3 Ways to See Live Theatre on a Budget
In this post I want to talk about the affordability of theater in New York City. Yes, for sure, people do pay upwards of $400 per ticket to see a top-rated Broadway show. But that isn’t in everybody’s budget. It certainly isn’t in mine. So I want to turn your attention to a few ways I see great theater for less money (that isn’t standing on the TKTS line).
Show-Score allows any user to create an account for free and start scoring shows (0–100) you’ve seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. Once you score six shows, adding just a few comments (it takes maybe 5 minutes of your time), you get invited to be a Member. You’ll get regular emails inviting you to Show-Score Socials, where you get to see some top-rated shows for a group discount rate, and Member Nights, where you get to see certain shows for “free” (you pay a nominal service fee). They also have different levels of inexpensive paid memberships that get you other benefits and cheaper service fees. I’ve seen some really excellent shows (including on Broadway) through this program and I can say that even the slightly higher cost of the paid membership is worth it if you go to at least one show per month. Plus, Show-Score has a great compilation of all the lottery and rush tickets available for both New York City and London!
Most theater-goers know of TodayTix as the phone app that you enter for lotteries to Shakespeare in the Park and other Public Theater offerings. Now, it’s one of my go-to places for searching for cheaper tickets. You can buy rush tickets for so many shows, including “& Juliet” and “Between Riverside and Crazy.” TodayTix is also where you can try and score the Friday Forty, $40 tickets to “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” They also often have great deals to plays and musicals such as “The Book of Mormon” and “Wicked.”
Goldstar is another really good site to check if you want free tickets or deep discounts on quality theater, live music, and other attractions. I’ve seen some really quirky and fun shows for less than half the price through Goldstar. Some recent finds are the always entertaining “Blue Man Group,” events at City Winery, and the immersive Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion.
A couple of other websites to try include Broadway Roulette and Club Free Time. I have not personally tried either but friends have recommended them and they seem legit. Broadway Roulette allows you to pick a date and time when you want to go to the theater but they pick the show for you (it allows you to cross off up to four shows). This is great for people visiting from out of town who have limited time and don’t care what they see. Club Free Time appeals to those who have a lot of flexibility in their schedules. You pay a yearly membership fee and that gives you access to many free and low-cost musicals, plays, concerts, and other cultural events. There are options for a 3-month, 1-month, and 1-week membership as well.
The bottom line is you needn’t shell out hundreds of dollars for quality theater. You just need a flexible schedule, a little know-how, and a few bucks.
