Help with DRS lottery...please

[sciguy]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 8:51am

I had a few questions about how the DRS lottery works. I did use the search thread, some of my questions were answered and some were not. I am also concerned that the lottery may have changed.

Here are my issues:

We are attending a 2pm matinee of Light in the Piazza and were hoping to make it in time to put our names in for the lottery.
What is the latest you can arrive to put in your name? I am hoping we have time to make it down to DRS from Lincoln Center.

I am attending the show with my wife and daughter. Do we each register? If one of us wins how many tickets can we purchase?
My biggest fear is that we are only able to win two tickets. What do we do if we only get two tickets? Do we hand them back in.. our give them to someone who didn't win? Or will the lottery make that decision for us?

My daughter and I have alreday seen DRS, but we wanted my wife to see it...if we are unlucky at the lottery, we were planning on heading over to TKTS. Does anyone know if DRS has been up on the boards. My other fear is that it is Saturday evening which I'm sure will decrease the availablity of everything.

Thanks to everyone for their help. I am so glad I stumbled upon this site. We are excited as this will be the first time we have seen two shows in one day.

[.LittleWing. 0224]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 8:59am

I saw LITP last night, and we were out exactly 2 and a half hours after the 8pm start time. You have to put your name in for the DRS lotto between 5:30 and 6pm, so unless you walk really really slow... you'll be fine time wise!

Each of you should put your name in for the lottery for 2 tickets. If you only end up winning 2 tickets, i'd keep them and head down to TKTS to grab a third if you dont mind not sitting together. the lottery won't decide for you what to do if that happens. after they've called all the names they will ask if anyone wants to drop out or drop down (from 2 to 1 ticket), but they won't MAKE you give your tickets back because you needed 3 and only got 2.

And because theres always the chance TKTS won't have what your looking for, just getting the 2 and trying TKTS risks 1 person not being able to see the show. but since you said you and your daughter had already seen it, maybe you wouldnt mind sending her and your wife without you in case that happens. But i dont think TKTS not having any should be a problem.

oh and the DRS lotto hasn't been very busy as of late... winning, so saturday or not, i'd say you have pretty good chances!

[sciguy]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 9:10am

Littlewing
Thank you so much for your help. I am going to stay positive and hope everything works out. Good suggestion about letting just my wife and daughter see the show. DRS is such a great show that if my daughter were older I would probably throw her on to the street so I could see Ruprecht just one more time....just kidding.
BTW how did you like LITP?

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 9:53am

Another thing that I've learned at lottos is that it's good to make friends with other people there. If there are two of them, and they both win, they could grab extra tickets for you rather than throwing their names out and having the lotto man pick someone else.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 10:08am

You could also try getting together with a single person who is there adn have them put two on their ticket and you agree to give your fourth (if you get it and they don't to that person)
I was at the lottery on Tuesday and it had picked up a lot over when I was there on Saturday. I am thinking the Tony exposeure might have helped some so there were more walk ups.
sciguy, I have seen the show 5 times and may actually have considered that myself. Luckily I have no kids, so I don't have to throw them to the street.

[freelancer]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 10:56am

Has anyone done the lottery on a Friday night? How busy is it? And when do they announce who gets tickets? Sorry, I've never done the lottery before, and I'm thinking about seeing something after work this week.

[sciguy]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:21am

I am also curious as to when they announce the winners. Will we still have time to get some dinner?

[kitkatgirl54]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:36am

if my memory is right, they draw at 6. so you will have 2 hours for dinner.

the lottery is really busy, especially on friday/saturday nights, especially this season and with the show so popular. i have friends who are trying their 6th and 7th time for DRS lottery with no luck, and some who got it on their first try. it's all about luck :)

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:42am

Definitely kitkat, they draw the names at 6, (two hours before the show, so on nights when the show is at 7 they bump both back an hour) you take your cash directly to the window and buy your tickets. Then there is plenty of time for dinner.

It is most crowded on Friday and Saturday, but always worth a shot. I have gone just about every day and a couple Friday nights have been really easy. Last Saturday Afternoon, everyone who was there got in and the lotto guy stoped a random man and sold the last two tickets to him. But other times far fewer than half of the people get in.

[wendy72]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:56am

And...if you win the lottery, or are one of the first, ask for the 2 tickets on the right of the aisle...that's what I did (I was the first name picked) because that is where most of the Ruprecht/Freddy action takes place.

Also, for dinner, I have eaten at Barrymore's on the same street at DRS--not bad and convenient. On the night we won the lottery, we walked up to Angelo's(?) pizza, which is right next door to the Ed Sullivan theatre. Letterman had just featured them on his show, and it was nice to have pizza and a salad and not pay a fortune for dinner.

Let us know how you make out!

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:23pm

I was about to say the opposite, that Friday and Saturday nights at DRS lotto are the emptiest of the week.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:25pm

Saturday Afternoon and Wednesday night have been the emptiest when I went Ga. Last Friday and Saturday there were a lot of people there!

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:27pm

Well, not like Wicked, though. My friend won last Friday, and I won the Friday before. :)

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:33pm

I doubt it will ever be like Wicked. Although Tuesday was the closest I have seen, it was as crowded as Q. I think they should consider moving their time 15 minutes to catch the after crowd from other shows, especially rent and Q, much like Bee is later than Wicked. So your friend got my spot last Friday, how rude! I loved going to the Saturday matinee though!

[kitkatgirl54]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:37pm

haha i remember every time it snowed really bad last year, some friends and i would always run over to the Wicked lottery .. and everyone else would have the exact same idea, so 200 people would be standing in snow, saying "i thought no one would be here!"

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:46pm

Although the lotto isn't huge, DRS is definitely turning into "Tony season craziness". LOTS of screaming for entrances last Friday night.

[wendy72]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:52pm

Cool-Love hearing that! There was healthy entrance applause for Norbert the last time I saw it--and there has always been applause for John and Joanna.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 1:03pm

That is so great to hear, a couple time about a month back Yoda and I were the only ones who clapped for Norbert. But the last couple times there has been big applause! I'm so glad to hear it was really big on Friday, it was pretty good on Saturday. Of course that was the main reason I wanted to go so badly on Tuesday, to cheer really loud for everyone. I do wish there was a good chance to give Greg entrance applause though, I would do it!

[.LittleWing. 0224]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:41pm

your very welcome sciguy! Oh and i've fallen in love with LITP. It has few imperfections, but what show is entirely perfect. What is perfect is the casting, the performances by kelli, matt and victoria... and the music. Its quite the experience, and so beautiful. I didnt want to leave the theater!

Good luck with the lotto! And smartpenguin, i completely agree with moving their lotto time 15 or so minutes to catch left overs from other shows. It's working quite brilliantly with Bee. How simple to say "oh, we didnt win this one, lets walk 4 feet and try this next one." if they were smart i think they'd take advantage of that. especially with all this talk of DRS stopping their lotto!