McCarter Theatre Center

Yes, sometimes we think you should go to New Jersey, particularly if you're heading to either of the sumptious spaces at the McCarter, one of the finest Tony Award–winning regional theaters you can get to on New Jersey Transit. The 1100-seat Matthews Theatre Auditorium has all the velvet plush of a Broadway house, and the Berlind Theatre Auditorium (only 360 seats) has the good sightlines and luxurious sense of space that Manhattan can't find room for. In its 75-year history, the McCarter has housed Princeton University's Triangle Club, out-of-town tryouts for Broadway shows and—since its 1973 transition to a producing venue (rather than a simple rental house)—a respected resident company, thanks to artistic director Emily Mann.