Digital Takeover: More Broadway Shows Jump on the Virtual Lottery Bandwagon!

Welcome to the digital world. Every day our lives become more and more infused with text messaging, social media, and new technology, and Broadway is keeping up with the times. For years, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows have offered theatre-goers a chance for last-minute tickets through student rushes, general rushes, and the ever-popular lottery system. These traditions invite fans straight to the theatre box offices so that they might snag a discounted pair of tickets just hours before the curtain goes up. CLICK HERE to read more about all of the Broadway lotteries/rushes.

The times are a-changin' however, as this week, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and HAMILTON (until spring) joined the growing list of productions that now offer a digital lottery. That's right- no more waiting in line in the cold/heat at the crack of dawn; no more joining the hoards of people in the street for the chance that your name might get chosen. One question remains- how long until the rest of Broadway joins the bandwagon?

Read more about the current digital lotteries below:

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER: A digital lottery allows potential audience members to purchase $42 day-of tickets. One entry per person (no age restrictions), with two tickets per winner. The entry period for a given performance will be from the curtain time of the previous performance until 3.5 hours prior to the curtain of the desired performance date. Tickets are subject to availability and may be partial view. Entrants will be notified 3 hours prior to the performance that they have won, and must pick up and pay for their tickets no later than 30 minutes prior to the performance at the Walter Kerr Theatre box office (219 West 48th Street).

ALLEGIANCE: A digital lottery for $39 seats available each day via allegiancemusical.com/lottery. Entries can be submitted the day of the preferred performance, either by 11AM for matinees or 3PM for evening performances. Winners will be notified via email or text, depending on what they select during the entry process, and winners may purchase up to 2 tickets which will be held at the box office.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME: a limited number of tickets per performance will be sold to winners of a digital lottery drawing. Tickets are $30 and limited to two per person. For details and entrance to the digital lottery, please visit www.CuriousOnBroadway.com/Lottery. The lottery can be entered each day beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET. Entrants will be notified of their status at approximately 11:15 a.m. ET for matinees and 3:15 p.m. ET for evening performances. Tickets must be claimed and paid for at the Barrymore Theatre box office at least 30 minutes before the start of the corresponding performance.

FUN HOME: Fun Home will partner with TodayTix to allow its members to enter a mobile lottery via the TodayTix app, available in the App Store or Google Play Store. The entry period will begin each day at midnight, and continue until winners are notified via push notification 3-4 hours before the selected performance begins. Winners will be offered the opportunity to purchase either one or two $32 tickets, and can pick up them up from the box office of the Circle in the Square Theatre. Lottery tickets and seat locations are subject to availability.

HAMILTON: The digital lottery, powered by Broadway Direct, will be at www.hamiltonbroadway.com/lottery. The entry period will begin each day at 9:30am for that day's performance(s) only. There is a limit of one entry per person, and each entrant can request up to two tickets. Entries for matinee performances will be accepted until 11am; the evening performance entry period ends at 4pm. Winners will be notified via email shortly thereafter with a link to purchase the tickets. Winners will have a 60 minute window during which they must claim and pay for their tickets with a credit card online. Tickets not claimed in this manner will be sold to the cancellation line in person at the box office. There will still be 21 front row tickets available to lottery entrants, and they will remain $10 each. Winners must pick up their tickets at the Richard Rodgers Theatre box office with a valid photo ID that matches the name drawn. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

KINKY BOOTS: The complete rules and regulations for the new digital lottery policy are as follows: 1. A limited number of tickets for each performance will be sold via lottery. 2. Entries will be accepted online (http://lottery.kinkybootsthemusical.com) beginning at the curtain time of the previous performance up to 3.5 hours prior to curtain of the desired performance. 3. Limit one entry per person and two tickets per winner â€" entries will be checked for duplicates. 4. Three hours prior to the performance time, names will be chosen at random for a limited number of tickets priced at $37.00 each, and entrants will be notified via email. 5. Winners may pick up and pay for their tickets any time between the drawing and 30 minutes prior to the curtain time. 6. Tickets are subject to availability. 7. Tickets may be partial view.

THE LION KNG: Lottery entries for each performance will be accepted starting once the prior day's performance begins and continue up until 9am on the day of the performance. At that time, the lottery for that performance will be closed. A limited number of tickets will be sold to winners of the official digital lottery. Visit https://lottery.broadwaydirect.com/show/the-lion-king/ and click "Enter Now" below for the performance you want to attend and fill out the entry form. After the lottery closes, you will be notified via email within minutes as to whether you won or not. If you are selected as a winner, you have 60 minutes to pay for your tickets via credit card. Seat locations are assigned based on availability and at the discretion of the Box Office. They cannot be transferred to other people or performances. Once you've paid, you'll need to use a government-issued ID in order to pick up your tickets.

ON YOUR FEET: The lottery will open at 9:00AM each day for entries to win a limited number of $40 same-day tickets to that evening's performance at www.onyourfeetmusical.com/tickets, and will remain open until 2:00PM when winners are drawn. Winners, notified by email immediately upon the 2:00PM drawing, will have 60 minutes to claim their tickets by paying with credit card, and can pick up the tickets at the Marquis Theatre Box Office (46th Street between Broadway & 8th Avenue) 30 minutes prior to showtime. Photo ID is required for pickup, seat locations and number of tickets awarded by the lottery are subject to availability.

SOMETHING ROTTEN: A limited number of tickets, including front row, per performance will be sold to winners of a digital lottery drawing. Tickets are $25 and limited to two per person. For details and entrance to the digital lottery beginning March 26th, visit lottery.rottenbroadway.com. Entrants will be notified of their status two-and-a-half hours prior to show time. Tickets must be claimed and paid for at the St. James Theatre box office no later than 30 minutes prior to the performance.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus