The Book of Mormon

Fly into JFK, Newark (EWR), or LaGuardia (LGA). From JFK, take the AirTrain to Jamaica station then the LIRR or E/J/Z subway to Midtown (approximately 60 min, $12–15). From EWR, take the NJ Transit train to Penn Station (35 min, $17). From LGA, a taxi or rideshare is fastest (30–45 min depending on traffic, $35–55).

💡 LaGuardia is the most convenient airport for Midtown West accommodation. From LGA, the M60 bus to 125th Street connects to the subway, or a rideshare directly to your hotel is practical.

Times Square is the commercial heart of Broadway — the famous TKTS red steps sit in the middle of the square, surrounded by the illuminated theatre marquees that define this stretch of Broadway and 7th Avenue. Walk through the Theatre District (42nd–52nd Streets), noting the classic theatre architecture: the Shubert, the St James, the Imperial, the Palace, and the Majestic (home of Phantom of the Opera for 35 years).

💡 The Theatre District is most spectacular at dusk when the marquee lights come on. Even if you know Manhattan well, walking the theatre blocks in the hour before curtain time is a special experience.

Wednesday matinée is the traditional Broadway matinée — the mid-week performance that originated in the early 20th century to serve the ladies who lunched and has continued as a Broadway institution ever since. The house tends to be filled with a devoted, knowledgeable audience. Current long-running shows include The Lion King (Minskoff Theatre), Wicked (Gershwin Theatre), and Chicago (Ambassador Theatre).

💡 Matinée tickets must be booked ahead. Visit broadway.com or the official theatre website for legitimate tickets. Wednesday matinées start at 14:00. Arrive 30 minutes early for the full pre-show atmosphere.

46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues is known as Restaurant Row — a dense concentration of pre-theatre restaurants serving the Theatre District. After your matinée, take a walk through this street and plan your evening dinner reservation.

💡 Restaurant Row restaurants fill quickly on Wednesday evenings before curtain time. Call or use OpenTable to make a dinner reservation as soon as you know which evening show you'll be attending.

Visit the TKTS booth in Times Square (open 15:00–20:00 for evening shows) to see what's available for tonight or plan tomorrow's show. The booth's electronic board shows current availability and prices. This is an excellent way to browse what's running and make decisions in real time.

💡 TKTS discounts range from 20–50% off the full ticket price plus a $5 service charge per ticket. The best discounts are typically on less popular shows — iconic long-running shows rarely appear at deep discounts.

The Theatre District and nearby Hell's Kitchen (9th Avenue north of 42nd Street) have an extraordinary concentration of pre- and post-theatre restaurants. Joe Allen on 46th Street is a Broadway institution since 1965, its walls lined with posters of famous flops. Orso on 46th Street serves excellent Italian. Post-show, a cocktail at Glass House Tavern rounds off the evening.

💡 Joe Allen on 46th Street has been feeding Broadway since 1965. Its signature quirk is displaying posters of famous Broadway flops on the walls. Cast members from current shows frequently eat here after performances.

TodayTix is a Broadway ticket app that runs rush lotteries for same-day tickets at reduced prices — sometimes as low as $30–50 for shows that normally cost $150+. Enter the lottery at 10:00 (results by 11:00). The app also shows availability across all Broadway shows and includes the Broadway.com inventory.

💡 Enter multiple show lotteries simultaneously on TodayTix — you can only win one, but entering several increases your odds. Most major shows now have digital lotteries accessible via the app.

Hell's Kitchen (officially Clinton) is the neighbourhood west of Times Square between 34th and 59th Streets — home to many Broadway performers and one of New York's best restaurant corridors along 9th Avenue. A morning walk up 9th Avenue explores the bakeries, ethnic restaurants, and independent shops of this authentic Manhattan neighbourhood.

💡 9th Avenue between 40th and 50th Streets has an extraordinary range of international restaurants — Thai, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern — at far more reasonable prices than comparable restaurants closer to Times Square.

The TKTS booth opens at 15:00 for same-day evening performances. The line moves quickly and the staff are knowledgeable. If you haven't already secured tickets, this is your best chance for reduced-price seats to a major show. The electronic board shows what's available in real time.

💡 The TKTS booth at Lincoln Center (65th and Broadway) is a useful alternative if you're planning to explore the Upper West Side in the afternoon — it opens at 12:00 for matinées and 14:00 for evening shows.

