The image of the theater has really changed over the last several years. It used to be that the theater was a place for rich old folks, but this is not the case anymore. Shows like Hamilton, Kinky Boots, and Rent have revolutionized the image of live theater, and it has helped make Broadway a lot more accessible to the average person.
Like most other major events, tickets to the theater can be expensive, especially if you’re going to see a major production or something that is a Broadway style show. There’s nothing wrong with spending a lot of money on high quality tickets—popular plays will be expensive, after all. But there are ways to spend less if you don’t want to pay a lot of cash for good tickets.
Third party ticket sites often have coupons or promo codes available. If you don’t see this right away, that doesn’t mean that they’re not there. In fact, you can almost always find some sort of discount code if you spend a couple minutes looking. You won’t save a ton of money with a discount code, but it can take the edge off of the high prices that you might be expecting. Even saving a few bucks here and there can make your experience at the theater a lot better. Instead of worrying about money, you can focus on the performance in front of you and get a lot more out of it as a result.
Think Beyond New York
A lot of people miss out on amazing productions because they are stuck thinking that Broadway shows can only be found in New York City. If you’re located on the West Coast, or even a few hours from New York, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage if you get stuck in this way of thinking. Some of the greatest shows can be found all throughout the U.S., and even in other countries. Sure, Broadway is a street in New York, but it’s come to take on a different meaning when it comes to musical theater. A Broadway production can refer to any show that has seating of an occupancy of 500 seats or over. NYC has a huge collection of these theaters (more than 40), but you can find Broadway shows all over. Chicago, Los Angeles, and many other cities have these larger theaters, and great shows can be found in them on a regular basis.
Not sure what’s playing in your area? Head over to a local theater news website. You can search for these on pretty much any search engine. These sites will tell you what’s currently being performed near you, along with what else you should expect to find in the future. This can be a good way to prepare for the shows that you’d like to see. You can either search by your city or your favorite production.
When you know what’s coming up, you can start saving money for the best possible seats early with a greater focus. You can also make sure that you buy tickets as early as possible.
If you can’t find tickets right away, don’t worry. Even if a show sells out, third party sites almost always have tickets available up until the last minute. Make sure that you download the app of a few different sites so that you can find tickets. This can be effective right until curtain call thanks to e-tickets. Just buy your tickets and download them right to your phone. Present the bar code at the entry booth, and you’re in! Access to the theater is easier and cheaper today than ever before because of things like this.