Beyond Broadway: 5 Great Cultural & Culinary Day Trips from NYC

By Jacquelin Carnegie
Catching a Broadway show should be at the top of your New York City “To Do” list. But, the surrounding, tri-state area--Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts--also offers great theater. At these venues, easily accessible by public transportation, you get wonderful entertainment at reasonable prices. Plus, the theaters are near nice restaurants and other interesting cultural activities for a perfect day trip. You might even be inspired to stay for the weekend or longer!

Connecticut

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Ct., Westport, CT; Tel: 203/227-4177; www.westportplayhouse.org

Westport Country Playhouse, Stockard Channing & Jane Alexander,

 David Hare’s The Breath of Life (photo: Carol Rosegg)

Paul Neumann and Joanne Woodward were key to the revitalization of this historic theater. The red barn was originally built in 1835. Transformed into a theater in 1931, the Playhouse initially featured try-outs bound for Broadway, then became a stop on the “straw-hat,” summer stock circuit throughout the 20^th century. Today, the not-for-profit Westport Country Playhouse presents a selection of terrific plays with top-notch actors.

Westport Country Playhouse

 (photo: Robert Benson)

Nearby Eats: The theater recommends several nearby restaurants.
Other Cultural Activities: MoCA Westport - Formerly the Westport Arts Center, offers art exhibits, gallery talks, concerts, and films.

Stay the Night: The Inn at Longshore
Getting There: From New York (Grand Central Station), take Metro North train (New Haven line) to Westport. Then, a 10-minute taxi ride. (Westport Star Taxi: 203/227-5157) Travel time: About an hour and a half.

NEW JERSEY

McCarter, Daphne Rubin-Vega & Jimmy Smits,

Anna in the Tropics (photo: T. Charles Erickson)

McCarter Theatre Center

91 University Place, Princeton, NJ; Tel: 609/258-2787; www.mccarter.org

Begun in the 1930s as a venue for the Princeton University Triangle Club (who still perform here), the McCarter stage has been graced by some of the most illustrious actors of our time. (Joshua Logan and Jimmy Stewart were in the first production.) McCarter was a popular pre-Broadway and summer-stock stop, then developed into a place where noteworthy playwrights premiere new work (Thornton Wilder's Our Town, William Inge's Bus Stop). Today, the theater continues presenting premieres and nurturing new talent as well as showcasing re-imagined classics.

Nearby Eats: There’s a café at the theater and a wide selection of great restaurants nearby in downtown Princeton: Alchemist & Barrister, Triumph Brewing Company, Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar, Yankee Doodle Tap Room.
Other Cultural Activities: Princeton Tour Company - Great walking tours; Princeton University Art Museum - 72,000 works of art including Degas, Monet & Picasso and an extensive collection of Chinese artifacts; free.

McCarter Theater 

(photo: Peter C. Cook)

Stay the Night: Princeton Marriott & a few other nice choices.

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Northeast Corridor line) to Princeton; get off at Princeton Junction, then take the "Dinky" train to Princeton, a 5-minute ride, stops across the street from the theatre. Travel time: About an hour.

Paper Mill Playhouse
22 Brookside Dr., Millburn, NJ; Tel: 973/376-4343; www.papermill.org

Paper Mill Playhouse, Oklahoma 

(photo: Gerry Goodstein)

In 1938, the Paper Mill Playhouse opened in a defunct paper mill. Begun as a repertory theater, operettas and musicals were soon added to its’ repertoire. Over the years, the Playhouse gained a reputation for offering a selection of great plays and fabulous productions of Broadway musicals. Today, in addition to reviving iconic shows, the Paper Mill Playhouse presents brand-new musicals.

Nearby Eats: There’s the Carriage House restaurant & café at the theater, but Millburn’s Main Street, just a few blocks away, is worth exploring--several ice cream parlors, coffee shops, and restaurants. (The Millburn Deli is famous for its’ Sloppy Joes.)

Other Cultural Activities: In nearby Short Hills, NJ: Greenwood Gardens, a 28-acre public garden on the National Register of Historic Places; Cora Hartshorn Arboretum & Bird Sanctuary, 16-acres of woodlands with nature trails.

Paper Mill Playhouse

Stay the Night: Short Hills Hilton

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Midtown direct Dover) to Millburn. Short walk or taxi ride to the theater. Travel time: About an hour and a quarter.

State Theater

State Theater, musician Michael McDonald

(photo: Danny Clinch)

15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ; Tel: 732/246-7469; www.statetheatrenj.org

The State Theater is housed in an historic vaudeville and silent movie palace from the 1920s. Best known for its’ concert series featuring headliners at affordable prices--from Yo-Yo Ma to Bruce Springsteen, the theater also presents Broadway musicals, opera, jazz & blues festivals, comedy, and children’s theater.

Nearby Eats: Lots of nice restaurants near the theater. 
Other Cultural Activities: Zimmerli Art Museum - An excellent university museum with an impressive collection from ancient artifacts to contemporary art.

State Theater

Stay the Night: Book a Getaway Package at one of the nice local hotels.

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Northeast Corridor line) to New Brunswick, just a few blocks walk to the theater. Travel time: About an hour and a quarter.

Massachusetts

Barrington Stage Company

30 Union St., Pittsfield, MA, Tel:
 413/236-8888; barringtonstageco.org

Barrington Stage, Debra Jo Rupp, Dr. Ruth

(photo: ©Barrington Stage)

Founded in 1995, the not-for-profit company, housed in a 1912 vaudeville theatre, produces award-winning plays and musicals, and finds innovative ways to attract new audiences and introduce young people to theatre. The new productions at Barrington Stage are so terrific they often transfer to Broadway (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, On the Town, American Son)–but you can see them first, right here!

Barrington Stage

Nearby Eats: There’s a huge selection of all kinds of restaurants, cafés and wine bars on North Street in the Upstreet Cultural District. 

Other Cultural Activities: Pittsfield is abuzz with artsy activities from 3^rd Thursdays street fair to 1st Fridays ArtsWalk. Berkshire Museum - Art & artifacts from every continent.  
Stay the Night: Holiday Inn & Suites

Getting There: From New York (Port Authority Bus Terminal) take a Peter Pan bus to Pittsfield. About four hours (but worth it!)