Cheaper eats can be had up and down West 44th, at Virgil's (for ribs), Ollie's (for Chinese) and John's (for pizza) -- all in the $20 range. The merlot-and-burger spot of the moment, however, is Angus McIndoe (dinner: $30 range), also on 44th, right next to the St. James Theatre, where a tiny here-today, gone-tomorrow show called "The Producers" is playing. You'll find any number of actors and playwrights nursing wine or fizzy water at the tables (the ground floor is the most desirable). Like Joe Allen, McIndoe bar is great for post-theater star-gazing. Nathan Lane hangs out there a lot. Well he should; he's an investor in the joint.
Before you eat, you may want to secure your tickets for the evening. If your concierge hasn't already done that for you, in Duffy Square, a triangular island wedged between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, you'll find the TKTS booth, where Broadway and off-Broadway productions dump their unsold top-priced orchestra seats (normally $75 to $100) and offer them on the day of performance for 25 to 50 percent off. Don't be put off by the ludicrously long lines that wrap around the square. Tickets are sold almost until performances begin, and some shows hold back seats until late in the day. (The booth is open Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 3 p.m. to "closing," and for a few hours before Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees.)
Some popular shows, such as "Avenue Q" and "Wicked," also offer day-of seats at deeply discounted prices in a box office lottery. To enter, you must get to the box offices 2 1/2 hours before curtain time. If selected, you can get bargain rates for front-row orchestra seats ($25 for "Wicked," at the Gershwin, 222 W. 51st; $21.25 at "Avenue Q," at the John Golden, 252 W. 45th).
Shopping and Snoozing
Times Square is New York's Grand Bazaar of schlock, and the area's souvenir stores specialize in trinkets of the tackiest varieties. But a few haunts remain for the theater-obsessed. There is, for instance, a good emporium of theater memorabilia at Theatre Circle (268 W. 44th); the attractive shop offers theater posters, Broadway CDs, toys and sheet music. For my money, though, the primo place to kill an hour is the Drama Book Shop (250 W. 40th). The bilevel store stocks the works -- scripts, anthologies, stage biographies, acting manuals -- and the people behind the counter are extremely knowledgeable.
Hotels ring the Theater District, and all of the reliable chains (Hilton, Westin, Doubletree, Marriott) are prominently represented. Those nostalgic for a taste of Old Broadway can book a room at the Algonquin (59 W. 44th, doubles from $229), once the haunt of such stage royalty as Alexander Woollcott and Edna Ferber. Those who crave a bit of European-style minimalism are welcome at the Paramount Hotel (235 W. 46th, doubles from $285), where drinks on the balcony that rings the Ian Schrager lobby are an elegant end to a theater evening. I love the convenience and efficiency of the Millennium Broadway (145 W. 44th, doubles from $279); the rooms are not lavish, but they are a good size, and when you step out onto the street, all of theaterland is right before you. Also agreeable is the 420-room Warwick (65 W. 54th, doubles from $254), an older hotel on the northern edge of the district. It needs a new look, but the service is good and it's a two-minute walk to Fifth Avenue.
It's Showtime, Folks
Almost forgot. Broadway: That means actual shows. The season is just kicking into gear, with a spate of new productions moving in through the fall.
It appears to be a time for going it alone; Billy Crystal (" 700 Sundays"), Dame Edna (" Back With a Vengeance"), Mario Cantone (" Laugh Whore"), Whoopi Goldberg ("Whoopi") and Eve Ensler (" The Good Body") are all bringing in solo shows.
Meanwhile, Edie Falco, on hiatus from "The Sopranos," co-stars in a revival of Marsha Norman's " 'Night, Mother" with Brenda Blethyn; Brooke Shields joins "Wonderful Town" until Jan. 3; B.D. Wong is featured in a new production of Stephen Sondheim's " Pacific Overtures"; and the musical version of " La Cage Aux Folles" is returning, this time with Gary Beach and Daniel Davis. Original work is arriving, too, most notably, August Wilson's new " Gem of the Ocean" with Phylicia Rashad and a musical adaptation of " Little Women" with Sutton ("Thoroughly Modern Millie") Foster.
The "snob hit" of fall, though, is likely to be Michael Frayn's new " Democracy," the story of the late Willy Brandt, former chancellor of West Germany, and the East German spy he unwittingly hired as his chief aide.
The new offerings are not only good for those who want to laugh with Broadway, but at it as well. " Forbidden Broadway," the musical spoof of all things theatrical, continues at the Douglas Fairbanks on West 42nd. It's the sort of cheeky revue that can make even fleeting visitors to Broadway feel as if they really, really belong.
