A Broadway ticket listing packs a lot into one line: a date and time, a theater, a section, a row, a seat number, a price and often a note or two. Read correctly, it tells you nearly everything about the evening you are buying. Read carelessly, it can land you behind a pillar or paying double on a resale site. Here is each part in turn.
Date, time and theater
Check the performance date and the curtain time first, in Eastern time. Matinee and evening performances on the same day are easy to mix up, and so are the different start times on different weekdays. Then check the theater: shows occasionally move houses, and a listing for the right title at the wrong address is a warning sign.
Sections
- Orchestra is the ground floor, closest to the stage. The center orchestra, a third of the way back, is where many people would sit if price were no object. The first few rows put you very close and can mean looking up at the stage.
- Mezzanine is the first balcony. The front mezzanine gives a full view of choreography and staging and is a favorite for big musicals. The rear mezzanine is further away but still a straight-on view.
- Balcony is a second, higher level that only some Broadway theaters have. It is the cheapest and the furthest away.
- Boxes sit along the side walls. They feel special but look at the stage from a sharp angle, and many are sold as partial view.
Rows and seat numbers
Rows are lettered from the front, with row A nearest the stage in most sections. Some theaters have extra rows in front of A, lettered AA, BB and so on, and some skip letters such as I. The seating chart on the official seller's site is the only reliable guide for a particular house.
Seat numbers follow a common Broadway pattern. In many houses the center section is numbered from 101 upward, and the two side sections use odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other, counting outward from the center aisle. So seats 1 and 3 can be on the opposite side of the theater from seats 2 and 4, and two tickets listed as seats 101 and 102 are next to each other while seats 1 and 2 may not be. If sitting together matters, check that the numbers run in sequence within one section.
The notes that matter
- Partial view or obstructed view means part of the stage is hidden, by a pillar, an overhang or the edge of the stage. These seats are cheaper for a reason.
- Limited legroom is common in older theaters, especially in the upper levels.
- Wheelchair, companion and aisle transfer seats are held for patrons who need them; the box office can explain the options.
- Premium seats are the show's best locations at a higher price set by the official seller. They are real tickets, not resale.
Price and fees
The price on the seating chart is rarely the price you pay. Online sellers add a service fee per ticket, and many theaters add a facility fee. Compare the total with fees, not the headline number. Buying in person at the box office avoids the online service fee, which adds up for a family of four.
Prices for popular shows move with demand, so the same seat can cost different amounts on different nights or from one week to the next. That is normal on the official seller, and it is one reason the lottery, rush and TKTS exist.
Official seller or resale?
The official seller is the ticketing company the show itself uses, linked from the show's own website. Every show page on Office Broadway names it and links to it. Resale sites list tickets that other people bought, often well above the original price, and sometimes before they even hold the tickets. Signs you have landed on resale: a price far above what the official seller shows, a listing with no exact seat numbers, or a site that calls itself "official" without being linked from the show.
The simplest rule: start from the show page here, follow the link to the official seller or walk to the box office, and compare anything else against that price.