Cancellation line success yesterday! I'll share what I experienced.
My plan was (along with my husband) to rush on Wednesday morning and arrive by 7am with hopes for matinee tickets. However, we just happened to be passing by the Richard Rodgers yesterday afternoon (Tues) and I noticed that there were only three people in the cancellation line. It was around 3:15 in the afternoon, and with the show at 7pm, I thought it might be a good risk to take to try for tickets THEN, rather than wait 7 hours the following day. So we joined the line. About an hour later, the guy in front of us (who wanted two tickets) bailed. I think he was freezing and couldn't do it anymore. That left two people (four tickets) in front of us.
While we waited, the lottery winners from the digital fiasco began to show up and we sadly had to watch as they explained to each excited individual that they had not in fact actually won and would not be getting tickets. I felt so bad for them. To compensate each person with a printout (there were LOTS, apparently 70 emails went out erroneously) each person was offered two tickets to see On Your Feet and a free piece of Hamilton merchandise that they were escorted inside to select. As you can imagine, the cancellation line grew HUGE. Apparently word got out that the lottery tickets might go to the line (they did not), so people showed up in droves. It wrapped around into underpass of the Marquis.
At 5pm, four regular priced tickets became available and went to the first two people waiting in line, great seats in Row J, I believe. So now we were next up and feeling hopeful, but also frozen. I couldn't feel my extremities (but then again, I live in Texas and might be a lightweight). At 6:30pm, we were called inside and sold two seats in Row F, center orchestra for $177 each. At 6:55, five minutes before curtain, another five seats went out to those waiting behind us and they sat in Row G, center aisle. I'm not sure if it went further than that, but a minimum of 11 tickets went out last night.
We were very lucky to not have to wait seven hours in the cold the next morning and did 3 hours and fifteen minutes in the afternoon instead! I'm so happy we walked by. The show was amazing and everything everyone told us it would be. Well worth it! Thanks for the help, everyone and for posting the stories that let me know what to expect.
Updated On: 1/6/16 at 04:52 PM