TKTS Booth?

[thebookofwhizzer]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 10:45am

I was wondering what is usually up at TKTS? I'm going to NY next week and we have tickets for DEH on Saturday but we want to see another show as well. Since we spent so much on the DEH tickets we want to use TKTS to see something. I know there is no way to know exactly what will be on sale when we go, but what is generally on sale at TKTS? 

 

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 10:53am

thebookofwhizzer said: "I was wondering what is usually up at TKTS? I'm going to NY next week and we have tickets for DEH on Saturday but we want to see another show as well. Since we spent so much on the DEH tickets we want to use TKTS to see something. I know there is no way to know exactly what will be on sale when we go, butwhat is generally on sale at TKTS?"

Rush tickets ( $27 - $40  are cheaper than TKTS ( $80 - $120 ).

 

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 10:55am

thebookofwhizzer said: "I was wondering what is usually up at TKTS? I'm going to NY next week and we have tickets for DEH on Saturday but we want to see another show as well. Since we spent so much on the DEH tickets we want to use TKTS to see something. I know there is no way to know exactly what will be on sale when we go, butwhat is generally on sale at TKTS?

"

You can monitor here for the net couple of days:

https://www.tdf.org/nyc/81/TKTS-Live

[thebookofwhizzer]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 10:58am

chuckydisc said: "thebookofwhizzer said: "I was wondering what is usually up at TKTS? I'm going to NY next week and we have tickets for DEH on Saturday but we want to see another show as well. Since we spent so much on the DEH tickets we want to use TKTS to see something. I know there is no way to know exactly what will be on sale when we go, butwhat is generally on sale at TKTS?"

Rush tickets ( $27 - $40  are cheaper than TKTS ( $80 - $120 ).

"I initially wanted to do Rush but we won't be able to  get there in morning to purchase them. 

 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 11:15am

You should also look at Broadway Box, Theatremania and Playbill.com for advance discounts.  Although some shows do not have the 50% off like TKTS, it beats standing in the long line.  Also to avoid fees (but you could risk not getting seats) print out the offer and take it to the box office.  They will honor the discount and you won't have to pay the usual ticket fees.

[freewilma]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 11:27am

ArtMan said: "You should also look at Broadway Box, Theatremania and Playbill.com for advance discounts. Although some shows do not have the 50% off like TKTS, it beats standing in the long line. Also to avoid fees (but you could risk not getting seats) print out the offer and take it to the box office. They will honor the discount and you won't have to pay the usual ticket fees."

Agreed!  I've largely given up on the TKTS booth.  I'd rather find a decent online discount and maybe pay an extra $5...but I'm able to plan in advance and pick my own seat!  

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 11:53am

When I really plan a last-minute outing to NYC, I just show up at the box office about 90 minutes to showtime, with the discount code, and you will often get seats that never appear online. I just got second row, dead center orchestra for Donna as Dolly for $109. It's not rush prices, but it's a pretty amazing price for that seat...

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 12:11pm

I haven't been to TKTS in years. In the past, I've gotten some pretty good seats for pretty good prices. This morning I went to go get 2 tickets to Carousel. There are so many open seats on telecharge and best available at the booth were orch way to the side and nothing in the mezz. I asked if they were partial view and he said no, but from pics of the theater I'm not so sure. I know they're at a discount, but geez we're in previews here. Previews used to charge less, right?

He really didn't give me a second to think about it before charging my card or I think I would have said no. Maybe that's why. I think this will have been my last trip to TKTS. It doesn't seem as great as it used to be.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 12:20pm

I find the best time to shop at TKTS is in the hour right before the showtime. I've gone as late as one half hour before. That is when the theaters release the better sests that they couldn't sell at the box office. I've never gotten anything other than an amazing seat close to show time. No lines, just go right up to the window.

Obviously if you have your mind set on one particular show, your option may not be available. Personally I have never had a problem. That said, i always go there with a number of options in my head and then I see where the tickets are at each show.

Good luck.

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 12:40pm

That's a really good point. In this case my mom's in town and wants to go, and I know she's happy just being there so waiting until right before is risky for sure. If I was by myself I'd do that for sure. Really I just wish the online discounts and prices for the previews were more appropriate, there really seems to be no difference now. 

[MikeK3]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 12:43pm

Another option is StubHub...I got Sunday matinee tickets for "The Band's Visit" there a couple of weeks ago.  Nice side orchestra seats for about $60 each.  It's definitely worth a look!

