Review: At the Booth! for BlackBerry

One of the great things about working in Manhattan is that on nice days, I like to cut through Times Square on my way home just to see what shows are playing. A few are obscure plays on out-of-the-way streets and others are the big blockbuster shows. So many choices, so little time and ticket prices can be astronomical. However, now there's an easier way to see what's playing and get last minute discount deals all from your BlackBerry smartphone with At the Booth!

About

At the Booth! By Davenport Media Enterprises is an application that gives a complete catalogue of all the Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows currently running in addition to all the shows available for purchase at the TKTS® booth in Times Square. TKTS® discount booths are run by a not-for-profit organization, the Theatre Development Fund. TKTS offers deals on surplus seats from between 20% and 50% off full price for same day evening shows and matinee performances.

This is a must-have application for fans and tourists alike to access up-to-the minute ticket information. It's all here: pricing, reviews, opening and closing dates, theatre information, synopsis, running time, cast list, etc. It even tells you how long the line is at the booth so you know exactly when to go.  Still more, At the Booth! provides directions to the theater. Speaking from experience, anything that helps you avoid wall to wall people in Times Square is a definitely plus in my book.

Using At the Booth!

At the Booth! is broken down into six categories that are easily located at the bottom of the screen to help you access: At the Booth Today, All Broadway, All Off-Broadway, Theatres, FAQ, and Search - it let's you browse for each and every show. While the application accesses the entire directory of shows playing, not all shows can be purchased at the TKTS® booth. Only shows with discounts are available (these change on a daily basis) and are highlighted in pink. However, it does provides a link to obtain tickets through BroadwaySpace.com and for group tickets.

Line Length Status

When you first open the application it takes a few moments to fetch the booth's current ticket data, including line length and last updated. According to the developer, wait time lengths are only based on how long the line is on an average day. Here are a few of the statuses one can expect to see and what they can possibly signify. 

• No Line - no wait
• Short - should be no longer than 15 minutes
• Medium - between 15 and 45 minutes
• Long/Very Long - longer than 45 minutes 

This definitely saves time when you want to avoid the mass foot traffic in that area or, since I'm a klutz, the constant tripping and bumping into people. So I decided to trek over after work to see just how it works. At the booth listed the line length as medium as of 3:29 pm and by the time I arrived around 5:30pm it updated to short. As you can see below, that is exactly what I found which is pretty neat if you ask me.

At the Booth Today

On either side of the ticket counter there are two pillars that display the shows available, times, and the discount offered. If you're worried about accuracy you won't find any errors as there was no difference between what was displayed on my BlackBerry and what was shown on the monitors' in Times Square. In case you're wondering, the monitors display multiple pages of listings and the Addams Family was on the next shot.  It didn't come out due to the brightness of the screen.

Maps

Need help locating the Theater? NYC can be pretty tricky to navigate.  Using your devices' GPS, At the Booth! can help you find your way. Users can access the map one of two ways: by clicking on the map button from within the show information screen or by clicking on the Theatre button at the bottom and selecting the theater by name. It even gives step by step directions from your current location that makes this and invaluable part of the application especially if you're like me and still get lost.

 Pros

• Quickly and easily decide what you want to see - all from your BlackBerry
• Avoid long waiting times 
• Links to Amazon so you can purchase the Soundtrack to each of the musicals
• Access videos, pictures, and the shows' website 

Cons

• Touchscreen issue where you click on one show/theatre, and it brings up another
• Links only to the Times Square TKTS® booth location 

 

Conclusion

Whether you're on vacation or just in NYC for the day, I recommend you pick up this little application to make sure you don't miss out on the full NY experience. At the Booth! instantly accesses everything you need when deciding on what show to watch, how much to spend, and even on choosing a theater. Not only can you read the synopsis of the show; learn the running time; and read the reviews, it also provides a list of nearby restaurants.  Just the thing for dinner and a show. What more can you ask of in an app that's only $0.99?

At the Booth is available for $0.99 at BlackBerry App World for all BlackBerry devices running OS 4.2 and higher.

More information/purchase of At the Booth! for BlackBerry 

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