New York Wire

Broadway in Bryant Park wraps its 26th annual summer season on August 13 with a free lunchtime concert on the Midtown Manhattan lawn, closing out a four-week run that brought casts from more than 20 current Broadway productions to a public stage at Sixth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. The finale, hosted by 106.7 LITE FM’s Helen Little, features performances from The Book of Mormon, The Great Gatsby, Heathers: The Musical, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody, and Buena Vista Social Club, with a pre-show set from students at AMDA College of the Performing Arts. The series ends during a record-setting stretch for Broadway, with the 2025-2026 season having grossed an all-time high of $1.91 billion. Key Takeaways The August 13 season finale features performances from The Book of Mormon, The Great Gatsby, Heathers: The Musical, Heated Rivalry, and Buena Vista Social Club, hosted by 106.7 LITE FM’s Helen Little. The 2026 series ran every Thursday from July 23 through August 13, with performances from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and the lawn opening at 11 a.m.; all events were free with first-come, first-served seating. More than 20 Broadway productions participated across the four-week run, including Wicked, Hadestown, Moulin Rouge!

Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway begins preview performances on August 14 at the August Wilson Theatre in Midtown Manhattan, bringing the Olivier Award-nominated horror play to New York for a strictly limited 20-week engagement after sold-out runs across five North American cities and London’s West End. Key Takeaways Paranormal Activity starts Broadway previews on August 14 at the August Wilson Theatre, with official opening night set for August 25 and a closing date of January 3, 2027. The play is an entirely original story written by Levi Holloway and directed by Felix Barrett, the founder and artistic director of Punchdrunk, the company behind Sleep No More. The production earned an Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play during its London West End run at the Ambassadors Theatre. The Broadway cast includes Cher Álvarez, Travis A. Knight, Shannon Cochran, and Eva Kaminsky, with three of the four principal cast members making their Broadway debuts. The production is based on the Paranormal Activity film franchise (Blumhouse/Solana Films/Paramount) but tells an entirely new narrative for the stage. A Stage Original, Not a Film Adaptation The Broadway production is not a retelling of any individual Paranormal Activity film. Playwright

The 2026 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens is less than a month away, and the gap between face-value pricing and secondary market costs has become a growing frustration for New York City tennis fans. Grounds passes increased from $60 to $65 at face value this year, but resale prices for the same tickets have climbed to nearly $400 on third-party platforms, raising questions about who can actually afford to attend the tournament. Key Takeaways Face-value grounds passes rose from $60 to $65 for 2026, while Arthur Ashe Stadium tickets start at $43 for early rounds. Resale prices on secondary platforms have reached nearly $400 for grounds passes, driven by limited general-sale inventory. More than 1 million fans attended the 2025 US Open, placing it among the most-attended annual sporting events globally. Eight of the tournament’s 22 days offer free general admission, including seven Fan Week days (August 23 through 29) and Open for All Day on September 10. The main draw runs August 30 through September 13, with the women’s final on September 12 and the men’s final on September 13. Face-Value Inventory Sold Out Within Minutes of the General Sale General

Spain and Argentina will meet at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final — the first men’s World Cup title match played on United States soil since 1994. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET, with stadium doors opening at 11:00 AM and a closing ceremony beginning at 1:30 PM. How Did Spain And Argentina Reach The Final? Spain earned the right to play for the trophy with a dominant 2-0 semifinal victory over France at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14. Spain scored early in each half and shut down a French attack that had looked unstoppable at earlier stages of the tournament. The result ended France’s pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup final appearance and extended Spain’s defensive run to just one goal conceded across six matches in the tournament. Argentina’s path required more drama. The defending champions trailed England 1-0 deep into the second half of the July 15 semifinal at Atlanta Stadium after Anthony Gordon converted a precise cross from Morgan Rogers in the 55th minute. For much of the match, neither side generated sustained attacking pressure — Argentina and England failed

The 2026 FIFA World Cup entered its semifinal stage on July 14 with France facing Spain at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the first of two matches that will determine which teams advance to the tournament’s final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. England and Argentina meet in the second semifinal on July 15 in Atlanta. The final, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, will mark the first men’s World Cup final played on United States soil since 1994 and will be broadcast live on FOX to a projected global audience in the billions.   Key Takeaways France and Spain opened the semifinal round on July 14 in Dallas, with England vs. Argentina following on July 15 in Atlanta. The World Cup final takes place July 19 at MetLife Stadium, temporarily branded “New York New Jersey Stadium,” with an 82,000-seat capacity and no general spectator parking. NJ Transit reduced its round-trip rail fare to $98 after backlash over an initial $150 price, while shuttle buses cost $20. The halftime show features Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber in the first-ever World Cup final halftime performance, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. New York City has designated every