Going to a show on Broadway when in New York is probably one of the most quintessential things you can do when in this magnificent town.
There is always the question, "Do I buy tickets now or do I wait until I get there?".
As I often have specific shows I want to see, I do often buy full price tickets before I go. I use tele charge to do this. I have never had a problem and although they charge a fee they are reasonable. I pick my tickets up at the theatre on the day of the show. So, if there is something that you just must see and cannot miss out on, book before you go. One of the reasons I suggest to do this is not all shows are offered through TKTS. Also the big popular shows may not have tickets on discount when you are there, or may be sold out by the time you get to the counter. What if the show was sold out for the days you could go, even on full price?
TKTS is the operator for the discount ticket booths in NYC. 3 outlets, Times Sq, South Ferry Seaport and Downtown Brooklyn.
If I am on a whim and am walking past and there is no line later in the afternoon then I will call in to the Times Sq booth. However, recently I used the South Ferry Seaport booth and all I can say is, the line was almost non existent AND I could buy tickets for that night and the next days matinee. So saves lining up twice. Perfect!
Times Sq booth often has long lines and although they can move quickly and are well organised, I have better things to do with my time than line up for sometimes well over an hour for theatre tickets. So head down on the subway to the South Ferry Seaport booth, grab 2 sets of tickets and get back to your shopping or sightseeing while all the others are lining up at Times Sq wasting time. Even if you are only grabbing tickets for that night, totally worth going down there. There is a Starbucks on the waif you are desperate for a coffee.
Please note that in Times Sq there is also a "Play Express" line that does plays only as opposed to musicals and moves quicker than the other lines at Times Sq.
You can also get a "Fast Pass", once you have used them, for the Times Sq booth that allows you to walk up to window #1 avoiding some of the queues. More info is available if you click here.
Click here to go to the page showing the hours of each booth and how to get there.
Click here for a list of helpful tips for buying tickets from TKTS, available in 5 languages.
So my top hints are
1) If you have a show that you just can't miss, book your tickets in advance
2) When buying tickets from TKTS, consider heading to South Ferry to avoid the queues
3) Have a list of shows you want to see in order of preference and be flexible.
4) Check a few days in advance what shows are being offered by TKTS and what discount so you know what might be on sale when you are lining up, some days the same show may have a different discount for the matinee vs the evening show so check this as you can save money by changing the show you go to on a particular day. This is particularly useful if using the South Ferry booth and you are buying for that night and the next day matinee.
5) See as many shows as you can- you won't regret it.
Enjoy!
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