How to buy cheap broadway tickets

March 15, 2017
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Tickets to a hit Broadway show – if they can even be had in the first place – can often cost as much as the GDP of a small foreign country. Just like tickets to high demand concerts and sporting events, this makes them prime targets for scalpers and outright scam artists. While buying tickets from a guy off the street at rock bottom prices can be tempting, there are far more legitimate – and safer – ways to get good discounts on even the hottest Broadway shows.
Here are four legitimate ways to get a hefty discount on Broadway show tickets.

1. TKTS

TKTS is one of the most iconic business in show business. Located in Duffy Square, TKTS generally has tickets to all but the very biggest shows on Broadway and often at a 50% discount. The only bad news is, you have to wait in line for them. TKTS does have both an app and a website, however, so you can certainly check there first. Other options include a downtown booth in the South Street Seaport as well as a Brooklyn location at One MetroTech Center. For theater goers not interested in musicals, there is also a “Play Only” window located at the Times Square booth.

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2. Shop online

Apps like TodayTix app allows you to purchase tickets on your mobile device up to a week in advance, while nytix.com is a web-based membership service that costs just $4 per month. Sites like Broadway Insider and Entertainment-Link will often feature good coupon codes.

3. Rush Tickets and Lotteries

Some of Broadways’ biggest smash hits like Wicked, The Book of Mormon and Hamilton, often offer day-of-show tickets via a lottery system. Names are generally drawn at the box office a few hours prior to curtain time, although some are conducted digitally. Rush tickets are sometimes available on the day of the show for as little as $25. You can find out which shows offer lotteries or rush tickets – and how to register – through Playbill’s Broadway and Off Broadway guides.

4. Memberships

If you’re going to be in NY for a while, consider joining a membership service like TDF or get a membership through one of the major theaters itself. If you are eligible, you can get an annual membership to TDF for $30, which allows you to get good ticket deals days in advance of the show and sometimes weeks. You can also see off- Broadway shows through their OffOff@9 program for just $9. With the theater companies themselves, you pay a fee up front (around $60) but then get year-round discount tickets Best of all, however, they give you the chance to buy them before they open them up for sale to the public.

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