Navigating the Theatre Scene in NYC
I fell in love with theatre in ninth grade when I got to play flute and piccolo in a disastrously bad local production of Guys and Dolls. While the quality of the show was abysmal, I had so much fun being a part of it that I knew that theatre would be a significant part of my future. I knew all throughout high school that I wanted to enter college as a music major and pursue flute as my career, but it wasn’t until I came to Barnard and actually started living in NYC that I realized how important theatre is to me. Now, I plan on trying my best to become a pit musician for Broadway. Alongside flute and piccolo, I’ve also started learning clarinet and alto sax so I can be a true doubler, and I’ve tried my best to see as many shows as possible to absorb the different types of musical styles. At my most recent count, I’ve seen over 150 shows, ranging from big name Broadway hits to one-person song cycles in the basement of a restaurant.
So the question is: How do you go about getting tickets for a wide range of theatre around the city? Let’s go through some different types of theatre and how to find tickets.
A. On-campus theatre.
If you don’t feel like traveling, you’re in luck! Barnard and Columbia offer a wide range of student theatre throughout the semester with super affordable tickets for students. Every semester, CMTS (Columbia Musical Theatre Society) puts on two full musicals that are fully student-produced, -directed, and -music directed. In the fall of 2019, I was able to music direct CMTS’ production of Legally Blonde, which was incredible. This semester, I’ll be playing flute and clarinet for Fame. If you’d prefer less singing and dancing and more Olde English, we also have KCST, or the King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe. Every semester, they perform Shakespeare’s plays--in the fall, they put on a show in one of our on-campus theatres, but in the spring, whichever play they choose is performed outside, actors and audience moving throughout the campus. Lastly, there are multiple opportunities to see a wide variety of shows through the Barnard Theatre Department and the Lenfest Center for the Arts.
B. Off-Broadway.
While most people overlook Off-Broadway and skip straight to the flashier and more expensive ~Broadway~, Off-Broadway offers incredibly diverse and accessible theatre. My favorite website to find Off-Broadway deals is Show-Score.com, which is a website where you can review all types of theatre AND get great deals. Making an account is free, and as soon as you review six shows that you’ve seen, you’ll start getting offers for Off-Broadway tickets for $8. A warning is that a lot of the shows they offer $8 tickets to are really, really bad. BUT, if you can sort through and find what you’re really interested in, you can see some absolutely stunning theatre for less than $10. Another option for Off-Broadway is to look for tickets directly from Off-Broadway theatres themselves. My two favorite Off-Broadway theatres are New York Theatre Workshop and Ars Nova.
C. Broadway.
And finally, one of the staples of NYC: Broadway! The two main ways of getting less expensive tickets for Broadway shows are entering lotteries and trying for in-person rush/standing room. A list of useful links is located at the bottom of this post. As a general rule, rush tickets are available when the box office opens, which is generally 10am Monday-Saturday and noon on Sundays. If you want to play it safe, get to the theatre 2-3 hours early and be prepared to sit or stand outside for a while. I usually get to theatres around 8am and have always been able to get a ticket. Lotteries happen either online or in-person, depending on the show. I’ve had significantly worse luck with lotteries than I have with in-person rush, but I’m sure it depends on the person. Lotteries are free to enter, and if you win, you get the chance to purchase 1 or 2 discounted tickets to your chosen show. You can also look online at TodayTix, which is a website/app that offers their own lotteries to shows, as well as mobile rush tickets and generally discounted tickets (be wary of their ticket fees, though!). Lastly, if you live in NYC, you can take the riskier route of scouring 3rd-party sites such as StubHub or SeatGeek, where ticket prices usually get lower and lower as showtime gets closer. I usually wait until an hour before showtime (so I have enough time to print tickets and get myself down to Times Square). I’ve only used these 3rd-party sites a handful of times, but I have never had any problems with illegitimate tickets.
One last thing I’ll mention is Barnard’s new program, B’scursions, which is a lottery program for various events and shows around the city. While it just started this semester, I’ve already been lucky enough to win a free ticket to Hamilton! I’m excited to see what they offer in the future. In conclusion, there are so many ways to see an amazing variety of theatre around the city while you’re here at Barnard!
Updated list of Rush, Lottery, and Standing Room Policies for Broadway Shows: https://www.broadwayworld.com/srorush.cfm
Updated list of Rush, Lottery, and Standing Room Policies for Off-Broadway Shows:
https://www.playbill.com/article/off-broadway-rush-and-inexpensive-ticket-policies-com-173110
Site to see current inexpensive ticket offers for current and upcoming shows:
https://broadwayforbrokepeople.com/
Site to enter lotteries for several Broadway shows:
Discounted tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows:
Site to rate Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and discover cheap tickets to mostly Off-Broadway shows: