General tkts questions

[LGal]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 8:51pm

I did a search for tkts on the board, but the search only came up with threads pertaining to certain shows. I hope its okay I started a new thread! I've never gone to the tkts booth before, and was planning on giving it a try for a matinée this Sunday and I had a couple of questions...

What is generally the discount given? 50%? 30%? Less? I know they don't except credit cards so I want to be sure I have enough cash handy.

Do they offer discounts for matinées? And if so what time should I go to the booth?

I'm sure weekends are much busier than during the work week so is there usually a good selection of shows on weekends? Im assuming this weekend will be even busier with all the Tony noms announced!

The website mentioned something about a temporary location in the Marriott Marquis hotel- is the booth on 46th still open?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 8:53pm

It varies from show to show. It's usually 50% off, but could be 35% off or 25% off.

They are open for matinees, but there isn't an additional discount if that's what you mean. (That part was a little unclear.)

Show selection is random from day to day. No way of knowing what WILL be up there (well, some shows seem to always be, but even then there are freak days).

The booth on 46th IS the one under the Marquis.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 9:18pm

According to their site: they open on Sundays at 11.

I would be there at 10 at the LATEST...I would aim for 9:30. Bring a book, your MP3 or great conversation.

Once they open up, the line moves pretty quickly. Before they officially open, the "boards" will list what's available. Once you get to a ticket window, they expect you to know what you want.

[LGal]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 9:18pm

Thank you very much for your help!

How far in advance should I get to the booth? Do they sell tickets up to the last minute?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 9:20pm

Read dramamama611's post for time.

And yes, until just before curtain.

[LGal]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 9:23pm

sorry about that! DramaMama posted just three seconds before me!

Thanks again for the help! Hopefully Ill get some good tickets!

[legally_popular]

Posted: 5/19/08 at 4:23pm

My question was essentially the same as the original poster, so this thread was very helpful, but is it really necessary to get to the booth that early for a Sunday matinee? Would I still be able to get tickets to a show 1-2 hours before it starts? We are going to try a lottery first, so the tkts booth is really a "back-up." What shows do you think will still be left at say noon-1pm?

[karen24]

Posted: 5/19/08 at 4:28pm

As I've always understood it, theaters send unsold tickets over to TKTS right up until show time. So you might have just as good a chance of getting a ticket to a particular show if you turned up close to curtain time, and there's always the chance that shows that weren't available earlier in the day might suddenly turn up. I would just have several options in mind. I'm sure you'll find something good!

[legally_popular]

Posted: 5/19/08 at 6:03pm

Thanks for replying! The particular shows we're interested in for that day don't sell out so we'll be happy grabbing whatever seats are left. Whether we run to the tkts booth or just get them at the theater box office with a discount code handy, we should be fine... I just needed some reassurance, so thank you!

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 5/19/08 at 6:48pm

I went to the Drowsy Chaperone last show and got the tickets through TKTS and we grabbed them literally at 8:00 PM. It was insane. But they can go down to the very last minute. But a lot of shows vanish after like 30 minutes to an hour.