Getting an Off-Broadway theater ticket is comparatively easier than getting passes to the more popular Broadway shows. The theater in New York is divided into three categories: The Off-Broadway, the Broadway, and the Off-Off Broadway. Before we understand the different ways of obtaining our Off-Broadway tickets, let us first understand the difference between these three categories of theaters in New York.
A Brief Overview
Here is a brief overview of the kinds of Broadway theaters:
While there are no described guidelines that segregate the categories, still there are quite a few differences between the three.
A Broadway theater is geographically located between 41st and 54th street of Sixth and Eighth Avenue. They would have a minimum seating capacity of 499 seats and all Broadway theaters are purely commercial ones.
An Off-Broadway theater would have more than 99 seats but less than 499 seats. They are also located outside the geographical area that’s been mentioned for the Broadway theaters. You would find most Off-Broadway theaters in New York have less than 100 seats. These theaters run on a much lesser profit margin, and you would find that Off-Broadway theater tickets would be more easily available than Broadway theater tickets. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are larger than Off-Broadway theaters but still smaller than Broadway theaters.
So now that you know the different kinds of Broadway theaters, you must have understood that getting an Off-Broadway Theater ticket is not such a big deal after all. Let us know the different places from where you can purchase the tickets.
Booking The Tickets
You can try and book your tickets through any of the options below: First and foremost, you can head to the box office booth of the theater itself. Most likely, you would easily get the tickets at the counter. Just in case the show running at the theater is a popular one and you are unable to get the tickets for it at the counter, you can try it at the TKTS kiosks. You never know, here you might even be offered a 25 percent discount on the tickets.
It is better if you book the Off-Broadway Theater ticket a few weeks in advance. But even if you don’t, then there is no need to worry. Online bookings for theater tickets are available in plenty and all you need to do is to contact a reputable ticket site and go on with the booking. Though you would be charged an additional amount above the face value of the ticket, it is well worth the effort. The ticket broker would offer you the seating plan and would even send the tickets to your home.
While booking with an online ticket broker is a convenient option, one must ensure that he deals with a legitimate one only. Make sure that the broker is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers and works with a reputable online site.
Whichever option you select, just make sure that you do not deal with the scalpers that hang around theaters, waiting to cheat people. They would offer you forged or illegal tickets and chances are that the Off-Broadway Theater ticket that they sell you might not even be accepted at the entrance.
Getting the Best Seat for an Off-Broadway Show
You don’t have to think of getting tickets to an off-broadway show as a big deal. There are usually plenty of tickets available per show. Getting the best seat will come down to the price you want to pay. Don’t let a few dollars hold you back from having a premiere seat. Remember, the theaters aren’t that big so most of the seats are good seats. However, don’t force yourself to the back if you can avoid it. You might as well get the best seats available which are usually center-stage.
