TKTS Discount Booth at Duffy Square reopens

Theatre Development Fund (TDF)�s new TKTS Discount Booth, located �under the red steps� in Father Duffy Square (Broadway and 47th Street, Manhattan), will open on 16 Oct 2008 at 3pm, preceded by a 12:30pm ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of the revitalization of Duffy Square.

TKTS offers same-day discounts of up to 50% off for tickets to Broadway, Off Broadway, music and dance productions to performing arts lovers from the world over.

The TKTS Booth closed on the 30 Apr 2006 to allow work on renovating Duffy Square and for the new TKTS Discount Booth to be constructed. The TKTS ticket moved its operation one block South to the Marriott Marquis Hotel while the work was undertaken.

�We�re thrilled to move into our new home in Duffy Square,� said TDF executive director Victoria Bailey. �TKTS began as an experiment in 1973, operating out of a donated construction trailer and quickly grew into an internationally celebrated meeting place for theatre goers from New York and around the world to purchase same-day discount tickets and share their theatre experiences. Today, 35 years later, this extraordinary new structure creates a visual statement which signifies the critical and enduring role of the theatre in New York City. We would like to express our deep gratitude to Michael Stengel and the New York Marriott Marquis for providing a temporary home for the TKTS booth during the construction project.�

The new TKTS booth is a state-of-the-art fiberglass shell encased by an all-glass structure, which sits under a glowing red glass staircase. The slip-resistant glass steps are lit from below with advanced LED technology, and utilize unique geothermal-based heating and cooling technology. From atop this amphitheatre-style staircase, 27 steps high, 16 feet above street level, visitors now have a unique vantage point to take in the excitement of Times Square as never before, making Duffy Square a new destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike.

The design originated with an international competition in 1999 to redesign TKTS, which was sponsored by TDF as a project of NYC2000 and was organized by the Van Alen Institute. The winning entry, chosen from 683 entrants from 31 countries, was by Australians John Choi and Tai Ropiha. Their concept drawing of a glowing red staircase was then transformed by the architects at the New York firm of Perkins Eastman into the most complex all-glass structure in the world.

The new booth will feature 12 selling windows, each equipped with the ability to accept credit cards for sale of same-day discount tickets to Broadway, Off Broadway, music and dance productions. There is a special �Play Only� window where there is rarely a wait for tickets to non-musical productions. Hours of operation for TKTS Times Square are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3pm to 8pm for evening performances, Tuesdays from 2pm to 8pm for evening performances; Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 2pm for matinee performances; and Sunday from 11 to 3pm for matinee performances and 3pm to 7pm for evening performances.

In addition, the revitalization of Father Duffy Square includes an expanded Duffy Square plaza, increasing the amount of usable pedestrian space by 115%, which was designed by architect William Fellows. The project to revitalize Father Duffy Square was overseen by the Times Square Alliance, Theatre Development Fund and the Coalition for Father Duffy.