So I'm going to NYC for my 16th B-Day the weekend before July 4th. I was thinking of trying the TKTS Booth for the first time and I have some questions. 1. If I go on Friday what time should I get in line for getting tickets to either a friday night or saturday matinee? 2. Generally how good are the seats they sell? 3. What should I suspect if I'm interested for Memphis, Addams Family, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, or Chicago? Thanks for any help.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
You could go to BroadwayBox.Com and get substantial discounts for the shows you are looking for and not have to spend all that time waiting on line. If you're not a New Yorker, you have so many things to do other than wait on a long ticket line.
Stand-by Joined: 12/22/10
Absolutely. Not to mention that the bigger shows like that typically either don't sell at TKTS or don;t have as much of a discount anyhow. You're better off with online promotions, especially in the dead of the summer when all the other tourists are in town as well, waiting for their tickets.
If you're dead set on TKTS, though, try the one at South Street Seaport or in Brooklyn. Go to the TKTS website to learn how to get there. They are always less busy.
If you have an iphone, ipod Touch, or Apple computer, you can download the TKTS app before your trip. It lists the shows available at the booth each day, and can help you figure out what to expect when you're there.
TDF "TKTS" App
Aww, my first trip to NYC was for my 16th Birthday and I spent every morning in line with my uncle at the WTC TKTS with a doughnut and coffee. HAHA. Oh, memories.
I agree with everything thats been said. TKTS in times square at the height of summer can take 2 hours in line, and usually you're standing in pouring rain, or extreme heat. Best to get them through a discount code (I imagine most of the shows you mentioned will have them by then, even during the summer), or at the other locations so that you have more time to see the city.
But, if you are dead set on times square TKTS
1) Get there early if you have your heart set on a particular show. The lines start usually an hour before they open (3pm for evening shows). If you don't really care that much, get there around 5 or 6 and the lines are usually much shorter and quicker, or even non existent.
2) The seats are a total crap shoot. Usually they are side orchestra, and there isn't necessarily a correlation to the time you get there and the quality of the seats you get. It all depends on what they have at the booth when you get to the window.
3) I can only speculate what the discounts will look like. My advice is to track the discounts on the board for the shows you are interested in. That will give you a good idea. There is a website out there with this information, but I don't have the link handy.
Good luck, and bring good shoes.
I've only used the TKTS booth once, and that was enough for me. We had been planning on seeing 'Memphis' through there, but the discount was barely noticeable and the seats were awful. So we switched up and decided to see 'A Little Night Music' instead. The discount still wasn't substantial, but the seats were decent (this was during the summer, mind you; way before closing was announced and impending).
Swing Joined: 1/4/11
For the last few years I've bought the majority of my tickets via discounts on the internet. I've got to admit that sometimes I miss the good old TKTS booth in Times Square. I never had to wait more than an hour and I enjoyed speaking with the other people in line about potential shows to see. I hate to sound like a dork but I miss the look of joy on people's faces when they walk away with their newly purchased tickets.
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