Broadway Show

[Mare10]

I'm hoping this is the right place to post my question. My friend and I will be in the city on Oct. 19th as we return from a New England cruise. Would like to get tickets to a matinee that same day. Need advice on the best way to buy tickets. Is it too far in advance to be doing this?

 

Appreciate any and all input.... even recommended shows would be helpful!

 

Marilyn

[Got2Cruise]

If you want one of the top shows that are not discounted, such as the Book of Morman or Wicked, no it is not too early. Otherwise, join Playbill.com and Broadwaybox.com two places to order tickets at a discount and they will send you emails for the shows that are discounted. Matinee tickets are always popular so buy when you decide what to see.

I'm hoping this is the right place to post my question. My friend and I will be in the city on Oct. 19th as we return from a New England cruise. Would like to get tickets to a matinee that same day. Need advice on the best way to buy tickets. Is it too far in advance to be doing this?

 

Appreciate any and all input.... even recommended shows would be helpful!

 

Marilyn

[nybumpkin]

If you want to see a "hard to get" show, you'll need to buy tickets in advance. If you're open as to what show you want to see, you can go over to the TKTS booth in Duffy Square (just north of Times Square at 47th Street). Go to http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56. For Saturday matinees they open at 10 a.m.

[Mare10]

Thanks for the tips. We were kind of hoping to see Book of Mormon but not sure how hard that would be. There's several good ones that I'm sure we'd be happy with! So looking forward to our next adventure.

[Nitemare]

Book of Mormon has been sold out since it opened. You can get tickets on the resale market for a hefty price, or you can try to find out when they are selling new blocks of tickets for additional shows as they extend the run. Or you can wait and see it as it also tours the country (coming to Boston in a couple of months, for instance, already been in Chicago).

 

As already mentioned, Broadwaybox.com is the best place to get the largest collection of ticket discounts for shows that do have discounts -- it also links you to the official websites to buy full priced tix.

[Langoustine]

This is what I'm finding on Stubhub today:

 

The Book of Mormon New York Tickets

Sat, 10/19/2013 2:00 p.m. EDT Priced from: $341.00 USD 57 tickets left

 

The Book of Mormon New York Tickets

Sat, 10/19/2013 8:00 p.m. EDT Priced from: $265.00 USD 123 tickets left

[Got2Cruise]

I would not pay these prices. This is why folks can't get tickets more than six months in advance because people buy them up to price gouge <sp>. If you can't get tickets from the box office, then choose another show. There are plenty of great ones.:)

This is what I'm finding on Stubhub today:

 

The Book of Mormon New York Tickets

Sat, 10/19/2013 2:00 p.m. EDT Priced from: $341.00 USD 57 tickets left

 

The Book of Mormon New York Tickets

Sat, 10/19/2013 8:00 p.m. EDT Priced from: $265.00 USD 123 tickets left

[Langoustine]

I would not pay these prices.

 

I agree. This whole thing has gotten completely out of hand. In 2007 the legislature removed restrictions on the price of resold tickets, allowing a free market to flourish. Before that, reselling tickets for profit had been illegal in New York State. Since the law changed, an industry has grown up around the resale market. These days many concert promoters, ticket brokers, ticket-resale Web sites and even major performance spaces are in favor of preserving an unfettered free market for reselling tickets, and their allies in the legislature have beaten back attempts to limit the profits.

[Mare10]

Wow..... I had no idea about the prices. Looks like the Book of Morman won't be our choice. We'll check out the sites that were suggested for discounted tickets. Refuse to pay over $200.... that's crazy!

 

Will keep checking. Thanks for all the input!

 

Marilyn

[Nitemare]

I would not pay these prices. This is why folks can't get tickets more than six months in advance because people buy them up to price gouge <sp>. If you can't get tickets from the box office, then choose another show. There are plenty of great ones.:)

 

I agree. This whole thing has gotten completely out of hand. In 2007 the legislature removed restrictions on the price of resold tickets, allowing a free market to flourish. Before that, reselling tickets for profit had been illegal in New York State. Since the law changed, an industry has grown up around the resale market. These days many concert promoters, ticket brokers, ticket-resale Web sites and even major performance spaces are in favor of preserving an unfettered free market for reselling tickets, and their allies in the legislature have beaten back attempts to limit the profits.

 

I agree with both of you, but you do understand that if there weren't enough people buying these "overpriced" tickets, then they wouldn't be selling the tickets at this price, right?

[Langoustine]

I agree with both of you, but you do understand that if there weren't enough people buying these "overpriced" tickets, then they wouldn't be selling the tickets at this price, right?

 

Absolutely. There's no shortage of people or corporations willing to pay these prices to the resellers, who are taking a risk in buying large blocks of tickets (though in the case of BOM, it seems to be a small one) hoping they can sell them at a profit; in that sense, theater tickets are now like stocks, real estate, art, or other investment vehicles. It can go wrong for them, of course, just like it can with those other investments (see Miami condo buyers circa 2008); when the NY Mets season cratered late last year, my wife and I were able to buy what were, originally, very expensive seats, on Stubhub for very little money so that she could see R.A. Dickey get his 20th win. It's more a philosophical question of whether or not we want to go back to the pre-2007 law (which would give the OP a fighting chance to see the show for list price or close to it) or not. I would prefer going back to that; your mileage may differ, and I think both are valid points of view.

