Wicked Rush

[NYUstud]

Posted: 5/13/04 at 6:05pm

When I was in NYC in February the Wiched rush, or lottery rather, was insanely popular. I would say there where 350+ people there competing for only 20 or so tix. Do you think it will be equally as crowded in the summer? I will be in NYC in July! :)

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/13/04 at 6:34pm

Yes, I think it will be equally crowded, if not more! When I tried to get lottery tickets once for Rent in the summer (keeping in mind this is a long running show), there were easily 200-300+! (Needless to say, I didn't get tickets.) When I got Wicked tickets a couple of weeks ago, there was about 150-200 people entering the lottery. On a weeknight! Ugh. (Worst comes to worst, you can always get the $55 obstructed view tickets!)

[johny0828]

Posted: 5/13/04 at 10:16pm

it's insane the number of people who try this lottery. im 0-5 trying to get in. i would say at least 200 people were there 2 sundays ago.

[boxers7]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:11pm

Just wanted to bump this up to find out if anyone had rushed Wicked this month. I'm thinking of trying tomorrows matinee.

[Just_John]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 10:11pm

I played it for the first time a few weeks ago and there wereere were 200-300 people, but I won.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 10:17pm

I did it for the fifth time a little less than two weeks ago and lost. Ugh. But 3 times after I've lost I tried spelling bee lotto and someone in my group has won each time. So you could always try that.

[IheartJ-TAGS]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 2:02am

Anyone try this recently? I was thinking of going tomorrow and just wanted to know my odds.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 2:15am

Guys...the show is one of the biggest hits on Broadway, it is insanely popular - every performance is practically sold out. I doubt lotto crowds for Wicked are going to die down anytime soon. Your chances are going to be pretty slim for a while. Don't waste your time unless there isn't any other show you'd want to see.

[IheartJ-TAGS]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 2:19am

Wow aren't you a Debbie Downer. I actually won the lotto on my third try less than a year after it opened. There were at least 500 people there that day too. The last I tried was in the summer and there were probably 150-200 people on a Tuesday. I was just wondering if anyone had been there recently.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 2:25am

I'm not trying to be a "Debbie Downer." I'm just pointing out that the crowds tend to be huge and they won't probably die down anytime soon, especially given the fact that the performances are practically sold out. It's been that way forever. I just find it funny how people keep asking, and so far, the change in crowd size hasn't drastically reduced to under 100 people for a long period of time. So you won? Congratulations, you were one of the lucky ones. Your chances still were slim nonetheless.

Updated On: 1/4/07 at 02:25 AM

[Joshua488]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 4:39am

Hey, someone has to win. You might as well give it a shot.

[mattnyc2]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 9:40am

When I first moved to NYC a year ago I was obsessed with trying to win this lottery. I'm not going to say the number of lottery attempts I made, but I'll just say that you need an extreme amount of luck to win.

My only advice is to bring a friend with you and pray. Or rub a rabbits foot, or a troll doll, pray to your favorite saint, cross your fingers and your toes, make sure your karma is properly aligned, etc. My point is there are hundreds of people trying to get 25 seats, so it's just a matter of luck and nothing else.

[Connie2]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 3:12pm

Hi All.

I'm a complete newb to the rush/lotto, and because I was a bit of an idiot and didn't buy tickets to the show beforehand, I now want to try my luck for Wicked.

Thus, because I'm a newb, I'm not sure if I have to get there REALLY early before the appropriate showtime in order to line up for the lotto, or should I just follow Talkin' Broadway's guideline of getting there 2.5 hours before the show?

