It Is Possible To Get Cheap Broadway Tickets…Here’s How

by Lexi Smith

 

Seeing a Broadway show is an actual dream for some NYC tourists, but for New Yorker’s it’s more of just a night out on the weekend. Many people don’t know that it’s possible to see these shows for cheap and end up spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on tickets. As a student or an intern, you will not have that kind of money to spend on Broadway shows so here is your guide on how to see these shows on a budget!

 

 

TodayTix

TodayTix is a great app for cheap last minute Broadway tickets! It has all Broadway, off Broadway shows, as well as some off-off Broadway shows for a discounted price. The price ranges based on where you choose to sit, obviously the balcony is the cheapest, but the view from the balcony is still great.

You don’t have to sit in the orchestra section

Sometimes, the best seats in the house are not always in the middle of the orchestra. However, they are the most expensive. You can sit in the balcony or mezzanine for much cheaper and you will still have a great full view of the stage.

Rush

Personally my favorite and cheapest method. Check the Playbill website to make sure the show you want to see has rush tickets, not all do. This site tells you all of the different ticket options each show offers. For rush, all you have to do is arrive at the box office around two hours before it opens and stand in line outside. Since most box offices usually open around 10 a.m, I usually plan to get there around 8 a.m.

Lottery

Again, not all shows have lottery, and you need to be in New York to do this one. Every morning you can enter an online lottery in which they pick a certain number of people to receive tickets for usually $10-$35. They also sometimes have in person lottery where you go to the theater at the specified time and are able to enter there. Again, just visit the Playbill website to see which shows offer this option and when the lottery goes live.

Student Discount

One more time for the Playbill website. Again, not every show offers student tickets, but on the Playbill website you can also see which shows offer Student tickets. This means that they have a specific price for students, usually equal to the price of rush tickets, but sometimes a bit more. For example, Wicked has student tickets for $69.

TKTS Booth

Honestly, this is a last minute or last resort option. If you happen to be in Times Square and want to see a show last minute you can go to the TKTS booth under the steps and see which tickets they have left at discounted prices. The best time to stop by is around 5 p.m which is when all of the box offices release their leftover tickets that they did not sell. DO NOT go to the TKTS booth in the morning or during the daytime, you will wait in a long line just to pay the same price for tickets that you could have gotten online.