I am headed to the City at the end of December/beginning of January and am hoping to get tickets. Seeing as it's a holiday and I'm sure the number of people around is outrageous - what time do you think I would be safe getting in line? I know I can't guarantee tickets but want to give myself the best chance possible. I'm hoping to go on the 28th as I figure I'll have a better chance on a two show day.
Also, seeing as I'm only one person I'll offer a second ticket up if anyone wants it.
I have to say I find this thread amusing. I plan to try my luck at the cancellation line. While I will get there early I am not getting there at the crack of dawn. I have a few days to give it a try. I am looking forward to the whole experience of it. I don't really get getting upset because someone offers to wait for someone else or someone pays a line sitter. I hope the day(s) I go there will be friendly people, but I also plan to bring my computer and get work done. I will definitely report back!
I don't get how sitting in the line for others like hamiltonobsessed is in issue and I certainly can't see how that equates NOT sitting in line with other theater fans. Seems like pretty big fan to spend another night in the street to see the show again. If you don't like it, you can offset that by being super proactive, doing your research and getting there first or close to it.
I've seen it three times, and waited in the line every time, in the cold, in the rain, sitting on stone steps for 17+ hours. If someone is willing to do what it takes to get there before me, and the only way they can pay for their own ticket is to get a plus one they've slept on the street for the privilege of purchasing, then they've earned it, IMO.
SarahNYC2 said: "I have to say I find this thread amusing. I plan to try my luck at the cancellation line. While I will get there early I am not getting there at the crack of dawn. I have a few days to give it a try. I am looking forward to the whole experience of it. I don't really get getting upset because someone offers to wait for someone else or someone pays a line sitter. I hope the day(s) I go there will be friendly people, but I also plan to bring my computer and get work done. I will definitely report back!
I will apologize upfront as I cannot figure out how to do a new post. I will be in the city on the 5th and I'm looking for tips and tricks on surviving the cold weather. My daughter is going there to see a specialist and she has Raynauds and another auto immune disease so cold weather is not good for her but her one dream before she leaves this earthly world is to see Hamilton so we plan on arriving after she sees her specialist on Thursday and we are planning on camping out the entire night to ensure that we get tickets for Friday. So we need tips on where to store our luggage, what and where to buy things in the city to stay warm (we are flying from AZ), what is allowed? Their site says no tents or chairs soooo how do we keep warm?
Whether or not you agree with them, people complaining about the cancellation line are being taken out of context - the debate isn't about whether or not those waiting in line are "superfans," but about whether or not someone who wants to see the show 5-10 times is depriving 4-9 other fans the chance of seeing it for the first time. In short, is a live performance of Hamilton an experience or a commodity?
Incidentally I've done some napkin math for a certain Wednesday matinee in January - based on the #s that Ticketmaster/Stubhub/ViaGoGo are giving me, nearly 1/2 of all seats appear to be available on the secondary market (roughly 600 tickets out of a stated capacity of around 1300). Sort of ridiculous.
TayTay2 said: "So we need tips on where to store our luggage, what and where to buy things in the city to stay warm (we are flying from AZ), what is allowed? Their site says no tents or chairs soooo how do we keep warm?"
Perhaps instead of spending the money to buy things to stay warm while in the line, use the money to buy secondhand tickets? Ticket prices fall a lot on StubHub close to showtime. I haven't done the cancellation line, but I know it can get really, really cold in NY in January.
there are alot of luggage storage options around the city. Some have both hourly or daily rates. The daily rate is obviously the best deal. Depending on the size/amount of luggage it can be less than $10/day. Google "store luggage in nyc" and have a look at the various options. I couldn't give you a personal reference for the different facilities since I've never had to store anything myself and most nyc residents probably haven't either, so I imagine that you may not get alot of first hand knowledge replies from folks on this particular board. But yelp is usually pretty reliable in terms of reviews. I hope you find something!
What part of AZ are you coming from? In terms of winter apparel, you could likely find something adequate in Flagstaff. Barring a blizzard, NYC gets comparably cold. It's not like Minneapolis or anything!
Harvey M said: "The answer used to be NO. There were rules posted (no line swapping, no tents & chairs allowed). But those rules were torn down & removed. you shouldn't have a problem subbing in line."
Does this mean ppl can bring chairs now? If so, what are people doing with them/putting them when it's showtime?
I don't see the need to bring chairs. There are steps to sit on under an awning, which are good for the first 10-12 people to sit on. Those wanting tickets would want to be in that group of people anyway for a better chance at those cancellation tickets.
