How to do Broadway on a Budget

Anyone who’s been to New York City has seen the landmark red-and-white ticket booths where scores of people line up to snag discounts on Broadway tickets. If you don’t have the time or energy to stand with them, check out some other ways to see a Broadway plan on a budget.

Members Only
The Theatre Development Fund has a membership program that offers advance tickets for less than $35 for some Broadway shows – similar to the discount you’d get from standing in line at the red-and-white “TKTS” booths, which TDF operate. Eligible members are students, educators, union members, senior citizens or a civil service employee (including armed forces or clergy). The annual membership fee of $27.50 can be made up in the savings on a single show. If you live more than 100 miles outside of NYC, the annual fee is just $12.

Promo Codes
When you're buying anything online, search for a promotional code. Broadway tickets are no exception. Whether you’re buying through Telecharge and Ticketmaster or from a theater box office (which can save you booking fees), you can use codes found on Playbill.com, TheaterMania and BroadwayBox.com. Codes can save you 20-50%.

Bring the Kids
On select nights, Kids Night on Broadway offers kids ages 6-18 a free ticket to see a participating Broadway show for free when accompanied by a full price-paying adult.

KNOB takes place on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month and go on sale two months in advance of future performance dates. Dallas and Houston, Texas also offer KNOB.

Rush & Lottery
If your plans are spontaneous, try to score some rush tickets – a select number of discounted tickets available at the box office on the day of the show. Some shows hold lotteries where names are drawn to decide who gets the last-minute tickets. Both types of tickets usually run $20-$30 each.

Many theaters still set aside a limited amount of tickets for “student rush” – normally about $20-$30 each – on the day of the show. Check the show’s website for details.

Some sold-out shows offer standing room only (SRO) admission. These work like rush tickets, which are purchased at the box office on the day of the show and fall between $20-$30.

TalkinBroadway.com and Playbill.com have details on rush and lottery-style tickets.

Slow Season
Chances are you’ll have trouble finding any tickets – no matter the price – if you’re wanting to hit one of the most popular shows. You’ll have better luck booking during the slow season: January through February and September through October. Check StubHub and TicketsNow, which sometimes offer these at a discount.