Mark Peikert

Mark Peikert

Articles (1)

The best ways to get last-minute Broadway tickets

The best ways to get last-minute Broadway tickets

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

News (58)

This popular play is set to break this nearly-100-year-old Broadway record

This popular play is set to break this nearly-100-year-old Broadway record

A lot has happened since 2018. Elections, COVID-19, Taylor Swift's engagement—it's been a busy time. But after all the history that was made in the years between then and now, something new is happening. Come September 1, the Tony-winning, spectacle-laden Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will have racked up 2,328 performances at the Lyric Theatre, which officially makes it Broadway's third-longest-running play, surpassing Abie's Irish Rose. How to make this feat clearer: Well, since the two-part (now one singular) play premiered and swept up six Tony Awards in its cloak, there have been 19 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's a long stretch of time. But it's still not enough to beat Life with Father, a 1939 comedy that held court for a staggering 3,224 performances, or Tobacco Road, which ran on Broadway for 3,182 performances, from 1933 to 1941. And the title of longest-running Broadway show, full stop, is hardly within reach. That record is still held by the moody musical The Phantom of the Opera, with 13,981 performances. This is hardly the first time Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has broken records. Guinness World Records has already crowned this wizarding venture the highest-grossing non-musical play in Broadway history, amassing over $430 million in ticket sales and shifting more than 3.5 million seats. These stats are particularly gratifying at a time when plays don't have these sorts of lengthy runs anymore. Sure, the IP is strong here, but this is a t
The Broadway Flea is back with rare theater collectibles, opening-night tickets and more

The Broadway Flea is back with rare theater collectibles, opening-night tickets and more

Mark September 21 on your calendar, theatre obsessives. That’s when Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS unleashes its annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, turning West 44th and 45th Streets into a theatre kid’s fever dream from 10am to 7pm ET, with the live auction at 5pm. Expect piles of Playbills, props, posters and rare memorabilia stacked high, plus fans elbowing through for that one keepsake they’ll brag about forever. Silent auctions take over Shubert Alley while the adrenaline-pumping live auction turns Times Square into its own Broadway stage. And this year, it’s bigger than ever, with booths and bargains fully packing both streets. RECOMMENDED: The best Broadway shows to see right now The shopping frenzy isn’t the only draw for fans and collectors. The autograph table and photo booth return to Junior’s in Shubert Alley, where your favorite onstage stars sign, pose and generally cause long lines of giddy fans eager to see them up close. If you prefer to plot your strategy in advance, online pre-bidding opens September 5, letting you scope the best treasures before the chaos begins. Last year’s edition shattered records, pulling in $1,421,675—pushing the all-time fundraising total well over $20 million since the event launched in the late ’80s. This isn’t just about scoring a Phantom mask or Wicked wand; every dollar fuels Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which provides meals, medication, housing and health services for people living with HIV/AIDS and other ser
The sold-out DroneArt Show is coming back to Boston by popular demand next month

The sold-out DroneArt Show is coming back to Boston by popular demand next month

Forget fireworks, Boston is about to experience a next-level nighttime display of pyrotechnics. After wowing Beantown back in July, the 2025 DroneArt Show is descending on us next month, and it's nothing short of jaw-dropping. Think classical music with a serious edge: a live string quartet performs Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, all while 500-plus drones perform choreographed routines in the sky, lit from below by tens of thousands of candles spread across Ohiri Field at Harvard University. RECOMMENDED: Where to see art in Boston, including installations, exhibitions, galleries and more Taking place Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6, the spectacle runs about 65 minutes and opens up to attendees a full two hours before its 8pm start time, giving you plenty of opportunity to stake out the best spot. There are two options for seating: a picnic zone for the early birds and a swanky VIP Picnic Experience that comes with a blanket, snacks and a fast-track line. Food trucks and drink vendors will also be on-site, so you can turn the night into a proper late-summer feast as you wait for the show to begin. The DroneArt Show has sold out in other cities around the world, and tickets to the Boston experience are moving fast. Think of it as ballet under the stars with high-level execution from drones that move in perfect synchronicity to form everything from flamingos and Degas-like dancers to lotus blossoms in the night sky. This is performance art,
The L.A. carousel that inspired Disneyland is about to get restored

