Mark Peikert

Getting seats to the best Broadway shows usually requires quite a bit of advance planning. But what if you haven't planned, and you urgently need to see a show tomorrow or even tonight? Don't panic: There are plenty of options for last-minute tickets, especially if you’re willing to put in some legwork. It partly depends on what you're willing to pay and how much risk you're willing to take—and, of course, on plain old luck. If everything goes your way, you might even luck into cheap Broadway tickets, great seats or a chance to see hit shows that you would never have been able to get into earlier. Here is our insider guide to buying last-minute Broadway tickets. The day before the show: Enter the digital lottery Many Broadway shows—including Aladdin, The Book of Mormon and Hadestown—conduct digital lotteries for cheap tickets on the day before each performance. In most cases, you enter the lottery online, then wait until later the same day to find out by email if you've won; if you do, you'll need to reply to the ticket offer within an hour or you'll lose your chance. A few shows, such as Wicked, do their drawings on the morning of the show itself; others have drawings once a week, notably the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child $40 ticket lottery and the $10 Hamilton lottery, both of which happen on Fridays and cover the week ahead. For a full list of shows that offer lotteries, consult Broadway on a Budget or Playbill's Broadway and Off Broadway listings. The morning of the s

Tap your toes and enjoy the music at the 15th Annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, with performances running from June 1 through July 1. The festival pops up at major venues across NYC, including Sony Hall, Blue Note Jazz Club and SummerStage in Central Park. This year's performances include Ledisi, Durand Bernarr, Big Freedia, UMI, Bestin Conrad, Shabaka Hutchins, Kokoroko, Cymande, Take 6, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jose James, BLK ODYSSY Louie Vega: Elements of Life and more. Here's the full lineup with ticketing info. 

The Sierra Club has organized this inaugural Earth Day concert, dubbed Sierra Sessions. Hosted by KCRW DJ Novena Carmel, the night will feature performances by eco-conscious songwriters and storytellers, including Hurray for the Riff Raff, Irene Diaz, Dr. Lyla June, Rising Appalachia, Rozzi and more. Each artist will perform a few songs in the intimacy of Village Studios and share reflections on nature and life on Earth. If you can’t make it in person, the concert will be streamed on YouTube on Earth Day, when the various chapters of the Sierra Club will also host watch parties. If you can make it to the show, stick around afterward for an after-party.

Whether you’re excited about or terrified by artificial intelligence, it seems to be here to stay. Creatives can learn how to work with AI at RenderCon—which offers a deep dive into the future of media, art and technology as it relates to AI. Hosted by the Render Network, the conference hosts artists—including L.A.-based Refik Anadol, the mind behind soon-to-open Dataland—developers and industry leaders for two days of talks, panels and hands-on workshops focused on real-world AI production workflows. Expect practical insights, demos of cutting-edge new tools and networking opportunities.

Erstwhile podcast host and comic about town Marc Maron has been branching out into live music lately. He’ll bring both the laughs and the melodies with his Marc Maron Band for one night only this April 13 at Lodge Room. Joining him on the bill will be special guest comedians Blair Socci and Lara Beitz. 

Immerse yourself in the cultural delights of the Jewish, Chinese and Puerto Rican communities of Chinatown and the Lower East Side at the 25th annual block party on June 21. While performers and klezmer bands take the outdoor stage, you can catch free language lessons, master your mah-jongg game, and, best of all, learn how to prepare empanadas, Chinese dumplings and kreplach and challah bread. Endless grub will be available for sale, and since this is the first time in 15 years the fest won't receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, your support means more than ever.

Timed to the United States’ 250th anniversary, the American Folk Art Museum's Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States exhibition explores how vernacular art has shaped national identity. Using the museum’s collection, the show delves into the meanings of “folk,” “nation” and “patriotism” at the 2 Lincoln Square gallery. It offers a thought-provoking look at who is represented in American stories and how those stories change. The show runs April 10–September 13, then reopens October 8 and runs through February 28, 2027.

