The difficult part is in the choosing which shows to see. There’s a bounty of new musicals and plays this season that appeal to a wide range of tastes.

But first things first: Getting there.

Sure, you could drive and good luck to you on that, what with traffic, weather, parking, and stress (from the traffic, weather, and parking).

But as a theater critic for Variety, I regularly hop onto Shore Line East to New Haven’s Union Station and then take one of the many regularly scheduled trains on Metro North trains into the city. And because the routes begin in New Haven, you’ll always get a choice seat. But try to avoid eye contact when the Stamford riders board. They always seem to have a look of desperation in the small hope of perhaps getting one of the remaining middle seats in the back of the train.

Now you could skip Shore Line East and drive directly to Union Station and park there, but the fees defeat the purpose of this cost-saving means of transportation.

Tip: A thrifty alternative is to drive to the relatively new West Haven station stop, and park there for much less, or even free on weekends and holidays.

Ok, you’re on board now. Relax. Have your coffee, read a newspaper, even talk with your family, and in about two hours you’ll be deposited at Grand Central Station, a show in and off itself.

Or, you could opt for the more comfy—more expensive, too—Amtrak, which will deposit you at the far less glamorous Penn Station.

But I generally go for Grand Central.

Once you are there, make some time to take in the beauty of the vast cosmic ceiling dotted with constellations.

Tip: Don’t rush off to head to the theater district. The station’s downstairs food court—and its main floor market—offers a wide selection of food at fairly reasonable prices, so consider having lunch there before the matinée, instead of a restaurant in the theater district, which will cost you far more.

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