Takeaways from Hamilton ticket-buying

[mcsquared]

Posted: 1/5/16 at 11:34pm

I am still pretty new to Broadway scene so am wondering how typical the whole selling-out almost a year in advance and scalpers driving prices way up that we see with Hamilton is and if that should impact how I buy tickets in the future.

I mean I turned away in shock when I was offered $167 tix to Hamilton  at the box office back in July but now I realize that I would be lucky to find something in that price range and then only after standing for hours in cancellation line.   But then with "Its only a play" I splurged for a ticket several months in advance since it was sold out during my nyc stay but by the time I saw it, most tickets were half off. Not sure if there is good takeaway for budget theater goer to predict when it's best to buy tickets.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 12:10am

being prescient and/or psychic would be helpful. there's no other way to tell when the frenzy will cool.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 12:28am

I've been the person who paid premium surrounded by people who paid scalpers, and paid regular price and been surrounded by discount and rushers. I figure if you see enough shows, and get enough discounts, you come out ahead in the end...

 

That said, Hamilton is sort of its own entity, so I don't think it is a good show to sort of gauge how Broadway works overall. Broadway producers wish that were true...

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 1:01am

When it comes to shows being billed as hits before the curtain even rises on the first preview, having the patience to monitor grosses and word-of-mouth during the first few weeks of a run can be very telling. Granted, by following such a plan, you do run the risk of getting shut out of the first month or two of performances if it turns out to be a hit. However, with due diligence, you can strike at the appropriate time and get into that third or fourth month of the run.

 

 Consistently well-sold houses and positive word-of-mouth during a preview period can be a strong indication that its "appropriate" to book that far out. Highly restrictive discount codes or a lack of codes all together in tandem with the factors just mentioned are also a good indication. Keeping an eye on Ticketmaster or Telecharge to see how future performances are selling can also be a good idea. I know that may sound excessive, but as I'm sure you'll agree, it's incredibly frustrating to get shut out of the hit show of the season or to end up having overpaid for tickets.

 

 

Updated On: 1/6/16 at 01:01 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 3:28am

To help put it in perspective:  there are 40 Broadway houses, from those the only shows that are consistently sold out and/or without any discount (so far,anyway)  are as follows

 

Hamilton

Wicked

Lion King

Book of Mormon

 

Granted, those 40 houses are not always occupied, but you get the idea.  When there's a mega hit, you simply have to decide.....pay full price or wait till the fury dies down.  But it could be a looong time. You also cannot be picky about your seats when you are looking for a discount.

 

Your best bet?  Be ready to commit to a full price ticket  so that the day tix go on sale, you can get online to secure a ticket.

Updated On: 1/6/16 at 03:28 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 9:51am

^ Yep. Buy the tickets the day they go onsale. If you're willing to sit in the rear mezzanine, you can even pay less than $100.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 10:16am

The problem with buying tickets right when they go on sale is how many shows don't sell a lot of decent seats from the start, as they wait to see if they can raise the ticket prices, so all you can get is the rear and side orchestra, and not the front mezzanine. I'm not against dynamic ticket pricing, but it certainly seems like you shouldn't hold back more than half of the orchestra (and all of its good seats) to gauge demand... thankfully, a lot of times I wanted to dive in and buy seats, only to hold back because of bad seating options and aggressive ticket strategies from producers, I usually got to go later with discounts for the seats they initially held back

[Patty3]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 1:40pm

If you are offered a discount to any show and it is something you want to see grab it. I read about Hamilton when it was at the Public and tried to buy a ticket (unsuccessfully). I played the Public lottery almost every day with no luck. So I grabbed a ticket for the Broadway run before the show previewed. I asked many friends and family if they were interested in seeing it and everyone said no. Now they are asking me how I got my ticket and they all want to see it. Most of the general public does not pay attention to grosses and ticket sales or even reviews. I bought discount tickets to Jersey Boys through a mailer I received - the show had not even started previews. I bought discount tickets for a preview right before opening night. After it opened there wasn't another discount to be found for many years. You have to watch, listen and gauge.

Updated On: 1/6/16 at 01:40 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 1:49pm

haterobics said: "The problem with buying tickets right when they go on sale is how many shows don't sell a lot of decent seats from the start, as they wait to see if they can raise the ticket prices, so all you can get is the rear and side orchestra, and not the front mezzanine. I'm not against dynamic ticket pricing, but it certainly seems like you shouldn't hold back more than half of the orchestra (and all of its good seats) to gauge demand... thankfully, a lot of times I wanted to dive in and buy seats, only to hold back because of bad seating options and aggressive ticket strategies from producers, I usually got to go later with discounts for the seats they initially held back "

 

...right but Hamilton is a completely different story. They aren't discounting. What does that have to do with this thread about Hamilton ticket buying?

