The
TKTS Discount Booths stayed up and running during the stagehands' strike, of course, but on Thursday the Times Square booth on 46th Street was buzzing with a new excitement again, as New Yorkers and tourists alike clamored for tickets to musicals and plays they hadn't been able to see for 19 days.
"We've been in town since Sunday," said Chad, a young man from London, who with his friend Tim hoped to snag tickets for
Spring Awakening or
The Ritz. "And we wanted to see theatre, of course. We breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this morning that the strike was over. Just in time!"
Many others on the line said they turned out because they'd heard news reports that, since stagehands and producers at least reached an agreement on Nov. 28, the Main Stem was again open for business.
"We're hoping for
Spamalot or
Cyrano de Bergerac," said Doreen, a woman who now lives in Florida but originally hails from New York. She was buying tickets with a diverse group of friends from Texas and Connecticut, and her local background gave her the authority to tell her friends not to worry which show they got tickets for: "In New York," Doreen told them, "everything is good."
The mother-and-daughter team of Pat and Kelli, who came from Missouri, were most interested in tickets to
Hairspray, while a group of friends from Toronto had a diverse menu:
A Chorus Line,
Curtains and
The Drowsy Chaperone, in that order. A quartet of women from Ireland--Roisin, Amanda, Audrey and Gillian--were also inclined to
Hairspray, but their backup choices were
Rent and
Les Miz.
Michael and his wife Rosalyn had no preconceptions, they said--they had just "rushed over when we saw the news that the strike was over."
Graham and Evelyn, a couple from California, were happy to see
Mamma Mia! on the red-print LED board, which boasted a dizzying total of 26 Broadway and 28 Off-Broadway offerings.
"We've been in town for a few days, and we've been taking every opportunity for entertainment," said Graham. Evelyn piped up: "But a trip to New York wouldn't be complete without a Broadway show. We're glad we can see one while we're here."
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