CassandraReads said: "When we stood in line from 2:45am-6:30pm we encountered some shady characters until the sun came up, (2 girls sitting alone), but the police line up their cars on 46th so we figured if we needed to scream we would. It wasn't necessary. Other than that (2 sketchy characters) it was a blast talking to everyone who walked by the rest of the day!
We sat on little fold up golf chairs until the box office opened at 10am and they asked us to put them away. After that we just sat on the steps. You won't have to sit on the ground no matter what thanks to the long row of steps. :) Thank goodness!!! We won't get there til afternoon so I'll skip the chairs. Thanks for your reply.
I'm going to be in the city in two weeks. Would getting in line at 1pm for the evening show either on Tuesday or Thursday be early enough? Or should I get there earlier? What would you guys recommend? Thanks in advance.
Hey everyone! A friend and I are considering doing the cancellation line on Thursday 10/13. Is anyone else thinking of doing it this day?? Or if there's anyone who'd want tickets for that day but isn't able to wait, let me know and we could work something out to get you tickets as well! :)
I'm in town for a couple of days so decided to try the cancellation line yesterday (October 4th). I joined the line at about 4pm. I think there were 12 or 13 in front of me but it was hard to tell as people came and went (and some joined the line at the top half an hour before showtime) so i don't know how many were really in front of me. Nothing happened until pretty much right at 7 when we got moving. By the time I got to the top it was standing room only, which I happily accepted. I heard them say there was only 1 more ticket left after me.
There was nobody coming out offering tickets it was literally nothing and then the line moved in a couple of minutes tops.
I walked passed the theatre yesterday morning and there was 4 people in line at 9am, though I'm not sure what time they got there or if there was others off somewhere.
Emma MK said: "I walked passed the theatre yesterday morning and there was 4 people in line at 9am, though I'm not sure what time they got there or if there was others off somewhere."
I don't know if they had a matinee show yesterday. But assuming there wasn't one, I'll just get in line as soon as I am able to, probably around noon. Thanks.
I lined up at 6:15 AM for the 2 PM matinee cancellation line and I was 4th in line, the first person came at 4 AM and the three people that showed up after me came at 6:37 AM. If any of you have any questions let me know! The cancellation line was actually a lot of fun, I was surrounded by Hamilton fans so the time went by quickly.
I lined up at 6:15 AM for the 2 PM matinee cancellation line and I was 4th in line, the first person came at 4 AM and the three people that showed up after me came at 6:37 AM. If any of you have any questions let me know! The cancellation line was actually a lot of fun, I was surrounded by Hamilton fans so the time went by quickly.
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Hey I was the person who got there at 4:30, the next 2 got there at 5:30. I ended up getting 2 lottery tickets that someone didn't claim so I got to sit front row which was WELL worth the 8 hour wait!
Also, for the person asking about being in line during night, I have to say I was a bit weirded out being by myself from 4:30 AM until the next people came at 5:30. I actually had 2 people offer to buy me coffee because I think they thought I was homeless! The only good thing is that the taxi cabs line up to take the Marriott guests after they check out so there were always people around (although by the end of my wait, I had a little headache from the constant car fumes.)
Hello all, this is a great resource. I'm planning a visit to NYC in early January - would I be better off waiting for the cancellation line for Tuesday, or either of the Wednesday shows?
I'm looking at buying a ticket to one more show (likely Book of Mormon) over those days, so I'd basically committing to attempting to see Hamilton on the other day. I know that Wednesday seems like a smarter move because there's two shows, but maybe more people go for the matinee? Thanks in advance!
I did the cancellation line on a Saturday and I would assume it'd be similar to a Wednesday since it is a 2-show day. I showed up at 3:30 PM for the 8:00 PM show and I was #4 in line. The day I was there was a little unusual since there was a VIP guest attending so the security was heightened. BUT I was able to get a seat in center orchestra row G! The group directly behind me got standing room. I think on a typical Saturday there are usually more house seats available but because there was a VIP guest there that night not as many were available. I think it may be a bit easier on 2 show days especially for the evening show since many people will go for the matinee first.
I'm sitting in line right now. Hard to tell how many because people come and go but it's pretty packed. We got here around 8am and it looks like about 20 ppl ahead of us (first ones got here at midnight!) but each of those people could conceivably get two tickets so it's not looking good for 2pm. But I think several people are not staying for evening cancellation line. So who knows!
UPDATE: I've been in NYC a few days and here's what I've learned about the cancellation line: We ended up being second in to get tickets for the 8pm performance. It was a 12 hour wait on a Saturday but well worth it. We paid $200 for our tickets and we were front row center. What an experience!!
From what I've seen this week, if you get there really early on a weekday (like 7am) you should be good to get in for the evening show...just be prepared to stay all day. My friend is there right now...I think she arrived around 8am and they are #3 and #4 in line. On the weekend, that wouldn't fly...because we arrived at 8:20 on Saturday and we were at least 20th in line. However, with two performances, our chances were doubled, so it can still work out. Keep in mind, each person is offered the chance to buy two tickets, so if you are 10th in line, you could actually be 20th. But since you may have to go straight into the theater, it seems that most people in line are there for single tickets.
You won't be offered tickets until about 30 minutes prior to show time, unless you want to take the $549 premium tickets if they are offered. Otherwise, your options will be the $200 tickets or the $40 SRO (standing room only...yes you are actually standing) tix. The majority of the "cancellation tickets" seem to come from people who enter the lottery and don't show up within the hour to purchase their tickets. That's the 21 seats in front row center section. And if you get offered those, you pay $200 (not the $10 they cost in the digital lottery). I think they offer these front row seats first before they offer any other $200 seats in the house. I know this because the girls right ahead of us and right behind us in line were seated with us in the front row. Then the couples behind them were in other spots in the house...all great seats tho!
