traveller

I've heard of a half-price ticket line in New York where people can buy ticket to broadway shows. Any experiences? Are they good/ok seats? What about the selection? I am going in June on a Weds-Sun. I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks

Owen O'Neill

It's called TKTS and the ticket booths are in World Trade Center (WTC 1 on mezzanine level) and on Broadway in the Times square area (around the corner of 45th). Tix are usually 50% off full price and a $2.50 service charge is added per ticket. You will rarely if ever find the "cheap seats" for half price - it's typically the $75 tix that are discounted and you'll pay about $40 per seat. My seats have generally been good to just okay but it's a hit or miss proposition determined in part by what's available that day and what time you're in line (tix are sold only day of show and my work schedule has always head me arriving at TKTSate and buying last minute seats). I've used thi service for nearly every show I've been to and have in general been very satisfied.

howard

Yes, there is a half-price ticket booth in New York--actually two, one in Times Square and one in the World Trade Center downtown. If you look up TKTS, you'll find a lot of info on the forum.
They sell tickets for half-price plus a $2.50 service charge. Cash only (maybe travelers checks, but no checks or credit cards).
They will not have tickets for the big hits, such as The Lion King, Aida, Contact, etc., and probably not for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss Me Kate and Phantom of the Opera (but you kight luck in). However, you can get good seats for some shows, both on and off-Broadway. You'll have a better selection midweek than on weekends, naturally. Tickets are only available for the same-day performance. It opens at 10 a.m. for matinee performances and 3 p.m. for evening performances.
You can get tickets for some good shows there, such as Les Miserable, Miss Saigon, Annie Get Your Gun, etc.

Dawn

You can get some tickets for 25% off also. A friend and I saw Cabaret 2 weeks ago, and had very good seats for $47.

Owen O'Neill

Forgot to mention - if you have an interest in a show that's popular but not available through TKTS, check with the concierge or service desk at your hotel. We went to see Les Miz several years ago at a time when it was not usually available through TKTS and got 35% discounts through the hotel where we were staying.

sandra engley

Some additional information, before you get on line at 47th street, go to the front where a board will list all the shows that are for sale that day, then pick up the litle brochures for each of the shows and look them over while you wait on line. This will give you time to decide your priorities. They may have your 1st choice of play but in the rear mezanine, or they may have your 2nd or 3rd choice in one of the orchestra's sides.

Check the length of both lines, the west side of the booth was about 50 people less the last time I did this. Both the East and West lines end in the same place, a worker will direct you to the next available window as you get to the front of your line.

ebra

Go to newyork.citysearch.com theatre page and you can click on TKTS to see what's available that night. The seats are usually towards the back but OK for the price. Your wait may be over an hour. Both Timeout New YOrk and the Friday NYTImes list what will probably be available the next week.

howard

To give you an idea of how long you'll wait in the line at Times Square, it'll take about a half hour for each block-long length of the line. Yes, the can snake around 3, 4, 5 times. Don't get scared--the lines aren't always that long. Actually, if you're not fussy about which show you want to see, go to TKTS an hour or less before curtain time, and usually there's no line at all. Of course, there's also the chance that there might night be much available. One other guideline: The earlier in the week, generally the more that available.

Lori

Used TKTS at the World Trade Center last week. Was able to get two seats to Cabaret for 25% off, and two seats for Footloose at 50% off. However, I discovered that there are different shows available at WTC and 47th Street. Seems 47th St had a better selection. BTW, seems the line at the WTC is always a bit shorter and you are indoors in case of inclement weather.

Owen O'Neill

A follow up .... I typically get to the 47th Street TKTS booth between 6PM and 7:30PM and the lines are usually quite short (5 - 10 minutes). The later it gets the shorter the lines but selection becomes increasingly limited. I've checked the board at 7PM, gotten o line and 10 minutes later discovered that 1/3 of the shows that were listed when I arrived have now sold out (at least at TKTS). Additionally, I often find that I tend to be towards the far sides or the very back of the orchestra seating when I buy at this time of day. In some theaters this is a non issue because they're small and bad seats are almost non-existent. It is, however, worth arriving earlier and spending a bit of time on line of your schedule permits it.

traveller

Thanks so much for all of your help!

Dawn

I stayed at the Millenium Broadway in February and the 47th St. TKTS was only half a block away. However, the line was long all day long and by the time it was short enough the choices were limited. Quite by accident I walked out the other entrance of the hotel and the theater next door had $25 balcony seats for James Joyce's The Dead with Christopher Walken and Blair Brown for that night which was a Saturday. I felt blessed by the price, the view was clear from the balcony and the acting wonderful. Mr. Walken made a point of acknowledging the balcony crowd at each curtain call that he took. Guess my point is to check the box offices, too.

Christina

If you just want to see some theater and aren't too picky, it's a great idea. However, if there's something you really want to see and it's very popular, don't count on TKTS. I always go to the 47th St one and have never seen a line more than about one block long (really down the middle island) and never waited more than a half hour. But, I've never gotten very good seats, either -- even to off-Broadway shows, I've gotten nosebleed seats, off to the side, etc. Which is why it's okay and cheap, but they are dumping the unsold seats so they aren't that great. I don't think anyone's mentioned that you can get discount ticket vouchers at the tourist information booth (on 42nd St, I think, where all the Disney junk is) that let you go to the box office of some shows and just buy a regular ticket for a good percentage off. When I was there a few years ago, you still could not get a ticket at TKTS for Les Miz (and it wasn't any special holiday), but you could get a discount from the tourist center and buy one at the box office.

pedro

Please forget tkts line e high prices. The best tickets are on the visitors center @ times square next mcdonalds. there u can find cupons for any show for half price sometimes. u take the cupon to the theatre box office and there u by it. Wednesdays afternoons are half price ever in most theatres!!!

howard

The last two postings have contained some misleading information.
First of all, if you want your best choice of shows and the best available seats, you've got to get there early. And, at that time, the lines are longer than a block long! It can get as long as the equivalent of 3-4 blocks on each side. So, don't be misled by comments by one of the previous posters. I don't know when she goes, but they were probably off days and/or later in the day.
As a New Yorker, I've waited in line often and have gotten some very good seats. Oh yes, sometimes they're not that great, but not all the time.
The best time to get into line is around 9-9:15 for the 10 a.m. TKTS opening for matinee tickets or around 1-2 for the 3 p.m. opening for evening tickets. At those times, the line may be less than a block long. (It takes about a half hour for each blocklong length of the line once the windows open.)
Now for the comments posted just above my response, those discount tickets are usually not half-priced (usually around 1/3 off) and not all shows have them. There is definitely more of a choice at the TKTS booth. The obvious advantage is that you don't have to wait in line but can go directly to the box office. However, you'll have a much better choice (especially early in the week at the TKTS booth). For example, you can luck in some days and get tickets for shows such as Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun and some other popular shows that do not have discount coupons anywhere.
For the best chance at a theater bargain. stick with the TKTS booth.