Dear Evan Hansen - Cancellation Line/Lottery- Page 37

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 4:55pm

Wick3 said: "pnewelljr said: "No four day tickets yesterday or today, maybe that's the end..."

Or perhaps wheelchair patrons and their companions bought all those seats already. Most of the seats released in the 4-day rule tend to be unsold wheelchair accessible/companion seats.

https://www.telecharge.com/eventaccessinformation.aspx?productid=11698"

Good point. I guess we'll see what happens.

[sq131]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 5:22pm

Hello all, I will be sitting in the cancellation ticket line late tonight for Thursday evening tickets! Wish me luck
Random/possibly dumb question - if you’re offered tickets, is either card or cash accepted? Wondering if I should take out some money before I head out. I’ve never purchased a ticket at a Broadway box office, and am unfamiliar with policies. Apologies ahead of time if it’s a silly question!

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 5:39pm

sq131 said: "Hello all, I will be sitting in the cancellation ticket line late tonight for Thursday evening tickets! Wish me luck
Random/possibly dumb question - if you’re offered tickets, is either card or cash accepted? Wondering if I should take out some money before I head out. I’ve never purchased a ticket at a Broadway box office, and am unfamiliar with policies. Apologies ahead of time if it’s a silly question!"

Card or cash is accepted. Let us know what happens!

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 6:09pm

sq131 said: "is either card or cash accepted?"

The box office accepts both, however, I recommend that, at least after sunrise, you take out at least $200 cash per ticket that you need just in case either your card doesn't work, or more specifically, that you give yourself the added option of making a purchase from someone on the street who has an extra ticket.

[Wick3]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 6:38pm

chuckydisc said: "sq131 said: "is either card or cash accepted?"

The box office accepts both, however, I recommend that, at least after sunrise, you take out at least $200 cash per ticket that you need just in case either your card doesn't work, or more specifically, that you give yourself the added option of making a purchase from someone on the street who has an extra ticket."

In addition, have venmo or paypal ready as well. My friend who was on cancellation line ended up buying a DEH ticket from a family visiting NYC whose son was sick that day. She just sent them a venmo of face value of the ticket and got to see the show!

[bwaylistener]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 6:50pm

In case anyone is interested, there are two premium seats for tomorrow night (Thursday 10/26). Orchestra Center F 110, and J 106, $425 each.

[sq131]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 9:48pm

Just got here at 9:40, and there’s a line sitter who got here around 9/9:30, and another person who got here a few minutes after. Here’s to hoping there’s more than 4 tickets!

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 11:06pm

sq131 said: "Just got here at 9:40, and there’s a line sitter who got here around 9/9:30, and another person who got here a few minutes after. Here’s to hoping there’s more than 4 tickets! "

If you only need a single it's possible the 2 in front of you will pass on it if offered.

[StefanieBway<3]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 12:58am

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up!

 

Hoping to spend less than $500 but regardless I know it will be worth it for this opportunity!

Updated On: 10/26/17 at 12:58 AM

[JayElle]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 2:59am

My cancel line experience on Wednesday, 10/25.  Got there at 12 noonish. Ticket needs were:  

Lady 1&2 =               2 tickets; arrived at 8 am

Man =                       1 ticket    arrived at 10 am

Pro line sitter =         2 tickets   arrived at 11 am

2nd Pro line sitter =  2 tickets   arrived at 11 am

Tourist  =                  2 tickets    arrived at 11:30 am

Tourist  =                  1 tickets    arrived at noon

Me                            1 ticket  =  arrived at noonish               11 total needed  for this group 

Plus there were 8 more folks behind me by 5 pm.  Other folks were ahead of me very early but they left and got matinee cancel tickets. They didn't want to wait 8 hours.

After waiting 8 hours, the box office started sales at 7:50p.  The box office only had 8 tickets for 20 people online.  They were sold out by the time they reached me, but minutes later, I got mine b/c the professional line sitter had one client who didn't show.  He wanted $300 for the $200 ticket that the box offices charges.  Since it was 3 minutes to 8pm, he took the face value of $200.  Show was great again. (saw it before)

When I arrived at 12 noonish, I went to box office to ask the policy.  These are NOT cancels.  He said that they only sell the house seats that the producer sets aside for last minute celebrities.  He sells them at $199 each. He said he does not sell tickets that a person bought at the BO, yet on another occasion, I was behind a man who said he was "dropping off his tickets b/c he bought them and couldn't make it."  

