Iconic TKTS booth in Times Square celebrates 50 years of Broadway ticket discounts
The TKTS booth in Times Square, which has become part of the city’s visual and financial DNA and a key part in keeping Broadway going, is celebrating its 50th birthday this week NEW YORK -- When Jay-Z and Alicia Keys filmed the video for “Empire State of Mind,” their valentine to New York City, they naturally ended up in Times Square, singing on illuminated red glass steps. It was no mere set: It was two New York icons standing on another. Their stage was the top of the TKTS booth, which has become part of the city's visual and financial DNA and a key part in keeping Broadway going. This week that booth is celebrating its 50th birthday, with the city celebrating on Wednesday with songs and speeches. “It is so intrinsically linked with the city,” says Victoria Bailey, executive director of the non-profit TDF, formerly known as the Theatre Development Fund, which runs the booth. “It has kind of always been a symbol.” It's a discount ticket booth where same-day Broadway and of...