booking broadway tickets
 

Hi all, a friend and I are planning our "trip of a lifetime" to NYC in August. Fodor's suggests using "playbill" or "theatre mania" to book tickets for Broadway shows, but others have told us to be cautious. Anyone out there have any experience with booking tickets on line? Advice?

Thanks--totally excited!

I'm not sure why you would have to be cautious. It's pretty standad to order tickets online. Get discount codes from broadwaybox.com and you might get a bargain on tickets.

You can also register for Playbill's free club on their site and get discount codes for tickets and restaurants.

Playbill usually links you to Ticketmaster to actually buy the tix.

I, too, am not sure why the need to be cautious. I buy tix online all the time.

One warning - Doublecheck the date, time, city, etc. before you purchase. A Fodorite is trying to sell tix purchased for the wrong city. :-) That's the only problem I've ever heard of regarding buying tix online.

Enjoy NYC!

You do need to be cautious, generally, about buying tickets online for two main reasons:

1) Make sure you're buying from a reputable seller, so you don't get stuck with no tickets, or with counterfeits. I don't think this is common, but it can happen. Both sites you mention, and broadwaybox.com mentioned by Suki, are legitimate sites. You can't actually buy tickets from playbill or broadway box, but they will link you to the sellers if they are offering discount codes (only available for some shows).

2) More common probably is overpaying for shows. If you go to a ticket reseller, or scalper, online you can often find tickets for shows that are otherwise sold out, and you'll pay a premium. This is fine - it's the capitolist way. ;) But many people find tickets there for shows that are not sold out and pay more than they would have elsewhere. Check sites like playbill for the official ticket sellers, and only go to resellers if your dates are unavailable, or if you can get cheaper tickets than through official channels.

I buy tickets to just about everything online, in NYC and elsewhere, because it's so much easier than doing it in person or by phone. Never had a problem yet.

Ah, that makes sense jlm.

I focused in on the "buying online" part of this. I know people who are hesitant to do a monetary transaction via the internet.

You are right in that wasn't what the OP was concerned about. I didn't get that.

colleenthemom, I'f you start with Playbill and use their links, you will be fine. I've only purchased from those sites or the box office and have never had a problem.

Enjoy your shows in NYC!

Thanks all for your advice. I guess the "cautious" caveat was to do with on line purchasing in general, not for tickets in particular!!!

I am going to try and book today!!!

Colleen the Mom

Let me try to clear up a couple of points.
All Broadway shows use either Ticketmaster or Telecharge for their ticket reservations. Some theatres use one, others use the other. Using any of the other sites will direct you to one of those. I strongly suggest that if you are particular, you print off the seating chart for the appropriate theatre from Playbill.com and find the appropriate discount codes for the show you want to see, then CALL Ticketmaster or Telecharge on their 1-800 number and discuss best seats available. I often find that the website's idea of best available and mine are quite different. For example I've found the website trying to sell me 15 rows back on the side, but when I called, I got front row mezzanine.

Patrick's back! Hope you had a nice extended vacation. Trip report coming?

Nope. Just checking in from Paris, on a difficult French keyboard. I'll be reporting much after my return next week.

You can also print out the discount info and bring it to the box office to purchase the ticket at a discount at the last minute. Usually the shows with discounts have seats available and sometimes at the last minute you end up with unused house seats whch can be very good.

Following up MFNYC's comment, the best and least expensive way to make use of the discount offers is to run off copies of the offers and then take the one(s) you want to the box office(s) when you first arrive in the city.