A Current Affair returns to Brooklyn with 70 premier vintage retailers on April 11 and April 12, offering thrifters access to some of the best deals around, not to mention rare and collectible designer vintage. Come out to the Industry City location in Brooklyn at 51 34th St. on Saturday and Sunday, and browse clothes, bags, accessories, jewelry and more. General admission is $21.88, but early-bird and weekend passes are also available at higher price points.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of MoMA PS1 with a free Block Party on Saturday, April 18. Running from 10am until 6pm at the Queens location, the event will feature artists, musicians and local companies coming together to party across the plaza, courtyard, and galleries in honor of five decades of modern art. The event is free, but "A Mural Workshop with Lady Pink" and "Red Canary Song Presents Fly in Power" require additional RSVPs.

The inaugural Downtown NYC JazzFest brings five nights of live music to Lower Manhattan from April 22–26, taking over The Django, Roxy Bar and Club Room at Soho Grand. Expect a mix of rising talent and marquee acts, including Shayna Steele, Mark G. Meadows and Brian Newman, all celebrating downtown’s long-standing jazz legacy, where tradition meets experimentation in some of the city’s most atmospheric spaces. Tickets vary in price based on venue, from free Saturday and Sunday afternoon sets at Roxy Bar to $40 performances at The Django.

Discover new global perspectives at the inaugural CONDUCTOR Art Fair of the Global Majority, a boutique event spotlighting artists and galleries from historically underrepresented regions. Running April 30 to May 3 at Brooklyn's Powerhouse Arts (322 3rd Ave.), the fair brings together work from across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and Indigenous nations. Curated by Adriana Farietta in collaboration with Powerhouse Arts, expect a showcase that challenges traditional art market narratives while celebrating the richness and diversity of global contemporary art. 

Feast your eyes upon the best selection of contemporary and vintage jewelry designers at the NYC Spring Jewelry and Object Show. Held from Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea (125 W. 18th St.), the showcase provides a platform for jewelry collectors and enthusiasts to buy and check out unique and historic jewelry pieces all in one place.

Folks flock to this annual floral-filled exhibition at Macy’s Herald Square, where jaw-dropping arrangements are on display for two weeks. The theme for this year's installment is "Homegrown," part of the nationwide celebration of America's 250th birthday, "expressed through flowers, fiber and timeless handicrafts," per Macy's. From Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, May 10, explore greenhouse-inspired installations, breathtaking bloom-filled planters, decorative stained-glass garden panels, sculptural fabric birds, yarn-wrapped trees and more in the immersive spring spectacle. 

One of Los Angeles’s most iconic diners is reopening to the public, sort of. Beginning tomorrow, artist Gary Baseman transforms Johnie's, the legendary Googie-style coffee shop at Wilshire and Fairfax, into a temporary exhibition space celebrating the city’s dining culture through hand-drawn restaurant menus. Titled "Off the Menu: Dining & Drawing in L.A.," the exhibition features roughly 40 illustrated menus from beloved local institutions, including nearby Canter's Deli and Genghis Cohen, as well as icons like Musso & Frank Grill. Baseman drew directly onto real restaurant menus collected during years of dining around Los Angeles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gary Baseman (@garybaseman) The setting may be just as exciting as the artwork itself. Built in 1956 by famed architects Armet & Davis, Johnie’s is considered one of the city’s defining examples of Googie architecture, with its swooping roofline, glass walls and massive neon signage. The diner closed in 2000 but became a beloved filming location thanks to appearances in movies like The Big Lebowski and Reservoir Dogs.  In recent years, the building has also served as a political organizing hub and mutual aid space under the banner “Bernie’s Coffee Shop,” further cementing its strange and very L.A. afterlife. The exhibition’s timing is intentional: It coincides with Friday’s opening of Metro’s new Wilshire/Fairfax D Line station, placing one of the city’s most famous dormant restaur

Two of Chicago’s most celebrated chefs just brought a splashy new seafood-focused restaurant to one of the city’s architectural landmarks. RECOMMENDED: These four Chicago bars were just named some of the best in all of North America On May 6, chefs Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir—the duo behind Bucktown favorite Mirra—opened Mariela inside the Reliance Building in the Loop, bringing an ambitious, all-day coastal menu to the ground floor of the Staypineapple hotel. The restaurant pulls inspiration from coastal cuisines around the world, weaving together flavors from Southeast Asia, Mexico, the Mediterranean and beyond. That globe-spanning approach mirrors the chefs’ own backgrounds: Kumar grew up in Singapore, while Mohajir was born in Chennai and raised in Doha before building a string of acclaimed Chicago restaurants. If Mirra fused Indian and Mexican cooking into one of the city’s buzziest dining rooms, Mariela lo oks to do the same for seafood on a global scale. The menu includes dishes like seafood arroz negro with octopus and scallops, tom yum aguachile with poached prawns, seafood kebab tacos layered with grilled octopus and seafood chorizo, plus chili crab agnolotti topped with smoked trout roe. The restaurant also serves breakfast and lunch, with offerings ranging from saffron-cardamom French toast to lamb shawarma wraps and fried cod sandwiches. Beverage director David Mor (Mirra, Lilac Tiger) has built a cocktail list inspired by coastal regions and classic hotel bar

