How to Score Cheap Broadway Tickets: A Complete Guide to Using BwayRush.com (Lottery Explained)

How to Use BwayRush.com to Score Cheap Broadway Tickets

If you’ve ever looked at Broadway ticket prices and thought, “yeah… absolutely not” , you’re not alone.

But here’s the insider secret: you can see Broadway shows for as little as $10–$50 if you know where to look. And one of the BEST tools to make that happen is BwayRush.com.

In this guide, I’ll break down exactly how the website works, what “rush” and “lottery” tickets mean, and how to actually use it to land affordable seats.

What Is BwayRush.com?

BwayRush.com is a free resource website that compiles all Broadway shows currently offering:

• Rush tickets
• Lottery tickets
• Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets
• Student or special discounted deals

Instead of hunting through multiple ticketing platforms, this site puts everything in one place, organized by show and updated weekly.

How BwayRush Works (Step-by-Step)

1. Browse All Current Broadway Shows

When you land on the homepage, you’ll see a list of Broadway shows with:

• Showtimes for the week
• Ticket types (rush, lottery, etc.)
• Prices (usually $10–$50 range)

This gives you a quick snapshot of what’s available right now.

2. Understand the Ticket Types

This is the MOST important part.

Rush Tickets

• Sold day-of the performance
• First-come, first-served
• Can be:
  • In-person at the box office
  • Digital (via apps like TodayTix)
• Usually limited quantity

Translation: You need to be early or fast.

Rush tickets are discounted same-day tickets, often requiring you to line up at the theater or grab them immediately when they drop online.

Lottery Tickets

• Enter online for a chance to win tickets
• Typically opens:
  • The day before OR
  • Same day (varies by show)
• Winners are notified either one day in advance or a few hours before showtime

Translation: Low effort, but not guaranteed.

Lotteries are randomized systems where you enter and hope to win the chance to buy discounted tickets.

Standing Room Only (SRO)

• Only available if a show is sold out
• You’ll stand at the back of the theater
• Cheapest option

Translation: You’ll be on your feet, but you’re IN the room.

3. Click Through to Enter or Buy

Important: BwayRush is NOT a ticket seller.

Instead, it links you to the correct platform for each show, such as:

• TodayTix
• Telecharge
• Broadway Direct

From there, you’ll:

• Enter the lottery
• Or attempt to purchase rush tickets

4. Check the Weekly Calendar

Each show includes a visual grid that shows:

• Which days have performances
• Matinee vs evening shows
• Standard vs unusual schedules

This helps you plan exactly when to enter or line up.

What It’s Really Like to Win Broadway Lottery Tickets (My BwayRush Experience)

When we had friends visiting for the weekend, I decided to test our luck with the Broadway lottery for The Lion King, and turned it into a group strategy.

Before the weekend even started, I set a reminder for all four of us to enter the lottery for the Sunday matinee. At exactly 9:00 am on Saturday (when entries opened), my alarm went off and I made sure everyone submitted their entry. Then, I set another alarm for 3:00 pm (the time winners are notified) so we could all check our emails together.

Since each winner can purchase up to two tickets, we only needed two out of the four of us to win in order for all of us to go.

At 3:00 pm, we refreshed our inboxes, and my husband was one of the lucky winners! He immediately clicked the link in the email and purchased two tickets for us. If you win, you usually have a limited window (in this case, just one hour) to claim your tickets before they’re released to someone else.

Meanwhile, Lili and I got the “not selected” emails, and her fiancé Patrick was placed on the waitlist with instructions to check back in an hour. So yes… I set another alarm for 4:00 pm.

When 4:00 pm rolled around, we checked again, and sure enough, Patrick had been offered tickets from someone who didn’t claim theirs in time!

And just like that, all four of us were going to see The Lion King on Broadway, for a fraction of the usual price (a mere $35 each! Regular price typically starts around $175 each).

Seat-wise, my husband and I ended up in the very last row of the mezzanine, while Lili and Patrick were seated just two rows ahead of us. When we arrived, the staff reassured us that there are “no bad seats in the theater“; and they were absolutely right! We could see everything clearly and we truly enjoyed the experience.

Honestly, the whole experience felt a little like a game, part strategy, part luck, and 100% worth it.

Real Example of How You’d Use It

Let’s say you want to see Hamilton:

1. Go to BwayRush.com
2. Find Hamilton in the list
3. See that it offers a $10 lottery
4. Click the lottery link (this particular show requires that you download an app to enter into the lottery pool)
5. Enter the day before
6. Wait for results

If you win ? you get insanely cheap tickets
If not ? try again or check rush options

Pro Tips for Actually Winning / Getting Tickets

Here’s where strategy comes in.

For Rush Tickets:

• Show up EARLY (especially for popular shows)
• Weekdays > weekends
• Be flexible with shows

For Lotteries:

• Enter every day you’re available
• Enter for multiple shows
• Have everyone in your group enter into all of the same lotteries
• Check results quickly (they expire!)

General Strategy:

• Use BwayRush to compare options across shows
• Don’t fixate on ONE show (this is key)
• Combine lottery + rush attempts for best odds
• Set alarms & reminders on your phone to make sure you don’t miss anything

Real talk: timing makes a HUGE difference
I’ve found that lottery tickets are way easier to win during NYC’s off-season. Once you hit peak tourist times (like summer or the Christmas season) the number of empty seats goes down, the competition goes way up, and it becomes much harder to snag tickets.

Why BwayRush Is So Useful

Without it, you’d have to:

• Google each show individually
• Track multiple lottery platforms
• Miss opportunities

Instead, BwayRush acts as your central dashboard for Broadway deals.

It simplifies a process that’s otherwise confusing and scattered.

Is BwayRush Legit?

Yes, but remember:

• It’s an information aggregator, not a seller
• It links directly to official ticketing platforms
• Always double-check details on the ticket provider site

Final Thoughts

If you live in NYC (or you’re just visiting), BwayRush is one of the easiest ways to make Broadway more accessible without spending a fortune.

With a little flexibility and consistency, you can score tickets to incredible shows at a fraction of the typical price, sometimes even less than what you’d spend on dinner in the city.

The key is to stay open to different shows, enter regularly, and be ready to act quickly if you win.

Once you get the hang of it, the whole process starts to feel less intimidating, and a lot more like a fun, strategic game.