Hamilton Cancellation Line — Page 110

I did the cancellation line last week and had the best experience with great line buddies.  The theater made us disperse during the show, so we did Sharpie numbers on our hands and took a video to document everyone's place in line.  I am thinking about going back in a week or two and was thinking I would try something.  Of course, it's subject to the people in line that day being open to it but seems like it would help when we have to disperse and reconvene.  I was thinking about printing up labels (thinking like address label size so could do 2 pages for 60 total, hope to have nowhere near that many people but I know it's getting crazy now) with the next show and the place number in line.  Each show could have a different graphic on it so that on one could try to duplicate it and cheat.  That way, no one can try to copy it so no one can try to claim they were in line just by writing a number on their hand.

Example:

When the theater sends everyone away Tuesday night, pass out labels for Wednesday, (date of show), 2pm, #1 in order.  Then, once the matinee starts on Tuesday, hand out labels to the remaining people in line: Wednesday (date of show), 8pm, #1 and so on.

Each number would signify the person standing in line, not how many tickets.  It would be too confusing to try and keep up with plus 1s or whether or not they actually want tickets to the next show, just place in line.  Update it after each show.

It's like wristbands but cheaper since it would be funded by someone in the line itself, not the theater.

I know it's a little more confusing being written down but it seems like the easiest way to keep order without someone trying to copy it.  Sure everyone knows who is actually before and after them but this could help keep arguments about place in line from being as messy perhaps? (no more he said, she said)

As far as splitting lines go, that's in no way fair to anybody. I know that being logical and fair isn't enough to keep people from trying but I wish it would.  The people waiting in line the longest deserve to get the tickets pure and simple.  They shouldn't be penalized for a particular show not having enough tickets to accommodate them. I understand why people want to try but everyone should line up in order, if you decide to pass on tickets offered in order to take a later show, your prerogative but the people waiting the longest should have first access.

alicity said: "n8leagr8 said: "I heard reports that the line split, and there was a fight. Can you verify this?

Yep. That happened. I'm a bit too tired to elaborate. 

 

@aliicity I understand the feeling of being too tired to post. Hang tough geta slice from the pizza joint, wash your face and enjoy the show! Looking forward to hearing the whole experience when you have recovered!

 

alicity said: "n8leagr8 said: "I heard reports that the line split, and there was a fight. Can you verify this?"

Yep. That happened. I'm a bit too tired to elaborate."

good luck alicity! I hope you get matinee or evening today!

Hey guys,

A friend and I wanna try and brave the cancellation queue on a Wednesday (June 22nd, to be precise). I've seen a lot of comments about 48 hour waits on weekends, but what do you think our odds are for the Wednesday? When do you think we'd need to arrive?? I mean we're both willing to wait from tuesday evening until wednesday evening (so approximately 24 hours) but we do actually wanna be about 95% sure we can actually get in then & won't have wasted like 24 hours. We have enough cash to splurge on standard seats and SRO (which we are hoping for) but on our student budget the premium tickets are an absolute no-go. So yeah, any info would be appreciated :) Also in terms of decorum and tips and such. I've scrolled through the last few pages and it sounds very intense...

Updated On: 6/11/16 at 05:49 PM

@pieces2 at this point I think it's a crapshoot. If you are worried about "wasting" 24 hours I honestly wouldn't recommend the line because anything could happen. There's no way at this point you could be 95% sure that you'd get tickets with a 24 hour wait, even for a two show day. 

@sydney16 the line seems to consistently have at least 20 people in it these days. So as safe as sleeping on a New York City sidewalk with 20 other Hamilfans could be. When i was in line, the person behind me who arrived at 3:30am in an uber was a high school senior. And I don't think there has been anything that has happened other than a phone being stolen that could be deemed "unsafe". Up to parents discretion. 

So what happened with the fight? Was there actually a physical fight because the line was split between shows? I want details!

