(New York, N. Y.)

February 22, 2010


Some people like to plan their theatergoing well in advance; others, especially these days, are more interested in a bargain. The TKTS booth is often the first stop for those seeking reduced-price seats to a Broadway show. The booth in the theater district, at a newly refurbished location, is a relatively quick and convenient place to score tickets.

But what about the long lines? How do you know if a show is worth the money? Can’t this be done on an iPhone? And why aren’t there ever any tickets to “Wicked”?

Victoria Bailey, the executive director of the Theatre Development Fund, the nonprofit performing arts service organization that operates the city’s TKTS booths — besides the one in Times Square, there are booths at South Street Seaport and in downtown Brooklyn — has some answers.

I asked her some basic questions recently; here is our exchange.

What is the best time of day to get tickets? Where and when are the shortest lines?

The booths open at different times depending on the day of the week. The best time to go to the Times Square booth, in terms of evening performances — if you want the shortest wait — is probably 5:30 or 6 p.m. Really anytime after 5:30 there’s never a line. Most people get there when we open so the lines are longest then. That’s also when we tend to have the most shows available. There’s also a play-only line at the Times Square booth. There are hardly any lines for that.

Weather is tricky. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon people want to hang out in Duffy Square so it will be crowded. When it snows there won’t be a line. On a cold rainy day you won’t have a line. Fall through spring; the weather can make a difference.

When you’re talking about the satellite booths, because they are smaller and not centrally located, the lines are always shorter. The lines in Brooklyn are the shortest.

I’ve heard you can get better seats if you go later in the day. Is that true?

A show may not be at the booth when it opens, but tickets may still be sent over at 4:30 or 5. The theater may have house seats that they haven’t used. If there’s no traffic at the box office, tickets will go to the booth. Producers know that there are people at the booth who are going to buy tickets that day.