Broadway Groupies: Rushing a Show

by Kris Venezia | 08/10/2012 | 6:52am

Theater enthusiasts, looking to save a buck, turn to rushing.

All this week WFUV News has been introducing you to people who can't get enough of Broadway. Groupies if you will. People who spend thousands of dollars to see their favorite shows again and again and again. But, some theater enthusiasts aren't about to empty their bank account to see a show. So they wait in long lines the day of a performance for discounted seats. These rush tickets cost much less than the regular price.

On a Friday morning, aspiring theater goers wait for hours out front of Foxwoods Theater near Times Square. The musical rendition of Spiderman is showing, and these rushers are hoping to snag a ticket when the box office opens at 10 A-M. Mike Smith stands near the front of the line, and he's hoping to take his nephew to the performance.

"I got here at seven o'clock this morning, so I've been in line for about three hours," he said. "I was told that if you come in early enough, you can get seat for forty bucks. For me, it's a good deal."

Full priced tickets for this show can run from 85 to 401 dollars, not including the service fee. Zach Wilson, who'll be a college freshman next year, says he can't afford the regular price.

"I'm broke, and I really want to see some Broadway shows," Wilson said.

Rent was the first Broadway show to offer rush tickets in 1996. The musical would sell tickets for 20-dollars to so-called "Rent-heads" who would camp out in front of the theater.

Broadway Groupies: Rushing a Show

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