bwaybri2 said: "The frustrating thing for me is that my first call is always to group sales - Anthony is the best, by the way - and I was told, "listen, we haven't placed a group order in months to Hamilton and we probably won't be able to place one for the next 6 months to a year". Obviously, all bets are off when talking about a show like Hamilton (which I saw in October), but it breaks my heart that my students can't see this show. And by the way our 35 seats were spread out over 4 different shows - "
If your 35 seats were spread out over 4 different shows, then it's roughly 8-9 tickets per show, correct? In that case, I highly suggest the cancellation line route. I know it'll be a 'waste' of a day in NYC, but I actually think it's a good bonding experience; something that may seem stressful right now but in 10-20 years it'll be something your students will remember fondly.
If I were in your position, I'd talk to the students and parents. Give them a few possible options (with the cancellation line as one of them.) The diehard fans will definitely do the cancellation line, whereas others may opt to watch another show.