Thanks so much for any help you could give me. :)

[alex2155]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 3:36pm

The wicked lotto is crazy popular and especially in the summer. Tuesdays are best, but still 150 to 200 people show up. Your best bet is to go in like February on a Tuesday when less tourists are in town...it'll still be crowded though. Although I came to the conclusion that tourists are the ones that always win and it seems like those that just wander up to the lotto line and get in line just because its there win as well. I tried it 7 times before I actually won (and finally disproved my theory that tourists always win :) ). I won on a Thursday, there were at least 200 or 300 people there. But it was definitely worth trying all those times. The show was great. And it is true that someone has to win, so you might as well try.
As a tip though (so not to waste time)...don't go wait in the line early. If the sign up starts at 530 go at 530 or even 545...you have until 6 to put your name in. There is no reason to get there early...as it's lotto, not first come first serve.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 3:36pm

It doesn't matter how early you get there, all the names are put into a bin and drawn from afterwards. Arriving early only means you'll stand there longer, it won't give any advantage. Though I have noticed that several times the last person to sign up wins. (Maybe theirs is left on top?)

[paikea]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 3:43pm

Everyone who shows up before the actual drawing takes place gets to submit a name. And all lotteries function the same way, if you'd ever like to try for another show. It just depends what time they draw. Good luck! :)

[Connie2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 3:29am

Thanks all! Very helpful information. :)

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:01am

It's insanely crowded. And so random. I joke that people's best chance is to be right in front of or right behind me ~ I seriously know that at least 5 times among the winners have been the people who were on one side or the other, or twice on either side of me. I tried it one July Saturday matinee last year with a friend...she showed up at 11:55 and put her name in...and was the 4th one called! (She'd never lottoed before at all!! I joked we were going to go pick real numbers before the show! She won Rent for us her first time trying that one, too.) My other friend and I tried it about 5 times before I finally got drawn on a school year Thursday night.

Still, I've got a better track record with Wicked than Hairspray. With Wicked I'm 2 out of 11 for winning. With Hairspray I'm 0 for 9. I need to take Kristin with me!

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:21am

my wife and i tried the wicked lotto about 15 times and never won... one day we even showed up when there was a bitter snow storm going on. assuming that no one would show up! 10 min before the drawing there was no one else there minus a handful of people... we thought we'd win for sure!! and suddenly 5 min before, a surge of people showed up... several hundred again... even in the bitter snow.

it really is impossible to win... i mean... not impossible, but feels impossible. for us atleast

[RentHead2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 9:09am

I rushed Wicked, and there were easily 300-400 people there on a Saturday. It was like a Bon Jovi concert, and I got extremely lucky and won. Of course, I had to get rid of my Spelling Bee tickets. Seeing the show from first row is a million times better than the nosebleed section I was in the previous 3 times.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 9:48am

It took me about 20 tries to win it, on a Tuesday night in early June.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 10:30am

"I joke that people's best chance is to be right in front of or right behind me ~ I seriously know that at least 5 times among the winners have been the people who were on one side or the other, or twice on either side of me."

I think the SAME EXACT THING! Every time I lotto a show I notice the people who win are the people in front, back, or on the side of me. Weird how that is.

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 10:37am

Still, I've got a better track record with Wicked than Hairspray. With Wicked I'm 2 out of 11 for winning. With Hairspray I'm 0 for 9. I need to take Kristin with me!

You're 0 for 9 at the Hairspray lotto? That makes me sad.

I did lose the Hairspray lotto once, but nine times? (Ok, and so now I have Mr Rooney's voice in my head- "so far this semester he has been absent nine times.")
Updated On: 8/1/07 at 10:37 AM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 10:43am

Yeah. I keep trying and trying. I always hear "Oh, it's the easiest one to win!" But I've had no luck. Maybe it'll be better once schools start back up. I'm planning on trying tonight and tomorrow though.

[NDR]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 11:06am

I have tried the lotto 6 times and haven't won once (NYC-3, Toronto-1, LA-2). Luckily, LA had mezz and side orchestra to sell (they discounted them down to $45 from 93.50).

I do have to say though that I seriously doubt that it is always random. Sure, most of the time it probably is, but I noticed in LA that Adam Wylie's friend just so happened to win. He was standing right next to her directly in front of the guy who pulls names. She wasn't the first one (best seats) but was like the 3rd or 4th name. Oh well.

I would still love to see it up close, but I seriously doubt that I will have the patience (and time) to keep trying. Maybe next time I should meet up with one of you on here that says that the people in front or back of you always win - who knows.

Good luck to all!!!
Updated On: 8/1/07 at 11:06 AM