Tickets Sold Via Lotteries

Forgive me if this has been covered before. BUT...

Has anyone gotten rather good...or even excellent seats...from a show lottery?

Also, is it safe to assume that one would get better seats from a lottery for performance that have sold (at least somewhat) poorly? Are there any seats that are never sold through a lottery, regardless of how well the performance has sold?

Updated On: 11/1/22 at 12:50 AM

Usually the lottery seats for A STRANGE LOOP are front row center orchestra, which is fine for me, but for the shorties - not so much since the stage is high.

I honestly prefer rush (and usually in-person) because I can sometimes use my height (I’m 6’8) to negotiate my seat and shows that are looking to push tickets would sometimes rather make the sale than hold fast to whatever seats are specifically blocked for rush. (This doesn’t mean I’m getting the best seats in the house, but more like an aisle or box seat to accommodate my legs)

I've never won a lottery on Broadway, but at the Kennedy Center I've won:

Hamilton: Center Orchestra, Row E first row center $10

Hamilton: Right Orchestra, Row E first row on the aisle $10 (first time seeing the show, it was quite an experience)

Dear Evan Hansen: Right Orchestra, Row G $25 (all the way to the side, would probably be sold as partial view)

Wicked-row CC in the orchestra, seat 5. It was right there on the left, basically a row back from the front row. Excellent even if I could not see faces during "thank goodness" and "for good"



Kinky Boots-Left orchestra front row. Perfect view

Phantom- Phantom lottery seats are incredible. Usually when I've won they've been in the first few rows of the orchestra. One time I was actually front row on the left-it was incredible. I could have touched the stage if I wanted.

Hadestown- Back of the orchestra, but not bad at ALL. So much better than I thought.

I got pretty good lotto seats for

The Music Man (when Max was on in June) aisle seat in mid orchestra

Little Shop: third row dead center.
Six: again aisle seat mid orchestra

THE CHER SHOW. Orchestra Left, first row center aisle seat for $20. Last week of previews and a packed house.


Note: lightbulb isn’t burnt - bulbs were blinking/flashing and camera caught that bulb between blinks.