Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is a complex of indoor and outdoor performance facilities, including Alice Tully Hall (a concert hall located within the Juilliard School), the Metropolitan Opera House (a 3,900-seat opera house), David Geffen Hall (home of the New York Philharmonic), and the David H. Koch Theater (home to the NYC Ballet).
If you are interested in music, dance, or opera, Lincoln center is one of the best places you can see a show. Tickets to many performances can sell out weeks in advance, so it’s worth booking ahead of time if there’s a show you’d like to see. There are also film screenings and theater performances as well as many festivals and programs throughout the year.
Our favorite annual Lincoln Center festival is Midsummer Night Swing (see annual events for more information on that event). Website
The Apollo
The Apollo Theater is located on 125th street and hosts all kinds of shows and performances throughout the year. It was the home of the nationally syndicated television variety show Showtime at the Apollo from 1987 to 2008, but has continued to remain a NYC icon.
Most notably, the Apollo hosts amateur nights auditions, which feature extremely talented kids and young adults singing, dancing, rapping, playing music, performing comedy, or any other type of artist talents they might have. These shows tend to have a really fun, supportive environment and ultimately result in the declaration of a winner at the end of the season. We’d recommend catching one of these shows, but if this doesn’t strike your fancy, take a look at the calendar which is filled with amazing professional musical and comedy performances. Website
UCB
Upright Citizens Brigade, an improv troupe, has two theaters in NYC, one in Chelsea and the other in the East Village, at which they host a variety of improv and comedy performances and daily classes. Some of the shows are recurring and others are one time events. Tickets generally range in price from free to $10 for the most popular shows at peak times.
If you’re into comedy, we’d highly recommend giving these theaters a try. Shows are cheap, the crowd is young, and there are some great talents who perform and have come out of UCB historically. While you might catch a show or a performance that ends up being a miss, chances are you’ll have a fun, laugh-out-loud, time. Website