How to get cheap tickets for Broadway shows?

June 25, 2009 11:33 AM

A couple of my friends are coming to New York to visit near the end of July, and we want to take in a show (preferably a musical). We're all students and we're trying to find cheap tickets, but we want to have this sorted out in advance instead of waiting to buy tickets day-of. Does anyone know a good way to do this? I'm in New York if it's something that needs to be done in person, although through a website would be preferable. We're just looking for good deals or discounts, or something. Also I know nothing about Broadway, so recommendations for fun shows would be very welcome!
posted by howgenerica to society & culture (10 comments total)

Your best bets are

a) to join TDF (tdf.org). Musicals usually run $36 after the $25 activation fee, which only one of you would have to pay.

2) The TKTS booth in Times Square (day of or day before tickets only)

3) Using a discount code from broadwaybox.com.

4) Doing rush/SRO/lottery day of.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:50 AM on June 25

The TKTS booth in Times Square (day of or day before tickets only)

Be sure to show up early for best selection, and then since you're already in times square you can start the day there.
posted by doorsfan at 12:10 PM on June 25

Be sure to show up early for best selection, and then since you're already in times square you can start the day there.

Keep in mind, the Times Square TKTS doesn't open all that early--3 p.m. for evening shows, 10 a.m. for Wed & Sat matinees/11 a.m. for Sunday matinees. The South Street Seaport TKTS opens at 11 a.m. every day. TKTS site here.

You can also do a lot of googling for coupon codes and use those to buy tickets online (or at the box office, to avoid processing fees) ahead of time. I just missed $65 orchestra seats for Hair, but still got them for $85 by doing this--normally like $120 seats.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 12:22 PM on June 25

Also, I could give you a better recommendation if you tell me musicals you already like.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:22 PM on June 25

You can get tickets for free by offering to usher the show. This is a couple years old but maybe someone has an updated list.
posted by teabag at 1:40 PM on June 25

General FYI: TDF is only open to students, teachers, union members, seniors, civil service employees, nonprofit or performing arts organization employees or members of the armed forces or clergy. There's an annual membership fee of $27.50, but you can usually make up the difference in a single show, given that the average Broadway ticket goes for $76.

If you get TIME OUT NEW YORK, they sometimes have a column in their theater section called "seats for a song", which offers tips on how to get cheap seats. Theatermania.com and Broadwaybox.com offer discount codes for tickets, so you can visit these sites.

Also, some particular shows set aside blocks of tickets for students, and often make these tickets available a few weeks in advance. Check the web site for each show and find out which have student rates. Or, check at a particular theater -- Lincoln Center or the Roundabout have student rates at all of their productions.

As for reviews: sometimes I write for a site called nytheatre.com, which has a pretty exhaustive collection of reviews of pretty much EVERYTHING on Broadway -- as well as off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. You may want to check that site for info on specific shows -- I recommend them not just because I write for them, but because they cover practically EVERYTHING, so you'll have a pretty comprehensive list of shows to choose from.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:51 PM on June 25

nthing TKTS. Got cheap tickets for Mamma Mia and The 39 (or 37, or w/e) Steps last time we were there.
posted by Precision at 2:20 PM on June 25

I found the one time I used the TKTS South Street Seaport booth to be a better choice than Times Square one due to no line whatsoever.

From their website, it looks like you can matinee tickets for the following day there:

1. The Times Square Booth sells day-of-performance tickets only.
2. The South Street Seaport Booth sells tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance, and matinee tickets the day before.
3. The Downtown Brooklyn Booth sells tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance, and matinee tickets the day before as well tickets to Brooklyn performing arts events.
posted by ShooBoo at 3:11 PM on June 25

You might also try BroadwayBox. I was able to find some cheap tickets to Gypsy last summer and if you sign up for their email list they generally have some decent deals.
posted by mcroft at 3:43 PM on June 25

Where are you a student at? NYU offers discounted tickets to their students for a wide variety of NYC events, including Broadway musicals.
posted by saladin at 6:31 PM on June 25