How difficult is it to purchase tickets for shows post The Tony Awards? I will be in the city June 23-26 and was wondering what my chances are on getting tickets from Today Tix, TKTS, lotteries, rush... etc. or should I buy tickets in advance?
I’m planning on seeing OOTI on Monday night and have Sat & Sun matinee and Tuesday evening free. There’s nothing I’m dying to see but The Band’s Visit, Hello Dolly, Carousel, Mean Girls (I know MG is a long shot) are all on my list.
Band's Visit would seemingly be the only show that would be impacted by a Tony win here, as far as it being harder to get tickets. That is the only one you might want to buy in advance.
Dolly is still with Bernadette and not part of the Tonys this year, so you can get in that. Carousel is still there, but few recommend seeing it. Mean Girls is already a hot ticket, so your only chances are the lottery or in-person lottery.
The best strategy is to leave your options open and enter the Mean Girls in-person lottery. If you lose, just go over to OOTI, which happens 30 minutes later, and enter their lottery. If you lose that, they will offer you a lottery loser seat for like $59 or something. I'd leave yourself open for the Mean Girls in person lottery every opening you have and then have a backup plan if you lose, like a discount code, or the TKTS booth. The in-person lottery is front row, and has fewer people than you might think.
I won it on my first try and never went back to try again, but compared to the old Hamilton days, it does seem like the odds are far more in your favor there than online.
It honestly all depends on if people think the show is good. Sure, there is an uptick for a bit, but as things get back to normal by Fall, it really doesn't matter. Even though I would never miss it, the majority of people who buy tickets to Broadway do not watch, nor care, about the Tony Awards.
This season is quite different from last year or the year before. From what I recall the past 2 years, ticket prices just became more expensive for the shows that won the Tony for Best Musical (i.e. Hamilton regular orchestra cancellation seat before Tony Awards was $169 and then after the Tony's it went up to $199 or something like that.) Same for Dear Evan Hansen.
Just to warn you about Once On This Island lotto - last night they only had standing room tickets as it was a sold out show. 24 tickets at $49, and there must have been 100 or so people there. Luckily we won!
Being the only “new” show playing on a Monday is probably a factor. The only other options were Phantom, Chicago or School of Rock.
Mean Girls is possible. Twice I've gotten to the theater at 4pm so I was the first on the cancel line. Ask the box office where the cancel line spot is. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, it's to the right of the most right theater entry door if you're facing the theater. They don't want it by the stage door.
So I got there at 4 and the lottery started about an hour later. I submitted my name for it, but I didn't win. So the next thing was the cancel tickets which they've had both times. The manager told me they have house seats that they hold aside in case the producer needs them for last minute guests. If they're not used, they sell them to those on the cancel line. They offered me six row center orchestra at about $200. I said I'd wait. Twenty minutes before the show, they dropped the priced to 179.
On the other occasion, because I was the first in line, they sold me a lottery ticket that someone didn't want. The seat was awful. Right orchestra extreme right. I had a speaker in front of me that was deafening and could feel the drums below my feet. So if you have the time to get on the cancel line, it helps to be the first.
My main complaint about the theater is the limited leg room. I had left orchestra D7 that I ordered in advance. I'm 5'8" and my knees were up against the seat in front of me. When I jokingly asked if they could make the seats any smaller, a woman in front of me turned around and said, "yeah, at Frozen..it's worse." The theaters are taking their cue from the airlines installing as many seats as they can.
And yes, once a show wins awards, the ticket prices go up. Supply and demand. Many said they didn't like Carousel. I did. Seen it four times just to watch the dancing which I thought was incredible. The songs are hokey MGM-type movie musical songs from the 40s, 50s. But I like musicals, be it on stage or in film.
If I were you, I'd try to reserve what tickets you can and do the cancel line/lottery for MG or any other show you'd like to see. There's also rush tickets in the morning or standing room, but don't try that for MG on Wednesday. Security said folks like up the night before. I went to MG on a Tues, Thurs, and Friday.
The other Monday show is Boys in the Band. Saw it twice. Will see it again. Good luck
joined:9/2/17
joined:
9/2/17
Posted: 6/4/18 at 6:11pm