Seeing a Broadway show forces you to stand in line more often than you’ll probably want to– waiting for the doors to open, waiting to go to your seats, using the restroom, getting a souvenir, getting a snack or drink, leaving the theater, and unfortunately, sometimes, purchasing your tickets.
Don’t get it wrong, going to see live theatre is a great privilege and don’t let the lines change your mind about seeing a show. Whatever Broadway show you see will be worth the wait and worth enduring the lines. It’s just important to remember it might be a little overwhelming–you should know what to expect when you plan a night in the theatre.
If you haven’t picked your next show to see, take a look at our first post here. That will tell you every musical showing this year that has been announced. Now that you’ve looked at that, do you know your next show? Got it? Good.
Once you know the show you want to see, you have to weigh your options on how to purchase tickets. The play’s website should offer a “tickets” link to their official ticket provider. Those sites are usually Telecharge, Broadway.com, or Ticketmaster. Be weary of other sites. You don’t want to buy counterfeits. That doesn’t make a fun trip to New York at all.
We’ll pick an example for you to see. We’ll go to The Great Comet of 1812‘s website.
Once you click “get tickets,” you’ll be taken down here.
This show uses Telecharge, a ticket vendor often used for Broadway shows. Don’t worry, these tickets are genuine. Telecharge is a reputable site. You can definitely buy your tickets here. Here’s what that page will look like when you click on a show (we chose a show for you, it’s Saturday, March 25 at 8PM):
If you’re like us, you’re probably doing this on somewhat of a budget. We always recommend that if you have the money–invest in your experience! Splurge on the tickets you want when you can but a lot of the time, you might not be able to. These tickets range supposedly from $59 to $399 for this performance. Those prices are subject to change and never guaranteed. On average, when purchasing Broadway tickets online, you should expect to spend near or more than $100 per ticket with fees. For many shows, this doesn’t even get you spectacular seats. It is totally normal to spend about $100 or more for seats in the rear mezzanine, especially for popular or new shows. A great resource for anyone interested in scoring good tickets at a fair price is Broadway for Broke People. The site itself looks like a 1999 HTML class project, but its content is helpful and is updated pretty regularly. You can learn about different options there.
We know what you may be thinking… $100+ per rear mezzanine ticket doesn’t seem worth it! Are there any other options? Fortunately, there are.
We cannot guarantee that these options will necessarily be less expensive or even guaranteed, but depending on the show of your choice, we can say there are multiple options if purchasing online doesn’t sit well with you.
For Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812, you can purchase tickets online, in-person at the box office, enter a lottery, do rush, or same-day tickets at a TKTS booth. That’s a lot of ways to get your tix-fix. We already discussed buying tickets online, so let’s go through the rest of your options.
Box Office:
The beautiful theaters of Broadway all have box offices. This one is apparently on the 45th street entrance. On the play’s site, box office hours can be found. You may be able to score tickets to that day’s show, but that is unlikely. Checking the box office is great if you have a specific day in the future you know you’d like to go. However, it is only an option if you can frequent Manhattan, or you live here. Tickets at the box office are not discounted typically, but they do lack many of the restrictive fees online retailers place on the tickets, making them a better deal.
Lottery:
Great Comet has a digital lottery (as do many shows nowadays). This is a great way to throw your hat in the ring and potentially win great tickets to the show! For this show, tickets run at $39 each, you can only win up to 2 tickets, and there are certain deadlines you have to enter by to win. Each lottery is different in regards to exactly when you have to enter by, and what you have to do to enter, but they are free. You put your name in with no card information up front or anything. Then if you win, one of two things may happen. You have to purchase the tickets in an hour of receiving the email notifying you of your win. Or you have to follow the email’s directions and respond accordingly–usually going to the box office and retrieving them as well as paying there. You also must have ID showing that you are the person who entered the lottery.
This, unfortunately, is one of the least guaranteed ways to get tickets and is an option that works best for those who reside in the immediate NYC area. Do not come into NYC for the day and make plans around possibly winning tickets to your show. We’ve been trying to win tickets to Hamilton for the past year and nothing.