So let's assume they only sell the producer's tickets.  Also, he said they allot 12 tickets for the lottery.  If someone fails to pay for their ticket following notice, that ticket goes back into his lot of available tickets at the BO.  Apparently that's not happening much since the pattern has been less than 10 available tickets.

One chatter here partially named  "tree?" said there were only 5 tickets available and she missed out b/c the guy in front of her took the last one.  Doesn't seem like they sell a lot of cancels.

So the 8 available seats tonight:  2 were in center orchestra row A that went to the first 2 ladies.. Because you have the stage wall in front of you, it was considered an obstructed view. They didn't care. They paid $149.

They took the man for 1 and a tourist for 1, row H center orchestra.

The remaining 4 tickets were sold to the professional sitters.  Those tickets were the first 4 seats in row F with seats starting at the center aisle.  The pros sold the tickets to 3 of the people on the cancel line for $300 each.  

By this point, everyone was in the theater.  It was 7:59.    After an 8 hour wait on the line, I was getting ready to leave when the pro line sitter offered me the  last ticket for  face value of $199.  In exchange he asked for a reference as a line sitter.   I got in after the first opening song.  Was fine.

I recommend having $300 cash if you wish to carry that.  I also noticed that the first in line get crappier seats. The ladies were in row A, the tourists in H, and we got F starting at center aisle for 4 seats.  

That also happened at Springsteen.  The first seats were sold in the back of the boxes with the better seats sold to folks further back on line. 

Hansen seats were great.  This was typical in Hamilton also.  The cast and house seats were always in the first 8 rows center or side near center.

No Hansen tickets were offered in the mezzanine.   The people in standing room said they were lottery winners. I couldn't stand that long. I had a chair on the line.

The Marriott hotel ticket broker offered tickets row O, left orchestra, all the way at the end of row near the  exit door. He called them door knocker seats. He wanted $575 each.  Wasn't worth it.

Bottom line, anyone beyond the 9th person on line most likely WILL NOT get a ticket.  No one who was on  was an overnight sitter.

I also told the ticket BO manager that it was awful they waited until 7:50p to start selling.  Surely they'd know by 7:30p.  

Springsteen cancel tickets go on sale at 7pm for an 8pm show, but they charge $500-700 each and most seats are in the boxes.  Yes, folks got seats for $300 and $75 at times, but the BO rep said she wasn't aware of that. It might've been the exception or she was lying.  Everyone on the Springsteen line up to the 15th person got in, but all paid $500. I mention this to give you a comparison with Hansen.

Since it was Broadway cares week, I was also very happy to buy a cast autographed poster.  

Hope this info helps all.  
 

JayElle

 

[JayElle]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 3:18am

One last point.  After the seats were sold, I complained to the house manager about allowing line sitters to scoop up tickets and then scalp them to the folks on cancel line. He's basically approving illegal scalping in front of his door.

Ham sells tickets at the last minute and makes the buyers go right into the show. Ham did that to stop the line sitters from doing what they did at Hansen. One Ham line sitter told me he saw Ham 9 times b/c he bought a ticket for his client and he had to go in with that client who paid for the sitter's ticket.

I also told the house manager that I had seen the show and waited in line for a ticket b/c I really wanted a cast autographed poster for Bway Cares.  

He offered me to come back at shows's end to buy one since I couldn't get in.  House manager left and then the line sitter walked over and offered me the last ticket at face value.  I don't think he heard the conversation b/c he was sitting  towards stage door.

And speaking of stage door, while we were waiting on cancel line, no one was at the stage door at 5:30.  Limo pulls up and out pops Ben Platt who ran into stage door unnoticed by all except a keen observer on ticket line.  

So if you want to see or photo Ben, be at stage door from 5-6 pm on a Wednesday as he arrives for night show. I don't know what he does the other days, but I presume it's the same time. Also, at show's end....he does not come out of stage door folks tell me. They saw him sneak out main lobby when folks were distracted at stage door by other actors coming out.  Someone said he was stalked by someone so he's somewhat hiding.

