Seeing a touring Broadway show: practical notes for planning a trip

Touring Broadway productions such as Wicked and The Outsiders reach cities like Des Moines, Iowa, through national tour circuits. Shows move from city to city on set schedules, usually playing large performing arts venues for a week or a few weeks at a time. Des Moines Performing Arts, which runs the Des Moines Civic Center, is the organisation to watch for the local Broadway season. Line-ups and dates change from year to year, so the official season announcement and the venue's own website are the only reliable sources for what is actually playing and when.

Booking sensibly

  • Buy from the official box office or its authorised ticketing partner. Resale sites can charge well above face value, and some listings are not genuine.
  • Consider a season package if you plan to see several shows. Subscribers often get first choice of seats before single tickets go on sale.
  • Check run times and age guidance before booking for children. Some productions deal with mature themes.

On the day

Allow extra time for parking and security checks, especially on opening nights and weekends. Arriving early also gives you time to find your seat calmly and look at the programme. Most venues publish accessibility information, including wheelchair seating and assisted listening, and it is worth contacting them ahead of time if you need these.

Why it fits an outdoor-living journal

A night at the theatre often starts or finishes outside: a drink on a terrace, dinner under a pergola, or a summer evening on a deck with friends. Much of the staging craft behind big touring sets, such as lightweight framing, modular structures and weather-aware materials, has a lot in common with the outdoor structures we look at elsewhere. For more of that side of things, browse our Gallery or read through the Guides.