Telecharge or Box Office

[dalton]

Posted: 6/1/19 at 6:14pm

I come to NYC each year to catch as many shows as I can during my stay.  I have been appalled at the surge (to me it seems) in ticket prices on Telecharge/Ticketmaster. I was typically able to secure an off center orchestra seat for under $200 in the past.  In fact, in March, I purchased a ticket for under $200 for Tootsie.

Now such tickets for Mockingbird and Moulin Rouge run at least $250-500 for the cheapest off-center orchestra or mezzanine seats. Would it ever be better to go right to the box office to purchase a ticket in terms of lower costs and/orr better selection of seats? I have used TKTS before but prime shows rarely appear until they have played for years on Broadway.

Thanks,

 

Updated On: 6/1/19 at 06:14 PM

[B.JAMES]

Posted: 6/1/19 at 6:53pm

The price at the theater usually reflects the price online, minus the service fees.

[DinaW]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 12:26am

If you want cheaper tickets you'd either have to go on a site like TKTS or StubHub or go to the box office right when it opens to get rush tickets for an average of $40ish. But if you wanna do rush, you need get there before it opens otherwise the rush ticket's will have been bought already. Depending on the show, if the box office opens at 10 am, you could show up right at 10 or after, 9, 8, or even earlier.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 12:41am

I’ve gotten so that I really like sitting up close in the orchestra. However for my trip in September, my friend and I are sitting in the front mezzanine for Hadestown, Moulin Rouge! and To Kill a Mockingbird because the desirable orchestra seats and in some cases all the orchestra seats were more than we were willing to pay. There is certainly criticism that’s justified to go around for both Ticketmaster and Telecharge, but the higher prices for these shows fall squarely with the shows themselves. They’re incredibly popular and so they know they can get away with charging so much. The shows themselves set the prices Now those exorbitant service fees are totally the responsibility of Telecharge & Ticketmaster.

Also, because they are so popular, these shows will not likely be showing up at TKTS although Hadestown is appearing sometimes. I think that will all change after the Tony awards if Hadestown does in fact win best musical. I also suspect they’re going to be really hard tickets to win rush/lottery tickets to unless you’re willing to arrive extra early for rush or lucky with lottery. Here’s info on lotteries and standing room and rush for each show. Since Moulin Rouge has not opened yet, I don’t believe they have announced what their policy will be yet. 

http://www.playbill.com/article/broadway-rush-lottery-and-standing-room-only-policies-com-116003

[Javi]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 12:54am

I’ve also been booking tickets for shows when I visit New York in September and am shocked at how expensive tickets are! I also like to sit orchestra in the front but most of my tickets have been mezzanine because they are much cheaper. With our Australian dollar being so bad at the moment, I can’t afford to pay crazy prices for tickets. I have to save where I can.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 3:37am

The shows you mention are hot tickets and are going to be on the more expensive side. Also, the liklihood of them HAVING availability the day off, or very close to, is slim.

The only thing you save at the box office, as stated, is service charges.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 9:19am

 dalton said: "I come to NYC each year to catch as many shows as I can during my stay. I have been appalled at the surge (to me it seems) in ticket prices on Telecharge/Ticketmaster. I was typically able to secure an off center orchestra seat for under $200 in the past. In fact, in March, I purchased a ticket for under $200 for Tootsie.

Now such tickets for Mockingbird and Moulin Rouge run at least $250-500 for the cheapest off-center orchestra or mezzanine seats. Would it ever be better to go right to the box office to purchase a ticket in terms of lower costs and/orr better selection of seats? I have used TKTS before but prime shows rarely appear until they have played for years on Broadway.

Thanks,

"

Some tips... know what’s coming in the season, use sites like BroadwayBox abs TelechargeOffers, and any discounts listed on here or Playbill sites. Once a show is up and running, check grosses, average ticket price and attendance percentage for a show on a site like Playbill. I am also on some mailing lists where I get discount offers for pre-sales or early purchases.

Timing is also paramount. I have plans settled before most openings so tickets were bought early. I missed Hamilton at the Public, but bought in May before it’s B’way opening. Seats next to my $149 first row Mezz seat were going for $2,500 through resale. This season, the seat next to my $140 Hadestown ticket (Orch side aisle seat N1) went up to $195 the day after they opened. This year I got discounts on a lot of my tickets.

One last note about Box Office. When picking up my Orch A1 seat for one of this season’s new musicals, I asked about the height of the stage and if there were any sight limitations. They had no idea. The sight was fine but my short legs were CRAMPED by a low wall inserted for the orchestra space. That should have been an easy question to answer.

 

 

wall inserted for the orchestra. Their lack of knowledge kind of surprised me.

 

Updated On: 6/2/19 at 09:19 AM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 9:33am

I can’t plan a trip until several puzzle pieces lock into place. First the window of availability in my schedule opens up. I only get paid when I work so if I commit to a trip that limits my availability over a week or two those are one or two weeks I don’t get paid if I’m offered work during that period that I have to decline. And then I have to be able to afford the trip including travel and buying tickets and meals and any shopping I want to do. And so by then those discounts are not always available. Luckily my work involves traveling so I was able to come to New York for work travel once already this year and then just extend my trip so I saw seven shows on that trip. Also because I travel I’m usually able to use Hilton points for my hotel stays so I don’t end up paying any money out of pocket. And then unless I am trying to earn his status with Delta, I can use Skymiles so that helps. But if I bought the ticket that I really wanted for Moulin Rouge, it would’ve cost almost as much as my plane ticket. LOL

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 10:56am

dalton said: "Now such tickets for Mockingbird and Moulin Rouge run at least $250-500 for the cheapest off-center orchestra or mezzanine seats."

I can't speak to Moulin, but if you plan head, you can easily see Mockingbird for $169 or $199 (plus fees) from the side orchestra/side mezz. 

It sounds like your beef isn't with the price, but the locations FOR that price, so you've hit the right approach for the wrong reasons. The reason to buy closer to (or on) the date is for when the show reduces previous premium seats to regular pricing. Some shows do it in advance based on the number of unsold premiums (in which case, you would still be buying online, but sitting centered and close) and some have to flip their last unsold premiums day of show.

I had been tracking Mockingbird, and the night before the show (I was looking at weekend matinees, specifically on Memorial Day weekend), after the night show started, they seemed to add $199 seats in the first through third rows on the side orchestra aisle. Unfortunately, I had two friends that wanted to go and they only released pairs, and not all at once, so we didn't buy two and hope more came later... but you can learn a show's ticketing rhythms pretty well if you get a bit OCD about checking in advance, specifically for the day of week and time you will want to go in the future.

That said, this strategy depends on people not buying all the $425 premium tickets. And, some shows, they just do buy them all... heh.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 3:48pm

haterobics said: "dalton said: "Now such tickets for Mockingbird and Moulin Rouge run at least $250-500 for the cheapest off-center orchestra or mezzanine seats."

I can't speak to Moulin, but if you plan head, you can easily see Mockingbird for $169 or $199 (plus fees) from the side orchestra/side mezz.

It sounds like your beef isn't with the price, but the locations FOR that price, so you've hit the right approach for the wrong reasons. The reason to buy closer to (or on) the date is for when the show reduces previous premium seats to regular pricing. Some shows do it in advance based on the number of unsold premiums (in which case, you would still be buying online, but sitting centered and close) and some have to flip their last unsold premiums day of show.

I had been tracking Mockingbird, and the night before the show (I was looking at weekend matinees, specifically on Memorial Day weekend), after the night show started,they seemed to add $199 seats in the first through third rows on the side orchestra aisle. Unfortunately, I had two friends that wanted to go and they only released pairs, and not all at once, so we didn't buy two and hope more came later... but you can learn a show's ticketing rhythms pretty well if you get a bit OCD about checking in advance, specifically for the day of week and time you will want to go in the future.

That said, this strategy depends on people not buying all the $425 premium tickets. And, some shows, they just do buy them all... heh."

Thanks for this info. Any edge to lower prices helps.