After years of construction, delays and endless speculation about whether Angelenos would ever actually ride the subway west, Metro is finally opening the next phase of the D Line extension on Friday. RECOMMENDED: A beginner’s guide to Metro in L.A. Beginning May 8, riders will be able to travel on the expanded D Line through three brand-new stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega, extending subway service west from downtown L.A. toward Beverly Hills. To celebrate the milestone, Metro is throwing a systemwide party—and offering free rides all weekend. From 4am on Friday, May 8, through 3am on Monday, May 11, fares will be waived across Metro buses and trains, along with Metro Bike Share and Metro Micro services. Bike Share riders can use the code 050826 for free rides, while Metro Micro users won’t need a promo code at all. Metro’s Discovery Runs Deep celebration will take place from 12:30 to 4pm on Friday at all three new stations, as well as the existing Wilshire/Western stop. Expect live DJ sets curated by Metro Art and KCRW’s Soundtrips, neighborhood food vendors, family-friendly programming, museum activations and booths from local community organizations. The expansion is one of the biggest changes to L.A.’s transit system in decades, bringing rail access deeper into Mid-Wilshire and making major destinations along Wilshire Boulevard dramatically easier to reach without a car. The new Fairfax station, in particular, puts riders within walk

Kendall Square is getting a splashy new dining destination with the debut of Alice & Monarch, a two-in-one restaurant concept from the team behind Source. Opening tomorrow, May 8, at 238 Main Street in Cambridge, the ambitious new project combines two dramatically different experiences under one roof: Alice, a modern Italian-Mediterranean taverna upstairs, and Monarch, a hidden dessert speakeasy and cocktail lounge below street level. Photograph: Courtesy Alice & Monarch Located next to the recently opened Eastern Edge Food Hall, the venue aims to bring a more theatrical style of dining to one of Boston’s fastest-growing food neighborhoods. The upstairs restaurant, Alice, is designed as a warm, bustling taverna centered around handmade pastas, seasonal vegetables, salumi and Mediterranean-inspired small plates. The 110-seat dining room takes its name from owner Daniel Roughan’s great-grandmother, and Roughan says the restaurant is meant to channel the feeling of an inviting family gathering rather than a formal fine-dining experience. Photograph: Courtesy Alice & Monarch “Alice is deeply personal to me,” Roughan said in a statement. “Everything about it — from the warmth of the space to the menu — is meant to feel like coming home." That's not quite the vibe downstairs at Monarch, where, as Roughan said, "we let our creativity stretch a bit further. It’s more playful, more intimate, and gives us a chance to surprise people.” And what could be more surprising than a hidden

Hello! And say goodbye to The Book of Mormon on Broadway for at least the next two weeks. After a fire broke out at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on May 4, the long-running musical has been forced to cancel performances through May 17, sidelining one of New York’s longest-running hits during its 15th anniversary season. The blaze broke out inside the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, where the musical has played since opening in 2011. According to reports, the fire started in an electrical room and caused significant damage to the theater’s lighting infrastructure, along with water and smoke damage throughout the building. One firefighter suffered minor injuries but has recovered. Producers and theater owner ATG Entertainment initially canceled performances for May 5 and 6, but announced May 6 that the shutdown will now extend through at least Sunday, May 17, while repairs continue. An update is expected to come next week. Ticket holders will be contacted about refunds and exchanges. For now, the damage is limited to a lighting booth, though the FDNY cut into the roof to contain the blaze. The interruption is a rare one for the blockbuster Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez musical, which has become one of Broadway’s defining success stories over the last decade and a half. The show opened at the Eugene O’Neill in March 2011 and won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It has since played more than 5,000 performances and currently ranks as the 10th longest-running Broadway show

