Do you want to see Broadway shows but you lack the money to see them all?
Me too!
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The average ticket is now over $100, which makes seeing shows a very expensive hobby.
Especially for people that live in the city and already have to deal with the cost of the city every day, for college kids who love the arts, for struggling families that just want an escape.
That’s why I have decided to make up a list of ways to see Broadway shows while also not breaking the bank.
1. Broadway Lotteries
Many Broadway shows hold both online and in person lotteries. These lotteries are done on the day of the show. For online lotteries, you enter your information online and have a certain amount of time to accept the tickets if picked. For in person lotteries they will start having people give their information on a slip of paper a few hours before the show and then about an hour or so before the show the winners will be picked randomly from names in a bucket. Those who enter must be there when the names are picked to win. Tickets for the lottery winners range in prices, the average price being $30. Most shows save special seats for lottery winners, meaning the seats are pretty good, which means you get great seats at a fraction of the original cost.
2. Rush Tickets
Rush tickets are one of the easiest ways to get Broadway tickets. Rush tickets are tickets you can purchase on the day of the show, even up to minutes before the show starts, at a discounted price. Rather than having seats go to waste, box offices will sell tickets at a lower price just to sell the seat. I have gotten orchestra seats for $70 for Wicked just by stopping by the box office and asking if they had any rush tickets. For more popular shows, a line might form before the box office opens to assure receiving rush tickets. For others, chances are you can just walk in and ask for tickets. Rush tickets also can be for some of the best seats. You can get orchestra seats for half the price. There are also student rush tickets that will give you a larger discount. To find out what each shows rush policies are, check out Playbill.com!
3. Standing Room Tickets
Broadway’s little known trick to seeing the biggest shows is standing room tickets. Standing room tickets are the way that I have gotten to see Hamilton twice for the low cost of $40 per time. Not all shows offer standing room seats and most only offer them for show out shows (or if you beg), but when you can get a hold of them it is amazing. Standing room tickets are usually given out only minutes before curtain which means you should get there early to get tickets as fast as possible. The tickets are also very cheap because you don’t require an actual seat. Shows such as Hamilton have them for $40, but many are around $30. It is the best way to see all the shows you love at a cheap price. The only down side is having the stand the entire time. But if you are committed to seeing a show and have the ability to stand for the length of the show, go for it.
4. TKTS Booth
TKTS booths are booths throughout the city where you can get tickets at a 20-50% discount. The largest and most common booth is located in Times Square. Most of the time there is a very long line at that booth, which is why I would suggest checking out the other 2 locations. One is located in the Financial District at South Street Seaport. The booth is hidden away and can be hard to find for those that don’t know the area. But the lines are usually very short or even nonexistent. The other booth is in Downtown Brooklyn at Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue Promenade. This booth is also usually easier to access tickets at. TKTS booths carry tickets for Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, dance events, and more events in the city. There are also TKTS booths in London for shows on the West End.
5. BroadwayBox, TheaterMania, TodayTix, etc.
These websites are the best for purchasing discounted tickets. If there are ever sales on tickets, promotions, or promo codes available for tickets, these websites will have them. While the tickets still won’t be super cheap, especially if you want really good seats, it’s still a discount. These websites are also apps so you can get notifications for upcoming discounts. Theses websites rock if you want to get tickets in advance of the day of the show. Many people swear by these websites and it wouldn’t hurt to give them a shot.
6. Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway shows
While most people love to see Broadway shows, there are so many amazing shows that reside off broadway or off-off broadway. These shows are just as good as Broadway shows and they deserve the same love. These shows are also usually less expensive because they don't have the same hype around them.
So take this information and use it for good. Go see all the shows you want to see and save yourself some money!
