How to get cards
If you’re looking for a hot ticket show deal, you’ll search in vain. The discounted shows may still be in previews (meaning critics haven’t weighed in yet) or have been going on for a while and running low on fuel. Still, there could be some excellent productions in the mix.
Cash register or show site
To protect yourself from the heartbreak of fake tickets, the safest bet is to buy through the show’s website or at the box office. The checkout, in particular, has its advantages, including that you don’t have to pay the high service fees that get stuck on online orders. And if you have a discount code, like the ones sometimes offered on theatermania.com or broadwaybox.com, it should work in person too. But do check whether the cash register is open; prepandemic opening hours may not apply.
TodayTix app
The TodayTix app is a reliable source for frequently discounted Broadway tickets, which users purchase online. For some shows, you can choose your exact seats and get barcode electronic tickets on your device. For others, choose the general area where you want to sit, then pick up your tickets from a uniformed TodayTix employee outside the theater during showtime. The app can also be used to participate in the digital lotteries of some shows, which offer the chance to buy cheap tickets if you win, or to find rush digital tickets for the same day.
TKTS
TKTS, Times Square’s discount ticket mainstay, is open again, selling same-day and evening matinee and evening tickets, as well as next-day matinee tickets, for up to 50 percent off. On the TKTS app, or online at tdf.org, you can see in real time which shows are on sale and for how much discount. But that doesn’t mean there will be seats left for the show you want by the time you get to the window, and you have to buy them in person. (For a few Off Broadway shows, sales are cash only.) Options are most plentiful right after the booth opens, but new tickets are released throughout the day, even as curtain time approaches, so going later can be lucky too . Would you rather see a play than a musical? In Times Square there is a special window for that and the line is shorter.
Rush tickets and more
Many shows, while not the monster hits, offer same-day rush tickets – either at the physical box office or online – for much less than full price. some too sell standing tickets if a performance is sold out. Don’t count on being lucky as availability varies, but it’s worth a try. Conveniently, Playbill maintains an online tab listing individual shows’ policies regarding digital lotteries, rush tickets (sometimes just for students, oftentimes for everyone), standing room, and other discounts.
Refunds and Exchanges
Once an abomination to Broadway, ticket refunds and exchanges are a pandemic concession from an industry seeking to reassure customers that their purchases will not be lost in the event of illness or travel restrictions. But beware: not every show is flexible. And if you didn’t buy your tickets directly at the theater box office or through the show’s website, you may be out of luck changing dates or getting your money back.
(A note about bad weather)
Will there be rain from the sky? That may be your chance to get your hands on a few suddenly available seats at the register, but be prepared to pay face value. Your chances of winning a lottery are also better on days like those.