You just heard a hot musical is coming to town or the local opera house will perform your wife's favorite. Maybe you are traveling to New York, London or Italy and want to add a night at the theatre to your itinerary. With a little planning and by looking in the right places, you'll increase your chances of getting good seats.
Instructions
1. Mark your calendar with the dates when tickets will go on sale for upcoming productions. The best seats often sell out quickly.
2. Use your credit card. Some credit card companies can get tickets before they go on sale to the public, such as American Express, and sell tickets to cardholders at Yahoo! Broadway (see Resources below).
3. Contact the theatre directly for tickets, as it generally will have the best selection. Some venues sell their tickets through a specific broker, such as Ticketmaster (see Resources below).
4. Buy online by selecting the "best available seats" option. Check a map of the venue to make sure the seats are acceptable.
5. Call the ticket sales office. The website might be programmed to give you the closest seats to the stage or to the middle of the theater. An agent might be able to find seats that might not be considered the best by the computer but might be best for you.
6. Check with online ticket brokers such as Broadway.com (see Resources below), which sells tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows as well as shows in London's West End. Many brokers buy blocks of seats to many events and sell them, sometimes at a premium.
7. Buy tickets from someone who is selling theirs. Perhaps they bought too many or can no longer attend the event. You can often find listings in your local newspaper, on Craigslist.org or resale venues such as Ticketmaster's TicketExchange or StubHub.com (see Resources below).
8. Ask your travel agent if she offers a package that includes tickets, hotel rooms and transportation.
9. Listen to the radio. Radio stations often give away tickets to local events and sometimes have excellent seats. It's a long shot, but you might be able to get good tickets for free.
10. Try again about 2 days before the performance. Sometimes house tickets are released for sale to the public.
