I know, I know, I'm sure for those who know me, the title of this post probably made you croak. Rye will not purchase any more Broadway tickets--has he gone mad? No, I have not gone mad, and duh, of course, I will be buying more tickets, but I wanted to share my tip with you on why I am waiting and why you should too.
As we start to see the reopening of Broadway on the horizon and the plethora of shows announcing their reopening dates, we also are seeing tickets being released. I am sure you've noticed on almost all your tickets you've bought (minus Disney on Broadway--more on that later) that you are paying an extra $15-$20 in fees! WHAT!!! That is because those are the fees usually associated with Telecharge and Ticketmaster that they charge. However, you can avoid them altogether; you just have to be savvy.
Many people often wondered how I saw SO MANY shows on Broadway before the shutdown; the truth is, I went to the theater box office and purchased them at the box office. (often the cheaper seats, because you know, #onabudget) Yes, you heard me right; I went to the theater and purchased them--in person! You see, if you go to the box office and purchase your tickets, you avoid the whole mess of having to pay fees! The only fee you pay is a $2 fee which is built-in to the price. So those $59 tickets were only $59, those $49 tickets were only $49. This is a hack most people don't know about it, but I want you to know about it and want you to do it!
Now, we all know that currently, all the box offices are closed. At first, the rumor was they would be open this summer, but now I am hearing through sources that their union isn't requiring them to return until two weeks before the first show restarts. While ideally, I would like to have them open in the summer to get all my tickets ahead of time, I guess two weeks before will have to do. If you can swing it, and you are not fussy about where you sit (plus if you are looking for one ticket for yourself, or at the max two people), I would highly recommend going down to the box office and saving yourself the extra money in fees!
The only shows that have waived these fees are Disney on Broadway shows (The Lion King and Aladdin), which was very nice of them to do and helps you and those with families because man, can those fees add up!! If you don't live in the city and meet someone here for a show, see if they can get the tickets for you instead.
I hope this helps you in your quest for New York theater tickets! Let me know what shows you are most excited to see return to Broadway and which ones you have already gotten your tickets for!
PS- You can do this for concerts too-- just go to the box office!
