Cheap ways to get tickets for unpopular shows

[Samara.tanner]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 9:43pm

Hi! I am going to NYC for the first time ever (!!!) with my mom the first weekend of December. We have decided to see Once on This Island and Miss Saigon, as those are the two shows that interest us the most. I was looking on Telecharge, and good seats for Saigon are $175 each, and for OOTI they are about $159 each. There is no way we can afford to spend that much as we are looking to spend as little as possible on this trip (including hotels). How would you recommend getting tickets for our shows? We'd be comfortable waiting until the last minute to buy tickets, so long as they are legitimate. If it's any help, we would drive up Friday evening, see a Saturday evening and Sunday matinee show. I'd appreciate any tips you may have. Thanks in advance! 

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 10:54pm

If you google show title + discount code, there's a few discount codes you can use to help knock off a few bucks on those.

However, I would recommend TDF for the Miss Saigon tickets. It's frequently on there and you'll probably get good seats with it. Trouble is, you don't know where you're sitting. You won't be able to buy too far in advance. 

You could always check out TodayTix as well. You have an option to choose which section you'd like to sit in, but you don't know what exact row. If you use my code, AFSBW you'll get $10 off your first order too. 

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 11:00pm

With the BroadwayBox Miss Saigon discount code, you can get very good front mezzanine seats for $89 each. There's a discount code on Playbill.com for Once On This Island for $99 seats, as well

[Melanie73]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 11:45pm

You probably already know about rush policies, but in case you don't, rush, lottery, and standing room (SRO) are almost exclusively the ways I use to get tickets to shows, since I, like you, cannot afford full-priced or even discounted tickets to most shows, especially Broadway and Off-Broadway.

Basically, all three of these are bought on the day of the show.  For more "unpopular" shows, tickets will be easier to get than they are for more popular ones.  In the case of Miss Saigon, I know that they offer rush tickets for $39 each.  So, what you're going to do is go to the box office in the morning (ideally close to the time it opens, or maybe even a bit before, in order to maximize your chances) and then ask for two rush tickets for that day's performance.  If they have any available, they'll sell them to you, and then you're set!

I don't believe Once on This Island has announced a rush, etc. policy yet, but keep an eye out!

Enjoy your trip!  I'm sure you both will have tons of fun!

[3NU]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 12:32am

In addition to what others have said above, know that you can use discount codes at the box office (i.e. in person). It's a good way to avoid fees, especially if you are in the City already. Moreover, there are some shows that will offer you discounted tickets only at the box office. Ticket locations and prices are at the discretion of the box office. I know Waitress does this with rear mezz seats, and Fun Home did it when it was still running at Circle in the Square.

Also, not sure if this applies to you (or any of the shows you want to see) but look into discount ticket programs for students/young adults. HipTix, LincTix, Peer2Peer, 30 Under 30, etc. offer fantastic opportunities to see shows for cheap. 

[bwaylistener]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 12:35am

I just got rush tickets to Miss Saigon this past Sunday. We got there probably an hour after the box office opened and they offered us partial view for $39 or full view for $55. We went for full view, which ended up being center orchestra, row T. There were a lot of empty seats. Our view was excellent and the show was fantastic. Enjoy!

[DebraR]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 2:25pm

I hope rush will continue in the future. Seems all shows are going digital lottery which is virtually impossible to win and for those out of town, even less of a chance.  As a mom with two theatre fanatic kids, I have always been able to venture to NYC on a pretty tight budget, knowing I am almost guaranteed to be able to get tickets if I get in line early enough.  We've seen 7 shows in 5 days with an average cost of about $25/$30 a ticket, the only way we could afford to have such a immersive trip.  Being in L.A. with Hamilton, I have fun entering the daily lottery not expecting to win but winning not as important as if I were out of town just to see shows in a narrow time frame.  

I always start here http://www.broadwayforbrokepeople.com  or http://www.broadwaybox.com/shows/tickets/broadway/discounts/

Updated On: 10/5/17 at 02:25 PM

[youwillbefound2]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 5:15pm

Has Miss Saigon been on TKTS lately?

[Luscious]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 6:38pm

Broadway Roulette

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 7:22pm

I like to check Show-Score. On the page for each show there are a list of options for how to buy tickets. It's a good summary. And if you know what you're willing to spend, you can put in that number and they'll alert you if there are ever any tickets being sold at that price.

https://www.show-score.com/broadway-shows/miss-saigon

For Miss Saigon, rush or TKTS seem like the best options.

Updated On: 10/5/17 at 07:22 PM

[Samara.tanner]

Posted: 10/7/17 at 4:06pm

Could someone explain how TKTS works? As I said, I’ve never been to NY, and I’m not a member of TDF.

[youwillbefound2]

Posted: 10/7/17 at 5:20pm

Samara.tanner said: "Could someone explain how TKTS works? As I said, I’ve never been to NY, and I’m not a member of TDF."

There is a huge staircase in the middle of Times Square. Underneath that is a TKTS booth. It has discounted tickets for certain shows.