Lottery vs Rush, which do you prefer?

[gchris11]

Posted: 6/19/13 at 10:27pm

Updated On: 6/19/13 at 10:27 PM

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 2:06am

It really depends, I mean, since I don't live in NYC, Sometimes Rushes and Lottery are the only way I can get tickets for certain shows while I'm in NYC. I REALLY hate getting up super early and standing in lines for tickets for hours- I always thought that those who did it must have no lives- no offence, it just seems crazy to get up at 3 am and wait in line till the box office opens at noon

Lottery on the other hand, means you don't have to get up as early and is a lot less time consuming, but there is no way you can guarantee that you will get tickets- unless no one else enters the lottery.

I generally prefer Lottery over Rush because it's less time consuming and I do Lottery many more times then rush, but still do Rushes.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 8:29am

Since many rushes are only for students, I'd have to favor lotteries that are open to all. Though not a student, I am entering my ninth consecutive year of paying college tuition, with three more after that, so I am as poor as any student.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 10:49am

I have to say I prefer rush. While I'm certainly not a morning person and don't enjoy waiting in line for hours, you do have a much better chance at getting tickets.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 11:40am

Rush. I don't mind getting up early if it's a show I really want to see. And I've tried over 20 lotteries and never won a single one, so I guess I'm biased.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 2:58pm

Definitely rush

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:05pm

I rarely win lotteries, so I'd go with rush. I'm not a morning person either, and the earliest I've gotten to a theatre to rush was 6:30 am, but I've never waited all morning and didn't get rush tickets. Personally, I like the "lottery loser" tickets that a few shows used to have.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:13pm

Lottery, since I am in the city only for business Monday-Thurs, so I can't make a rush.

Anyone doing lottery losers recently?

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:21pm

Definitely rush (or standing room). You wait once and get the tickets. With lottery, you come back 10 or 20 times and end up wasting tons more time in travel time and aggravation.

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:01pm

Rush, because you can control the outcome. If you really want tickets, you get there early. Obviously a lottery is based completely on luck. I'd prefer to put in the time to make sure I get tickets rather than rely on a random drawing.

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:39pm

Rush, obviously.

No matter what time I'd have to start queuing, I'd rather guarantee have my tickets in hand, rather than chancing a few hours before.

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:52pm

Rush. 100 percent. Not only because you can control the outcome like Elphie said, but because you meet some wonderful people while waiting!

During my last city trip, I rushed for Macbeth and for Pippin.
During Macbeth, my friend and I met some AMDA students and we ended up going out for lunch and dinner! For Pippin, It was a Sunday so we had a 6 hour long wait. We met a great group of people and we talked Tony nom's, revivals, and such. I had one gentleman talk with me for 30 minutes or so about his experiences and shows he's seen (Original Chicago, Sweeney Todd, stuff like that). We even had people chip in money for a box of Schmackary's!

[emeraldmist]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 10:49pm

What is Lottery Losers? (I mean beyond the obvious) is this a second chance? How does it usually work?

[Kelly2]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 11:23pm

TDF because you don't have to interact with the obnoxious crowd that rush/lotto attracts.

[LuminousBeing]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 11:27pm

Sometimes (usually when a show is selling very poorly and/or is nearing the end of its run), the box office will sell tickets that are more expensive than lotto but cheaper than full-price to people who entered the lottery and lost. For example, when I saw "American Idiot," I lost the lotto ($30 for the front 2 rows), but the box office sold me $45 "loser" seats. They sold the seats in ascending order of quality based on whatever was left. I was at the back of the line, and received something like eighth row slightly to the right of center. When "Ragtime" offered lotto loser seats, they, too, were $45, but those seats were only for whatever was left in the balcony. (Luckily, I won that one!)

[Movidude742]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 11:04am

I prefer lottery, actually.

My job doesn't really permit me to do the rush thing (and I am on call weekends) so it is easier when I am in the city to wander over and try the lottery.

It was better a few years back when there were a lot more lotteries tho. You can only lose the BoM lottery so many times. I have had friends come in to do a rush and ask if they can pick me up a ticket. If I am not on a job I at least come and bring them coffee or something part way through, or hold their place in line so they can go back to the hotel to warm up or the like.

with my previous job, I was still on call but had a little more control of which site I was at on a given day. I would try to lottery some show every Tuesday and got in more often than not. The best was while Hair was still open and I would go try that one, and if I lost I would run over to the Brooks and try and usually win at RoA. Those were the days

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 5:55am

I used to rush more often when I was a student, but I limited myself to the "easy" rushes that didn't have lines at 5-6 am or earlier. I almost never do rushes anymore. One, because I'm not a student (I still have my ID but I'm afraid I'll lose it if I take it anywhere with me). Two, because I don't live in NYC and have limited ways of getting there to wait in line super early. I'll do them occasionally for the shows in Boston, because I've never encountered a long line.

I see so few shows a year because of my schedule that when I do see one, I pay full price or use a discount code. For the convenience factor, that is currently my preference.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 7:36am

Rush. More in control of the outcome than lottery. However, if it is a show I really want to see, I would rather spend the extra money and buy a ticket then have to get up at 5:00 a.m. and sit in line.

[Freckles1329]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 2:23pm

Definitely rush. I have no problem getting there at some ungodly hour if I know I'll get tickets. I do like lottos when I have a free night and I just want to see if I can try to win on a whim, but it's usually for shows I've already seen.