I walked down 46th St earlier today around 6:30pm and there were a staggering amount of people lined up on the south side of 46th, was that all for the cancellation line? Or were those people there to wait at the stage door or something? There were like 40-50 people! I did see a few girls with sleeping bags on the north side of the street, so I assume that was the start of tomorrow's line?

_bellaphant said: "Hello all!

The "fight" was really just confusion with those who were waiting in Friday evening's cancellation line and those were also waiting but were cut off (after 20 or so people). In the end the people who didn't get into Friday's show went back to the original line and kept their places at the front. "

That's what I heard as well. It wasn't really a fight but just confusion. I also heard the cops came and took a girl out of the line?!?

Good luck tomorrow!!! Tuesday evening will be a special night given it's the first performance since the Tony's. I actually hope during curtain call they'll give the other actors a chance to bow by themselves. When I saw the show, it was only Eliza and Hamilton who got individual bows.

 

casedilla2 said: "
Wow, now until Tuesday is a long time. If they're right behind you, when did they actually arrive??
 

"

They arrived 11am on Friday. 

schubox said: "At this point they have to be hoping once Lin and whoever else leave that the line will die down. The theater needs to do something because with hotter temperatures and people more desperate to see the show before the OBC leaves, something bad is going to happen. They need to intercede 

 

Something should be done now.  I went to pick up a birthday gift at lunch time today (The Color Purple ticket) and passed by the RRT as matinees were starting.  I spotted Mr. Samuel from SOLD & few people on the front steps of the theater and thought to myself that many got in for the matinee.  THEN my eyes saw what was across the street.  HOLY MOLY!  it was the longest line of exhausted people I had ever seen.  It was so hot and humid this afternoon.  Everyone just looked tired. It was in their eyes.  And it looked like a yoga studio exploded cuz everywhere I looked, I saw a mat, LOL!  I had one of those packed when I planned on the line and threw the idea out the window.

Just WOW! to every fan I saw this afternoon and to any line sitters having to sit out there to make ends meet.    In any kind of uncomfortable weather elements, no one should need to spend days out in a line for anything other than life saving medication.  

Again WOW!  Determined.

 

 

Update:I'm doing the line this Tuesday into Wednesday's show 

Hi All,

Thanks for all the support! It's been a crazy few days. I finally returned home and got some decent sleep.

So here is my story:


I arrived around Thursday night, a little before midnight. There was already quite a few people (25?) in line. The girl in the front has been waiting since Tuesday (but she was one of the last few in her group from Tuesday). A lot of people arrived on Thursday. I ended up sleeping with my sleeping bag under the alcove after the stage door. I got a little bit of sleep, on and off. The music from the Scientology video plays throughout the night and a lot of garbage trucks come through to pick up trash on the street. 

During the day was a lot of waiting. I entered the lottery for the first time and did not win of course. It was a bit annoying having to explain to people walking by every few minutes what we all were doing, if only I could make a large enough sign to do a FAQ. I talked a lot with the people around me. We were pretty cool about letting people leave for food, bathroom, etc. It's just important to let other people know when you are leaving instead of randomly disappearing and showing up again.

For Friday evening's show, there were about 9 or 11 tickets given out. I'm not too sure. So this is where some problems arise. The people from the theater took the first 20 in line around 5:30 pm and told everyone else to disperse from the theater and come back at 11:30 pm. We couldn't stay in front of the theater. So our group did a video and numbered ourselves. So I left and made some plans with people but I decided to stop by a little before 8 to see who got in. Some people already got in so I didn't get a full ticket count. But not all of the 20 got in, and they were getting back in line. This was where there was a lot confusion. Someone was told by one of the theater workers that the leftovers from the 20 would have to get back in line after our group, the group that didn't make the first 20 cut off. They argued that they lost their chance for that show. Obviously the people that have been waiting longer weren't happy about it so there was an argument and the theater people stayed out of it and some cops came by. In the end, the people that didn't get in stayed in the front. We reestablished a line across the street in front of the Edison Hotel(?) as the show was going on and waited until about midnight when people that attended the show finally cleared out.

