Get the Best Broadway Show Tickets For Less

If it’s been a while since you last purchased Broadway show tickets, prepare for sticker shock. Premium seats at popular New York City musical theaters now go for well over $200, and the most highly prized seats can be much, much more–think an insanely high $850 for the best seats to Hamilton.

There are a number of online vendors that promise cheap tickets, but how to know if you’re getting good value? Here’s my tried and true guide to finding the best tickets to Broadway shows at discount prices.

When is the best time to buy a Broadway show ticket?

There is a big difference in price for Broadway shows during the high-demand holiday season versus the slow months of January, February, September, and October. Not only are ticket prices lower, these months bring special events that make a theater outing even more wonderful.

 

Broadway Week typically runs in fall and winter. This year it falls on Jan. 21-Feb 9, 2020 with two-for-one deals on some of the hottest shows. On February 21, 2020, Kids Night On Broadway gets kids in free when accompanied by an adult. Additional perks available when you sign up for the fan club.

Pick up a discount code on Playbill, TheaterMania, BroadwayBox, or New York Show Tickets and use it to buy  tickets from the theater website (usually through an affiliated ticket vendor such as Telecharge or Ticketmaster.) If you’re in the city, save the online fees and use the discount codes at the theater box office.

What are rush tickets?

Wait until the day of the show when, in addition to the TKTs booths, discounted tickets can be purchased as Rush tickets.

These are usually available in the last hours before the show at the theater, and may only be available to students and seniors. Check the performance space website for details, and find out if the venue offers Standing Room Only tickets (sometimes even available for sold out performances.)

But some rush tickets can be purchased online. Find out which theaters offer rush tickets on TheaterMania. Or check the TodayTix Rush Roundup for information and ticket sales.

Off Broadway Shows

Don’t limit your search to just Broadway shows. By definition, an Off-Broadway theater is any performance venue in New York City that seats 100 to 499.

There are a lot of amazing performances in Manhattan at Off-Broadway theaters, and you might just luck out seeing a show that will eventually move on up to Broadway.

Find discount Off-Broadway tickets on Broadway World or on BroadwayBox.

For even better savings, check the TDF’s Off-Off Broadway listings (available separately with a one-time fee of $5 or with TDF membership.)

Broadway Tours

A very few theaters offer backstage tours. When available, it’s a rare opportunity to meet actors, see the sets, and to learn what goes into producing these elaborate spectacles. 

The only regularly scheduled backstage tours available to individuals is Behind The Emerald Curtain, a look at Wicked being performed at the Gershwin Theater. New Amsterdam Theater, home to Aladdin, makes a Behind The Magic tour available to groups. (They also offer Broadway Workshops.)

Additionally, theaters will occasionally offer backstage tours in charity drives or as a premium ticket option. Check theater websites for available information. 

Finally, a few tour companies run Broadway theater district walking tours. Check their websites for tour descriptions, prices, and availability:

• Broadway Up Close Walking Tours
• New York Broadway Walking Tours

Take a Broadway Show Home with You

The best souvenir from a Broadway Show is the memories that last a lifetime. But you can also drop a lot of moolah at theater gift shops.

One way to save money, and the expense of overweight luggage, is to shop online. Here are a few favorite items:

• Listen to the production over and over again. We love the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton.
• Any singers in the house? Order the Show Lyrics.  Into the Woods: Vocal Selections has easy to read sheets, plus articles and photos from Stephen Sondheim’s beloved classic.
• Read all about it in the Playbill Broadway Yearbook publication, At This Theater: 100 Years of Broadway Shows, Stories and Stars.

Plan a Weekend Getaway In New York City

If you’re going to see a Broadway show, you might as well make a weekend of it. Our New York City neighborhood travel guides cover all the best things to do, top restaurants, and our favorite hotels.

• Times Square NY For Non-Touristy Tourists
• Central Park South: The New York City of the Movies
• Chelsea NYC: FIT, Flowers, Floating Gardens, Figures, and the Cool Cambria Hotel
• Madison Avenue Business District: A More Intimate Designer Shopping Experience Off 5th
• See the Real Stephan and Other Opportunities in Midtown Manhattan
• Downtown NYC: I’ll Take Lower Manhattan
• 24 Hours in DUMBO Brooklyn; a Brooklyn NYC Itinerary