The L.A. carousel that inspired Disneyland is about to get restored

Los Angeles just bought itself a piece of history, and for once, it’s not going to end up in a prop warehouse. The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round will soon whirl and twirl again after years of sitting shuttered and sad. The city just dropped $1 million to acquire it from private owners and is looking to fundraise around $2 million more to polish every horse, pipe and bit of brass before the 2028 Olympics. Initially known as the 1926 Spillman Engineering Carousel, the four rows of 68 painted wooden horses is one of the largest carousels in the country. Part of Griffith Park since 1937, it operated almost continuously until a brief COVID-19 closure and then a more permanent closure in 2022 due to mechanical problems. For the last few years, Angelenos have walked past the locked-up pavilion on the way to the Observatory or the Greek. But this isn’t just a dusty relic of L.A.’s carnival past. This is where Walt Disney realized that grown-ups deserve as much fun as the kids they’re chaperoning. While his daughters spun in delighted circles, Disney sat on a bench and dreamed up a place where he wouldn’t have to sit it out. Maybe you've heard of what it became: Disneyland. Basically, without Griffith Park’s merry-go-round, there’s no Mickey Mouse ears headbands, no churros at midnight and no Epcot margaritas. (And also no Disney adults, but oh well.) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round (@griffithparkmerrygoround) RECOMMENDED: Th
A two-day Bad Bunny-themed bash is coming to Calle Ocho next month

A two-day Bad Bunny-themed bash is coming to Calle Ocho next month

If you’ve been craving the delirious high of a Bad Bunny show but couldn’t snag Puerto Rico tickets, here comes the next best thing: On September 19 and 20, Little Havana’s Dead Flamingo at Casa Tiki will morph into "La Casa de Bad Bunny" for Mi Casa Tu Casa, a two-night blowout that puts you right inside the house-party fantasy El Conejo Malo has been staging in arenas. RECOMMENDED: The best clubs in Miami for non-stop partying Think: bass shaking Calle Ocho, a dance floor packed shoulder-to-shoulder with fans who know every lyric and perreo that outpaces even the heat index. DJ Negra Fabulosa, who’s shared stages with Becky G, Natti Natasha and Nicky Jam, is at the helm, keeping the beats hot from late night until far later night. Themed cocktails keep the party vibes going, and photo ops are designed to make your friends jealous with every post. In the days before, Dead Flamingo will roll out an immersive art installation, turning Casa Tiki into a space as unpredictable and kinetic as its muse. Expect colorful corners, cheeky surprises and at least a few moments that will remind you why Miami does spectacle like nobody else. And if you're fast enough to grab early-bird tickets, you'll score both nights plus an exclusive Bd Bnny T-shirt. Even better, wearing it to Mi Casa Tu Casa is not nearly as embarrassing as wearing a band shirt to a concert, so pose for your selfies without shame. The party kicks off at 9:30pm and sways until 3am at 1728 SW 8th Street. No need for a pa
One of the world’s most beautiful bookstores is in Los Angeles

One of the world’s most beautiful bookstores is in Los Angeles

For a city that somehow can't quite shrug off the accusation that nobody here reads, Los Angeles can lay claim to a lot of literary icons. Raymond Chandler made Los Angeles sexy and gritty; Nathanael West and Joan Didion made it seem desolate and morally bankrupt. And newly lionized patron saint of L.A. culture, Eve Babitz, made it seem cool. But there's another towering icon of books in L.A. that also just got its due, and it is in the company of some pretty heavy hitters. 1000 Libraries just announced the world's 10 most beautiful bookstores, and right there at No. 10, on the same list as Paris's Shakespeare and Co. and other storied international booksellers, is DTLA's own The Last Bookstore. Not bad for a bookshop that has only been operating out of its current location since 2011. And anyone who's been in it knows the truth of that ranking. RECOMMENDED: The best independent bookstores in Los Angeles Located on two floors in a cavernous, former bank building, it's not just one of California’s largest used-and-new bookstores; it’s an art installation, a temple to literature and a book influencer's grid-worthy dream, rolled into one. (Seriously, it's actually the most Instagrammed bookstore in the world.) "This place isn’t just about size—it has quality in spades, too, with loads of creative art displays, its most notable ones being a gravity-defying book tunnel made up of books and a cashier’s counter lined with hundreds of books’ leather spines," reads the ranking write-u
Your commute on the Orange Line is getting mercifully faster, thanks to MBTA upgrades