But the bottom line, it seems to me if you're willing to get up really early and spend the day on the sidewalk, you can get in to see Hamilton. And, yes, it's worth it :) Good luck!
hey everyone, I know this isn't so much a thing anymore since cancellation line is no longer crazy but just in case anyone was considering hiring a line sitter or anything like that - my friend and I are going to do the line and get there super early on this thursday, 10/13. If you're from out of town or whatever and would like to get tickets without waiting for hours, we'd be happy to work something out where we can get you a pair of tickets as well if you'd be ok with paying for part of our tickets! Message me if you're interested! :)
Just wondering if anyone has successfully sold extra tickets to people waiting in line. I purchased 3 tickets for my family for 10/16 3pm show and now my wife and son are not able to go. I have listed the 2 tickets through Ticketmaster, but I am wondering if it would be better just to sell them to someone waiting in the line.
I just did the cancellation line on Sunday (post to follow) and there was one woman who was trying to sell a pair of tickets to those waiting on line. She was offering something like $1500 for the pair and was very obnoxious about it - saying that we'd be sorry if we didn't buy her tickets. We all felt she was rude and I don't think anyone was willing to buy from her or pay that much. If we could afford to pay that much we wouldn't be sitting on the cancellation line! I think if you are willing to accept face value for the tickets, you will have a much better shot at being able to sell them, especially if they are good seats. Where are they located? I know there were many people on the line who did not get in on Sunday. That would be my suggestion.
We just did the cancellation line this past Sunday, October 9. I'll detail our experience below for anyone interested in learning more about it.
We (my daughter and I) arrived at the theater at around 5:10am and were first in line. Shortly after we arrived, 4 college students arrived. We all settled ourselves on the stairs. The line begins on the stairs closest to the box office. It was nice to be sitting under the marquis because it ended up raining the entire time we were there. About 45 minutes later, a woman and her son joined us. Then, another woman with her son joined after that. About a hour later (around 7am) 2 more single people joined. By the end of the day, there were probably at least 20 people, if not more, on the line, but I couldn't see that far back. We all took turns going to the Marriott to use the bathroom (FYI- some of the bathrooms are now locked (hotel key card access only) - but apparently there are bathrooms on just about every floor so we either went to the third or fourth floor. The second floor ones were locked.) There is also a Starbucks inside the Marriott if you are looking for a hot beverage. At noon, the new Hamilton pop store opened and one of the moms took the three kids over to take a look. Our line kept getting longer but I could only really keep track of the first 10-12 or so people. We got lunch at the pizza place across the street. At about 2pm, the lottery winners started showing up and were put directly ahead of us on the line. We kept counting to see how many there were so we could get an idea as to how many might be left! At 2:30p they started processing the lottery winners. Then at about 2:35p they called us in! We were directed to the box office window on the far right. The attendant simply told me how much the tickets were and asked for my credit card. At this point, I had no idea what I was buying - only that it was $398. I signed the slip and then she handed me the two tickets. We were in the front row! Orchestra center, first two seats off the aisle. The front row is CC. The next two tickets were also front row, the two seats to the left of us. Then, the two after that were about 10th row orchestra center, first two seats off the aisle. The next two were about 12th row orchestra center, also first two seats off the aisle. Then, the next two were Standing Room. I don't know if anyone else got in after that. I had hoped to see more of our cancellation line people after the show but we did the Stage Door line and then we lost track of everyone else. Overall, it was an amazing experience. Everyone on the line was so incredibly nice and supportive. We all took turns getting coffee, food, bathroom trips, etc. It was a long wait but it didn't feel as long as it sounds and definitely worth it! Sitting that close is very cool - and the actors would, at times, even make eye contact with us!
The Stage Door line was great - we got a good spot and were able to see Michael Luwoye (Hamilton), Lexi Lawson (Eliza), Chris Jackson (Washington), Rory O'Malley (King George), and Seth Stewart (Lafayette/Jefferson). The rest did not come out. My daughter did get a photo of Anthony Ramos on his way in to the theater beforehand.
I hope this helps anyone considering trying out the cancellation line. Please feel free to post questions and I will be happy to answer.
Hi there! So we are going up there next June and I'm trying to get an idea of whether it would be a good idea to try the cancellation line. What are the chances they sell tickets? I haven't been to NYC in four years, so if hate to spend the entire day on line just to not get tickets, but I will accept a CERTAIN amount of risk. Do they sell the regularly priced seats or is it only premium? Is there a better chance of getting tickets on two show days, or do twice as many people show up? What time do you need to get there, and what time does the BO open? Thanks!
^^The bathrooms on the 8th floor of the Marriott are open all the time(well when you can get into the hotel if you aren't staying there). 3rd floor bathrooms usually open up only during the show which is a matinee at 2 on Saturday and Sunday. Most of the others on other floors are key card access only. That's not a new thing.
Hi, everybody! This is my first post, but I've been trying to figure out how the cancellation line works for a while now, in preparation for my own experience next December.
SarahNYC2 said: "Question-I will be in NYC from Dec. 26-Jan. 2nd. My days are completely free. I am trying to figure out if that will be a time when no sell backs will be available, or maybe a great time. Anyone have an opinion? Suggestions? I appreciate all the advice on here so whatever your thoughts I'd love to hear them."
I'm traveling from Uruguay for those exact same dates and I've been wondering the exact same thing. So, I'm bumping you up :)
I realize that during the holidays, Broadway may get busier than ever but, are there still chances of scoring tickets through the cancellation line if we show up early? (I hope it's not too cold :P)