People always want to know the secret to buying Broadway tickets — whether there’s some better way than the box office, or a magic trick for snagging seats to an ultrahot show (preferably, without having to pay full price).
If you’re looking for a deal on a huge hit, you will search in vain. But lots of other shows offer discounts. Some may be in previews (which means critics haven’t yet weighed in) or, having been around a while, are running low on fuel. Excellent productions might be in the mix.
As long as you’re willing to be flexible, and put in a little work, it’s easy enough to assemble the kind of theatergoing experience you’ll enjoy. Here’s how to navigate it all.
Where do I begin?
Your safest bet to guard against the heartbreak of counterfeit tickets is to buy them through the show’s website, which usually redirects you to sites like Telecharge or Ticketmaster to complete the purchase. As you scope out a show online, that should be your starting place.
Is it worth going to the theater’s box office?
Yes, if you have the time. Not only can you ask the ticket seller’s advice on the best seats for your price point, you can also avoid the hefty online service fees. If you have a discount code, like the ones sometimes offered on theatermania.com or broadwaybox.com, it should work in person, too. But do check on the box office hours before heading out.
Is there an app I can use?
The TodayTix app is a trustworthy source for often-discounted Broadway tickets, which users buy online. For some shows, you can choose your exact seats; for others, you pick the general section where you want to sit, and TodayTix assigns your seats. Whether you get bar-coded electronic tickets delivered to your device or physical tickets that you pick up at the theater box office depends on the show.
Before you buy, though, it’s worth comparing prices on the show site against those on TodayTix. The app can also be used for entering some shows’ digital lotteries, which offer the chance to buy cheap tickets if you win, or for finding digital same-day rush tickets.
Should I join the line at TKTS?
TKTS, that discount-ticket mainstay of Times Square, sells same-day matinee and evening tickets, as well as next-day matinee tickets, at up to 50 percent off. There is also a satellite booth at Lincoln Center. On the TKTS app, or online, you can see in real time which shows are on sale at which location, and what tickets cost.
But that doesn’t mean there will be any seats left for the show you want by the time you get up to the window, and you have to buy them in person. (For a few Off Broadway shows, sales are cash only.) Options are most plentiful right after the booths open each day (hours vary so check the website), but new tickets are released all day, even as curtain time nears, so going later can be lucky, too.
TDF, the nonprofit organization that runs TKTS, also has a membership program offering discounted tickets online, sometimes well in advance, for Broadway and beyond. You can check whether you qualify for membership here.
How do lotteries and rush tickets work?
Many shows, though not the monster hits, offer same-day rush tickets — either at the box office or online — for much less than full price. Some also sell standing-room tickets if a show is sold out. Don’t count on lucking into these, because availability varies — but it’s worth a shot. Conveniently, Playbill keeps a running online tab of individual shows’ policies on digital lotteries, rush tickets (sometimes just for students, often for everyone), standing room and other discounts.
What if I have to cancel?
Don’t bet on refunds or exchanges. In the early stages of its reopening after the pandemic shutdown, Broadway was eager to reassure ticket buyers with flexible policies on exchanges and cancellations. That is not the case anymore.
Is there an upside to bad weather?
If it’s cascading from the heavens, that may be your chance to snap up some suddenly available seats at the box office, though be prepared to pay face value. Your odds of winning a ticket lottery are better on days like that, too.
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