Good luck to all trying to get a ticket.

 

[sq131]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 5:14am

Thank you for the wonderful detailed post! I will say I saw Mike Faist leave from the main doors, and Ben also rushed out quickly from the main lobby to his limo while everyone was at the stage door....that’s unfortunate he’s being stalked.
Thus far at 5 am, still only me and to my correction two* line sitters, both waiting for 2 tickets each. One person showed up at 5 am for Come From Away across the street. The waiting continues!

[SpyOnTheInside]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:41am

How's it going on line? I'm on a bus right now to nyc (from Boston) with my 13yr old. We're getting in at 1pm and I'm considering coming straight over to join the line, but I think we may be too late. What do you think? Have many others joined the line? Maybe just wait and try getting there 5 or 6 am tomorrow?

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:45am

SpyOnTheInside said: "How's it going on line? I'm on a bus right now to nyc (from Boston) with my 13yr old. We're getting in at 1pm and I'm considering coming straight over to join the line, but I think we may be too late. What do you think? Have many others joined the line? Maybe just wait and try getting there 5 or 6 am tomorrow?"



Based on how things have been going recently, I probably wouldn’t bother. Someone just reported people getting there 9pm the night before (and that was on a Wednesday no less!). When we rushed for last Friday, I think people first got there at 1am.

It looks like the average number of tickets a show is 8ish. So unless you are fourth or fifth in line you are really gambling with your time. I’d say if you want to guarantee a ticket, get there tonight for tomorrow’s show. Looks like things are just going to keep getting worse the closer we get. :/

Updated On: 10/26/17 at 09:45 AM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 10:26am

Someone is selling box seats for tonight on StubHub. Apparently, they aren't just lottery tickets anymore, which would confirm broadwaykayla's report.

[sq131]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 10:38am

SpyOnTheInside said: "How's it going on line? I'm on a bus right now to nyc (from Boston) with my 13yr old. We're getting in at 1pm and I'm considering coming straight over to join the line, but I think we may be too late. What do you think? Have many others joined the line? Maybe just wait and try getting there 5 or 6 am tomorrow?"

There’s about 15 people in line righ now, some going for 2 tickets. Probably best to try tomorrow? The first person after me arrived at 7 am, but there may be more people attending for a Friday night show!

[JayElle]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 11:21am

Sq131 said partially, "Thus far at 5 am, still only me and to my correction two* line sitters, both waiting for 2 tickets each"

Sq131, are the line sitters Greg and a woman with a guitar?  If so, they were the ones on Wednesday night.

They buy 4 tickets and sell  them to the people online for $100 or $200 above face value.  He told my friend that he would get his tickets and sell them at Starbucks. I told her bull.  They don't sell them until 7:50pm and by the time he walks up the street, it would be too late. And no one hanging in Starbucks necessarily wants tickets.

 So he walked the cancel line warning them he would have tickets that he could sell to them.  My friend paid his $300 at 7:59 b/c she was desperate to get in. I had seen it. I only wanted a signed poster which the house manager said he would accommodate.

Were the line sitters there before you?  They didn't show until 11ish on Wednesday?

As for Come From Away, they may have been waiting for rush tickets which Hansen doesn't do. Come from Away had several tickets available Wednesday night at 6 pm.  

JayElle

[katiegreentree]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 11:25am

sq131 said: "SpyOnTheInside said: "How's it going on line? I'm on a bus right now to nyc (from Boston) with my 13yr old. We're getting in at 1pm and I'm considering coming straight over to join the line, but I think we may be too late. What do you think? Have many others joined the line? Maybe just wait and try getting there 5 or 6 am tomorrow?"

There’s about 15 people in line righ now, some going for 2 tickets. Probably best to try tomorrow? The first person after me arrived at 7 am, but there may be more people attending for a Friday night show!"

I would just maximize the time you have here and try again tomorrow.  I know it's tempting to stay in line and normally I would say go ahead and stay if you were maybe 10th in line, but 15th is almost definitely not going to get you tickets.  I'd check back at 9 or 10 tonight and see if a line has started yet!

