TKTS Booth Question

[rh2146]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 11:41pm

On matinee days (Wed/Sat), the ticket booth opens at 10AM. Can you buy tickets for both the afternoon and evening shows if you go in the morning or do you have to come back later in the day for evening tickets? My friend and I were hoping to go and get tickets to see two shows on the same day.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 11:48pm

For Times Square, it is for the matinee only. Evenings go on sale at 3. The other two locations sell evenings all day and matinees the previous day.

[THEATRICAL100]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 11:11pm

Let's say I want to see MATILDA, and it's 50% on TKTS.

When I get to the booth, do they automatically give you the best available? Or WOULD I be able to choose to buy a Mezz or rear orchestra seat instead of get the "best available"? My main concern is money, and yes I know they're discounted and I know Lotto and SRO, but I'd like a physical guaranteed seat. If the show is 50% off, I would rather get a rear orch or mezz for 50% off rather than a best available for 50% because it's cheaper. Thanks!

[brdway411]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 11:13pm

It is what ever the computer spits out. You cannot choose your seats.

One thing we have found through the years. The later you buy your ticket, the better the seat. This is not always the case, but they generally sell seats from the front of the theater to the back. So if they have front side available and you get there early you will most likely end up with those seats. Just a heads up.

Updated On: 8/8/14 at 11:13 PM

[IndyTheatreGeek]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 11:59pm

The earlier you get there the better your seat in my experience. Often side orchestra in the first 10 rows for shows that aren't in very high demand. However, sometimes shows release additional seats later in the day that could be better so it's a YMMV situation.

The TKTS computers select what they think are the best seats at the time and the sales folks have little leeway to get you other seats.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 8/9/14 at 12:22am

I've double-dipped at TKTS coming off a matinee before, and the seats are often great, but it varies from show to show of course.

Where TKTS is valuable is for making so many choices so easily available.

Yes, greater discounts may be gotten with time and effort and attention. TKTS is the best deal for maximizing savings with convenience.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/9/14 at 2:05am

"When I get to the booth, do they automatically give you the best available? Or WOULD I be able to choose to buy a Mezz or rear orchestra seat instead of get the "best available"?"

You don't get to pick different sections... shows are most likely to sell their most expensive remaining tickets at 50% off, it isn't 50% off any section in the theater. If the shows have a discount, you can already get up to 40% in most cases in advance, so they don't have much incentive to give you a lot of flexibility.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 8/9/14 at 8:10am

When I was at the South Street Seaport location in May..they gave me a choice between Mezz or Orchestra..but not the specific seat. It was like..do you want orchestra row R or Mess row C? I was surprised because I had heard that there were no choices at TKTS.

[Patash]

Posted: 8/9/14 at 9:52am

"It is what ever the computer spits out. You cannot choose your seats."

Not exactly true. It depends on the agent you're talking with. Some are firm that "this is it. Take it or leave it". But I have asked some "do you have any closer?" or "nothing in the front of the mezzanine rather than the rear of the orchestra?" and had them relook and give me different seats than first offered. But I think it is true that they will only give you whatever section and price they are then offering, not a cheaper section.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 8/9/14 at 1:33pm

I've never had them offer me a choice, but they will tell you what the exact seat is, not just the row if you ask them. I usually bring a printout with me of the seating chart for shows I am considering so I can see exactly where the seat available is located.

[IndyTheatreGeek]

Posted: 8/9/14 at 8:01pm

Like Patash said, I've rarely had them give a choice. In July the seat the computer gave was way to the left for Newsies and she found me a better seat without me even asking. That is rare, it's usually take it or leave it. I have seen people with special needs such as being afraid of heights or needing an aisle due to leg problems accommodated. But it is very much YMMV.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/10/14 at 3:14pm

That's odd. One time when I was buying a ticket to Sister Act at the Times Square booth, they first offered me an orchestra seat or something but it was out of my price range so I asked if they had a cheaper seat in a worse section and she sold me a balcony seat. Probably because the rear balcony seats at the Broadway are just horrendously far away from the stage and nobody wants to sit there.