I was pretty much dead tired from the lack of sleep from the previous night, waiting around, and the stress from the line incident. I was so ready to settle in and attempt to sleep. However, the woman that was fighting for the people that didn't get in the evening show to go to the back, left to get a few drinks after the conflict settled and before we got back in line. She was a little rowdy. Someone else tried to get her to settle down but that escalated a bit. We all pretty much stayed out of it but someone (or several?) called the police. They came and after a while, the woman was asked to leave by the cops. After this incident, I'm pretty sure I fell asleep. I got woken up a few times by people on the street and again garbage trucks, but I definitely got more sleep that night.

The morning of Friday was pretty much the same as Thursday. I was up closer in line, near the theater awning. The line was still just as long. Around 12 they did the same again, cut off people after the first 20 and told the rest to disperse until 5:30. The line did video again and some stayed across the street in front of the Scientology building (until they kicked us out). I think about 14 tickets were given out, surprisingly, including one SRO ticket that a nice 12 y/o boy got. The rest of people waiting from Wednesday got in and early Thursday people got in. I was part of the leftover 20 in this group and we already established we were going back to the front of the line with the current people in line. 

So onto the evening show. A group of us decided to head back in line a little before 5:30. But surprise! A totally new group of people started waiting in front of the theater that came in the afternoon! We were definitely not pleased. They were told by the theater people that that was were the cancellation line was so they started to line up there. We started to line up beside them and thank god for the video, everyone that was in line before was able to get back in front. I think they did the first 20 cut off again and we just stood there until about 30 minutes before the show when some tickets started coming out. The first ticket was a single premium and someone from our group took it (even though they were a pair). We were so happy that at least someone was going to see the show. We didn't think there was going to be a lot of tickets because this was Lin's last performance before the Tony's. Then they came out with another single so the other of the pair got it! It wasn't until 7:45 until the next pair of tickets came and that went to a couple in the front (I later found out they were unclaimed lottery tickets). Another single came out (unclaimed lottery) and again a pair split up to take the ticket. Finally, like 5 minutes before 8, the guy came out with a pair of tickets. Immediately, the other half of the pair took it and I took the other. Our hands were shaking as were in the box office paying for our ticket. I was able to leave my backpack and sleeping bag with their coat rack and find my seat. And the seat was AMAZING! It was a regular ticket, orchestra row J and center. And Lin's dad was right behind me!! My plus one was able to get in along with a box seat, another orchestra and I think 2 SRO.

After 44 hours of waiting, I finally got to see the show and it was fantastic! I am so thankful for the support and encouragement of everybody in line. It was an unexpectedly crazy experience.

Also at this point, it seems like 2 days is the norm for waiting in line. Some items like mats and blankets get passed down the line as other people leave. As someone also brought up before, the street isn't glamorous and I wouldn't consider it dangerous. It's like camping and looks like a homeless shelter that exploded out in the street. Most people would just leave you alone. The first night over, it got pretty cold. Definitely during the day it warmed up and around noon, the sun really beats down on you. Luckily after an hour or two the buildings get in the way.

I would love to see Hamilton again because there are so many beautifully moving parts but I probably won't wait in line again until all this dies down. The cancellation line is now insanely long and I agree with blaxx. The line is self-governing but there should be established rules with the theater (besides no chairs [people actually had chairs and no one yelled at them] and swapping). There would be less confusion and conflicts. They rather stay out of disputes but want the line to obey and run smoothly. They can't really have it both ways and should really work with the cancellation line.

Good luck to all those trying the line now and in the future! I hope you all have a wonderful time and that this information helps!

Updated On: 6/12/16 at 04:56 PM

Jesus man 

schubox said: "Jesus man 

 

"

Yeah, I wasn't expecting that too. But I was already there and it happened.