That has been an established fact for years now. It's something that I am sure almost all of you are aware of. What some people are not aware of, however, is that there ways to avoid going broke and getting that chance to see your favorite Broadway shows!
See, I was frightfully unaware of all the lotteries, and various kinds of rushes, and TKTS, and TDF, and the 30 under 30 program, and Hiptix! I wish I had been so I didn't spend my entire life's savings (I have a knack for exaggeration) on Broadway when I first got into it. I wish there had been a place where all the information I could ever possibly need on one place.
Okay, I know I'm not the only one who does this, in fact, if you just google cheap Broadway tickets, etc. All this information will come up fairly quickly, but might as well display the information here while I'm at it, with a taste of my personal experiences. If you have any questions about these, either look at the links below or feel free to ask me!
1. Broadway student rush, general rush, SRO (standing room only) and lottery policies are all always available on Playbill.com, so if you're an aspiring theatregoer, that's you're new homepage. Below is the link, check it out!
I can also say confidently that this is very reliable, and rush is very convenient. This is basically the only way I get most tickets to the shows that I see. Also, some helpful tips. When rushing, the least crowded days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and depending on how much you are into taking risks, playing it safe is to always get the the theaters between 8:30am and 9:00am on Monday - Saturday and between 9:00am and 10:00 on Sundays. Note, Sundays are terrible for rushing, it's almost always crowded and you have to wait way longer because the theaters don't open until noon.
Still, if you do happen to be on for taking risks, here is my advice. Get to the theatre four hours before a show and ask if they have rush left. Some of the time, they'll sell you tickets that aren't normally rush that they assume they aren't going to sell, and generally they are much better seats. It's risky though, because they don't do it often, so there's always that chance you won't end up getting tickets.
2. Off-Broadway student rush, general rush, SRO and lottery policies, once again, always on Playbill.com. Below is the link.
I actually have never personally rushed Off-Broadway so I really know very little about it. As I get more experience I'll post more about it. In the mean time, I would imagine it is very similar to Broadway rush.
3. TDF aka Theatre Development Fund.
If you qualify for TDF then all you have to do is pay a certain amount a year and you can get any theatre tickets for $39 or less.
More information and all the other really cool things they offer here.
TDF has everything from off-off Broadway to today's biggest hits. It's also not just plays and musical tickets that they sell, but many performing arts related events or performances.
The only annoying factor is that not all shows are on TDF all the time and sometimes they have set performance days that are available, so you'll have to be flexible to whatever they offer.
4. 30 under 30 at the Manhattan Theatre Club is another great way to get cheap tickets. If your under 30 you can get ticket's to any Manhattan Theatre Club hosted show for $30 on selected days.
To sign up, click here.
and for information on Manhattan Theatre Club's shows click here.
5. Roundabout Theatre Company has something very similar to Manhattan Theatre Club's 30 under 30 program. Over at Roundabout it's known as Hiptix.
If your ages 18-35 you can sign up and get tickets to any of Roundabout's shows for roughly $20!
Check it out!
http://hiptix.com/
6. BROADWAY FOR BROKE PEOPLE.
When you're a Broadwaygoer, you either have to be super rich or not care about being broke. For broke people, here's basically a reiteration of everything stated here:
BroadwayForBrokePeople.com
7. 20at20
20at20 provides $20 tickets for 20 off-Broadway shows. It goes on periodically, so just keep on checking to see when it's available!
20at20
A few extra tips:
I'd strongly recommend getting a Playbill.com membership just because their daily alerts are really good and sometimes they offer really great discounts.
Click here to join!
And finally, check out the New York Musical Theatre Festival, happening from July 9 - 29! 30 shows. 3 weeks. $25 or less. Plenty of must sees!
New York Musical Theatre Festival info
Hope this was helpful. Comment if something isn't right or if you have something to add!
If you qualify for TDF then all you have to do is pay a certain amount a year and you can get any theatre tickets for $39 or less.
More information and all the other really cool things they offer here.
TDF has everything from off-off Broadway to today's biggest hits. It's also not just plays and musical tickets that they sell, but many performing arts related events or performances.
The only annoying factor is that not all shows are on TDF all the time and sometimes they have set performance days that are available, so you'll have to be flexible to whatever they offer.
4. 30 under 30 at the Manhattan Theatre Club is another great way to get cheap tickets. If your under 30 you can get ticket's to any Manhattan Theatre Club hosted show for $30 on selected days.
To sign up, click here.
and for information on Manhattan Theatre Club's shows click here.
5. Roundabout Theatre Company has something very similar to Manhattan Theatre Club's 30 under 30 program. Over at Roundabout it's known as Hiptix.
If your ages 18-35 you can sign up and get tickets to any of Roundabout's shows for roughly $20!
Check it out!
http://hiptix.com/
6. BROADWAY FOR BROKE PEOPLE.
When you're a Broadwaygoer, you either have to be super rich or not care about being broke. For broke people, here's basically a reiteration of everything stated here:
BroadwayForBrokePeople.com
7. 20at20
20at20 provides $20 tickets for 20 off-Broadway shows. It goes on periodically, so just keep on checking to see when it's available!
20at20
A few extra tips:
I'd strongly recommend getting a Playbill.com membership just because their daily alerts are really good and sometimes they offer really great discounts.
Click here to join!
And finally, check out the New York Musical Theatre Festival, happening from July 9 - 29! 30 shows. 3 weeks. $25 or less. Plenty of must sees!
New York Musical Theatre Festival info
Hope this was helpful. Comment if something isn't right or if you have something to add!
