One of the greatest allures of NYC are all of the world class theatre options. Great musicals, dramatic plays, comedic work, all available upon arriving in New York City. So many choices, so many very expensive choices, what is a visitor to do? The answer is the TKTS booth. In the heart of Times Square, there is a ticket booth, identified by a large sign that notes “Tkts”. In this economy, this booth is a Godsend to any theatre fan. When the theatres have extra tickets for their performances, on the day of the show, they are given to this ticket booth. It is in the best interest of the theatre to have a packed house, so the booth is given the authority to offer the tickets at a significant discount. Up to a 50% discount to be exact! What a great deal to see wonderful theatre at a bargain price. Furthermore, these are some of the best seats in the house. Every time I have used this service, I have been able to purchase seats either in the orchestra section, or in the front row of the mezzanine at bargain basement prices. The first key is to get to the line early. The line forms very early in the morning for an opening to provide seats for matinee shows, and a mid-afternoon opening for evening performances. The earlier you arrive there, the greater the choice you will have of which performance to see. The second important point is to not have your heart set on a particular show to see. When going to a discount booth, the shows can differ every day as to which are available. As I stated earlier, the available shows are based on the theatre ticket sales. Therefore, the list of available shows is decided by which theatres have available seating. If you are planning on seeing one particular show, this is not the avenue for choosing a performance. However, if you are coming to have a great NYC theatre experience, but haven’t decided which show to attend, stop by the TKTS booth. Great theatre, great seats, bargain prices.