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 1:25pm

I almost always get great to good seats at TKTS. I was working near NYC in February. I took train into NYC and went to TKTS as soon as I arrived about 6:00 p.m. I got a great Row G Center Orchestra Seat for 8:00 p.m. show of Hello, Dolly!. I’ve only had one truly bad seat through TKTS and that was for the last revival of Cabaret and that more about the legroom at Studio 54. I got a rear mezzanine seat in the middle of the row. View was good if a bit far from the stage. But my poor tall self with bad knees was in agony. I was nearly in tears from the pain in my knees to the point that it limited my enjoyment of the show. I’ve never done this before and hated to do it, but I actually had to get up during Act 1 and stand in the entryway to watch the rest of Act 1. The ushers were great though. Apparently, this is a common problem at that theatre as the ushers had given away their seats to two other tall people. They were then able give me the aisle seat of one of those guys for Act 2. It was much better. Lesson learned though. That being said, I’ve seen over 40 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions since 2010. I bought my tickets for about half of those musicals/plays through TKTS. I have also found they are better now about working with you if you have specific needs. I usually ask if they have aisle seats unless the seat is in the Orchestra where legroom is usually more plentiful to begin with. It seems like that TKTS would only offer you the first available ticket(s) before, but now they’ll work with you to a point. The other option that others have mentioned is walking up to the box office and asking what they have available. That’s definitely worked out for me. 

Lastly, I really like the TKTS app. It tells how often each show is listed at TKTS and which shows are currently available at each TKTS booth. I truly have received awesome seats through TKTS - front row at Fun Home, Second Row Center Orchestra for Spring Awakening.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 1:46pm

I've also always received excellent seats from TKTS. Recently I received 5th row center orchestra for Angels in America part 1. I had 7th row 6th seat from center orchestra aisle for Spongebob. 5th row center orchestra for Miss Saigon. 7th row center orchestra for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's always a risk, but I almost always wait until bout 20 minutes until curtain before buying tickets, in the hopes that unsold premium seats or house seats have been released to TKTS. However, I have flexibility and if I don't like any of the seats, I just come back another time. 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 2:42pm

Miles2Go2 said: "I almost alwaysget great to good seats at TKTS. I was working near NYC in February. I took train into NYC and went to TKTS as soon as I arrived about 6:00 p.m. I got a great Row G Center Orchestra Seat for 8:00 p.m. show of Hello, Dolly!. I’ve only had one truly bad seat through TKTS and that was for the last revival of Cabaret and that more about the legroom at Studio 54. I got a rear mezzanine seat in the middle of the row. View was good if a bit far from the stage. But my poor tall self with bad knees was in agony. I was nearly in tears from the pain in my knees to the point that it limited my enjoyment of the show. I’ve never done this before and hated to do it, but I actually had to get up during Act 1 and stand in the entryway to watch the rest of Act 1. The ushers were great though. Apparently, this is a common problem at that theatre as the ushers had given away their seats to two other tall people. They were then able give me the aisle seat of one of those guys for Act 2. It was much better. Lesson learned though. That being said, I’ve seen over 40 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions since 2010. I bought my tickets for about half of those musicals/plays through TKTS. I have also found they are better now about working with you if you have specific needs. I usually ask if they have aisle seats unless the seat is in the Orchestra where legroom is usually more plentiful to begin with. It seems like that TKTS would only offer you the first available ticket(s) before,but now they’ll work with you to a point. The other option that others have mentioned is walking up to the box office and asking what they have available. That’s definitely worked out for me.

Lastly, I really like the TKTS app. It tells how often each show is listed at TKTS and which shows are currently available at each TKTS booth. I truly have received awesome seats through TKTS - front row at Fun Home, Second Row Center Orchestra for Spring Awakening."

I like the app also. Or just checking the TKTS live webpage. That said, it can indicate a show is unavailable that day by not showing tickets for sale... but then close to show time, they become available at the booth because the tickets just got released. 

And of course I live here so I'm more willing to risk it but there are always many options right before show time. Just not always for one's first choice. 

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 6:33pm

greenifyme2 said: "I haven't been to TKTS in years. In the past, I've gotten some pretty good seats for pretty good prices. This morning I went to go get 2 tickets to Carousel. There are so many open seats on telecharge and best available at the booth wereorch way to the side and nothing in the mezz. I asked if they were partial view and he said no, but from pics of the theater I'm not so sure.I know they're at a discount, but geez we're in previews here. Previews used to charge less, right?

He really didn't give me a second to think about it before charging my card or I think I would have said no. Maybe that's why.I think this will have been my last trip to TKTS. It doesn't seem as great as it used to be."

TKTS sells the tickets the producers decide to give them. TKTS sets the discount and charges the price the producer tells them to charge. If you don't like the seat selection or the lack of a discounted price for previews, blame the producers, not TKTS. TKTS just follows what the producers tell them. I've gotten some great seats from TKTS and I've been offered some that I didn't think were that great and simply told them no thanks with no problem.

The act of giving someone your charge card says you are ready to make the purchase. If you gave them your charge card before you were sure you wanted to buy the seats, isn't that on you, not them? There's no time for hemming and hawing at the Times Square TKTS given the volume of people waiting in line behind you. If you want a more leisurely process, try the TKTS branches at Lincoln Center or Downtown Brooklyn. You'll have all the time you need.

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 6:59pm

I was at Downtown Brooklyn

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 3/16/18 at 7:42pm

greenifyme2 said: "I was at Downtown Brooklyn"

I've been there a number of times and I'm often the only person in line. I've never felt rushed or not comfortable asking for a second to think about it. But again, don't hand them your credit card if you're not ready to buy.