The cast currently features Ricardo Afonso, Sarah French and Kevin Kennedy.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1530208390178{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]\n The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a02010 marks the 25th anniversary of Les Miserables, the world\u2019s longest running musical show and surpassed its 10,000th performance mark at the beginning of the year. It features the Tony Award-winning song \u201cI Dreamed a Dream\u201d, which has been covered numerous times by famous contemporary musicians.<\/p>\n What\u2019s It About?<\/strong>\u00a0The musical is based on the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo, albeit with a few differences. The plot focuses on the gritty reality ex-convict Jean Valjean finds himself in upon emerging from prison \u2013 spanning 25 years, the struggles of an intertwining cast of characters play out as Jean tries to reinvent himself with interesting results.<\/p>\n Check it out at Broadway:<\/strong>\u00a0The musical has enjoyed a few successful Broadway runs since its London opening in 1985, but none are currently being performed.<\/p>\n Check it out in the West End:<\/strong>\u00a0At the Queen\u2019s Theater,\u00a0\u00a340 ($64) is about the cheapest we could find across the board for a ticket. The cast currently features Simon Bowman, Norm Lewis and Lucie Jones.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][\/vc_row][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” centered_text=”true” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]London\u2019s West End and Manhattan\u2019s Broadway turn over roughly $1bn in annual ticket sales each, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3595","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-theater"},"yoast_head":"\nMamma Mia!<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Even just seeing the title sets Abba songs off in your head. The show opened in London\u2019s West End in 1999, but toured all around America before reaching Broadway in 2001. It\u2019s the most performed show in the world and the film it inspired became the highest grossing musical of all time based on global figures.<\/p>\n
Jersey Boys<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0A relatively new musical, Jersey Boys opened on Broadway in 2005 and went on to tremendous success the next year, winning over 53 major awards worldwide (including 4 Tony Awards). It has received almost universal acclaim throughout its continuous run.<\/p>\n
Billy Elliot<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]The Lowdown:<\/strong>\u00a0Billy Elliott the Musical cost over twice as much to produce than the 2000 film on which it is based. Nevertheless, after opening in 2005 on the West End, the roaring success saw productions premiering around the world shortly after. In recognition, it has won a staggering 10 Tony Awards\u00a0 and 4 Laurence Olivier Awards, including best musical in each.<\/p>\n
Chicago<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
The Lion King<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
Promises, Promises<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
Memphis<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
West Side Story<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
We Will Rock You<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
Les Miserables<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n
Home Theater Seating<\/h5>\n
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Decor & Accessories<\/h5>\n
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Top Pages<\/h5>\n
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