Broadway ticket availability

Angela Lansbury is ready for a little down time, but you still have a few weeks left to see her on stage in "Deuce," Terrence McNally's play about two tennis doubles champions who are reunited at the U.S. Open. It closes Aug. 19.

"I'm going to go back to my home in Ireland for a spell just to kind of chill," the four-time Tony winner said during a recent telephone interview. "Then I will come back to New York and probably go out to the Coast to see my family. I am going to kind of mix and match my time between the Coast and New York from here on.

"I really want to live the New York life and to be able to go to the theater and the opera and the ballet and indulge myself in all the things I missed for many, many years because I was always working. I don't intend to work nonstop. I'm not going to do that anymore."

Not that she didn't enjoy her stint in "Deuce," particularly performing with her co-star, Marian Seldes.

"Marian is an extraordinary woman," Lansbury said. "She has such love and consideration for everything theatrical _ actors, writers, composers, everybody connected with the theater. She is besotted by theater. And she is one of the dearest people I have ever known."

The 81-year-old Lansbury said working in "Deuce" _ her first Broadway appearance in nearly 25 years _ is "a very intense experience ... certainly at my time of life. It takes a lot of energy, which, thank goodness, I have.

"People were so pleased that I came back," she said with a laugh. "They proceeded to give me an absolutely marvelous welcome. That's very heartwarming when you have been away for as long as I was."

Is there more theater in her future?

"I couldn't say. I always say, `Never say never.' But I don't really, no. There certainly isn't anything pending, although a lot of plays are sent to me. But I really don't want to be tied into a long run on Broadway. You have to sign for a year." She'd like to do something like the "Encores!" concert series for a short run, but said, "I don't want to work that hard anymore."

For tickets to the remaining performances of "Deuce" at the Music Box Theatre, call Telecharge, 212-239-6200, or go online at http://www.telecharge.com.

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Broadway ticket availability and capsule reviews of shows as of July 30. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are available at the theaters' box offices for the shows listed. Details about how to obtain tickets appear at the end.

_"A Chorus Line." Michael Bennett's classic musical about dancers auditioning for a big Broadway show is back. Gerald Schoenfeld. Telecharge.

_"Chicago." This Kander and Ebb-Bob Fosse creation is Broadway's longest running musical revival and deservedly so. Ambassador. Telecharge.

_"Curtains." A murder-mystery musical comedy with a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb. David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk star. Al Hirschfeld. Telecharge.

_"Frost/Nixon." David Frost interviews Richard Nixon. Michael Sheen plays Frost and Frank Langella is Nixon in this play by Peter Morgan. Bernard B. Jacobs. Telecharge. Closes Aug. 19.

_"Grease." A revival of the venerable musical celebrating 1950s high school and featuring stars chosen during the recent NBC television reality series. Now in previews. Opens Aug. 19. Brooks Atkinson. Ticketmaster.

_"Hairspray." The cult John Waters movie set in 1960s Baltimore has been turned into a hilarious, tuneful musical. Neil Simon. Ticketmaster.

_"Jersey Boys." The musical story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Winner of four 2006 Tony Awards including best musical. August Wilson. Telecharge. Difficult.

_"Legally Blonde." Laura Bell Bundy stars in this musical version of the Reese Witherspoon movie about a determined young woman who goes to Harvard Law School. Palace. Ticketmaster.

_"Mamma Mia!" The London musical sensation featuring the pop songs of ABBA makes it to Broadway. Die-hard ABBA fans will like it best. Winter Garden. Telecharge.

_"Mary Poppins." The world's most famous nanny comes to the stage after her great success as a P.L. Travers book and a Disney movie. New Amsterdam. Ticketmaster, a special Disney hot line, 212-307-4747. Difficult on weekends.

_"Monty Python's Spamalot." A musical inspired by that demented film comedy, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Shubert. Telecharge.

_"Old Acquaintance." Margaret Colin and Harriet Harris star in a revival of John Van Druten's comedy about the friendship between two writers and the ups and downs of their relationship. Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins starred in the better-known film version. American Airlines. 212-719-1300. Closes Aug. 19.

_"Spring Awakening." A striking rock musical based on Frank Wedekind's classic drama about a dozen young people discovering their sexual identities. Music by Duncan Sheik. Book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Winner of the 2007 Tony Award for best musical. Eugene O'Neill. Telecharge.

_"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." A sweet-tempered, often hilarious new musical by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin about youngsters competing in a local spelling bee. Circle in the Square. Telecharge.

_"The Color Purple." A musical version of Alice Walker's novel, now starring Fantasia, about one woman's triumph over adversity. Broadway. Telecharge.

_"The Drowsy Chaperone." A big fan remembers his favorite musical from 1928 _ and it joyously comes to life. Marquis. Ticketmaster.

_"The Lion King." Director Julie Taymor is a modern-day Merlin, creating a stage version of the Disney animated hit that makes you truly believe in the magic of theater. Minskoff. Ticketmaster, a special Disney hot line, 212-307-4747. Difficult on weekends.

_"The Phantom of the Opera." The one with the chandelier. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera House is the prime, Grade A example of big Brit musical excess. But all the lavishness does have a purpose in Harold Prince's intelligent production, now the longest running show in Broadway history. Majestic. Telecharge.

_"The Year of Magical Thinking." Joan Didion's stage adaptation of her book about the death of her husband. Vanessa Redgrave stars. Booth. Telecharge. Closes Aug. 25.

_"Wicked." An ambitious, wildly popular musical about the witches in "The Wizard of Oz" as young women. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Gershwin. Ticketmaster. Difficult.

_"Xanadu." A fast, funny roller disco musical loosely adapted from the cult 1980s film. The cast features Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson and Tony Roberts. Helen Hayes. Telecharge.

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The Telecharge number is 212-239-6200 unless otherwise indicated. There is a $6.50 service charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies from $2.50 to $4.00 depending on method of delivery.

Ticketmaster is 212-307-4100. There is a $7 "convenience" charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies depending on method of delivery.

All theaters owned by Jujamcyn _ the St. James, Martin Beck, Virginia, Eugene O'Neill and the Walter Kerr _ have a $1.50 surcharge per ticket for theater restoration. Shows in Shubert theaters have a "facilities" surcharge of $1.25 per ticket.

Both Telecharge and Ticketmaster will provide information on specific seat locations. They also have toll-free numbers for theater ticket calls outside New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For Telecharge call 800-432-7250; for Ticketmaster call 800-755-4000.

The League of American Theaters and Producers has a special telephone line called the Broadway Line for information on most Broadway shows (except "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast") and how to purchase tickets. Calls must be made on a touch-tone phone. The number is 1-888-BROADWAY. The line also will provide information on Broadway touring productions. Consumers in the New York tri-state area may call 212-302-4111. The TKTS booth in Times Square is currently in a temporary location just outside the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on West 46th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. It sells same-day discount tickets to Broadway, off-Broadway, music and dance productions. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. Cash or travelers checks only. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday evening performances, 3 p.m.-8 p.m.; matinees Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

The downtown TKTS booth is in the South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John Streets. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. _ for Sunday evening performance tickets only.

Matinee tickets must be purchased at South Street Seaport the day before, meaning Wednesday matinee tickets are available Tuesday, Saturday matinee tickets are available Friday and Sunday matinee tickets are available Saturday.

Full-price tickets and information on Broadway and off-Broadway shows are available at the Broadway Ticket Center, located on the east side of Broadway between 46th Street and 47th Street. There is a $4.50 service charge per ticket.