We are from Gilbert and I'm happy to buy whatever is needed off of amazon. I'm just wondering about how to dressing as in layers. How many layers for top, bottom? What do you normally wear? How do you keep your hands and feet warm all night? Do you get any sleep on the steps? Is there a "magic" blanket that retains your warmth? there's electric gloves available, has anyone tried them? Sorry for the million questions. My daughter is adamant about camping out and with Raynauds you can loose your digits from cold weather. She currently has a pair of gloves that are infrared and she does pretty good.
someone said yo look at stubhub as prices come down. How much do those normally sell for? I'm happy to do that but we have limited funds due to years of trips to Hackensack, specialty appointments, weekly chemo, monthly infusions etc and no she is not contagious. Also, where could we print the tickets off if able to purchase while we are waiting on line?
Again, thank you for answering my questions. I love this community forum!
I was in the area 30 mins before showtime last Sunday and there were only 12 people in line. I don't know how many got tickets or what time they lined up. At this point, and probably more so in January, I seriously doubt an overnight stay is necessary. If you do last minute at StubHub you can print them in the Marriott printing center, which is right next door. I have not been watching prices, but you could start keeping an eye out now to watch for trends. However, the holidays may inflate prices for a while. I think they would be much lower by the time you go. Best of luck!
TayTay2 said: "We are from Gilbert and I'm happy to buy whatever is needed off of amazon. I'm just wondering about how to dressing as in layers. How many layers for top, bottom? What do you normally wear? How do you keep your hands and feet warm all night? Do you get any sleep on the steps? Is there a "magic" blanket that retains your warmth? there's electric gloves available, has anyone tried them? Sorry for the million questions. My daughter is adamant about camping out and with Raynauds you can loose your digits from cold weather. She currently has a pair of gloves that are infrared and she does pretty good.
someone said yo look at stubhub as prices come down. How much do those normally sell for? I'm happy to do that but we have limited funds due to years of trips to Hackensack, specialty appointments, weekly chemo, monthly infusions etc and no she is not contagious. Also, where could we print the tickets off if able to purchase while we are waiting on line?
Again, thank you for answering my questions. I love this community forum!
"
I did the cancellation line last February for a Saturday matinee and it was tough in the cold. I wore what I would wear to ski in. Down coat with hood, down gloves, hat, scarf. After about an hour I lost all body heat anyway and start to freeze. A simple wool coat will not be good enough. Wear as many layers as you can but the key was Hot Hands handwarmers. You can buy them in NYC at Duane Reade (local drug store on every corner). Buy alot and put them in your pockets gloves, shoes, inside your jacket. Bring a blanket or newspaper or something to sit on. The concrete is freezing and it will make you colder all that much faster. I did not sit as I forgot something to sit on. It will get a little warmer by mid morning/afternoon but it will be cold as you are just standing/sitting. I do not think you have to sleep overnight. I went by the theater last week and there was one person in line at 9:00AM for the 8PM show. If you only need 2 tickets, only one of you needs to stand in line. Your line mates may let you and your daughter switch on and off. Find the local library branch or a Starbucks to warm up and hang out. The tickets on Stub Hub usually drop about 15 minutes before curtain. Make sure you buy tickets that can be downloaded (pick up would take too long) You would have to print them out quickly at the Marriott's business center if you try that route. I have seen them drop to about $300-350. Check out City Co Pilot for luggage storage...although they close at 8PM. Good luck!
TayTay2 said: "We are from Gilbert and I'm happy to buy whatever is needed off of amazon. I'm just wondering about how to dressing as in layers. How many layers for top, bottom? What do you normally wear? How do you keep your hands and feet warm all night? Do you get any sleep on the steps? Is there a "magic" blanket that retains your warmth? there's electric gloves available, has anyone tried them? Sorry for the million questions. My daughter is adamant about camping out and with Raynauds you can loose your digits from cold weather. She currently has a pair of gloves that are infrared and she does pretty good.
someone said yo look at stubhub as prices come down. How much do those normally sell for? I'm happy to do that but we have limited funds due to years of trips to Hackensack, specialty appointments, weekly chemo, monthly infusions etc and no she is not contagious. Also, where could we print the tickets off if able to purchase while we are waiting on line?
Again, thank you for answering my questions. I love this community forum!"
Honestly, given your description of your daughter's medical condition, I would not recommend having her camp outside all night. January in NYC can get brutally cold at night, especially with the wind chill, and it's tough enough for able-bodied people. Besides, if you only need two tickets, only one of you needs to stay on the line. Your daughter can't substitute your place in the line, but she can join you later and you can buy tickets for the both of you.
