TKTS at Lincoln Centre

[CurtainUpNYC]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 5:49pm

If you thought Times Square was the only chaotic corner of Manhattan, think again. Today, I witnessed a scene so absurd, it felt like performance art — except no one was acting. I’m talking about the TKTS booth at Lincoln Center, where the spirit of the theater was replaced by something closer to a flea market free-for-all.

What’s normally a streamlined experience became a painfully drawn-out ordeal as patrons decided it was time to unleash their inner street-market haggler. That’s right: people were bartering at the TKTS booth. Not joking.

One woman, clutching a Starbucks in one hand and a reusable tote in the other, leaned in toward the clerk and said — I quote — “Okay, but if I take two tickets, can you knock another fifty off the price?” Ma’am… this isn’t a garage sale. This is Broadway.

Others treated the clerks like personal shopping assistants, grilling them on every possible seating configuration and trying to shave dollars off based on the section. “But that’s partial view, right? Surely there’s a discount for partial view?” Meanwhile, the line behind them — full of eager theatergoers with actual plans — fumed silently (and not so silently).

One man audibly sighed after waiting 25 minutes only to watch the person ahead of him haggle over orchestra seats like he was buying mangoes in a Bangkok market. “Just buy the ticket or get out of line,” he muttered. Hero.

Now, look — I’m all for getting a good deal. But there’s a time and place for haggling, and the TKTS booth is not it. These clerks are there to help you find a show, not to star in your one-person off-off-Broadway production of “The Price Isn’t Right.”

Shocking! 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 5:57pm

My mom was in town last weekend, and rather than pick a show in advance, I suggested we go to TKTS at Lincoln Center because it would be less crowded than Times Square and indoors. Boy, was I wrong.

Not only was the line indoors insane; it wrapped around an invisible stanchion outdoors in the cold, windy rain that blocked the sidewalk. Every couple minutes, someone would ignore the line and just join wherever they wanted in a break. Some people policed them, others were too cold or oblivious to care. Eventually, we looked on TodayTix and got great Drop discount seats for Death Becomes Her for less than we would’ve gotten at TKTS.

Gone are the days when TKTS was the only way to get good, cheap seats for a show day-of. We have better, more efficient options now that don’t require being exposed to the audacity of others.

[MidWestTheater]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 6:05pm

Yikes! I'm going to NYC in less then 2 weeks and we have pretty much all of our shows booked, except for Tuesday night, so we were thinking about going to TKTS at Lincoln Center, since we're staying at the Empire. I haven't done TKTS since Nov. 2019 down by the waterfront, got a great floor seat for Oklahoma!. Is it really that awful?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 6:47pm

A Tuesday night will be better than a Saturday afternoon, for sure. But keep in mind it’s spring break.

[In The Jackson Heights]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 7:50pm

FWIW, I popped in around 4:30 today (Saturday) and it was almost empty.  2 people in line.  

[DAME]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:28pm

MidWestTheater said: "Yikes! I'm going to NYC in less then 2 weeks and we have pretty much all of our shows booked, except for Tuesday night, so we were thinking about goingto TKTS at Lincoln Center, since we're staying at the Empire. I haven't done TKTS since Nov. 2019 down by the waterfront, got a great floor seat for Oklahoma!. Is it really that awful?"

TKTS at Lincoln Center is fantastic.  And on a Tuesday you will be fine .

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 11:10pm

it's really only that crazy on a Saturday. i love going there during the week because it opens at 11am Tue-Sun. And I always go there in the Winter because its inside. I always feel bad for the employees there because the foreigners ask some stupid questions. Especially if there's an artist playing at MSG and they think they can gets tickets to a major artist for half price. or once, i heard someone ask about getting Knicks tickets for cheap there. Or after Phantom closed, a group of people insisted it was still running and they'd be able to get cheap tickets there.

 

though you'd think on a Saturday they'd have all 3 windows open. seems rare when that happens.

Updated On: 4/12/25 at 11:10 PM

[CurtainUpNYC]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 12:07am

I can’t comment on how busy the Lincoln Centre location is - I’m sure it’s fine usually. When I was there this week, I waited 40 minutes to buy tickets.

My point was the frankly absurd behaviour of people spending over 20 minutes haggling for cheaper prices!

Updated On: 4/13/25 at 12:07 AM

[DAME]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 12:07am

They have only had two windows open at all times for a while now. The staff is always the same. An older guy and a friendly over the top actor guy always work the line. Their banter is pretty funny.  I don’t think they mind the silly questions. It keeps them busy. A young girl and a hot tattooed man behind the counter.