[macnyc]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 1:54pm

Very good advice here in this thread!

 

I felt that Shuffle Along might be big, so I bought full-price tickets in the front mezzanine as soon as they went on sale. Honestly, I don't have the money to do that very often, but considering the star power of the cast and the creatives, I couldn't resist. Time will tell whether I jumped the gun or not!

 

As far as Hamilton goes, I was lucky enough to have seen it twice at the Public. Before the Broadway run started, I told anyone who would listen that they should buy tickets right away. I even did a "public service announcement" on Facebook. A couple of my friends did take my advice but most didn't, for any number of reasons. As Patty3 said, above, they are asking me now how to get in. The only thing I'm recommending is to buy the lower box seats before they're all gone too.

 

 

Updated On: 1/6/16 at 01:54 PM

[mpd4165]

Posted: 1/6/16 at 3:07pm

At least with Hamilton, after following it's off-broadway run to broadway previews, I purchased a ticket just before it's official opening for a performance in late Sept. I really think it was sheer luck that a single seat was available even at the $167 price, and it was that feeling like if I didn't do it now, who knows when or how much. The same thing happened with The Book of Mormon, though there, I could only follow the word of mouth on here. As soon as that Times review came out, I thought what the heck and got a mezz seat for I think $70. Sometimes it's just following a gut feeling.

[MISH2]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 10:51pm

The extraordinary publicity when the show was at the Public made me determined to get tickets.  I was lucky to have access to a site called Working Advantage (an employee perk) that intermittently offers tickets on specific dates to difficult-to-get shows, usually at a moderate discount.  They email when they have them, and I was able in April to buy 2 front mezz tickets for $125 each for an October Sunday matinee.  At that point, they had about a dozen dates available.  In July, I realized a dear friend's surprise birthday party was that same day - went back to the site and got 2 rear mezz seats for a November Saturday matinee for $95 each.  Gave the original tickets to my daughter and her boyfriend. Was gratified when she told me her coworkers said "How the hell did you get tickets???"

Now, Working Advantage tells me they won't have any more Hamilton tickets in the near future, at any price.  I really want to see it again, and I'm wishing I had grabbed tickets for the other 2 dates they had (March and May), which are now, of course, gone.

On the bright side, I got a pair of front mezz seats for an October Saturday matinee when the block went on sale in late November.  

Updated On: 1/8/16 at 10:51 PM

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 11:32pm

Has anyone heard of any instances where Hamilton re-sale tix were brought down in price closer to a performance?  I'm always hoping that maybe a 500/600 seat will be marked down to $250 closer to the show but so far, I haven't seen it happen.  And, both times i saw the show, I bought from a stubhub seller who was offering multiple seats in a row and both times, those seats remained empty during the show.  This was last summer.  Why would these guys lose money on tickets rather than sell them at a price closer to face value? 

[MISH2]

Posted: 1/9/16 at 11:28am

If you look at the Hamilton cancellation thread, it says that some people hang out near the theater and check resale sites close to curtain.  Sometimes tickets drop in price (one poster even said it was below list price), and they quickly buy them, then rush across to the business center at the Marriott to print them.  A bit stressful, but maybe worth a try if you're up to it!

[Wick3]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 9:01pm

I mean I turned away in shock when I was offered $167 tix to Hamilton  at the box office back in July but now I realize that I would be lucky to find something in that price range and then only after standing for hours in cancellation line.   But then with "Its only a play" I splurged for a ticket several months in advance since it was sold out during my nyc stay but by the time I saw it, most tickets were half off. Not sure if there is good takeaway for budget theater goer to predict when it's best to buy tickets."

Nowadays for hit shows I tend to buy tickets months in advance and if I win the rush lottery beforehand, then I'd sell my tickets to friends on FB for face value.  That's what I did for Book of Mormon and Aladdin a few years ago.

 

[mcsquared]

Posted: 1/13/16 at 1:52pm

Thanks for all the advice everyone!
For next season I am looking at Eclipsed and Waitress as ones that might sell out since they were sold out during their off-broadway runs.

So for Hamilton I will try lotto this weekend during my NYC trip and if that doesn't work might wait until it hits Chicago.

Chicago Tribune remarked in Hamilton article "I'd wager that prices in Chicago will still be a good 20% lower than in New York, where people will pay anything. Chicagoans have their sensible limits".