Broadway Bound

77. That's the lucky number. 

I started going to Broadway shows when I was 11 years old. My first musical was Les Misérables in 1997 and I can guarantee you that I did not fully appreciate the story or even the idea of Broadway at that age. However, I can assure you that I had a great time, because otherwise I would never have made it to lucky number 77 this past November. Plus my mom insists I loved every second of it and we can all agree that mothers always know best.

If you read my last post about my awful memory, you won't be surprised to hear that I could never come up with that number on my own. I know a lot of people save Playbills from the shows they have seen, but for me it has always been about the ticket stubs. I keep a "Diary" that holds the ticket stub to every Broadway and Off-Broadway show I have been to, plus any concert I have attended over the years.

1997 Les Miserables Ticket Stub

If you are interested in a Ticket Stub Diary, this is the same one I have - but of course when I purchased mine, it required a trip to Barnes and Nobles. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Ticket-Stub-Diary-Eric-Epstein/dp/1452114226. Mine is still in amazing condition after all these years and I would highly recommend it. I know ticket stubs are slowly becoming obsolete in favor of Apple Wallets and E-Tickets, but don't let that discourage you - especially if you have a bad memory like me and want to find a good way to help keep track of your Broadway experiences. These days after I see a show, I just jump onto Canva.com and use their free ticket maker templates and create my own ticket stub and add it to the book. 

Now on to more important details!

I know Broadway (and Off-Broadway) shows can be very expensive, so the main purposes of this post is to share with you the different ways I have gotten discount tickets in the past. Out of all the shows I have seen, I have paid full price for less than 10 of those shows. Below you can find out how.

TDF - https://www.tdf.org/

TDF is a member based service that offers Broadway tickets at a steep discount. Membership costs $40 for the year and you have to meet one of their eligibility requirements to join (https://www.tdf.org/nyc/24/Eligibility-Requirements)

TDF releases tickets for upcoming performances of select Broadway and Off-Broadway shows a week or two in advanced, based on availability. You are not going to find tickets to the most popular / hot-ticket shows, but there is usually plenty to choose from throughout the year. Tickets are $57, including fees and you pick them up for the box-office on the day of the performance. You don't get to choose your specific seats, but I have received Orchestra tickets for nearly 100% of the shows I bought tickets for through the organization. Looking right now, I see tickets available for Hadestown, Leopoldstadt, Shucked, Take Me Out and Some Like it Hot. They also have discounted tickets for almost 60 Off-Broadway productions including Blue Man Group, Perfect Crime and The Play That Goes Wrong.

Broadway Week - https://www.nycgo.com/broadway-week/

Broadway Week is hosted twice a year (Fall and Winter) and offers the opportunity to buy 2-for-1 tickets to select Broadway shows and performances. Although it's called Broadway "week", each session usually runs for 2-3 weeks. The Winter Session usually goes on sale around January 10th and runs from mid-January to mid-February. The Fall Session usually runs for the majority of September and goes on sale around mid-August. With this promotion you can get tickets to the top shows, including Hamilton, Six, Harry Potter and many more.

They also have an Off-Broadway Week as well: https://www.nycgo.com/off-broadway-week

Kids' Night on Broadway - https://www.kidsnightonbroadway.com/

My tickets to see Les Misérables were actually purchased as part of this promotion. Once a year (coming up this year on March 21st), you can get a free kids ticket (ages 18 and under) with the purchase of a full price adult ticket.

Digital Ticket Lottery & Rush Tickets

I remember going to in-person ticket lotteries and rush tickets for shows like Wicked and Avenue Q when I was younger. Now even these have gone digital. Some shows, like Six, have their own websites for their lotteries. For others, Lottery & Rush ticket offers are hosted through the app TodayTix. 

This website provides a good overview of what is available and how to access them: https://playbill.com/article/broadway-rush-lottery-and-standing-room-only-policies-com-116003

Harry Potter Lottery on TodayTix

Rush/Lottery options are usually for performances that the same today, the next day or later in the week and have very short windows to claim your tickets if you are selected. Make sure to read the rules for the lottery you are entering and pay attention to your email to see if you get picked.  

I have personally won tickets to the Six lottery and had an absolutely amazing experience. The tickets we received were in one of the theater boxes and it was probably the only time I will ever get to sit there.

Six Lottery Seats

TKTS - https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/tkts-ticket-booths

Same-day tickets are sold at a 20-50% discount in-person at the booth in Times Square.

20at20 - https://www.20at20.com/

The 20at20 promotion is specific for Off-Broadway shows. This one is pretty simple - if you want to see a participating show, just show up 20 minutes before it starts and you can purchase a ticket for $20 (cash only!). The number of tickets offered is based on availability for that night's performance, so be sure to line up early if you want to ensure you get in.

Going to an Off-Broadway show is a great alternative, especially if you are looking to limit your spending. About 30% of the events I have attended have been Off-Broadway and I find them to be extremely fun, entertaining and well-done. I (and by I, I mean my husband) can recall how hard we were laughing during Shear Madness and The Star Wars Parody musical - he talks more about those than any of the Broadway shows we have seen. New World Stages is one of the more popular theaters for Off-Broadway productions and hosts a few different shows at a time.

Other Tips & Tricks

Before committing to purchasing full price tickets, always do a quick Google search to see if you can find a discount or promotion code for the musical/show you want to see. I find it is more common than not to find an offer out there.

Also, these days we all know the fees added to ticket prices can be absolutely outrageous. If you are in the city, you can save the fees by going to the box office directly and buying your tickets straight from them. Bring your offer code with you - they have always honored the discount price at the box office as well. 

Lastly, the TodayTix app has frequent flash sales where they offer discount tickets for select shows.