How to Get Broadway Tickets Without Paying $1,454.88

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Katharine Quinn is the bright-eyed founder of two very buzzed-about theater marketing companies — And That’s Strategy and And That’s Showbiz — both of which have helped shepherd Broadway into its TikTok era and fostered avid, enviable fandoms for a number of successful shows, including The Great Gatsby and Maybe Happy Ending. Last week she launched a passion project, a website called BroadwayCheapSeats.com, that has one goal: to help people in search of inexpensive same-day “rush” tickets get on line for them in person before they sell out. A bit like Waze for theater fans, the site (which she’s currently running at zero profit) encourages those standing on line to report how long they waited and whether they were able to buy tickets — and even where those seats are located. We chatted with Quinn about the project, which feels all the more important at a time when tickets to some Broadway shows are reaching the $1,500 mark.

What made you want to do this?
Making Broadway accessible is a core mission of mine. My social-media work feels like a part of it, because I perceive Broadway social media to be an extension of what you experience in the theater. The organization No Guarantees did a study last year that showed that Gen Z perceives Broadway tickets to be nearly twice as expensive as they actually are. The perception of Broadway is that it’s this incredibly expensive thing, and to be fair, it can be. But also, you can see Hamilton for $10 or Maybe Happy Ending for $20.64, or get a rush ticket that costs between $30 and $49. I want more people to have awareness that you don’t only have to spend $200. The first 100 shows that I saw on Broadway were all either rush, lottery, or standing room.

But the idea for this website came about when I noticed that people on TikTok had started doing rush reports — that is, creators would go to a theater and say, “There’s eight people in line for this show.” But it was inconsistent, because obviously that’s a really hard thing to maintain. And so I thought, What would happen if there were a consolidated source where anybody could file their rush report? And then what if that site aggregated that data and could offer a recommendation based on the last 90 days or the season or a new star being in the show or a show-closing announcement, and adjust? We started beta testing in July, and we’ve already had 2,600 rush reports.

When you’re working on a show’s marketing strategy, do you get involved at all in determining its discount-ticket policy — to help grow the show following?
Yes. We worked really closely with Micah Hollingworth, who does ticketing for Maybe Happy Ending for the $20.64 lottery, which offers fantastic center mezzanine seats. It felt really important to advocate for that.

How has the hunt for cheap Broadway tickets changed over the years?
When I first began pursuing affordable tickets, the lotteries were all in person. I remember the days of some sweet human with a hat full of folded names and praying that your name was drawn. Now all of the lotteries are digital, which is very humane and wonderful, and I’m thrilled. But there’s still a ton of in-person rush, which I actually think is charming. I love digital rush as well, but I really struggle with it. My thumbs are never fast enough. Like, you have to literally have your finger on the phone.

When I think about rushing for tickets, I immediately feel a sense of dread — like I’m going to stand for hours baking in the sun or freezing in the cold and walk away ticketless. But your data shows that most of the time, rushing actually works out.
There will be shows that sell out, but for most Broadway shows right now, if you arrive by 9 or even by 9:30 a.m., you have a pretty good shot. And sometimes you get lucky and even after the box office opens, you can still secure a rush ticket. It benefits the theater too, because it helps them get their capacity up. Rush seats are unsold tickets otherwise. It’s a net positive for everyone.

What’s the hardest ticket to rush right now?
The current earliest time to show up is for The Lost Boys; half the line is typically arriving by 8 a.m., and the box office opens at 10 a.m. for $45 tickets. That’s not horrible — I’ve definitely been in rush lines at 5 a.m. The other difficult ones are Paranormal Activity and Chicago, because Reece Weaver [from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders] is selling so, so, so many tickets. And Oh, Mary!, because of the wonderful revolving door of brilliant star casting.