Digital Lotteries...the new thing?

I prefer it, especially since with a full-time job, I don't have the time to rush shows and can't always get to lotteries.

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Jersey Boys tried a mobile lotto a couple of years ago, but I don't think it ever caught on. Plus the only people who seemed to say they won (in disgruntled comments on the official FB) were people who worked for their PR company.

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I don't prefer it, but I don't hate it, either. There are some lotteries that take forever and the physical space isn't really conducive to a crowd or trying to hear your name. And sometimes I just don't want to get up.

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I love the idea. Going to the theater at 5 or 6 only to not win is kind of a pain. I'm all for convenience.

^ Well, that's actually a con of it, haha...

It certainly does make it feasible for us working slobs!

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I definitely prefer an online lottery to an in person lottery but I prefer rush to both of them. I'd rather just get up early instead of worrying about winning something by chance. Though I did get If/Then on my first try. But again, it's just chance. As for the "experience," that's what Shakespeare in the Park is for. But again, that's more rush than lottery.

"I don't prefer it, but I don't hate it, either. There are some lotteries that take forever and the physical space isn't really conducive to a crowd or trying to hear your name. And sometimes I just don't want to get up."

That's a good point. If/Then was like that when people were confused about whether their names had been called and couldn't hear what was being said.

Imagine how people living in Westchester, Long Island, CT and NJ feel. $16-20 round trip just to loose a lottery.

Yeah, living in CT these digital lotteries are GREAT. Except for the Something Rotten one with its notice 2 hours before (not enough time to get into the city). I wonder if Something Rotten would be willing to change its announcement time since TodayTix at 4 hours and Gigi at approximately 7 hours before the show allow people who have to take a 30 dollar train to actually enter.

It's better than in-person lotteries, but in an ideal world lotteries are eradicated and all shows just have rush.

It would appear Fun Home is having a lotto as well.

On the other hand, you're left to guess how many are entering, as opposed to in person, when you can see the crowd and be disillusioned for sure.

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^^ Actually, the whole point is to drum up business and word of mouth for the show. Naturally, the assumption is that the winners will spread the word of mouth about the show they wouldn't be able to see without the lottery's cheaper tickets. But how do you maximize the possibilities of this concept?

Well, if you have 100 people who go to theatre for 20 seats, you have a smaller crowd, who generally have planned this part of their day and, upon losing, will go about the rest of their night and maybe try again another day or maybe not. But if you have a digital lottery, one that perhaps (like some do) you can double or triple your chances for by sharing news of your entry around on social media... well suddenly you have a larger, more vocal share of attention and free publicity going around regardless of whether these people win or not. More people know about the show and the lottery, and the more people enter the more their friends' know and so on. How quickly have any of our Facebook feeds become inundated with posts about the HAMILTON lottery?

It's a pretty blatant (but blatantly successful) marketing tactic. It works. It's likely the future. And it's extremely convenient, effort-wise, with less success results-wise. Shows are perfectly fine with that bargain, and so long as they keep offering lotteries we'll keep playing them. Because it's still a great deal if you win.

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