[Langoustine]

P.S. Scalping went on here prior to 2007, of course, it was just underground. Whenever I crossed 46th & Broadway going to the Equity office, there were always two sets of dealers whispering their wares: "Smoke? Smoke?" and "Tickets to (whatever was hot and sold out that year)?" And you will still occasionally find legal ones outside Broadway theaters when they (or their employers) haven't been able to sell their inventory for that night's performance on the web. Sometimes they will sell for less than face value to cut their losses (this only happens if the show is not sold out) but be careful of counterfeit tickets (they're easy to make using inkjet printers and card stock); if they aren't willing to let the theater ticket taker scan the ticket bar code before you hand over your money, run far, far away.

[Nitemare]

FWIW, we paid face value for BOM in NYC with the original cast (and are paying face to see it in Boston in May), by finding out when they were releasing new groups of tickets and buying them from the official website.

 

Anyone can do that if they chose to invest a little time in some research.

[dixieagle]

We spent a week in New York last spring and saw several shows, including Once, which later won the Tony for Best Musical (absolutely terrific show... I highly recommend it.) We have been very pleased with Playbill.com and their discounts and theatre info.

 

A young friend of ours has just joined the cast of Book of Mormon as Elder McKinley, the tap-dancing missionary. We'd love to get to see him, but those prices are nuts!!!

[Got2Cruise]

Call the box office directly and ask when a "new block of tickets will be released". Then get on the computer that second.Also try an unpopular day, such as Tuesday.

We spent a week in New York last spring and saw several shows, including Once, which later won the Tony for Best Musical (absolutely terrific show... I highly recommend it.) We have been very pleased with Playbill.com and their discounts and theatre info.

 

A young friend of ours has just joined the cast of Book of Mormon as Elder McKinley, the tap-dancing missionary. We'd love to get to see him, but those prices are nuts!!!

[colbeez]

broadwaybox.com has the best choice for tickets.

[Nitemare]

broadwaybox.com has the best choice for tickets.

 

This is a bold (and untrue) statement.

 

Broadwaybox is the best place to find discount tickets for shows that have discounts, but it is not the place to go for shows that do not have discounts.

 

They also don't have any "choice" that you can't find elsewhere.

 

It's a great discount amalgamater site, but it has no tickets of it's own.

[Langoustine]

FWIW, if anyone is going to be in NYC between now and Feb. 7, you can buy two-for-one tickets to many Broadway shows through the Broadway Week promotion: http://www.nycgo.com/broadwayweek

And the winter Restaurant Week promotion (with special low-priced menus) is also going on at this time: http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek

[jammerz]

Some are sold out like book of mormon.

 

Go to the ticket counter at Duffy Square

for available shows.

[Nitemare]

Some are sold out like book of mormon.

 

Go to the ticket counter at Duffy Square

for available shows.

 

The TKTS booth in Duffy square is a great resource. I would never recommend it to a first time tourist in NYC, as you have limited options there and might end up not getting to see anything you want to see. It would be a real shame to go to NYC hoping to see a Broadway show and get shut out. For a once in a lifetime (or once a decade) trip, you really want to have tickets in hand for a show you want to see (or at "Will call") before you get to the city.

[Guest maddycat]

The TKTS booth in Duffy square is a great resource. I would never recommend it to a first time tourist in NYC, as you have limited options there and might end up not getting to see anything you want to see. It would be a real shame to go to NYC hoping to see a Broadway show and get shut out. For a once in a lifetime (or once a decade) trip, you really want to have tickets in hand for a show you want to see (or at "Will call") before you get to the city.

 

I agree. At one time the TKTS booth in Duffy square only took cash. Is that still the case? I only go to shows that I can get discount tickets to. I usually buy tickets at the box office but once in a while will buy them online using the discount code from either broadwaybox.com or playbill.com.

 

I saw Once before it won all the Tonys and was not impressed. I also saw Newsies and would highly recommend it, it was terriffic.

[Nitemare]

TKTS takes credit cards now.

 

Newsies is one of those shows that if you don't see it now, it will be playing somewhere, forever. Once probably won't have much of a life after B'way.

 

My wife wants to see it. She was not pleased when I suggested we see what it was based on: "The Country Bear Jamboree". :)

[Got2Cruise]

I would pay full price for Jersey Boys or Wicked. All the rest I would order from Broadwaybox.com or Playbill.com for discounts. Theatermania.com is another for discounts. If you order for full price go through the box office. Never order from Broadway.com That is a ripoff. they add additional fees for tickets. The box office usually prints tickets through Ticketmaster or Ticketron, depending on the theater. I agree that waiting at the TKTS booth makes no sense if you are only in town for a day or two and have lots to see and little time to do it.