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The slate of must-see Broadway shows just keeps growing, and your bank account just can’t keep up. We get it.
With a slew of performances such as “Mean Girls,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “Frozen” still going strong, and newbies such as “The Cher Show” breaking onto the scene, your love of theater can be seriously costly.
Luckily, there are ways to nab tickets for a fraction of the price via online lotteries and other sellers. Bookmark these sites, download these apps and get a seat without the stress.
Enter a daily lottery
Several productions now running — including “Hamilton,” “Harry Potter,” “Frozen” and “Mean Girls” — are offering ways to win your way in for as little as $10 per seat.
“The Cher Show”: You’ll want to stay close to your phone after entering this lottery. “The Cher Show” is offering pairs of $30 tickets to select performances listed at broadwaydirect.com. Enter online, and check your email within minutes to see if you’ve been chosen. You’ll have one hour to pay for the tickets before they’re offered to someone else.
“Hamilton”: You can enter the Ham4Ham lottery daily via the production’s mobile app or at hamiltonmusical.com/lottery for the chance to win two $10 tickets. The lottery opens at 11 a.m. daily, and winners will be notified one day prior to the performance.
“Harry Potter”: Each Friday at 1 p.m., $40 tickets to the production will be released on harrypottertheplay.com and todaytix.com. The $40 fee includes entry to both evenings of the two-night production. You can enter the lottery each Friday between 12:01 a.m. and 1 p.m. Winners will be notified between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. for the following week’s performances.
“Mean Girls”: You can sit with them, if you win. A daily lottery is open at meangirlsonbroadway.com/lottery for fans to score $42.50 tickets. Winners receive two tickets and will be notified between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. the day before the performance. You can also show up in person wearing pink for the chance to win tickets priced at $32.50 each Wednesday. The box office opens at 10 a.m.
“Frozen”: The Disney production offers two $30 tickets for winners to select performances listed at luckyseat.com. Fans can drop their name in the lottery until 11 a.m. the day before the desired performance. Tickets must be claimed by 10 p.m. the night prior.
“Pretty Woman: The Musical”: You can win tickets to a performance the night before by entering at broadwaydirect.com. Tickets will run $42 each (you’ll be offered two) and you’ll have to claim them within one hour of receiving a winner’s email.
“Aladdin”: Tickets priced at $30 each are available via broadwaydirect.com for select “Aladdin” performances, starting at 7 a.m. daily. Winners have 60 minutes to purchase seats after they’re notified at 8:30 a.m. the day of.
Lotteries are also open for “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Kinky Boots,” “The Lion King,” “The Book of Mormon” and other productions. Information is available via the production websites.
Visit an online ticket site
There are plenty of ticket websites aside from the main sellers that can help you score discounted entry. TodayTix.com, NYTix.com, BroadwayBox.com and SeatStir.com are some of the notable seat fillers to try.
BroadwayRoulette.com is a viable option for those who are up for a gamble. The ticket site sells seats for $49-$59, but you won’t be able to choose your show. Instead, Broadway Roulette asks you to select a date and number of tickets needed. It’ll email you on the day of the show to let you know which show you’ve won. Tickets are to be picked up at the theater’s box office location.
Show up in person
Shop the TKTS Booth in Times Square for last-minute tickets that are often a fraction of the price. If you happen to be ticket searching on a rainy or snowy day, your chance of finding discounted tickets may increase as theaters aim to fill empty seats. The show must go on!
