Cheap Broadway Tickets

In the 90s, finding a good seat in the house would set you back $60-$65. Not cheap, but still affordable for most people. But in the last fifteen years the prices have gone up to $80-$120 per ticket, not counting the new "premium seats" producers now offer (the front-of-house seats that used to cost the same as regular seats but are now twice the price.) The problem is, places like Telecharge and Ticketmaster sell Broadway tickets at their face value, plus a "handling charge" that can easily add twenty to fifty bucks more onto the price. While you can avoid the handling fee by going to the box office, you still pay the face value. People make money by buying large numbers of tickets, turning around and reselling them at a markup on Ebay or other auction sites. This may enrage you, but before you go smashing the windows of a box office, there are ways to enjoy a Broadway show for less money.

First, there are discount codes. Some shows will offer discount codes as a marketing strategy, while others offer them to make the show accessible to more people. You can usually find discount codes online (a search on Google helps.) The codes are good for discounts between 25% and 50% off. The box office is the best place to present these codes, though Telecharge and Ticketmaster will also accept them. If using the latter method, you'll still have to pay the handling fee.

Another method is by purchasing "partial view" seats at discount rates. The problem with these tickets is that you'll miss out on some of the show, either because something is blocking your view (hence the phrase "partial view") or you're placed at an odd angle in the theatre and can't see the entire stage. If you can deal with the inconvenience, many of these seats aren't half bad, and some of them are even close up in the orchestra section.

For those who aren't faint of heart, try your hand at rush tickets. Usually offered same-day, rush tickets are a section of good seats in the house that you can purchase for $25-$30 (or $20, if you're a student.) They'll either be offered to the first 20 people or so in line, or they'll use a lottery system to determine who will get the tickets. An ID is required, or a student ID if you're trying for the student rush rate, and they only accept cash. Not every show will offer rush tickets, so do your homework in advance so you don't end up waiting for nothing.

If you don't mind watching the show without a seat, why not go for a SRO (standing-room-only) ticket? Usually in the back of the orchestra section, the view isn't half-bad and the tickets are around $20 each. Sometimes you're even allowed to sit in an unused seat after the show has started, or after intermission when it's obvious someone won't be sitting there. The box office usually only accepts cash for SRO tickets.

The famous TKTS booth in Times Square also offers half-price Broadway and off-Broadway tickets the day of the performance. Here you can get a ticket for 30%-50% the face value price, plus $3.00 for a service charge. They only accept cash or traveler's checks, and if you have a preference for which show you want, get there early since the lines tend to get long. TKTS also has a satellite booth at the South Street Seaport.

With these tips you should be able to enjoy a Broadway show without shelling out the exorbitant price. If you're lucky, you might even be able to afford parking.