Rush Vs. Lotteries

[Malice]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:06am

Which do you prefer?
I happened to get lucky and snagged the last single standing room for Spring Awakeing this past evening and I happened to hear a young girl ask the gentleman in the box office how early she should get to the box office to wait for the rush seats. He said he has heard of people starting to line up 4ish. This made me think, wasn't the reason that Rent got rid of the rush was to avoid people camping out in front of the theater for a chunk of the late evening/early morning? It seems to be going to extremes with Spring Awakening and Legally Blonde.
I never can wake up early on a day off, so I know I sure prefer lotteries.

[shiz_student94]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 8:38am

I don't like either system. Lotterey IS much better over Rush. Because for one, I don't have an ID that qualifies for most student rush policies. And even when and if it does, I can't wait out there for hours, because my mom won't let me alone, she won't wait with me, and also, I hate getting up that early just to stand around outside. I also don't paticularly enjoy lotto, because in NYC there are 3 of us. I've been pulled twice for the Wicked lotto, but since you only get to seats I had to give them back because we can't purchase a third ticket since it is sold out, and cancellation lines are too long by then. SO.

I personally like Standing room :) Unless it is again, another system with the paticular show that you have to be waiting in line for hours. Yuck. But not usually ;] haha.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 8:56am

If I KNOW I want to see something, I like rush. I don't mind getting up early to see something I want ~ and I figure you can always go home and take a nap (I did it Saturday after being in Central Park at 5:30am). "I can't wake up early" is a cop out. If you want to do something, you'll do it.

Lotteries are fun for spur of the moment "I'm bored...I think I'll try and see a show."

But either way, I'm just happy that there are shows with low price options. I'll do standing room if I HAVE to, but my feet get really itchy. :P

[MarkRascati]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:17am

What are the odds usually that lotteries work?

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:10pm

What are the odds usually that lotteries work?

One out of however many people show up.

I've seen only 6 people show up for the A Chorus Line lottery, and 100-200 easily for Wicked. (Which I have never yet won.)

I much prefer rush. I've never had to wait more than 3 hours (and that was only once, for Legally Blonde, I got there at 9:30 on a Sunday, usually I'll wait only around one hour, and sometimes was able to just walk up and buy a ticket with no line at all. (Frost/Nixon, Journey's End, Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens) I was even lucky with Jersey Boys, got there at 11:45am on a Sunday and still got a ticket.

[misschung]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:23pm

Was that Chorus Line situation recent? If only 6 people show up, do they just give them those tickets?

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:27pm

"One out of however many people show up."

Actually, the odds are determined by how many people show up and how many names are being pulled. So, if one hundred people show up and ten names are being pulled, the odds are 10:1, not 100:1.

Since my student days are decades behind me, I am stuck with lotteries. However, I've had pretty good luck, having won at Rent, Drowsy, and Hairspray. I usually rely on TKTS, so I only try lotteries when I happen to have a lot of time on the day I'm going to see a show.

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:31pm

If only 6 people show up, do they just give them those tickets?

Not ACL, but I've been in that situation at Hairspray, if there are less people entered in the lotto than they have lotto tickets for, yes they just give tickets to everyone, they don't even go through the pretense of drawing names.

(But fyi I believe that ACL is now a rush, not a lotto.)

And I think jordangirl might secretly be me :), that is totally my answer when it comes to the rush vs lotto question- sometimes if I know there's something happening that night (understudy going on, etc.) I like being able to know ahead of time that I am going to absolutely get a ticket as long as I am online early enough for rush. Other times, I wonder if I want to really see that show that night or not, and so I let the gods of lotto decide.
Updated On: 8/23/07 at 02:31 PM

[little_sally]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:34pm

I've had pretty good luck with rushing in the past. Most times I've just walked up to the box office and got a ticket. (Except well, LB...I've had no luck with that rush. Might as well spring for the $46 balcony seats.) I like to ensure that I'll have a ticket, which is why I prefer rush. If I get their early enough, I know I'll have a ticket.

Soon, when I'm not a student anymore, I'll probably be all for lottos lol.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:35pm

Was that Chorus Line situation recent? If only 6 people show up, do they just give them those tickets?

It was back in.. January maybe? The woman in charge still pulled the names but just for fun, as she knew we'd all get seats. She was really friendly. In fact she told us we could all have 3 each if we needed them. I guess they ended up selling the extras later on as the whole front row was full during the actual show.

[RentHead2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:37pm

I personally think rush is fair, but theatres should have some sort of policies about when you are allowed to start lining up considering some of these theatres: ie legally blonde, spring awakening are aimed at the younger crowd.

[misschung]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:45pm

Renthead, I agree with you. However you can't assume that if the theaters set some sort of limit as to when people are allowed to line up, that people won't simply linger in the area anyway, and still be first in line.

I did not know that ACL is now a rush. I've wanted to see that for some time. Maybe I will try that soon

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:49pm

I personally think rush is fair, but theatres should have some sort of policies about when you are allowed to start lining up considering some of these theatres: ie legally blonde, spring awakening are aimed at the younger crowd.

You mean like say announcing no one is allowed to line up outside Spring Awakening before 9am, and so at 8:59am you'd have a bunch of people rushing trying to push and cut each other, in order to make sure that they'll be far enough in the front of the line to get tickets? That sounds like a nightmare.

(I've never even actually rushed Spring Awakening, but that's just what I picture happening :))


eta: misschung- fyi I think it's student rush, not gen rush (re: ACL), but that's not really a show I revisit too often, so someone else will have to fill in the details about that.
Updated On: 8/23/07 at 02:49 PM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 3:24pm

I much prefer rush. If I am willing to wait, I know I can be guaranteed a ticket. Like for Kritzer's last show, we had to get there insanely early, but at least we knew we were getting tickets. If LB had a lotto, it wouldn't have guaranteed the people who really wanted to see it a ticket. No matter how early you have to get there, at least you know you have a ticket.

[Malice]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 4:07pm

I guess I am biased now that my student days are over. I have been fairly lucky with lotteries in the past. The nicest experience was on a weeknight for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels when there were only six people and the box office guy was having fun just trying to be serious with the tumbler.

[little_sally]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 4:17pm

I think instead of having rush as soon as the box office opens, shows should just do it two hours before the show. It always works out so much better that way. I'm sure it will be less hecitc too.