Your commute on the Orange Line is getting mercifully faster, thanks to MBTA upgrades

In a rare win for Boston’s notoriously slow-and-steady subway system, the MBTA’s Orange Line is now hitting 55 mph. As of Sunday, August 24, trains between Oak Grove and Assembly can finally recapture the fast lane they were designed for after decades of track decline had them lumbering along at a max of 40 mph. Hardly the commute that anybody wants. Riders are already clocking the difference. What once felt like a sluggish crawl now whips by noticeably quicker. Across the roughly four-station stretch, the difference in time spent is between “snail-pace” and “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” hustle. RECOMMENDED: The MBTA will extend service on late nights and weekends starting this month This milestone is a result of a relentless infrastructure overhaul. Over the past two years, the MBTA’s Track Improvement Program has replaced 250,000 feet of track and eliminated more than 220 speed restrictions systemwide. That’s eliminated slow zones and paved the literal way for trains to hit their full potential. Or at least what they were initially built for. “Under the leadership of Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll we have focused on rebuilding our transportation network, improving quality of life for all. In 2024 we eliminated speed restrictions and restored maximum allowable speed for the entire Orange Line and now are ready to further shorten trip times giving our riders back even more precious time,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said in a statement.  “I’m proud of th
MOO’s free “Back to Work” pop-up lets you load up on complimentary coffee and office supplies

MOO’s free “Back to Work” pop-up lets you load up on complimentary coffee and office supplies

Let's face it: For most New Yorkers, September is the real fresh start to the year. (Sorry, New Year's Eve!) The air turns a little crisper, we finally get to lovingly don long sleeves and layers and that “back-to-school” itch creeps in, whether or not you’ve attended school this century. Remember that annual excuse to buy new notebooks and fresh pens? MOO does, and it's here to bring that same rush of aesthetic consumerism to your workday. On Thursday, September 4, the business accessories brand is partnering with Bluestone Lane partner up to transform the café's Hudson Yards location into a “Back to Work” pop-up from 8am to noon. Think of it as the grown-up version of stocking up on school supplies—except now, you have a credit card (and maybe credit card debt), pop quizzes are just after-hours Slack messages and nice pens and pretty stationery have become the little treats that get you through the day. RECOMMENDED: Best things to do in Hudson Yards MOO gets it. For its Back to Work event, the design-forward stationery brand will offer free swag to upgrade your daily grind. You’ll be able to load up your work bag with fresh notebooks, pens and other desk-friendly essentials that will turn even a Zoom meeting into a style showcase. And because none of us want to face the morning without caffeine, Bluestone Lane will offer a free coffee, too. (Sorry for anyone hoping to recreate that giddy feeling of a vending machine soda between classes.) So block out some time on your cale
When will L.A.’s brutal heat wave end? What to know about those triple-digit temperatures

When will L.A.’s brutal heat wave end? What to know about those triple-digit temperatures

Knowing that, until now, summer in Los Angeles this year has been pretty mild is of no comfort as we enter a looming stretch of hot, sticky days. (We'd usually say it's cold comfort, but nothing is cold this week.) Through at least Saturday, August 23, Angelenos have the privilege of trading in paradise for one of the season's most intense heat waves, with triple-digit highs cooking almost every valley and inland corner of the city. Downtown L.A. is flirting with hitting a new record, Woodland Hills is looking at a possible 109°F, and even coastal-adjacent spots are feeling the heat. And sadly, there looks to be little respite over the coming days. Nights will stay sweltering, with temps dipping down just to the 70s.  RECOMMENDED: It’s not just you: L.A.’s heat waves are getting more humid—and more dangerous In addition to heat warnings, Los Angeles and Ventura mountains and foothills are under a red flag warning for fires through at least the weekend, as are the San Fernando and Antelope Valleys, the San Gabriel foothills, the Santa Claritas and the inland canyons. But wait, there's more! Friday brings with it a 20-percent chance of thunderstorms in the mountains of L.A. and San Bernardino counties, which could mean flooding and lightning strikes that could spark fires. In other words, L.A. is flirting with a perfect trifecta: heat, fire risk and stormy drama. It makes that 2023 "hurriquake" look like child's play. "Ahead of expected high temperatures later this week, city
This beautiful Chicago bakery was just shortlisted at the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards

