Shakespeare in the Park Lines

[acd114]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 8:02am

I'm new to the Shakespeare in the Park experience... if I wanted to get tickets for tomorrow night's performance, would 7am be early enough to be in line? (I'm coming in from CT) or do you think it would just be better to get in the stand by line around 3pm or so? (all the while having my name in the virtual line of course!) Thanks for the info!

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 12:07pm

My friend waited in line yesterday. She got there at 5:30 AM and there were about 150 in line in front of her. People who got there at 6 or 6:30 told us that they got vouchers instead of tickets (meaning that the theater ran out of tickets, but they were given vouchers they could exchange for tickets starting at 6:30 PM if the theater had any cancellations).

On a holiday weekend, I'd say 7 AM is way too late to get tickets. I know plenty of people who have had luck in the standby line, though.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 12:30pm

I definitely second the 7am is way too late for a weekend. I got in the stand-by line about 4 a few Sundays ago and was fine. Granted, that was before reviews...

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 7:14pm

My daughter's friend got in line at around 6 am this morning and didn't get tickets.

[tking001]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 7:16pm

For Tomorrow if I get their at around 7 will I be ok for tickets? I think that's the earliest I can get their.
If not should I not bother with the line and just do standby.
How does Standby work?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 7:30pm

Yeah, since most people posting about this can't afford that, just get in the standby line around 3pm. 7am is probably too late for the early line. Enter the park at 81st and CPW. It'll be obvious soon where the standby line begins. Bring a blanket, a book, and food and water. Good luck.

[tking001]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 7:39pm

I can't get in the standby line at 3. I was planning to see a Mat as well as 12th night at night

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 7:43pm

So, what time would you recommend getting there for the stand-by line? And has anyone done it since the reviews came out? Are there a lot of people who get tickets from the stand-by line generally?

I woke up so freaking early for HAIR tickets last year (granted, it was worth it) and really hope I don't have to get up so early again. Ugh.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 8:07pm

The day after opening, the first people in line got there at 5:30, which wouldn't even get them tickets now.

If I were doing it now, I'd just stay out all night.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 1:05pm

Not only is that dangerous, the park is closed overnight.

Get there by 5:00 and you'll be fine.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 1:24pm

That sucks. That's so early. When I did HAIR is so much simpler, but I guess this is the summer and whatnot.

[jewelchk]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 3:04pm

Does anyone know how the lines have been on weekdays?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 3:26pm

"Does anyone know how the lines have been on weekdays?"

Pretty much just as bad as they have been on weekends...you need to be there before 6am to get tickets. Or just do the standby line like I did. Much better to wait 2.5 hours rather than 7 hours, right?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 7:29pm

I said I'd stay out all night, not that I would sit in line all night. I had friends that went straight from the bar to get in line for Next to Normal rush. It makes more sense than trying to wake up at 4am to get to the park in time.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 8:59pm

Ah. That makes more sense. Sorry I misunderstood.

[jewelchk]

Posted: 7/5/09 at 9:56pm

Thanks, WaT. Since I haven't won the lotto for two seasons and counting now, I will try to wait for standby this week.

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 7:30am

How does standby work? Would I have a good shot if I did it this Saturday, the final Saturday of the run?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 9:52am

I would definitely recommend doing standby for TWELFTH NIGHT, however I would not wait until Saturday to do it. They have a performance every evening from now until Sunday, July 12, so try as many times as you can.

As far as I know, here is how it all works. For the people who get there early in the morning, there is a finite number of tickets that are made available and given out in the morning. For those who miss out on that block of tickets, they are given vouchers and instructed to come back around 6pm and they will be the first to get tickets if they are made available. After those with vouchers get tickets, the people in the standby line will get tickets.

When I did this last Tuesday, I got to the line at 5:30pm, waited there for 2.5 hours, and had my tickets by 8:11pm (the show started late). By the time I got my tickets, the guy giving them out still had a large stack in his hand.

I do think you will have a good chance of getting tickets for the show if you arrive there around 5pm...good luck!

[acd114]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:32am

Thanks for all the info guys! I ended up getting tickets last night from the standby line! Here's the story of Sunday:
- Regular ticket line - the last person that got tickets from this line got to the park at 5:45
- Vouchers - once they run out of tickets in the regular line, the next 50 people in line get vouchers for 2 tickets - they can go home and show back up at 6:30 - these aren't guaranteed, but you have a pretty good shot - you're technically the first people in the stand by line - on Sunday, everyone with vouchers got tickets
- Stand by line - this is how I got tickets - my friend and I got there right as the last tickets were being handed out at 1:45pm... we were the first people in the line that hadn't been in the original ticket line - #35 & #36 - we got our tickets at about 8:02... it looked like they had about 30 - 40 more tickets in their stack... meaning that 65 - 75 people from the standby line got tickets on Sunday night (at 5:30 when I got antsy and took a stroll to count how long the line was, it was approx. 150 people long)

THAT BEING SAID - this is easily one of the best shows I've ever seen. The acting is wonderful, the timing is perfect, the music is beautiful.. for 3 hours this island in Central Park becomes a mythical world and you get to be swept up into the magic...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:43am

I went at 5:30 (p.m.) on Friday and didn't get in. I'm trying again today, but really have no idea what time to get there. I happened to be in the park yesterday evening, so around 7 I took a walk over to the theater, and the line was madness.

Updated On: 7/6/09 at 10:43 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:48am

Well, with the holiday weekend being over, hopefully it'll clear up a bit. I'm gonna try the standby line tomorrow and then probably Wednesday if I lose.

Does the standby line line up where the regular line lines up early in the morning?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:51am

Yeah, but it starts across the path from the theater.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:52am

If I get there tomorrow around 4:30/5ish (PM), will I be able to figure out where to line up?

And when do people start to generally line up for the standby line?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:56am

Yeah, by then I would think you'll see a line. It's pretty obvious. I think there's even a sign that say "Stand-by Line Forms Here" or something.

It's hard to tell. Meh, I really don't know what time to go. I don't want to get there at like, 3:30/4:00, but I also would hate to assume it'll be less hectic today than Friday and not get in again. Unless I do "the line" proper, this might be my last shot to see it again.

[Songsstresss]

Posted: 7/6/09 at 11:30am

Anyone know how the line was this morning now that the holiday weekend craziness is over? I want to try tomorrow morning.