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Guide to Last Minute Broadway Tickets

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Published on: Apr 1, 2023
Last Updated on: Sep 21, 2025
By: Kathryn Willingham
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Maybe you’re in town at the last minute, maybe you just like to fly by the seat of your pants, but either way, you want to see a Broadway show…fast. Never fear! Even with no advance notice and only hours to spare, you can still get great seats to a range of Broadway shows. No matter your budget, we’ll tell you how to score last minute cheap Broadway tickets, or even get the best seats in the house! We'll detail how use rush and lottery tickets, what shows offer Standing Room Only seats, how to get into sold-out shows, and what services to utilize to get great seats. We’ll also tell you tips and tricks on what performances are likely to be cheaper. Here's everything you need to know about how to get tickets:

The Apps and Websites

Let’s face it, we don’t have time to wait in line. The easiest ways to get tickets last minute is to go ON line. These are the websites to know:

Telecharge

Telecharge

Telecharge: Telecharge is the official ticket seller for many Broadway plays and musicals and also offers exclusive deals, rush and lottery options, and discounts on certain shows. It is owned by the Shubert Organization, which also owns many Broadway theaters.

TodayTix

TodayTix: TodayTix is known for its discounts and flash sales, and it also offers digital rush and lottery tickets for many shows. The app is known for being particularly user-friendly.

Broadway Direct

Broadway Direct: Broadway Direct is the official ticket seller for: Beetlejuice, Death Becomes Her, Hamilton, Six, Stranger Things, and Wicked.

Criterion

Criterion

Criterion: Criterion is the official ticket seller for & Juliet and Oedipus.

StubHub

StubHub: This is a secondary marketplace – it is a safe and valid way to buy tickets, but be prepared for some potential price markups. If a show is sold out, it very well may have tickets still available on StubHub.

The Discount Sites

The discount sites: Check Playbill Discounts, BroadwayBox, and Theatermania for promo codes and featured discounts to some of the most popular shows on Broadway.

Enter Digital Lotteries

Just put your name in the pot and go on with your day! Most Broadway shows offer digital lotteries on LuckySeat, Broadway Direct, or Telecharge. Specific details are below, and just remember to check your phone periodically, because if you win a Broadway lottery, you may only have a limited time to claim your tickets. Here are the major platforms that offer lottery tickets and how they work, and if you want a show-by-show list, check out our article on Broadway Lottery Tickets for a full rundown.

Lucky Seat

Enter by: 9:30am EST

Winners are drawn: at 10am EST and continue throughout the day.

How to claim tickets: Winners will receive an email with instructions. Limit 2 tickets per winner.

What shows have lotteries on LuckySeat? LuckySeat offers lotteries for Hadestown, Moulin Rouge!, The Book of Mormon, and Waiting for Godot.

Broadway Direct

Enter by: It varies on the show.

Winners are drawn: It varies on the show.

How to claim tickets: Winners will have 60 minutes to pay for tickets using a credit card.

What shows have lotteries on Broadway Direct? Aladdin, Death Becomes Her, MJ, Six, Stranger Things, The Lion King, and Wicked.

Telecharge

Rush Telecharge

Enter by: 3pm the day before the performance

Winners are drawn: usually at 10am and 3pm

How to claim tickets: Winner will receive an email and have 5 hours to purchase tickets online.

What shows have lotteries on Telecharge? Art, Buena Vista Social Club, The Great Gatsby, Hell’s Kitchen, Mamma Mia!, Maybe Happy Ending, Oh Mary!, Operation Mincemeat, and The Outsiders.

Get Digital Rush Tickets

Rush Tickets are discount tickets reserved for same-day ticket buyers and sold first-come, first-served. Consider them a reward for procrastinators everywhere. Some shows only offer these tickets in-person at the box office, but many others allow guests to join a digital queue. 

If a theater is offering digital rush tickets, they are usually using one of two platforms: TodayTix or Telecharge. Just head to both websites to see what’s on offer. Most policies require you to pay by credit card and have a limit of 2 ticket per person, and seating location is at the discretion of the box office.

TodayTix

TodayTix: Rush tickets go on sale at 9am, and it is recommended that you check the website or app as soon as possible, because tickets sell out quickly. Shows like & Juliet, The Book of Mormon, and Waiting for Godot all offer rush tickets through TodayTix.

Telecharge

Rush Telecharge

Telecharge: Rush tickets go on sale at 11am on the day of the performance. For really popular shows, set an alarm and be ready to purchase tickets right at 11am…these tickets go fast! You’ll need to sign in either using a social network like Facebook, X, or linked in – or you can just sign up with your email address. Current and recent shows on offer include this year’s winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Maybe Happy Ending!

Get Rush Tickets In Person

For in-person rush tickets, head to the box office for a chance to purchase discounted seats. Tickets are sold first-come, first serve, so for popular shows, people start lining up when or even before the box office opens. Many friends are made in the rush line waiting for the box office to open, but it’s worth checking for tickets at any time of day, the box office will sell tickets until they are out of stock. The below shows offer in-person rush tickets, and we’ll let you know the address of the box office, and when it opens!

& Juliet

Stephen Sondheim Theatre

124 W. 43rd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Sunday.

It’s Romeo and Juliet with an all-new ending and a ton of pop music! What if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?

Art at the Music Box Theatre

Art

Music Box Theatre

239 W. 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris, and Bobby Cannavale star in this hilarious play that’s all about, well, ART!