Rush:
Rush tickets are leftover tickets that have yet to be sold for a day’s respective performances available for purchase as soon as the box office opens. If you decide to wait in a rush line, it might look something like the pic below. Or you might luck out. Or you might be out of luck.
For most shows, rush tickets are never guaranteed but there are typically some available for most performances. So basically, for the best chance to get the best possible seats, being the earliest pays off. Most theater box offices open at 10AM, but double check your show’s theater ahead of time to secure this. Do a little (or a lot) of research before deciding if rush is right for you. Check the show’s official site as well as its references on broadwayforbrokepeople.com. Check out some message boards like this one to read through other people’s experiences. Figure out if you’re willing to commit to seeing the show.
Popular shows, classics, and new shows with rave reviews often attract long rush lines. This can mean bad things for you and your beloved show. But, some fans will arrive at the theater in the wee hours of the morn to secure a spot by the box office to get the first tickets available. Many rush stories we have heard suggest getting to the box office at 5AM and sometimes, that isn’t even early enough (don’t worry, we’ll share about this experience in a later post that you will [then] be able to find here). This differs show-to-show but as we said, the earlier the better. If you can go to your theater at 4AM because you need those tickets, you should do it. If you can wait in line with the person you’re seeing your show with, even better. You may need to trade off to use a restroom, get food or beverages, or just stand up and walk around. Frigid temperatures don’t stop the rush line either. Be prepared.
Make sure you have the correct payment method (most will accept cash and card, but double check). When the doors open, the line will filter into the box office lobby. Be mentally prepared to not get tickets. Big shows will sell out quickly and they do not always have a large number available to begin with. Also, weigh your options. If the show is more important than the day to see it, consider purchasing your tickets for a later date at the box office if rush tickets are no longer available.
TKTS Booths:
Similar to rush tickets, theatre-goers can purchase tickets to day-of show performances at the TKTS booths located around NYC. There are a few locations, but their main one is in Times Square.
Ya know, that thing?
Underneath those stairs are discounted ticket box offices. But again, you will often deal with a crazy long line.
This works a little differently from rush so don’t be scared yet. This is a great alternative to rush tickets if you have multiple shows you are willing to see, and definitely want to see a show that day. Nearly all shows will have tickets for sale here, but again, none are guaranteed. Maybe you really want to see Great Comet, but you heard School of Rock: The Musical was good too. If they’re out of your first choice, they may have your second choice available. A live ticker bulletin is also posted to view which shows have tickets available and for which time, as well as a real-time app displaying that same information. You’re bound to find something if you’re interested in seeing a show that day.
Tickets sold are the leftovers at the lowest possible prices. They do give you the best available seats first, so it may not be a huge discount. However, it is still less expensive than purchasing online. If you get in the line at a reasonable time, you’re bound to walk away with tickets for a show.
So, after all of that you may still be wondering–what is the best way to buy Broadway tickets!? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t so black and white.
The best way for you to purchase tickets may not be the best for everyone. And for that reason, here is a summary of our recommendations:
Planning a trip to NYC for a limited amount of time? – Buy online.
Spontaneously want to see a show? – TKTS.
Local to NYC area and are dying to see a specific show? – Rush/box office.
Price-buyer looking for the best deal? – TKTS/rush.
Local with no plans and some pocket change? – Digital lottery.
Worried about counterfeits? – Box office/verified ticket website.
- Buying online gives you more control over the show you see and when you see it. You may sacrifice price but that may be worth it if you get to see the show you want at the best time for you. Remember, always purchase tickets off of the play’s verified online ticket vendor. Do not trust all ticket-selling websites.
- You are least likely to win tickets via digital lottery. Don’t plan your whole day around winning tickets.
- Do research on the show you’d like to see’s box office, rush policy, and TKTS availability before investing money, time, and energy in waiting for tickets.
- Never trust unverified ticket retailers. Theaters are never responsible for faulty tickets purchased from outside vendors and you will not get your money back.
Hope y’all enjoyed this guide to buying Broadway tickets. We hope you found it helpful. Don’t forget to follow Playbill Playboy for more information and more great posts.
Later, babez.
Playbill Playboy 