There is. In the I stood in line at Will Call for less than 10 minutes, and in that time, 6 people got tickets. That was about 20 minute before curtain, so presumably more folks got in after that. It was a Sunday matinee.
I easily got tickets on a Tuesday in the SRO line. Got in line at 5:45 and had a ticket by 6:10 or so.... great view and I was the last "SRO seat" on the right by the door. Number 20. I paid $27....the guy in front of me in a actual "seat" paid $130.
I tried for lottery today with my dad for Father's day. We didn't win, but joined the cancellation line. we were the 9th and 10th person in line. We waited two hours, hoping to get tickets to see it, totally willing to pay full price for the tickets (which we haven't done in the longest time) but my dad thought it would be worth it.
In the two hours we were waiting, 6 people got tickets (one each cause that's all they needed.) While two women in front of us and my dad and I waited, we could hear the show start. A few more people came up to pick up their tickets and went in. Then, at like 7 minutes after start time, the guy at the box office said: "Show has started. We're not selling any more cancellation tickets." Didn't say if there were any, just said they weren't selling anymore. it was frustrating for my father and myself but then I thought about all the 20+ people that were behind us. Could they not tell them that there was no chance that they could get in if the box office knew?
Because my father and I waited till right when the show started, we had no chance to try and get tickets for any other show doing a matinee. And there were only three shows that had evening performances. We didn't win the Priscilla lottery and Billy Elliot (which we had seen before) was sold out of the $41.50 tickets. We finally got the $36.50 tickets at Chicago. It was our last option/chance. And it wasn't bad. But it took all day to try and get tickets.
I'm a little pissed at the box office policy. I think they could only sell cancelled tickets and not tickets that hadn't been picked up yet. But I feel that if people aren't there 5 minutes before show, sell them! I know not all people are late on purpose but there has to be a policy if they are late so that they (the ones that are always late) know for next time.
I'm a stage manager (though only done regional theater) and almost 90% of the late people that come in after the show starts are the annoying loud people that can't understand why the show has already started, either on time or at least 5 minute afterwards. They think that if it says it will start at 8pm that they need to be pulling up to the parking lot at 8pm.
Sorry, this turned into a huge venting thing. looooong day. hope this helps. for some people, it did work out. And I did hear that some people lined up at 10am and got tickets (i think they were selling cancelled tickets all day.)
Dre, even though those late comers might be annoying the bottom line is that they paid for those seats. I have seen people walk in after intermission at some shows.
When I did the SRO line a few weeks ago, the cancellation line was starting around 2pm for a 7pm show. It may be earlier now. I believe they sell tickets as they become available, so you may get there at 2 and not have to wait very long, or you could wait all afternoon and not get any. Nothing really is guaranteed.
"But I feel that if people aren't there 5 minutes before show, sell them!"
Um, wow. I totally disagree with this. How would you feel if you had tickets to a show, and you were stuck in traffic or on a subway, and you made a mad dash to the theater and got there one minute before curtain only to find out your ticket had been resold?
I don't know which line is which, but I pass the theater every morning on my way to the gym - usually around 8:30/9:00am - and there are at least 20 people, sometimes more, camped out in front. Every morning.
DRSislove: I will say that when I wrote that post, I was venting. But to be honest, I'm really on the fence about it, mainly cause I've been in both situations. One where I've waited so long and wish that they would sell the tickets that no one has picked up yet and Two where I have arrived at the theater one minute before the show and have been able to pick them up.
In college, if the show is sold out but it was 5 minutes before the show and no one picked up their tickets that they had reserved (but not paid for), we sold them to the waiting line. I have no idea if all the tickets at will call on broadway have been paid for or if you reserve you have to pay right then and there.
Dave13: I heard that people were waiting when the box office opened to buy cancelled tickets and were able to buy them at that time I believe.
I think people line up in the SRO line early in the morning for either matinee or evening.
I have no idea if all the tickets at will call on broadway have been paid for or if you reserve you have to pay right then and there.
There are no reservations on Broadway. Tickets waiting at will call have been purchased. Once you pay for your ticket, it is legally yours to use or not as you wish. Unless you request a refund, the box office cannot resell an empty seat that his been purchased, essentially selling that ticket twice.
Of course, this does not apply to comps, which are not paid for. Most of the tickets that become available and are sold to the cancellation line last minute are comps, because they can legally be resold (since they were not "sold" in the first place).
Might be a dumb question, but is it physically possible to wait in the SRO line, enter the lottery, and wait in the cancellation line after the SRO line and lottery are over?
It's physically possible, but they sell SRO tickets one hour before curtain, so you wouldn't have the best odds at getting cancellation tickets if you got in line so late.
Just an update. Tried the cancellation line last night. Got there at 5:00 for a 7:00 curtain. Wasn't early enough. They gave out 11 tickets. We were the hopeful 12 and 13. Next time! :)
Tuesday afternoon at about 3:15, I placed about 25 on the Lottery line. never doing this before, I was real proud of myself,figuring i would definitely snag a ticket.
HA! I was then told that about 500 people would show up to enter the lottery and I knew i wouldn't have a snowball's chance to win a ticket.
So, I hightailed it over to the cancellation line, where I was #3, and needing just a single ticket. At about 5:30 I was offered an obstructed view, which I passed on to the next person in line. I waited until 6:00 pm, when front row mezz. showed up. I grabbed it!
As soon as the lottery was over, plenty of the non-winners ran over to the cancellation line, as well.
Do people line up for standing room tickets or just get in line after the lottery? I've never tried to get tickets from the cancellation line, but is it pretty common that they'll at least have some seats available?
Yes, there is a standing room line. Yesterday there was a line that included people who had brought towels to sit on, and ordered pizza. They were there when I came to get my friend who had just seen the show (so, around 4:45), but I think I saw them when I tried for lotto 5 hours earlier.
It's one hour before curtain for both performances. So yes, for the evening performance they do not go on sale until 6pm or 7pm (depending on the day of the week).
Thanks, frog. I was just coming to delete my message as I found it answered in another thread! Still appreciate though!
Here's a "is it 'kosher'" question.
I see it's possible to try for the lottery and still have time for the SRO line. Is there anything wrong with the following scenario:
Two of us are willing to stand in line for SRO starting in the AM. We only want two SRO or Lottery tix...not the 4 we would be "eligible" for. Would the line be understanding if we took turns in line...ie. one running for a drink, bathroom break etc...and at the same time switching places to place names in for the lottery?
...and at the same time switching places to place names in for the lottery?
There's nothing wrong with switching off, I've done it and had people around me do it all the time on rush lines. As long as you're "running to Starbucks, be right back" and you're back in 15 min or so, and not "running to Starbucks, be right back" and then you return three hours later or something, I've never seen switching off be a big deal.
But re: the quoted above, I was going to say that based on what I saw yesterday (random aside: FINALLY won that lotto and saw the show for the first time!), the folks running the lotto appear to actually bring lotto slips to the SRO line to fill out? So there wasn't a need to be switching out or whatever, everyone on the SRO line entered the lotto.
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Posted: 4/15/11 at 05:18pm