Being a New York City resident provides unique access to a number of exciting things: artichoke pizza, subway rat sightings, and some of the finest museums in the country. But by far my favorite part of city living is the sheer quantity and variety of live theatre that I’ve been able to enjoy since moving here. Unfortunately, theatre going is a hobby that can quickly break the bank if you’re not careful. On the plus side, there are plenty of ways to see theatre for cheap—or for absolutely free!—that you can easily take advantage of.
Visit the TKTS Booth
The classic way to get Broadway and off-Broadway tickets is to visit the iconic red “bleacher seats” of the TKTS booth. Theatre Development Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the performing arts more accessible to all, operates the booth. It sits on the north side of Times Square and has been selling discounted day-of tickets since 1973 (though the red steps were not constructed until 2008). The booth is a popular attraction in and of itself, so you will have to wait alongside throngs of tourists to get your tickets, but it’s worth it for the amazing deals: up to 50% off for certain performances.
The TKTS booth opens at 3 p.m. for evening show sales and 11 a.m. on matinee days, and the best seats are generally available on a first-come, first-serve basis (although some blocks of seats are not released until closer to the start of the show, so don’t despair if you arrive late). There are currently two TKTS booths in the city, but the second location—over at the Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium—has yet to reopen following its temporary closure during the pandemic.
Ticket Apps
If you aren’t in the mood to wait in line, you can beat the crowds by buying right from your phone. BroadwayBox is great for Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets, while Eventbrite often offers access to productions by smaller companies and student groups (though does not necessarily provide discounts).
The most popular ticketing app, however, is TodayTix. This app allows you to buy discount and regular-price tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows hours, days, or weeks in advance and offers a respectable array of savings, especially on shows such as Chicago or Phantom of the Opera that have been running for decades. TodayTix also provides running times and helpful taglines for its shows to aid you in deciding what you might like to see. As a bonus, you can even use TodayTix to purchase rush tickets to certain performances at even greater price cuts.
Rush and Lottery Tickets
If you’re in the mood for the old-fashioned experience, however, several productions still offer in-person rush and lottery tickets. For those unfamiliar with the practice of rushing a show, most Broadway theatres reserve a block of reduced-price seats to each performance that are released to the general public as soon as the box office opens on the day of the show. Most rush tickets can only be bought in-person, and it is not uncommon for theatregoers to camp out near the box office hours before sales begin to secure affordable seats to in-demand performances.
Alternately, some theatres choose to release these seats via a lottery system instead to ensure they are distributed equitably. Some lotteries are online-only, while a select few shows, such as Wicked, continue to draw lottery tickets out of a hat in-person at the theatre. Finally, if you’re really desperate, a couple of Broadway shows will offer steeply discounted standing room tickets for sold-out performances. Playbill maintains a wonderfully thorough list of the rush and lottery policies for current Broadway and off-Broadway shows that makes obtaining these tickets even easier.
Sign Up for Discounted Ticket Programs
White, wealthy population of middle age or older patrons typically dominate the Broadway audience. Per the 2023-24 season, the average Broadway theater-goer saw multiple shows a year, and earned over $200,000 annually.
In an effort to broaden their audience base, several Broadway and off-Broadway companies and venues created ticket programs for those under the ages of 30, 35 ,or 40. Patrons under that age group can visit the Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Lincoln Center Theater for cheaper tickets. Students can also take advantage of discount tickets at even more venues. Remember that most programs will ask for your ID during ticket pickup and have a two-ticket limit.
The Theatre Development Fund offers a reduced-price ticket program to Broadway and off-Broadway shows that is accessible to an even wider range of people. For a nominal yearly fee, TDF Memberships are open to teachers, seniors, veterans, government employees, non-profit workers, individuals on federal disability, and artists of all stripes, as well as students and individuals 30 and under.
Expand Beyond Broadway
The cheapest way to see more theatre is to cast your eyes beyond Broadway and explore some of the city’s smaller companies. You can have a unique experience attending a grungy new opera in a repurposed Bushwick warehouse. If that’s not your style try cramming into old church basements for inventive takes on Shakespearean classics.
These companies feature incredible performances on an intimate scale. Many sell tickets in the $15-40 range—and, as a bonus, their small size makes it easier to befriend box office workers, performers, and even artistic directors who may be able to offer you even greater discounts.
Make Friends in the Industry
Life in the theatre is all about connections. Making friends with the people you meet at shows is a great way to both find new shows to go see (just check their social media or chat them up to see what they’re working on next) and also potentially to snag comp tickets so that you can attend their performances for free.
If you work in the industry, it’s also worthwhile to try to connect with as many theatre companies as you can. Having a company decline an audition or a script you’ve submitted is a common occurrence, but sometimes they’ll sweeten the sting of rejection by adding your name to their comp lists when papering the house for press nights.
At the end of the day, live theatre is no theatre without an audience, and theatre companies want you there just as much as you want to be there. So by all means, make use of all the discounts you can while taking advantage of the city’s gloriously diverse and utterly unparalleled buffet of theatrical offerings. There are plenty of opportunities to see theatre for cheap!
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.
