Money Hack: How to score the best seats on Broadway for cheap
Our show-stopping tips to the biggest and best productions.
The Statue of Liberty, Central Park and the Empire State Building. They're all must-dos on a trip to New York.
As is attending a production on Broadway.
It's one of the best known theatre districts in the world and offers up dozens of shows on any given day. But the best tickets to the big productions are often snapped up early or come with big price tags. There are simple ways top get around this however.
The hack
For the best seats:
Take advantage of quieter holidays and event days.
The working day might be marred by excitement and parties on Halloween and New Year's, but on these days Broadway stays right on track. That's right, while tends to shut on select public holidays and Mondays, the doors generally stay open even when a big festival is running the streets of the city.
And with everyone out celebrating you'll often find that the shows are super quiet, leaving you with the best seats in the house.
For example, at the time of writing, tickets to Aladdin on Good Friday (19 April) and Easter Saturday (20 April) are at high availability on Broadway Inbound. This despite them being on high demand days which are from Thursday-Saturday.
To book seats with Broadway Inbound, contact your local travel agent.
That's how to score great seats but what about discounted seats?
For the best price:
While pre-booking has its benefits, including peace of mind that you're guaranteed tickets to a certain performance on a specific date, if you're willing to wing it or aren't picky about what show you watch, last-minute bookings can save you a bundle.
TKTS discount booths can shave up to 50% off same-day tickets. To take advantage of this you have to rock up to the counter in the morning and hope there are empty seats available. It's a gamble but one that's paid off time and time again for me.
If you really must pre-book, one way to do so on the cheap is via a booking site like Viator which can discount seats much cheaper than booking direct after fees and charges are considered.
Finally, another way to tick Broadway off your list while keeping the wallet happy is to go "off-Broadway". This literally means you'll see a production that isn't on the Broadway strip but is in a smaller theatre in the area. It's a great way to support the arts and discover a production you might not typically have heard of.
In Australia?
Australians don't tend to discount theatre tickets but one service that does give you the chance to catch a cheap seat is TodayTix. It offers last-minute and limited-time-only discounts on shows in Sydney and Melbourne. This has included $40 lottery tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and $45 rush tickets to West Side Story in Sydney.
Finder Money Hacks is a weekly round-up of the latest tips and tricks to improve your finances. Check back every Wednesday and Saturday for new hacks.
Image: Broadway Inbound