Drinks before show @ Richard Rodgers?

I'm heading to Hamilton in 2 weeks for an 8pm show. I've read they open the doors at 7:30, but read somewhere else that they open the bars an hour early at 7pm. How does that work exactly? Can I get there early and have a drink at the bar, or not? I'd love some help, planning my first trip to Broadway and would love to relax with a beverage for 20-30 min before the show!

Thanks!

EDIT: Here's where I found this info: "The bars begin serving patrons one hour before the performance begins. " http://richardrodgerstheatre.com/patron_services.php

EDIT 2: I called and their website is wrong. Everything opens at 7:30.

Updated On: 5/18/16 at 11:18 AM

Theater bars don't open early. If you want a drink beforehand, you need to go somewhere else.

Drinks are so expensive in the theaters. Go early and maybe go to a popular spot near the theater. I like Lillies and Hurley's. Along 8th you can probably find a good happy hour before the show. Just some suggestions.

I second the idea to get drinks somewhere on West 44th Street. That way you can get to the RR easily by cutting through Shubert Alley and then also going through the Marriott passage and avoid the main streets, which will be a zoo. I ate at Carmine's the night I saw Hamilton, but that's only good for groups (there were six of us). It was really easy to bypass the crowds from there. Carmine's does have a bar, too, though. The address is 200 West 44th Street, in case you want to check it out for drinks.

I've never been to Sardi's, but that sounds good to me.

I've only been for post-show drinks but Sardis does sound like a great idea.

Bar Centrale on the same block http://www.barcentralenyc.com/