This beautiful Chicago bakery was just shortlisted at the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards

We're not saying bigger is better. But in the case of Umaga Bakehouse, it doesn't hurt. At nearly 4,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest Filipino bakeries in the U.S., and Aida Napoles of AGN Design turned that space into a sun-dappled, modern refuge for sweet-toothed Chicagoans. Think warm earth tones, bronze tile accents, floor-to-ceiling windows and a bespoke S-shaped wooden table that curves through the space, doubling as seating and display.  Umaga has earned buzz for its Filipino staples, from fluffy ensaymada to hot pandesal, ube-infused treats and even halo-halo. Now, Napoles' work has been named to the shortlist for the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. RECOMMENDED: The 35 most amazing bakeries in Chicago The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, founded in 2008 in the U.K., sees over 14,000 entries from 100 countries judged by big names from the worlds of interior design, architecture and gastronomy. Umaga’s inclusion sends a clear signal that Chicago’s design-forward hospitality game is earning some serious international cred. Photograph: Courtesy Restaurant & Bar Design AwardsUmaga Bakehouse "We’re beyond thrilled to share that Umaga Bakehouse has been shortlisted for the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in the Americas – Café category!" the Umaga team wrote on the bakeshop's Instagram page. "Endless thanks to Aida @design_agn for creating a space truly worthy of celebrating Filipino culture. Also another huge thanks to @dylan_martin_furniture for the incred
Allston Christmas is nearly here, and Boston is offering free furniture pickup to celebrate

Allston Christmas is nearly here, and Boston is offering free furniture pickup to celebrate

You know the Boston streets hate to see September 1 coming. That's when an estimated 70-percent of leases turn over, prompting a mass exodus of students in Allston-Brighton. And while the moving trucks blocking traffic are bad enough, the days leading up to moving day also bring with them a flood of furniture left curbside, an annual event affectionately known as Allston Christmas. It’s chaotic. It’s cluttered. For trash divers, it’s kind of magical. But this year, the city is offering up a level-headed, zero-waste solution. RECOMMENDED: These are the best places to live in Greater Boston, says new study Instead of watching as the streets turn into unattended junkyards, Boston will launch a pilot program that picks up and donates usable furniture for free. Powered by the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) and furniture-redistribution nonprofit Household Goods, the program will drive around scooping things up curbside and giving them a second chance at life. A report from MONUM and Harvard Kennedy School graduate students found that, between 2015 and 2023, annual trash collection increased by 10-percent, while August and September alone saw a nearly 30-percent increase.  Brighton residents in designated pickup zones will be able to schedule furniture removal on Monday, August 25, between 8am and 3pm. But you only have until Friday, August 22 to submit your request. The items accepted are the kind you’d expect: couches, dressers, kitchen tables (sorry, desks), bookca
The "Oscars of fine wine" is coming to Miami this fall

The "Oscars of fine wine" is coming to Miami this fall

Miami has never been shy about excess. So where better for the Golden Vines, the world’s most exclusive three-day celebration of fine wine and rare spirits, to make its American debut? Exactly how exclusive are we talking? Tickets are $15,000 per person for the November 7–9 event.  RECOMMENDED: The best wine bars in Miami for solid sips, moody vibes and great tapas, too Often called "the Oscars of the fine wine world," the Golden Vines isn’t just another vino festival. Think Michelin-starred dining in historic venues, intimate masterclasses with the world’s most legendary producers and enough rare pours to make a seasoned sommelier’s head spin. Things kick off Friday with a suite of themed sessions, including “Iconic Women in Wine” and “South American All Stars.” The day ends in a gala at the Alfred I. DuPont Building, where dinner is served with once-in-a-lifetime bottles like Krug, Ridge Vineyards and Graham’s Port, plus a Sotheby’s live auction benefiting the Gérard Basset Foundation, dedicated to funding education and mentoring programs for young people in hospitality. Saturday will take indulgence to new heights, starting with sponsor-hosted lunches that will feature producers like Château Lafite Rothschild and Dom Pérignon, with the evening dedicated to the Golden Vines Awards Gala at the Faena Forum. There, chef Kyle Connaughton (the three-Michelin-starred SingleThread) will present a mouth-watering menu paired with astonishing vintages, including Dom Pérignon 2008 Plé