NYC is expensive and as someone who lives there I know that trying to find ways to save money is paramount. And while I love to live it up in the city like anyone else I want to find the cheapest ways to save money. Broadway is expensive but I always try to find discounted tickets or other deals for Broadway. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you with my research on how to save a lot on Broadway. Be sure to check out the tips for various ones as well.

When to go?

Midweek is generally the best time to score the cheapest and best seats. I often have great luck on Wednesdays especially given that people are either working or its a bit further from a long weekend trip into the city. Weekday matinee shows often also have better availability as well.

Also sometimes holidays (such as Halloween) can be easier to score tickets during since many people are engaged in other activities that night instead of going to the theater.

TKTS

TDF (Theater Development Fund) runs the various TKTS booths around the city that offer day off discount tickets. You can get tickets here for 50% off or more even. You can sometimes buy tickets for the next day as well for a few of the shows. You’ll see the various booths with huge lines of both locals and visitors waiting to buy tickets.

Locations

• Times Square: Father Duffy Square at Broadway and 47th Street.
• South Street Seaport: Located at the corner of Front and John Streets, at 190 Front Street.
• Lincoln Center: David Rubenstein Atrium at 61 West 62nd Street

Tip: The Times Square location is by far the busiest. You are better off if you can going to one of the other locations. The Lincoln Center is the closest of the other two to Times Square

Broadway Week

A few times a year, NYCGo works along with various shows to offer 2 for 1 Broadway tickets. These get announced about a weeks before the actual Broadway Week takes place. Generally only a handful of shows participate but you can often find a few shows that are highly sought after to save a lot here.he d

Tip: Be sure to buy early, the discount tickets sell out very fast, particularly for weekends.

Next Broadway week is January 21 – Feb 10, 2019. Check out the NYCGO Broadway Week website for more details on which shows are playing.

Rush Tickets

Many of Broadway shows offer day-off rush tickets from the box office. This requires you to be present at the theater at a prescribed time to buy them at the box office. Most limit you to 2 tickets that you can purchase. So if you need more you’ll need to line up with a friend or two. These can sell out fast and only as available for that day (they try to sell them regular first)

There is also “online rush” that some shows allow either through their site or another website (such as TodayTix).

Tip: For the most popular shows, (i.e. Come from Away) you need to be really early.

Limit 2 unless specified

In Person Rush Tickets

• American Son – $30 (Student’s Only (limit 1))
• Band’s Visit – $40
• Beautiful (Carol King) – $40
• Come From Away –  $38
• King Kong – $49
• Lifespan of a Fact – $40
• Mean Girls – $42.50 (Daily; Wednesday Rush for patrons wearing pink)
• Once on this Island – $49.50
• Play that Goes Wrong – $45
• Pretty Woman – $42
• The Prom – $40
• School of Rock – $39
• The Ferryman – $40
• The New One: $49
• To Kill a Mockingbird – $29
• Torch Song: $42
• Waitress – $40
• Waverly Gallery: $40

Digital Rush Tickets

• Choir Boy – $39
• Head Over Heels: $39

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Broadway Show Lotteries

Many of the most popular shows also offer a lottery for their tickets, where if you are lucky you can score cheap tickets to some amazing shows (like $10 tickets to Hamilton)

Tip: You need to enter regularly, especially for shows like Hamilton. You can download apps for some of them for this. I also bookmark a lot of the lottery sites to save time in entering.

Limit 2 unless otherwise specified

Lottery Shows

• Aladdin: $30
• Cher: $30
• Dear Evan Hansen: $42
• Frozen: $30
• Hamilton: $10
• Harry Potter: $40
• Illusionists: $35
• King Kong: $49
• Kinky Boots: $40
• Lion King: $30

• Mean Girls: $42.50
• My Fair Lady: $39
• Phantom of the Opera: $40
• Pretty Woman: $42
• School of Rock: $39
• Springsteen on Broadway: $70
• Summer (Donna Summers): $40
• The Book of Mormon: $32
• Wicked: $30 (26 orchestra seats up for those who show up 2.5 hrs. before a performance for a drawing)

Standing Room Only Tickets

If you are really up for a show and are willing to stand for the performance, several shows offer standing room only tickets so you can stand in the back and still get to watch the performances. Worth it only if you really can handle standing the whole time and if your time in the city is limited (or your budget very limited). I found these tickets while more plentiful than rush tickets are really not much cheaper.

Shows with Standing Room Only

• Chicago: $27
• Come from Away: $32
• Dear Evan Hansen: $42 (from Digital Lottery)
• Kinky Boots: $30
• Network: $40
• Phantom of the Opera: $27
• School of Rock: $27
• The Book of Mormon: $27
• To Kill a Mockingbird: $39
• Waitress: $32

Apps

You can get really good deals these days online as well and save yourself the hassle of having to wait in life at the various booths to try to save. My favorite TodayTix has great deals on a lot of the various shows. Sometimes I’ve found the deals cheaper than you can buy at the TKTS booths! You can buy tickets ahead of time for the various shows. Also TodayTix offers “online rush” for several of the shows where you can buy day of rush tickets for some popular on and off Broadway shows.

How does it work?

You buy the ticket on TodayTix and then they send you an email on where to meet them to pick up your tickets (sometimes at the box office and sometimes from a TodayTix agent nearby)

Tip: For the most part, many of the deals you can get on TodayTix are the same you could find yourself (through various deals, coupons, box-office specials) if you want to save on the service charges. Or if you want more choice on where you sit.

Website: TodayTix
App: Android | iPhone

Coupons and Box Office deals

Various shows and theaters have a slew of discount codes and other promotions. However finding these can be a bit tricky sometimes. One of my favorite sites BroadwayBox has a huge list of these discounts and how to get them. Often this requires you to go to the theater and provide a printout or the code or something else to get this discount.

Tip: These discounts are one of the ways that TodayTix is able to get tickets at the prices they advertise. If you have the time and the patience to do the legwork you can save on the booking fees and service charges. And get to pick your seats

Resale Market

Sadly many of the most popular shows (such as Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton) are only really available on the resale market (TicketMaster, Stubhub). Personally I have had better luck on Stubhub for prices and choice (although I check several). If you are adamant on seeing a particular show on a particular day, this might be your only option for some shows.

Tip: If you are flexible you may have luck scoring good tickets to a show shortly before curtain time. I have also had great luck on days with inclement weather or otherwise that are difficult to get into the city.

Note: Some venues require you to have printed out / physical tickets, so be sure you look at what the ticket policy is before buying if you cant print out or otherwise secure the tickets.

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I try to do my best to keep this is accurate as possible (It is a one person blog), so if you see something wrong or if you see something I missed (or want more info on) do let me know! I continuously try to update this as much as regularly as possible.

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