Hair Cancellation/Stand-by Line

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 2:26pm

Last week there was an article in the NY Times about people being hired to work as "line sitters" to get a ticket for someone else for HAIR. I have also heard that the staff at the box office somehow monitors the frequency of how often they see people in the line. When I waited and got my ticket it clearly said that the ticket can not be sold. Does anyone know if people who bought their tickets from someone on craig's list have been turned away from the show? I'm curious because I would like to go again and take my partner. I know that i can make a donation, become a summer supporter, and get 2 tickets...however, If I make the donation today, the earliest we could go would be this weekend. Just curious.

Updated On: 8/29/08 at 02:26 PM

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 2:58pm

Well, first of all, from my understanding, you only get one ticket if you become a summer sponsor. So for two, you'd have to donate twice as much (I think it's $150 per ticket, or so).

Second, people sell tickets through craigslist, and other ways, all the time. There's really no way to prove how you got the tickets, unless you physically catch them in the act (and even then, they'd have to see you exchange money. Cause you can just claim that you're giving the ticket to a friend, which is perfectly legal). It's illegal, yes, and incredibly shady. But it's next to impossible to stop it from happening, or getting caught.

[AntonEgo]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 3:19pm

According to the security guard at the Hair line, if you are caught selling or buying tickets, you will be banned from Shakespeare in the Park for life. But they'd have to catch you. And I'm not really sure how they'd keep track of you to ban you. I know it's impossible to stop people from buying or selling tickets, but I have to say, I really wish people wouldn't do this. If you're going to pay for tickets, the money should go to the Public Theatre. It's a wonderful thing that they do every year.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 3:54pm

With my luck...i'd be the one person who was caught and got banned...I don't mind paying the $150 times 2...I just wanted to go TONIGHT! Guess we'll watch Bill Clinton's speech instead.

[AntonEgo]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 4:44pm

GatorNY- It's not too late to try for cancellations for tonight.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 5:40pm

When I was in line, one of the security guys pointed out the guy next to me and said "Watch that guy- he's a scalper."

I don't know how much action they took, but I do know that they have a pretty good idea about who the scalpers are. The only trouble you could really encounter would be:

A) Being caught in the act of exchanging money.
B) Your scalper is caught and thrown out of line.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 10:39pm

Scalpers are 1 thing, but unless the Public Theater security team has tiny security cameras in the trees or on their person, waiting on line for your friend, getting tix, walking OUT of the park and then giving them to the person you want is not illegal. Whether you exchange cash or not is your biz. (Exchanging cash on the line, however, is not permissable). Personally, I would not pay anyone I don't know personally...you're more than likely to get ripped off.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 4:48am

Gator, by the way, it's $165 per ticket, not $150.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 5:33am

I feel like you would be ripped off if you do try to buy them off of someone. It isn't like the tickets have a price on them and you know if your getting ripped off or not. They are for free at the person selling them to you could pretty much set up whatever price they wanted to.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 1:59pm

Thanks everyone for the info...Anton has a good point. As a theater lover, I'd rather give the money to the public theater...I think I'll keep doing the virtual line each day and if no luck by 9/9 I'll be back in the line on Wednesday 9/10. At least I know to bring pillows this time!

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:10pm

Hey y'all...so i searched "hair cancellation line" and nothing came up. I checked the public's website and couldn't find info about the cancellation/stand-by line. The staff at the Delacorte says that the cancellation line starts forming right after all of the tickets are handed out at 1 pm. Does anyone else have any more information or first-hand experience on how it works?

[Ryan4]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:23pm

If it were earlier in the run...and maybe a less popular show...you'd be able to get there at around 6 and have a good shot of getting a seat.

They give out vouchers to the first 50 people who don't get tickets at 1...and then there's a cancellation line which starts to form. They generally don't start giving out cancellation tickets until close to 8pm.

I had insanely good luck a couple weeks ago...got off work at 6 and headed over there just to try my luck. Probably 200 people in front of me at that time. Some dude with an extra ticket asks me if I'm alone, then hands me the ticket. Odds are slim...but, hey, miracles happen. The show is brilliant.

[alfgiotir]

Posted: 8/30/08 at 5:01pm

FYI, HAIR is going into the Broadhurst once EQUUS leaves.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 1:34pm

So to the folks who have gone to the cancellation line...you get there around 5:30 or so, and then at what time do they begin to hand out the tickets?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 1:38pm

Look up at bit, Ryan4 answered your question.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 1:41pm

oops...thanks for being nice about that

Updated On: 8/31/08 at 01:41 PM

[GatorNY]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 2:03pm

One more question...does anybody know if they apply the same "no holding a place in line for someone rule" in the cancellation line as well?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 2:17pm

I'd imagine that they would be fairly strict about that on the cancellation line as well.

[Trish2]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 3:08pm

Perhaps it's because it's a holiday weekend, but i arrived to the cancellation line last night (Saturday) at 7:50pm. I was about number 80. At 8pm they released the tickets and the entire line got in. My seat was 10th row center-Unbelievable ! While i was sure happy not having to wait in either of the lines for a period of time, I cant help to think that they need a better "seating location" policy for those who DO wait. I saw a friend wayyyy over to the left side who had waited all day. I imagine they give up alot of the "no show" corporate seats at 8pm and those are usually the better seats. Unless someone else knows the policy differently ?

BTW, the show is terrific, and kudos to the entire cast for their heartfelt
performances ! The orchestra was also fantastic !
Updated On: 8/31/08 at 03:08 PM

[GatorNY]

Posted: 9/1/08 at 12:22am

I did the cancellation line tonight. Got there at about 5:45. We were about the 100th or so people in line. The staff did not seem to be monitoring as much as they do the morning line...no security telling us not to leave and go get food etc. Also no announcements about having friends come join you in line as the time got closer to 7:45. We got our tickets in the second or third batch of tickets to come out...at about 8 pm. It was so worth the 2 hour wait though, because our tickets were in the 9th row, dead in the center. Much better thn when I waited for 7 hours a few weeks back!

[stellalove]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 10:03pm

For the cancellation line, do you line up in the same place as for regular tickets at the box office?

[GatorNY]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 8:37am

Yes.

[HollyDiver]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 4:20pm

I really wanna see this and havent yet. I do the virtual line daily, but I just dont have time to take off work, and weekends are super busy.

I am going to try after work today for cancelations. I'll probably get to the line around 6. It's a shot in the dark, but worth it. I wish I just had a day open to wait in line, I dont mind standing around!

[StarUsher]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 5:20pm

Unfortunately while it may seem unfair that someone who waited all morning got a worse seat than someone who showed up later for the standbyline there is now way to regulste that sort of thing. Since the standby line is based on any cancellations or tickets that get returned to the box office in any way there is no possible way to predict how many there will be or where they will be located.

[AntonEgo]

Posted: 9/5/08 at 10:18am

Apparently, it's really easy to get tickets on weekdays now because people are back in school. I heard from the box office that you can sometimes go at 2 or 3 p.m. and still get tickets. And usually everyone in the standby line gets in. I'm sure it's harder on the weekends, but still probably not too hard to get tickets.