Broadway - which tickets to buy in advance?

Old May 3rd, 2014, 07:02 PM
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Broadway - which tickets to buy in advance?

Our family is returning to NYC July 2 - 9. We have 3 teen girls, ages 13,15, 17. These are the shows we are hoping to see:
Kinky Boots - myself with 17 yr old, maybe 15 year old
Aladdin
Newies
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Violet (maybe,seems interesting for teen girls)
Which ones should I definitely get in advance and where is the best place to get them? I have used various online sites in the past. Which ones can we wait and use TKTS for? I like the TKTS option so that some days can be flexible. I have also heard that July 4th week may not be as crowded. Can that effect what might be available at TKTS?
Also, anything on my list that may not be a good idea for teens?
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Old May 3rd, 2014, 07:15 PM
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Discount codes are available for many shows at Playbill, Theatermania, and Broadway Box--but none of them have discounts for Kinky Boots.
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Old May 3rd, 2014, 08:03 PM
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Newsies is most likely to be on TkTS, as its been around the longest. you can save time and select your seats using a discount coupon from the online sites that abram suggests. they don't sell the tickets. that is done at telecharge , but will give you the discount codes. or check those sites closer to your visit and take a print out to the box office..there are no extra fees when you do that.

July 4 week there are plenty of tourists in NYC, while the locals are out of town. Also many many people will be in NYC for the fireworks on July 4 this year they are in the East River.

You can look at telecharge for the shows you are interested in, look for dates and times and see what may be available that will give you a good idea as to availability. The Tony Awards always have an effect on ticket sales too.

you can also see if there are student tickets generally available with hs or college id..but limited to rush tickets on day of performance.
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Old May 3rd, 2014, 09:43 PM
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You'll need to buy all of these in advance except for Newsies. Aladdin and Violet are already nearly sold out for those times. I'm going to Aladdin in mid June, for example. To get really good seats we bought those tickets in December. By then there were no center orchestra seats until May except for super premium. But you can get less good seats easily if you buy now and go on a Tuesday through Thursday.

Kinky Boots has a discount lottery. A relative visiting last week got tickets for $40, so that's always a possibility. But you can't count on that, and it will eat up a lot of your time. Kinky Boots occasionally shows up on TKTS, but getting 4 seats together can be hard.

The Cripple of Inishman is doing well and will be a hotter ticket soon if it wins a Tony.

Violet is almost sold out, and you may not get tickets at all. It's on a limited run.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 05:00 AM
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Buy all tickets in advance - to get best possible prices and choice of tickets. Got to Broadwaybox.com to see which are discounting - then get the discount code and go to the website of the official ticket seller and buy tickets to be picked up at the box office.

If the show is not discounting now (Kinky Boots) you will need to buy tickets now to avoid having to go to a scalper and pay super high prices. (Once you hit mid June shows sell many more tickets due to the number of tourists flocking to the city. Found that out when I went online to get out AmEx special tickets for Les Miz - you can get them for the next couple of weeks but after that they are gone or blacked out until late summer.)

So buy tickets now if your dates are set - or be prepared to shell out a lot extra if you wait.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 05:07 AM
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It's 5 tickets, I think. 5 tickets together = difficult at best at this date for shows that week. Using TKTS= Near impossible.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:20 AM
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Sign up for emails from broadway box and playbill to receive notice for discounts offers but but tickets before you go. Buy full price kinky boots tickets now using the link from playbill.com.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:20 AM
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Of the shows you mention, the only one with a current discount offer for early July is Newsies, whose current offer on Playbill expires July 8.
The Cripple of Irishmann and Violet have discount offers that expire in early June. So, for those two, you can take a chance and wait a few weeks when there might be a discount offer running through July.
As for the other two, Aladdin and Kinky Books, I'd get the tickets now. For Aladdin, call 866-870-2717. For Kinky Boots, go to telechiarge.com or call 212-239-8200
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Old May 4th, 2014, 09:11 AM
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Strongly suggest you buy tickets online versus on the phone - so you can pick the seats YOU want. What the auto-picker thinks are the best seats are often not what people really want (everyone has things they are more or less willing to give on - with 5 people you may be willing to break up into 2 and 3 to get better seats).
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Old May 4th, 2014, 09:27 AM
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I'll have to disagree with nytraveler. I've always had better luck and more choices on the phone rather than on line. The reason is simple: I ask questions about options! Don't be afraid to ask about ALL the options.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 01:21 PM
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I think that is what he or she meant since reference to the autopicker not being what you may want. And the autopicker is online.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 02:07 PM
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Great info. I am going to go online now and give it all a try. We don't mind if we need to split up. I don't even mind if we needed to get 1 single, then 2 and 2.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 03:59 PM
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Just checked and wow, lots of seats left for that week (I checked July 9th, both 2:00 and 8:00) for both Aladdin and Kinky Boots. For Newsies, the dates I checked only had about 1/3 or less of the seats in the theater sold.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 04:31 PM
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No - online you have a schematic of the theater and can see all of the seats that are available at once - and can select exactly the ones you that. And often a view of the stage from those seats.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 05:20 PM
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Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I prefer talking to a real person on the phone rather than dealing with a machine on line! I've definitely had better results and ended up with better seats o dealing on the phone.

As for tickets for Newsies, I'd wait for another two or three weeks until there's a new discount offer and then get the tickets.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 05:33 AM
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I'm glad that Aladdin is generally available that week. But if it wins Tonys that won't be the case any longer. Definitely book now. If you are feeling lucky, you may want to wait for Kinky Boots and see what you can get at the last minute. You definitely do NOT need to book Newsies in advance. Ever. And never pay full price for it.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 06:41 AM
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I also like seeing the seats that are available and choosing from them. I never use the computerized pick-a-seat option - or rarely. I'm much rather talk to a real person and have them help me consider other options - but my first choice is choosing from a map of available seats.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 08:21 AM
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Thanks for the advice. Very helpful!
Newsies is my girls first pick because last time we were in NYC (Feb. 2013), we had waited and weren't able to get them at TKTS but I realize that Newsies is no longer a "new show". We arrive mid day on July 2nd. I never like to book flights on the same day as arrival just in case of a delay so that is one reason I would love to use TKTS for Newsies and try to get them the evening of July 2nd if we we arrive on time.
Also, do you know where is the best place to watch the fireworks on July 4th? We are staying at the Salisbury so the closest, easiest option from there.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 09:34 AM
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July 2 is a Wednesday. That's usually a good day to pick up TKTS tickets for evening performances. But you have to get there by 6. But you don't really have to do that. You can buy tickets with the discount on Broadway Box from the box office and avoid the service fee. They cost $73.50 (this is 50% off). I've bought tickets for evening performances as late as 3pm, and I think they are available even after TKTS opens since they come from the same system now (no more paper tickets messengered over the booth).

The fireworks are going to be on the East River, so you will have to travel much further east. Big buildings block the views from most of Midtown. But I've always enjoyed the view from Queens more, so what I'd suggest is that you take the subway to the Vernon-Jackson stop in Queens (7 train) and watch from Hunter's Point Park, a vast open space along the river.

Otherwise, the next best place would be the South Street Seaport. They also close off the FDR Drive, but you generally have to arrive hours in advance, which is why I prefer Queens.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 12:49 PM
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Thanks for the tip about Queens! I looked on Google maps and see a few restaurants in that area. Do you think it would be possible to get reservations at one of them or do they have special events that night? We will have our 3 teens with us. I see Riverview, Water's Edge, and Waterfront Crab House, and SHI.
Will it be difficult to get on the subway afterward with the crowds? Thanks!
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