Upcoming 860 dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The 860 seat decision in brief
For 860, sit where you can see Billy Crystal's expressions: the center orchestra, roughly the first two-thirds of the main floor, or the first rows of the front balcony at center. This is a one-man show in the Imperial Theatre, a house with 1,457 seats that was built for large musicals, so distance costs you more here than it would at a big production with a full stage of performers and scenery.
- Top choice: center orchestra, front two-thirds.
- Best value: front balcony, center rows.
- Think twice: the rear balcony, box seats and the back of the orchestra under the overhang.
860 is a strictly limited 14-week engagement. The first preview was October 1, 2026; opening night is set for October 21; the final curtain falls in the first days of January 2027.
Inside the Imperial: orchestra, balcony and boxes
The Imperial Theatre is a Shubert Organization house that opened in 1923 and spent much of its life housing large-cast musicals, Les Misérables and Billy Elliot the Musical among them. Its seats are spread over two levels.
- Orchestra (the main floor): about 759 seats.
- Balcony, often sold as the mezzanine: about 660 seats in all, split by a crossover aisle (a walkway running across the level): roughly 283 in front of it, roughly 377 behind.
- Boxes: 20 seats along the side walls.
Why the center orchestra wins
Crystal's comedy relies on timing, small gestures and facial reactions. From the front two-thirds of the orchestra you catch all of it, with nothing overhead.
Why the front balcony is the smart buy
The opening rows of the front balcony look down on the stage from a clean, raised angle and often cost less than prime orchestra seats. For a solo performer standing mostly at center, that sightline loses very little.
Seats that work against a one-person show
- Rear balcony: you will hear everything, but from up there a single performer looks small, and much of this show lives in his face.
- Box seats: the side angle is tolerable for a musical spread across the stage, less so when the whole evening is one man at center.
- Back of the orchestra under the balcony overhang: the sound is fine, but the low ceiling can make the stage feel far away.
If your budget points toward the rear balcony, a weeknight front-balcony seat is often the better use of the same money.
A house, a fire and 46 years of memories
The number on the marquee is the house number of a home on Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, which sheltered Crystal and his family for 46 years until the 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles destroyed it. Crystal's evening looks back at losing it and at what followed: family, career, memory, and the people and the humor that carried him through. It is storytelling with stand-up timing, not a plot with a cast.
Crystal has done this before. 700 Sundays, the 2004 solo piece that first brought him to Broadway on his own, collected a Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event plus a Drama Desk prize, then reached television on HBO and drew four Emmy nominations. Eighteen years later, the stage musical of his film Mr. Saturday Night picked up five Tony nominations, Crystal's own performance among them.
Scott Ellis directs. He has been nominated for the Tony nine times, currently serves as Roundabout's interim artistic director, and has staged Doubt, Take Me Out and She Loves Me on Broadway, among others. In a solo evening, his job is pacing and the transitions a cast would otherwise supply.
Length, weekly schedule and age guidance
Plan on about 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. Use the restroom before curtain, and expect latecomers to be held until a suitable pause. The week runs Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Saturday and none on Monday; holiday weeks follow their own schedule.
- Ages: recommended for 12 and up because the subject is personal loss. Broadway theaters do not admit children under 4.
- Tone: funny, yet the subject is loss. Anyone who knows Crystal from Saturday Night Live or his films will recognize the voice, aimed here at something closer to the bone.
- A note for some viewers: anyone who lived through the 2025 Los Angeles fires should know the subject matter is direct.
Timing your purchase around a holiday-season run
A star vehicle with a fixed end date sells differently from an open-ended hit. The performance count is set, the marquee name is the whole draw, and the final weeks run into the holidays.
- October 21, opening night: heavily allocated to press and guests, so fewer seats reach the public.
- Thanksgiving through New Year's: Broadway's busiest stretch, and it includes the final weekend.
- Widest choice: Tuesday to Thursday evenings in October and early November.
- Saturdays: the matinee is usually easier to get than the evening show.
Telecharge opened public sales in June 2026; Audience Rewards members had an earlier presale window. On resale, center orchestra and front balcony seats hold their value best, while rear-balcony prices soften first on weeknights. Every Reserved Seat order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
A note on the closing date: Broadway News, BroadwayWorld and Broadway.com all name Sunday, January 3, 2027, but New York Theatre Guide shows January 2. Rely on the date printed on your ticket.
Getting to West 45th Street
The Imperial is at 249 West 45th Street, a block or so from Times Square and the many subway lines that stop there. Sidewalks around 45th Street fill up before an 8 p.m. curtain, and with no intermission there is no catching up, so arrive about 30 minutes early. Planning more nights out? Browse Plays for other dramas this season, Broadway for the full district, and New York City for everything else in town. Ticketing details are in Broadway.com's on-sale announcement.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best seats for 860 at the Imperial Theatre?
The center orchestra, roughly the first two-thirds of the main floor, gives the closest view of Crystal's expressions. The center of the front balcony is the best value.
Is the rear balcony a good choice for a solo show?
It is the weakest area for 860. The sound carries, but one performer looks small from that distance, so a weeknight front-balcony seat is usually a better buy.
What is the name 860 about?
It is the house number of Crystal's family home on Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, where they lived for 46 years before the 2025 fire destroyed it.
Does 860 have an intermission?
No. Expect roughly an hour and 40 minutes without a break.
When is the last performance of 860?
Most announcements list Sunday, January 3, 2027, though one theater guide gives January 2. Confirm the date on your ticket.
What age is 860 suitable for?
It is recommended for ages 12 and older, since the show is about grief and loss. As at all Broadway houses, children under 4 cannot attend.