This year I made the pilgrimage to New York City for the first time ever. It was incredible to finally visit the city that never sleeps, and get to step onto Broadway for the very first time. Let me tell you something; I have been dreaming of visiting New York ever since I was a little kid and had seen Annie for the first time on tv. (Crazy, I know, considering she was an orphan).
It’s a major bucket list moment for any theatre fanatic to see a show on Broadway, but my lord, was I blown away by the prices of tickets while I was there. Before the trip, which was planned to celebrate my mum’s 60th birthday, I had already booked tickets to see Funny Girl at the August Wilson. We were looking forward to seeing Lea Michele, having watched Glee back in the day, however, she was out for the night so we were lucky to get to see the outstanding Julie Benko instead. (More on that, another time).
I knew that within the week we were there, we’d probably want to see at least one more show. We ended up seeing three. So, I looked into ways to get cheaper tickets. I am quite well-versed in finding cheap tickets in the UK, however, I was an absolute Broadway Beginner so had no idea where to start. That was until I stumbled upon Broadway Roulette.
What Is Broadway Roulette?
Broadway Roulette offers a clever way to economise on theatre tickets if you’re keen to enjoy the enchantment of Broadway but aren’t particular about which show you attend.
Here’s a quick and simple rundown of how it operates: you select the date and quantity of tickets, the website randomly selects a Broadway show for you, and you pay a predetermined, budget-friendly ticket price. Usually, these are between $49 and $59, which is a steal considering a number of decent tickets are priced well above $150 each.
What’s great about Broadway Roulette, is that once you’ve set up an account and have spun the wheel, you’ll never win tickets to the same show again. So, if you’re in New York for a while, returning to the city soon, or a theatre fan that lives there, it’s a great way to get to see a number of shows relatively cheaply!
Which Shows Are Available?
All productions featured on Broadway are available through Broadway Roulette! The roster of shows presented on the Buy Tickets page on the website corresponds to the performances scheduled for your chosen date. It’s essential to bear in mind, though, that shows may suddenly announce unexpected openings or closings.
While the whole point is that it’s a bit of a lucky dip, you can set preferences for the type of show you’d like to see. Additionally, you can exclude up to 5 shows (3 for free, 2 at an additional cost) that you’ve already watched or don’t wish to see during each spin. Broadway Roulette also offers a family-friendly roulette that exclusively features shows suitable for children aged 10 and above.
If you have a particular show in mind, I would recommend purchasing tickets directly from the theatre hosting that show or using an app like TodayTix for specific deals. Another option is to explore rush tickets and lotteries, akin to those available in the UK.
My Experience With Broadway Roulette
Before heading to New York, we were researching ways to find cheaper tickets and that’s how we found out about Broadway Roulette. We didn’t know for sure which show, apart from Funny Girl, we wanted to see (except Sweeney Todd – but that was mostly sold out, with only extortionate prices left for the time we were there). So, Broadway Roulette felt like the perfect solution as it was a fun way to have a show picked for us at a reasonable price. Only after we came out of the theatre for Funny Girl, though, did we actually decide to go for it.
We spun the wheel on Thursday to receive tickets for a show the next day. That means we paid the slightly higher price band, as shows on Fridays and Saturdays start at $59 per person. This seems reasonable as these are the most popular days to go to the theatre, so demand is higher. We didn’t mind though, as it was still a lot cheaper than buying tickets, with a relatively good view, for a show directly. We crossed off a few shows we didn’t want to see, I won’t mention them here so theatre fans don’t come after me… One, though, wasn’t “your Cinderella” (if you know, you know).
I received both a text, and an email, the day of the show telling us what we’d won tickets to see. This is the exciting part, it felt like a drum roll in my head while I was opening the text. It read:
“Hi Helen, you’ve won tickets to Kimberly Akimbo at 8PM! Keep an eye on your inbox for your e-tickets, which you should receive by 2 hours before showtime.”
True to their word, the team quickly sent over e-tickets to my inbox which were easily scanned upon entering the theatre that evening. Now, I won’t lie to you, I didn’t know what to think when I saw we had won tickets to Kimberly Akimbo. I didn’t know much about the show, as this was pre-Tony Awards. I think this worked in our favour, though, as we were in for a spectacular surprise. We had fantastic seats, central to the stage. The theatre was quite small, it reminded me of the Noel Coward in London, so it was a great setting for such an intimate musical.
I really enjoyed the show, and thought the cast were outstanding. I’m so glad I used Broadway Roulette because I’m not sure we would’ve picked the musical as it’s not known in the UK. I really hope it will transfer to the West End at some point, as it thoroughly deserved all of its five Tony Wins – especially Victoria Clark as Best Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical. I’ll leave my whole thoughts for a full review.
Spin The Broadway Roulette Wheel
All in all, I had a fantastic experience spinning the Broadway Roulette wheel. The entire journey, from spinning the wheel to the grand finale of an incredible show, was seamless and unforgettable. If you ever find yourself in New York, I highly recommend giving it a whirl at least once. Who knows? You might stumble upon a future award-winning masterpiece!
Broadway Roulette is ideal for those open to any show, and with such an impressive selection, disappointment is unlikely. Spin the wheel, and discover the magic yourself.
Not planning a trip to New York in the near future? Not to worry! The West End has its own, lesser-known version. Why not give it a shot right here?