Buena Vista Social Club

Schoenfeld Theatre

236 W. 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Come see the sights and sounds of Cuba as you immerse yourself in the iconic music of Buena Vista Social Club!

Chicago-Broadway

Chicago

Ambassador Theatre

219 W. 49th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

An enduring Broadway classic, Chicago follows two charismatic murderesses as they try to get out of jail with a little razzle dazzle.

Death Becomes Her

Death Becomes Her

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

205 W. 46th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Tuesday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

This musical comedy has it all: two frenemies, a mysterious elixir offering endless beauty and youth, and a love triangle to die for!

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

Broadway Theatre

1681 Broadway, between 52nd and 53rd Street

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

It’s the Roaring Twenties! Parties, luxury, and the American dream – join Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway in this retelling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.   

harry-potter-cursed-child-at-lyric

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Lyric Theatre

214 W. 43rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Sunday.

Set years after the events of the book series, this brand-new story takes place in Hogwarts when Harry and Draco’s sons start school.

Hell's Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen

Shubert Theatre

225 W. 44th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Loosely inspired by Alicia Keys’ childhood and featuring her hit songs, Hell’s Kitchen follows Ali as she finds her passion and identity in one of Manhattan’s most well-known neighborhoods.

Just In Time

Just In Time

Circle in the Square Theatre

235 W. 50th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Jonathan Groff wows audiences as Bobby Darin in this hit musical that features songs like “Mack the Knife,” “Splish Splash,” and “Beyond the Sea.”

Mamma Mia! at the Winter Garden

Mamma Mia!

Winter Garden Theatre

1634 Broadway, between 50th and 51st Street

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Here we go again! Mamma Mia! returns to Broadway stages in a limited run that is proving to be one of Broadway’s most popular tickets.

Maybe Happy Ending

Maybe Happy Ending

Belasco Theatre

111 W. 44th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Winner of the 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical, Maybe Happy Ending follows two retired robots who have the most human of emotions.

Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum

Oh, Mary!

Lyceum Theatre

149 W. 45th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

This madcap comedy follows Mary Lincoln, a hard-drinking, aspiring Cabaret singer who feels stifled by her husband Abe.

Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat

Golden Theatre

252 W. 45th Sreet, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

This musical comedy is based on the unbelievable true story of how a British operation tricked Hitler and his forces using a dead body. This West End hit is now a hit on Broadway!

The Outsiders at the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre

The Outsiders

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

242 W. 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Based on the novel of the same name, The Outsiders is all about brotherhood and chosen family. It is set in 1960s Oklahoma and follows a rivalry between two groups: the Greasers and the well-off Socs.

Stranger Things on Broadway

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Marquis Theatre

210 W. 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Based on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things: The First Shadow takes you back to Hawkins in 1959, when it all began!

Standing Room Only Tickets

Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are sold at a lower ticket price and are only offered for performances of shows that are entirely sold out. Not every show offers them, so check with the box office for availability. Currently & Juliet, Chicago, Hadestown, Maybe Happy Ending, The Outsiders, and Six all offer SRO options. Tickets can be bought at the box office and are usually limited to two tickets per person. Standing locations are usually located at the rear of the orchestra, and there is usually a bar to lean on.

Just Show Up at the Box Office

It’s always worth checking with the box office – some shows, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, have an official cancellation line for tickets that are returned last-minute, but all shows will sell you a ticket if there is one available. And it can even be worth asking about things like box seats; some theaters don’t put these on sale to the public, usually due to sightline issues, but might sell them at a discount at the box office.

What Are the Cheapest Last Minute Broadway Tickets?

Standing Room Only tickets are likely going to be the cheapest tickets offered, and in general matinee and weekday performances are cheaper than evening and weekend performances. If you have enough time, it can also be worth going directly to the box office of the show you’re trying to see and asking if they have any last-minute deals available.

But if you have limited time and are only in town for a few days, we’d recommend heading to the TKTS Booth in Times Square, which offers tickets at steep discounts up to half off!

Other Ways to Score Last Minute Broadway Tickets!

Concierge Services: If you’re staying in a New York hotel with a concierge, they can often help find hard-to-get, last minute tickets to hit shows in a variety of seat locations. Just be aware you may be paying a premium.

American Express: American Express cardholders can get exclusive access to blocks of tickets through the Card Member Access program.

Discounts and Broadway Shows on Now

Looking to buy last minute tickets to a Broadway performance in New York City right now? Check out our article on the Top Broadway Shows playing today! Or check out our NYC Broadway Week article and Discount Broadway Tickets article for more information about what times of year you can get 2-for-1 theatre tickets and other ways to save!

Kathryn Willingham

Head of Creative Development

Kathryn Willingham has worked in entertainment for over ten years, and recent credits include: Co-producer of SHRINK currently streaming on Peacock, Associate Producer of the independent film UNA, and Creative Executive on multiple theatrical productions including HANGMEN by Martin McDonagh on Broadway, NASSIM by Nassim Soleimanpour Off-broadway and Associate on productions EVERY BRILLIANT THING by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe and THE EFFECT by Lucy Prebble. She was Producer of Todd Almond’s musical travelogue “Wyoming and Parts of Kansas” and Production Coordinator for Karen O and KK Barrett's “Stop the Virgens.”

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Education: B.A. in English, Literature & Creative Writing from Rhodes College
Knowledge: Theatrical Production

Published

Apr 1, 2023

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