[JayElle]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 11:26am

Spy, read my post just two posts above yours.  I provided details on the cancel policy per the ticket box office supervisor along with what I encountered.

good luck....the line sitters will sell you the tickets they buy at the BO, but they'll add one or two hundred dollars to the price....

JayElle

 

 

[sq131]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 12:12pm

It sounds likes it’s 2 different guys - Nigel and Adanis from #LineDudes, they’re chill and one of them even let me borrow their chair to sleep in. I overheard one of them saying they don’t won’t buy and re-sell, they only have specific clients. They both got here about 15 minutes before me though, so I’m third.

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 12:28pm

JayElle said: "The remaining 4 tickets were sold to the professional sitters. Those tickets were the first 4 seats in row F with seats starting at the center aisle. The pros sold the tickets to 3 of the people on the cancel line for $300 each.

By this point, everyone was in the theater. It was 7:59. After an 8 hour wait on the line, I was getting ready to leave when the pro line sitter offered me the last ticket for face value of $199. In exchange he asked for a reference as a line sitter. I got in after the first opening song. Was fine."

This does NOT sound like a "line-sitter" if their plan was to simply sell the tickets to people behind them in the very line that they are sitting in ( and technically this is very illegal to do right outside the theater ).

 

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 12:33pm

JayElle said: "Other folks were ahead of me very early but they left and got matinee cancel tickets. They didn't want to wait 8 hours."

At what time did the first few Matinee ticket acquirers arrive to the line?

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 12:50pm

sq131 said: "It sounds likes it’s 2 different guys - Nigel and Adanis from #LineDudes, they’re chill and one of them even let me borrow their chair to sleep in. I overheard one of them saying they don’t won’t buy and re-sell, they only have specific clients. They both got here about 15 minutes before me though, so I’m third."

I don't know them but I met #LineDudes folks last year at Hamilton cancellation line and they're legit and really cool. They definitely never resold tickets. 

@JayElle, thank you for the detailed report! Yes, technically the cancellatoin line is a misnomer since producers and actors are allotted a few tickets each per performance depending on their contract. If there are any unused, those are sold to the cancellatoin line ---- hence why the seats are almost always AMAZING! As far as being first or second or third in line, I'd much rather be first in line so I get offered the first set of tickets regardless of where the seat will be. From reading the boards, there has been 3-4 times when the box office sold 0 cancellation tickets and at other times 2 or 4 tickets. 

If DEH follows the Hamilton policy for cancellation, I think it would deter a lot of line sitters but it mainly depends on stubhub prices. If stubhub prices are over $1000 each, then hiring 2 line sitters to get 4 tickets (2 tickets for the line sitters and 2 tickets for the clients) makes sense. If stubhub prices are $500 or less, then it wouldn't make sense to hire a line sitter. I can't do math right now but I think you understand what I mean.

[michaelhale]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 2:14pm

CT2NYC said: "Someone is selling box seats for tonight on StubHub.Apparently, they aren't just lottery tickets anymore, which would confirm broadwaykayla's report."

People have been selling box seats on stubhub for a while, since before I was told they don't sell them in advance. I figured those were purchased before and they had moved them to the lotto more recently.

[JayElle]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 4:56pm

Chucky said “This does NOT sound like a "line-sitter" if their plan was to simply sell the tickets to people behind them in the very line that they are sitting in ( and technically this is very illegal to do right outside the theater ).”

Yes they were line sitters from NJ. I was there for 8 hours with them. He offered to sit for me but I brought my chair. I have their card. I know the line sitter guys from Ham. I got to go bc he couldn’t sell the last ticket.

The two folks got online for 8 pm show at 9am but when they learned there was a matinee cancel line, they left the normal line b4 I got there at noon.

I know the line guys. A friend of mine used them multiple times for Ham. Each time the sitter went in with her for show. I think she’s up to 29 times that she’s seen the show.

I also know cast & producers have seats which were questions I asked of BO supervisor.

Bottom line, I am convinced that 8 seats are pretty certain without including the lottery 12. That makes 20. Only 4 singles and 2 doubles were sold on Wednesday which is what a lot of folks have said here about limited supply. I grilled the BO guy, but nicely.

Alot of this may be irrelevant once Ben goes. Show is great with him. I don’t care to see replacement.