As for clothing/staying warm, you'll need lots of layers: multiple socks, sweaters, scarves, gloves, hats, definitely a down jacket and not just a wool coat. The theater has become really lax with enforcing its rules, so I would suggest bringing a thick sleeping bag - even if you don't lie down, you can still wrap it around yourself for warmth.
belrowley said: "...Your daughter can't substitute your place in the line, but she can join you later and you can buy tickets for the both of you...."
@belrowley Do you have recent experience with this? From other replies lately in this thread, it seems subbing is okay now. If that's not the case I'd be very interested to know, because I'm going to be trying to sub this weekend.
Subbing is ok, but both people have to be there to actually purchase the tickets. So if you get called 90 minutes before showtime and only one of you is there you might be screwed.....
Don't people get hot in the theatre in all that clothing you wear to do the cancellation line? I almost died of the heat(not really but I was hot and uncomfortable) a few weeks ago when I was dressed for cold weather and the theatres I went to were super hot.
RiseUp2 said: "Subbing is ok, but both people have to be there to actually purchase the tickets. So if you get called 90 minutes before showtime and only one of you is there you might be screwed....."
I had this problem when I was there last week too. It was 2 hours before showtime and I was purchasing two tickets and the person at the box office almost wouldn't sell me the tickets because my plus one wasn't there yet. I know they can do whatever they want, but how does this fit into the previously posted rules or any new ones? One person has always been allowed to buy two tickets, and the rule was always that you and your guest had to immediately enter the theater after purchase but obviously they can't do that hours before showtime. I just wish they'd make an official rule about this because it's extremely unfair to not tell someone that until they are literally standing at the box office making their purchase, when the rule has always been 2 tickets per person.
I'll share my experience with the cancellation line for today's (Tuesday) 7 pm show since this forum was so helpful for me. I read on previous posts that you need to arrive very early in the morning to increase your chances at getting a ticket. However, when I walked by the line at 3:45 pm (three hours before curtain) there were only 9 people in line.
Therefore, I decided to try my luck for today's evening performance. The first two in line were a couple that arrived there since 9 am. I don't know about the rest of the line, but #8 and #9 were two women that got in line at 3:00 pm. I got in line at 3:50 pm, making me #10 and an Australian girl that arrived at 4 pm was #11. We later became line buddies. A couple taking spot #12 and #13 got there at 4:15 pm. It's important to note that all the people that were standing in line were only claiming one ticket each.
At around 5:30 pm, the couple that was first in line were offered tickets and took them (I'm unsure if they were unclaimed lottery, premium or house seats). Then, at 6:15 pm unclaimed lottery seats were offered for and purchased by the next five people in line. As patrons and lottery winners started filling the theatre at 6:30 pm we started to get anxious that there were no more cancellation line tickets left. However, at 6:53 pm the two girls in front of me were offered house seats and then at 6:57 pm my line buddy and I were offered $199 house seat tickets, Orchestra Center, Row G. The last two cancellation tickets were claimed by the couple that had #12 and #13 in line and they sat right next to us. They got inside the theater at about 7:03 pm. There were about other 18 people in line when I got in at 7:00 pm, but I doubt they got tickets.
Anyways, I highly recommend the cancellation line for anyone that can't afford the ridiculous inflated prices scalpers are asking for. The wait is not that bad and you actually get the opportunity to meet very cool people. I only had to wait three hours in line and still was offered a house seat. The view is incredible; you can actually see the actor's tears from there. Then again, it was a Tuesday evening performance. I'm sure it's a different story for weekends and matinees. Just make sure you're between the first 10 people in line and your chances will be pretty good. Good luck to all!!
A friend and I will be waiting in the cancellation line sometime this weekend and can do the line either show on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. If anyone is interested in being our plus ones in exchange for helping pay for our tickets, please message me and let me know!
casedilla2 I just sent you a pm. If anyone else is planning on waiting in line tomorrow (Saturday 12/17) or wants to line sit PLEASE reply or PM me. I had some plans fall through and am in a tight spot now. I'm flying in tonight and out on Sunday and was planning on trying my luck with the line tomorrow.
FWIW, I passed by around 5:30 pm today and there were only 10-15 people in line, and it looked like one person was being called in to buy (maybe premium?) tickets. It was really cold though, so I didn't stop to talk to anyone in the line.
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Posted: 12/6/16 at 5:26pm