Once on This Island lottery

Whoops you beat me to it! I posted another thread but will delete it. Here's the details:

A limited number of $39.50 same-day tickets will be made available at the box office prior to each performance of Once On This Island. The ticket lottery will take place 90 minutes before each performance. Entries will be accepted starting two hours before the performance. (EXCEPTIONS: For Saturday matinee performances only, the lottery will take place 2 hours prior to curtain, and entries will be accepted starting 2 and a half hours prior to curtain. For Sunday matinee performances only, the lottery will take place 60 minutes prior to curtain, and entries will be accepted starting 90 minutes prior to curtain.) Limit one entry per person, and two tickets per winner. Winners must be present at time of drawing and valid identification must be shown to purchase tickets. $39.50 cash or credit card.

So this would make the drawing times:

Weeknights: 5:30pm for a 7pm show, 6:30pm for an 8pm Show

Weds Matinees: 12:30pm

Saturday Matinees: 12pm

Saturday Nights: 6:30pm

Sunday Matinees: 2pm

Sunday Night: 6pm

Correct me if I'm wrong!

Updated On: 11/17/17 at 11:50 AM

An in person lottery? How 2011 of them. And it's held so close to curtain, if you lose, your options for seeing another show other than seeing if TKTS has anything left last minute are almost nill. And by that time, you would have long since had to make a decision on any other lottery or rush ticket you might have been able to get. They're just out of sync with what everyone else is doing these days.

Updated On: 11/17/17 at 01:08 PM

UncleCharlie said: "t does speakof someone who doesn't think the show can attract enough people who actively want to see it as one of their top choices, but rather onlypeople who are there as a last resortcause they couldn't get anything else."



Maybe, but they are a brand new production, still trying to build publicity. So what you're describing IS sort of the case, especially when you compare it to Wicked, which is where most of their last-resort foot traffic is most likely coming from. There's no shame in not being as popular as Wicked, for God's sake

JBroadway said: "UncleCharlie said: "t does speakof someone who doesn't think the show can attract enough people who actively want to see it as one of their top choices, but rather onlypeople who are there as a last resortcause they couldn't get anything else."



Maybe, but they are a brand new production, still trying to build publicity. So what you're describing IS sort of the case, especially when you compare it to Wicked, which is where most of their last-resort foot traffic is most likely coming from. There's no shame in not being as popular as Wicked, for God's sake "

No one said there was any shame in that but you're making this all about Wicked and people who regularly do rush and lottos are usually interested in a lot of shows, not just Wicked. A show like The Band's Visit and really any new show that doesn't have Ben Platt or Bette Midler starring is going through the exact same thing, trying to build publicity and most of them don't have the luxury of having a much loved Tony winning star headlining or getting the foot traffic that being co-tenants with Wicked naturally produces, yet this is the only new show doing their lotto/rush this way. And remember we're not talking about filling the theater in general, we're talking about selling just 20 heavily discounted seats. If he feels he has to do this to be able to sell those 20 seats, it doesn't bode well for his ability to sell the rest of the seats at full price or more moderate discounts.

I went on Thursday. There were only about 30-35 people there for 20 tickets. I lost (as I do), but got a SRO ticket. The show was sold out.

I went last weekend. Lost the Saturday night show lottery and tried to buy standing room but they were all being sold while the lottery was happening, so by the time all names were drawn, they were out of standing room. Learned my lesson though, and went ahead and bought standing room while waiting for the Sunday matinee lottery the next day. Ended up being the last name called for the lottery so I bought that one and sold my standing room ticket to someone trying to buy from the box office. I would highly recommend buying standing room right before or during the lottery drawing, so you are guaranteed a ticket if you lose the lottery.

how much does SRO cost? Is it cheaper than lottery?

^ $49.50 for standing room to a show making only 49% of their gross potential just doesn't sit well with me - it seems they're more interested in taking advantage of people who cant afford actual full price tickets, when it is clear that the majority of tickets they're selling is below face value. Isn't Dolly's SRO also $49?

Wow! They've upped the price of the SRO! When I saw it in previews the SRO was the same price as the lotto ($39.50). That's a shame that they're now charging more.

Hello Dolly's SRO is $47, I believe, as is Meteor Shower. Wasn't the SRO for China Doll a few years ago something like $67? And they didn't even have a rush to go with that.

I tried the lottery tonight and lost. They gave out 30 tickets at the $39.50 price, and then drew names for 10 "lottery loser" tickets at $59.50 (which is a bit of a misnomer, since you still had to have your name pulled...) I'd say there were maybe 70-100 people there? But I am bad at estimating crowds.

I stood by the door and went into the box office as soon as I realized I wasn't going to get called to ask about standing room. The show wasn't sold out yet, so she told me to go to the end of the lottery line and it might sell out by then. When I got to the front again, it still wasn't 100% sold out but they called whoever makes such decisions and were able to start selling standing room for the $49.50 price. Very nice view and comfortable bar to lean on. But as a bonus, they ushered everyone in standing room to the two or three empty rows as the lights went down. I would never count on it, but I was grateful they let us use the seats instead of having them sit empty while we stood.