How to Find Discount Theater Tickets in New York

You don’t have to be a New Yorker to know that NYC theater tickets, especially Broadway ones, can cost an arm and a leg. But don’t discount the endless possibilities for cheap theater tix. For every play and musical in New York, there’s a discount/free ticket just waiting for you to find it.

Over all the years of living in NYC and regularly seeing shows, I’ve discovered the Top 10 best ways to find good theater at a cheap price.

10. Promotional Mailings - If you’ve ever used a credit card to buy tickets to a New York performance, you know that theater companies love flooding your mailbox with promotional materials. You basically sign up for a guaranteed three years of daily postcards bragging about the “Hottest Show In TOWN!!!!!!” I usually find these mailings to be super annoying and ridiculously self-confident. But occasionally I come across a flier offering regularly priced Broadway tickets ($100 to $500) for much cheaper ($50 to $75). Or I’ll even see some of my favorite theater companies advertising season subscriptions for not much more money than individual tickets. So giving out your address isn’t necessarily a bad thing–that is if you don’t mind weeding through countless marketing kits and flashy postcards.

9. Ticketing Web Sites - Lots of online ticketing Web sites offer discounts to all types of theater, dance and music performances. You have to sign up to be a member, but it’s always free and easy. One of my favorites is www.theatermania.com. In addition to discount tix, it has tons of well-written articles and reviews you can trust. The membership club on www.playbill.com is also great.

8. Networking - The more you befriend people involved in the theater community, the more likely you are to see a show for cheap or free. Even if you only meet an actor/director once and give them your e-mail, they will probably put you on their listserve and e-mail you the discount code to whatever show they’re working on. If you have a good friend performing in a play, he/she can usually get you in FREE. Those on the “business” side of theatre (i.e., critics, agents, etc.) never pay for their tickets, and they’re always looking for someone to accompany them to a show.

7. AEA (Actors Equity Association) - One perk to being a member of the Actor’s Equity union is that you get access to discounted theater tickets through the Actors Fund. Hey, it’s your craft, so why make it expensive to study it, right? Also, AEA members get to see Showcase performances for FREE, as long as a show’s not sold-out and they bring their union card. You won’t ever see a Broadway show operating under Showcase Code, but all off-off Broadway and many Off-Broadway shows do.

6. Rush Tickets  - These discounted tickets are usually sold “same-day” at the theater box-office. They’re such a good deal that, with the really popular shows, people will line up hours before the box office even opens. They’re often only available to students and require photo ID. If you’re not a student and don’t mind standing through an entire performance, you can also buy SRO (Standing Room Only) tickets for crazy cheap. Be sure to check in advance for a specific show’s Rush Policy because it varies among theaters.

*** For the remaining Top 5 Secrets, stay tuned for my next blog***

Shelia Shaigany

(photo credit: limowreck)

April 14th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Discount Tickets | (0)