The Struggle of Telecharge Digital Rush

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 11:19am

Telecharge Digital Rush was always a crappy system seemingly held together by string, chewing gum, rudimentary code and prayer, but when there were fewer shows available, it always seemed to work, though it took time. 

Now that it has so many more shows available, as well as “cancellation tickets” for certain shows, I’m finding myself getting four different versions of error codes (system errors, not “sold out” prompts) whenever I try to log in and it’s frustrating because it seems they don’t have the bandwidth to accommodate all the people looking for rush tickets. 

TodayTix is clearly the smoother platform with digital rush, so why won’t Telecharge consider merging with them? The Shubert Org already sells their shows on there anyway so what would be the big difference? It’s clear they aren’t going to upgrade their own platform so why not partner with a successful one?

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 11:24am

I agree that TodayTix is the superior option in terms of UI, but if Telecharge doesn't figure its stuff out I wouldn't be too mad. Sometimes it takes 15-30 minutes to get a rush ticket to appear on Telecharge for me, but if I wait long enough I am always able to get a ticket from them via their rush. TodayTix feels like a waste of time sometimes for the more popular shows - and I go away empty handed more times than not.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 12:18pm

This may be "old man yells at cloud" but I do think we lost something when rushes and lotteries went to being online as opposed to showing up in person at the theater. The convenience of being able to sign up for them anywhere from your phone was a trade-off that brought in glitches, lowered odds of getting tickets, and the elimination of a nice way to meet folks. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 2:26pm

Kad said: "This may be "old man yells at cloud" but I do think we lost something when rushes and lotteries went to being online as opposed to showing up in person at the theater. The convenience of being able to sign up for them anywhere from your phone was a trade-off that brought in glitches, lowered odds of getting tickets, and the elimination of a nice way to meet folks."

I partially agree. I enjoyed the days of coming in to rush and in-person lotteries. But also, the issue was that if you lost, you were screwed unless you had a backup plan.

I know Telecharge does have the benefit that it doesn’t go live until 11 so that those who rush in person get first crack, but even then, I’ve grown accustomed to the digitization since I don’t live in the city (Central NJ) and don’t want to waste a trip in.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 5:55pm

Kad said: "This may be "old man yells at cloud" but I do think we lost something when rushes and lotteries went to being online as opposed to showing up in person at the theater. The convenience of being able to sign up for them anywhere from your phone was a trade-off that brought in glitches, lowered odds of getting tickets, and the elimination of a nice way to meet folks."

Maybe this is just my personality, but I've found in certain instances, the digital options make me less likely to see a show. Like with Dorian Gray and Good Night and Good Luck, I just took it for granted I would eventually win the digital lottery and because of their massive popularity haven't. If there wasn't a digital lottery, I'm sure I would have been more aggressive in doing the in-person rush and seen them already.   

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/1/25 at 2:15pm

I really appreciate it when shows do in-person rushes still. It rewards you for showing up. I've basically given up on the TodayTix lottos and rushes. I understand there are accessibility reasons to do digital, but there are so many disadvantages and I'm glad that it seems like a lot of shows are doing both now. I've done the Gypsy rush several times and enjoy the line. And not being sure you'll get the show you want is part of the fun, sometimes--ending up seeing something else.