Win the lotto, get a neck ache

Starting with Rent, many Broadway shows have taken to offering discount tickets through a student rush, lottery, or will offer some standing room only option (for a full list of shows that feature these options click here).

While it's all nice and good to plan to see a Broadway show most cost upwards of $100 per ticket. Hence the real excitement for many New Yorkers is trying to win the $25 lottery seats. You show up a bit early to the show, fill out a form with your name and how many tickets you want. Then, at the end of a half hour or so, they pull out however many names they have tickets for. The anticipation to see if you win a seat is about 359485 times more exciting than anything you might see on Broadway these days.

We were the first names picked (LUCKY) for Next to Normal which receives three out of four NYiR Landmarks (new rating system). The funny thing is that after winning magical tickets we got the first and supposedly best seats left, right in the front row. The picture above was taken from these seats and I bet you crane your neck just to look at it.

I hear this is pretty typical for Student Rush and lottery. Cons: neck ache. Pros: the amount of actor spit you get to take home as a souvenir. Plus the rush that comes with wondering if something might fall off the stage and into your lap. Like an actor.