Think You’ve Seen It All?

If you’ve been going to Broadway shows for a while now and know what you like (and alright, don’t like too), chances are, you have pretty refined tastes.

So what are the shows that Broadway theater-going veterans enjoy most?

Let’s start with Avenue Q. This is the little show that could. It started at a small downtown theater. It moved to Broadway, where it did the impossible, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. It wowed audiences for years. And now, it’s settled into a new home at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages, conveniently located in the theater district. Theater vets like it because it’s smart, it’s savvy, it’s raucous. Oh, and it uses puppets in hilarious ways. How much fun is that?

If you want a show that has a true-blue theatrical pedigree, catch Catch Me If You Can. Get a load of these credentials: a book by four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (the Tony-winning duo who penned Hairspray), direction by four-time Tony winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray). And it stars newly minted Tony winner (for the second time) Norbert Leo Butz. Based on the huge hit movie, this one’s got 60s style (and Broadway lineage) down pat.

Music aficionados and theater lovers alike are flocking to Million Dollar Quartet. This ingenious musical reenacts the famed recording session that brought Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins together in one room for one night only. This mega-hit musical is moving to Off-Broadway’s New World Stages, where its charms and magic will only glow brighter in a more intimate space.

For some serious laughs, theater vets are also checking out Sister Act, the smash-hit musical that’s based on the wildly popular movie. You probably know the story: Disco singer Deloris Van Cartier has to go undercover to outrun the mob, and she ends up in a convent, where she helps turn the singing nuns into a world-class act. The show stars Tony nominee Patina Miller and Tony winner Victoria Clark. Songs, laughs, grooves… you’ll find them all at this super-smart, ultra-hilarious musical.

Okay, here’s the thing about real theater fans: They’re always on the lookout for the next big thing. And they’re finding it at The Ride, the totally new theater experience that combines sightseeing with show biz. You enter a completely tricked-out bus, where the seats are turned sideways, and the sidewalk becomes your stage. Then you cruise past the city’s hottest attractions (think Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Times Square) as drama takes place that’s both scripted and real, all around you. Sound intriguing? It is.

Just ask any veteran theatergoer.

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