Move over, Salem. There’s a new dark tourism destination staking its claim—and it’s less kitsch, more cold steel. If the rise in murder podcasts has taught us anything, it's that we have an insatiable appetite for the darker aspects of human nature. And thus the rise in "dark tourism," a travel trend that finds vacationers looking to check off some of the most famously wrong places in history. RECOMMENDED: These are the most-searched spring break destinations, according to a new Google report Enter Carbon County, a rugged stretch of southern Wyoming positioning itself as the West’s hub for true, unfiltered frontier history. The centerpiece is the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins, a hulking stone facility that opened in 1901 during the railroad boom. Built to house train robbers, cattle rustlers and other outlaws of the era, it once held associates of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch. Today, much of the prison remains hauntingly intact. Visitors can walk the original cell blocks, step inside the execution chamber and follow the stark path to the cemetery where inmates were buried. For those who prefer their history after nightfall, the prison also hosts overnight paranormal investigations, leaning into its reputation as one of the region’s most unsettling landmarks. Cemetery walks trace nearly a century of incarceration, the stories etched quite literally in stone. But the county’s macabre appeal doesn’t end at prison walls. The Carbon County Museum houses artifacts tied to “Big N

Downtown Brooklyn is getting a major new dining destination next year, and it's right next door to one of the borough’s busiest entertainment hubs. Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment announced a new partnership with Casa Tua to open Cucina by Casa Tua inside One Hanson Place, the historic tower just steps from Barclays Center that the company recently acquired. The restaurant is slated to debut in 2027 as part of a broader transformation of the landmark building into a hospitality and cultural hub. RECOMMENDED: This popular Miami restaurant with a members-only club is opening in NYC “Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment has built its business as an entertainment platform committed to creating elevated, innovative, and unforgettable experiences inspired by Brooklyn,” said Sam Zussman, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment's chief executive officer, in an official statement. “Through our venues, sports franchises, and growing portfolio of businesses, we’ve consistently delivered dynamic experiences for our fans. The acquisition of One Hanson Place represents a strategic opportunity to expand beyond Barclays Center, apply that expertise in a new setting, and partner with best-in-class brands like Casa Tua to bring this vision to life as part of our long-term commitment to the borough and beyond.” Photograph: Courtesy Cucina by Casa Tua The headliner will be Cucina, a more expansive, neighborhood-driven concept from Casa Tua, the hospitality group known for its polished, high-design Italian

Fresh off the announcement of his second album Fire From The Hip (out July 10) and a new single, Stranger Things star turned indie rocker Finn Wolfhard has revealed a full North American headline tour that’s set to take over venues across the U.S. and Canada this summer and fall. It’s easily his most ambitious run yet, officially kicking off on July 17 in Washington, D.C., before making its way through major stops including New York City, Toronto and Chicago. Along the way, Wolfhard will also make appearances at major festivals like Lollapalooza, Osheaga and Austin City Limits. Here’s everything you need to know. RECOMMENDED: The 8 best concerts and music events worth traveling for in 2026 When is Finn Wolfhard going on tour? The tour officially kicks off on July 17 in Washington, D.C., before making its way through major cities including New York City, Toronto and Chicago. Then, after a brief pause, the tour will pick back up in October for a second leg that swings through the South, West Coast and Pacific Northwest. What cities is Finn Wolfhard playing? The tour will take the Happy Birthday singer to Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; New York City; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Toronto; Detroit; Indianapolis; Chicago; Montreal; Dallas; Austin; Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville; Phoenix; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; and Vancouver. Compared to the arena tours dominating 2026, this is a relatively intimate venue tour—which means tickets could be

The sudden collapse of Spirit Airlines has left thousands of travelers scrambling and airlines outdoing themselves to help. And now JetBlue is stepping in with a very specific pitch: $99 flights and a major expansion in South Florida. RECOMMENDED: Spirit Airlines just officially closed down. What happens to my outstanding ticket? In a newly announced plan, JetBlue says it will offer “rescue fares” starting at $99 one-way for stranded Spirit passengers who can show proof of a canceled itinerary. The deal is designed for immediate travel and is only available through May 6. There’s a catch, of course: Travelers need to be flying the same (or a nearby) route and must book directly through JetBlue to access the discounted fare. In other words: Get ready to be put on hold while intermittently shouting, "Representative!" into your phone. The move comes in response to one of the biggest disruptions in recent U.S. travel history. Spirit, long known for its ultra-low fares (and à la carte everything else), abruptly shut down operations on May 2 after failing to secure financing, canceling thousands of flights and stranding passengers across the country. As part of the same announcement, JetBlue revealed plans to add 11 new destinations from Fort Lauderdale, a former Spirit stronghold. The expansion will significantly increase JetBlue’s footprint at the airport, with the airline expecting to operate its largest-ever schedule there this summer. The new routes, which begin rolling out in

