Nobody does theater better than New York. No other city -- not even London -- has a theater scene with so much breadth and depth, with so many wide-open alternatives. Broadway, of course, gets the most ink and the most airplay, and deservedly so: Broadway is where you'll find the big stage productions, from crowd-pleasing warhorses like The Lion King to the phenomenally successful like The Producers. But today's scene is thriving beyond the bounds of just Broadway -- smaller, "alternative" theater has taken hold of the popular imagination, too. With bankable stars on stage, crowds lining up for hot tickets, and hits popular enough to generate major-label cast albums, Off-Broadway isn't just for culture vultures anymore.

I can't tell you precisely what will be on while you're in town, so check the local publications to get an idea of what you might like to see. Another useful source is the Broadway Line (tel. 888/BROADWAY or 212/302-4111; www.broadway.org), where you can obtain details and descriptions on current Broadway shows, hear about special offers and discounts, and choose to be transferred to TeleCharge or Ticketmaster to buy tickets. There's also NYC/Onstage (tel. 212/768-1818; www.tdf.org), providing the same kind of service for both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

Helping to assure the recent success of the New York theater scene has been the presence of Hollywood stars like Kevin Spacey, Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart, Molly Ringwald, Brooke Shields, Kevin Bacon, Liam Neeson, and Dame Judi Dench. But keep in mind that stars' runs are often very short, and tickets tend to sell out fast. If you hear that there's a celeb you'd like to see coming to the New York stage, don't put off your travel and ticket-buying plans. (The box office can tell you how long a star is contracted for a role.)

Worth Seeking Out--Legendary among Off-Broadway theaters is the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. (tel. 212/260-2400, or TeleCharge at 212/239-6200; www.publictheater.org or www.telecharge.com), the legacy of the late visionary theater producer Joseph Papp. Now under the direction of George C. Wolfe, the Public always draws top talent to the stage with its groundbreaking stagings of Shakespeare's plays -- past schedules have featured F. Murray Abraham as Lear and Liev Schreiber as Hamlet -- as well as new plays, classical dramas, and solo performances. The Public also produces Broadway shows rather regularly, such as Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk and in late 2003 will stage David Mamet's Boston Marriage, and hosts New York's best annual alfresco event, Shakespeare in the Park, each summer. If that's not enough, it's also home to Joe's Pub. Definitely worth seeking out!