Attached to Lincoln Center (and therefore easily combined with a visit), the NYPL for the Performing Arts holds one of the world's great collections of theatre, film, and music materials — and its free exhibitions frequently draw on its extraordinary archive of Broadway photographs, set designs, and audio recordings.

💡 Free entry. The Billy Rose Theatre Division holds original scripts, photographs, and set designs from over a century of Broadway productions. The recorded sound archive is the world's finest collection of cast recordings.

The 9th Avenue restaurant corridor is the best pre-theatre dining option in the city — better food than the Theatre District restaurants at lower prices and a 10-minute walk from most Broadway stages. Mercato (Italian) on 39th Street, Kashkaval Garden (Mediterranean) on 56th Street, and Porchetta (Italian sandwiches) on 7th Avenue are all outstanding.

💡 Make a reservation. Hell's Kitchen restaurants are popular and fill quickly before curtain time (typically 20:00). Allow 25 minutes to walk from 9th Avenue to a theatre on the east side of the Theatre District.

Broadway evening curtain is typically 20:00. Arrive at the theatre by 19:30 to collect your tickets, find your seats, and read the Playbill — Broadway's programme journal, given free to all audience members and filled with cast biographies, production notes, and Broadway gossip. The post-show on Broadway — the buzz outside the stage doors, the animated street conversations — is as much a part of the experience as the show itself.

💡 Stage door appearances are common after Broadway shows. Wait outside the stage door (usually on the side street beside the theatre) after the final curtain for the chance to meet the cast. Many Broadway stars sign Playbills for fans.

Sardi's on West 44th Street has been the gathering place for Broadway professionals, critics, and theatre-lovers since 1927. Its walls are lined with caricatures of nearly every major stage star of the last century. Arrive after a show for cocktails, light suppers, and the experience of a room that has been part of Broadway history for nearly a century.

💡 Sardi's is open until 23:30. The original caricatures on the wall include legends from Katharine Hepburn to Lin-Manuel Miranda. The pasta dishes are solid and the martinis are excellent. A Broadway tradition since 1927.

Lincoln Center is America's foremost performing arts campus — a 16-acre complex on the Upper West Side housing the Metropolitan Opera House, David Geffen Hall (New York Philharmonic), the David H. Koch Theater (New York City Ballet), Alice Tully Hall (Juilliard School), and several other venues. Morning guided tours run from 10:30 and include backstage access to the Met Opera House stage.

💡 The Met Opera House lobby alone is worth the visit — its Chagall murals are among the most spectacular works of art in any performing arts venue in the world. The fountain plaza is a classic New York gathering point.

The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center is the home of the Met Opera and one of the world's great opera houses. Even without a performance, the lobby — featuring two enormous Chagall murals painted specifically for the building — is a major cultural site. Met Opera productions are available to attend in the evening if your schedule allows.

💡 Standing room tickets at the Met Opera are $25 and available from the box office on the morning of performance (10:00 for evening shows). The Met's standing room has an extraordinary tradition — regulars have their own informal spots.

Central Park is immediately adjacent to Lincoln Center — the Tavern on the Green entrance is just two blocks east on 67th Street. A walk south through Central Park from the 72nd Street entrance to the Sheep Meadow and the Bethesda Fountain terrace covers the park's most beautiful sections in under an hour and offers one of New York's most famous views.

💡 The Delacorte Theater in Central Park hosts Shakespeare in the Park productions in summer (late June–August) — free tickets distributed by lottery on the day. If visiting in this period, enter the lottery via the TodayTix app.

From the Upper West Side (Lincoln Center), take the 1 subway train south to Penn Station or the A/C to 34th Street for connections to JFK (AirTrain), EWR (NJ Transit), or LGA (rideshare/taxi). Allow at least 90 minutes from Midtown to JFK, 60 minutes to EWR.

💡 From Penn Station, the LIRR to Jamaica then AirTrain to JFK is the fastest and most reliable JFK connection at approximately 60 minutes total. A taxi from Midtown to JFK during peak hours can take 75–90 minutes.

If your flight departs late, the Upper West Side (around 72nd Street and Broadway/Columbus Avenue) has an excellent restaurant scene. Ouest (formerly), Boulud Sud, and the many casual options on Amsterdam Avenue are all convenient for a final New York meal before heading to the airport.

💡 The 2/3 express subway from 72nd Street takes 15 minutes to Times Square and connects easily to all airport transit options. From the Upper West Side, allow extra time for JFK during the evening rush.