South Boston just got a new heavy-hitter with the arrival of Mother's East Tavern, a new bar dedicated to comfort and simplicity, where the toast is anchovy, the egg Scotch and the drinks are chic and potent. RECOMMENDED: Famous British steakhouse Hawksmoor is opening in Boston The concept comes from husband-and-wife team Laura Fryer and Alec Barber, who return to Boston after long stints in New Orleans and California’s restaurant scenes. Their pitch is straightforward: a proper public house where you can drop in for a pint, a plate of food and a little human interaction, no reservations accepted. Photograph: Sue Chester That sensibility extends to the menu, led by chef-partner David Quinlan, whose résumé includes time at Bavel. On paper, it reads like a greatest-hits list of tavern staples (anchovy toast, crudo, a burger and fries, shepherd’s pie, a Scotch egg), but the execution leans closer to fine dining than bar food. Quinlan’s approach is all about depth of flavor and consistency, bringing a level of care that elevates dishes you thought you already knew. Photograph: Sue Chester Behind the bar, Barber keeps things similarly grounded. After more than two decades in the industry, including time at the influential New Orleans cocktail bar Cure, his philosophy boils down to well-made classics, quality ingredients and fair pricing. In other words, the kind of drinks program that doesn’t need a backstory to justify itself. If the food and drink are meant to feel timeless,

Delta Air Lines is making a move that could fundamentally reshape the short-haul flying experience in the U.S., and, surprise, it doesn't affect first-class passengers. RECOMMENDED: Spirit Airlines just officially closed down. What happens to my outstanding ticket? Beginning May 19, the airline will eliminate all food and beverage service on roughly 450 daily short-haul flights under 350 miles. (Or roughly a three and a half hour drive.) That means no complimentary coffee, water or snacks for passengers seated in the main cabin or Comfort+, as a Delta spokesperson told People. For travelers used to downing a quick drink on a hop between cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, the change may feel like a downgrade. But Delta frames the decision as part of an effort to “create a more consistent experience” across its network. In practical terms, the airline is simplifying its service model. Flights of 350 miles or more will now receive full beverage and snack service, an upgrade for many routes that previously only offered limited options. Meanwhile, anything shorter becomes a no-service zone, at least for economy passengers. There is one major exception (of course): First-class passengers will continue to receive full service regardless of flight length, reinforcing the increasingly stark divide between premium and economy travel. The shift affects about 9 percent of Delta’s daily flights, while around 600 routes will see improved service under the new rules. Still, for many

Dating is hard no matter where you live, but it might be even harder because of that. A new study from Tawkify takes a sweeping look at where first dates thrive (and where they die), analyzing 95 U.S. cities using Yelp data, Google search trends and a survey of 1,000 singles. The conclusion is both obvious and oddly validating: where you go matters—maybe more than you think. RECOMMENDED: The best (and worst) cities for dating and finding love, according to locals Denver takes the top spot overall, thanks to what the study describes as a near-perfect mix of highly rated restaurants, bars, breweries and coffee shops. New York City, meanwhile, comes in at a surprising No. 24 but does dominate in specific categories, ranking first for both bar dates (with 92% highly rated venues) and coffee dates (94%). In other words, if you can’t find a decent first-date spot in NYC, that might be on you.  But the study is just as interested in what people actually want out of those dates, which is where things get more revealing. The classic dinner-and-drinks setup is no longer the default fantasy. Instead, 28% of singles say a coffee shop is their ideal first date, while 22% prefer an activity like mini golf or bowling. That may seem slightly boring, but no doubt cuts down on booze-fueled bad decisions that could derail a relationship before it even starts. But not every city is making romance easy. Wichita lands at the bottom, largely due to a lack of highly rated venues across key categorie