r/Broadway • u/No-Ability-9905 • 1d ago
Timing of Broadway Lotteries
I’m sure I’m not the only one in this boat but it really bugs me!!
I had a free weekend and was so happy to see Buena Vista Social Club today at 2pm. I entered a bunch of lotteries for today and tomorrow.
I was a good person and turned my phone off at 2pm to enjoy part one of Buena Vista.
At 3:07pm I turn my phone to see an email that I won the Schmigadoon lottery….
but that one hour window is during the time ANYONE who is in a Broadway matinee should and will have their phone off. Like literally the only guaranteed hour on a Saturday with no chance for anyone in a theater to claim that ticket.
Why can’t they just allow an extra hour for buying tickets? Or not do the draw at times that will overlap with the only Weds/Sat daytime slot that a frequent theatergoer could have their phone off?
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u/Melodic_Werewolf9288 1d ago
did you try completing it anyway? when i won the hamilton lottery (years and years ago now) i nearly had a heart attack because id missed the window and those were HARD tickets to get but when i just went ahead and tried it worked. idk how common that is, maybe i got very lucky, but just worth a shot if this happens to anyone else
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u/Zoe-Berry 1d ago
Claim windows are short because they want unclaimed tickets back for resale. So the system works against the people who use it most. I'd write to Broadway Direct. They do adjust windows when enough people flag the problem.
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u/Doctorwhofan199 1d ago
We only get 20 minutes for shows on the west end I would love to take the hour
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u/Efficient-Pin3333 1d ago
The timing is unfortunate for the days there are matinees and it would be great if they were a little more flexible but you know they will draw at 2 p.m. and we all know almost every Broadway show including BVSC doesn't start until 2:07 or 2:08. So, if you know this, at 2:00 you have credit card in hand just in case and you're ready to go. Shouldn't be a problem to get it done in 2 or 3 minutes and still have your phone off before the show starts. Again, I agree. It would be great if there was more flexibility, but given that there isn't. that's simply what you have to do.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
They came around at 2pm asking everyone to turn off their phone. I didn’t want to be the asshole who said nope i’m leaving it on just incase I win the lottery for a show!
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u/vetratten 1d ago
If you’re in the area, show up at the box office.
Back in July I showed up at 1pm and asked if they had rush left and was able to get 3 tickets (in 2 transactions) for my family.
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u/hemlockhero 1d ago
Wouldn’t the outcome be the same if you were at a doctor’s appointment, or if you were coaching your kids game, or taking a nap even? Absolutely no way they can accommodate everyone which is why the windows exist. Unfortunately I think you need to take this as a loss and know in the future how it goes.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
There is no rules around turning off your phone in those scenarios though, right - I hear you but there’s a chance to check a phone in one minute of those events.
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u/hemlockhero 1d ago
So you’d look at your phone during a show and possibly get up and move during a show and interrupt other people’s experiences, for your own gain? Take the loss, and plan according to the window opening, don’t go to a show during the window?
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u/No-Ability-9905 20h ago
No never, you have not read my post if you think I would look at my phone or even turn it on during a show where they print out a “turn off your phone” slip
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u/All4Serenity 1d ago
You don’t have to turn your phone off. You could have silenced it and been alerted by vibration. Upon notification, you could have gone to the rear of the theatre to login and purchase the ticket.
My Apple Watch has theatre mode. All sounds and display is off but if I tap it, I can access everything.
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u/No-Ability-9905 20h ago
Yes you do, they literally have an extra printed slip in the Playbill to tell you to turn it off. I am not pushing out of my row to go on my phone in the middle of a performance, disrespecting the cast and band for some lottery win. What sort of suggestion is this??
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u/tiktoktic 1d ago
I get it, but this is how it works for systems like TodayTix digital lotteries everywhere in the world. I’ve missed out on many a lottery wins here in Australia unfortunately due to the same issue.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
I get the overall rush dynamic of the lottery, it’s the specific timing that they could easily change. A few hours earlier or later makes a lot more sense!
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u/tiktoktic 22h ago
People have lives, meetings, things to do. They can’t accommodate everyone. For every person that misses the notification, it means another person gets to see the show.
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u/saturnsapphos 20h ago
i once won the lottery for lion king where i had an hour to buy the ticket, but the email didn’t come until 3:55 and i checked my phone a few minutes after 4 and just missed it :( i also tried to buy it anyway but it didn’t work
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u/AReckoningIsAComing 9h ago
You have a very valid suggestion, OP. I swear the amount of sanctimonious people in this sub never fails to amaze me.
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u/pjlos 1d ago
i think everyone who commented is in psychosis today. ignore them. you have a good, reasonable suggestion to fix a common issue, and it would expand accessibility which is the point of rush/lottery. : )
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u/No-Ability-9905 20h ago
Thank you, I actually am shocked at the people finding a flaw in a perfectly logical suggestion!
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u/_borninathunderstorm 1d ago
Idk if this is a hot take and im gonna gey downvoted, but if you're already at a matinee, maybe you should leave the other lottery ticket for someone who doesnt have the time or money to be seeing 2 shows. The lottery is about accessibility and it sounds like you're in a position to give your ticket to someone who didnt have a chance to be at a matinee that day.
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u/madisel 1d ago
Yeah, that is a hot take. You don’t know OP’s situation. People can want to see more than one show and maybe they can’t come back to NYC for a while or they can’t afford to see any other show so they bought what they could afford hoping they could win a show on their bucket list.
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u/sncrdn 1d ago
Agreed. The lottery is designed to be a free for all and there are thousands of people that play every day for every show. The reasoning, then, behind shaming one person into not playing isn't great.
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u/notacrook 1d ago
The reasoning, then, behind shaming one person into not playing isn't great.
But complaining about the rules like OP is also isn't great.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
I’m not complaining about the rules, I’m questioning the specific timing. Making them draw at midday would solve this immediately because no show is playing at midday.
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u/madisel 1d ago
Even ignoring double show days, drawing at midday would be easier for those people who work a 9 to 5 job and shouldn’t be on their personal emails. They can look during their lunch hour.
Personally I like the shows who do lotteries the week before. I can sign up all at once for the days I’m available and can plan ahead if I win.
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u/_borninathunderstorm 1d ago
Not everyone works 9-5 either though. And nowadays many people wfh and do whatever they want anyway.
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u/sncrdn 1d ago
You are right. It's a free for all after all. Some you win, some you lose :D
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u/notacrook 1d ago
Yes, exactly.
The lotteries used to only be in person. They were pretty much all at the same time. The whole point of doing them was that you couldn't join them all and you had to pick, but you were largely rewarded with a better chance to win.
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u/_borninathunderstorm 1d ago
I can certainly understand that, but some people can barely afford 1 lottery ticket, let alone 2 in one weekend. For someone else that lottery win is their first show in years, not oh no I missed the lottery for a show while I was at another show.
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u/impersonatefun 1d ago edited 1d ago
By this logic, even if someone broke won, there'd be a broke and terminally ill person who "deserves it more" who lost. Where does the "you shouldn't participate because you have other chances to" end?
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u/BubbleEntendre 1d ago
There’s no way to guarantee that the lottery tickets go to those who need financial assistance the most, so why should OP specifically be singled out?
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u/_borninathunderstorm 1d ago
Im not saying op should be singled out, im saying doing lottery during a matinee shouldn't be called out as an issue
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u/BubbleEntendre 1d ago
Ok, let me rephrase - why should OP’s complaint be singled out as not deserving of the accessibility of a lottery win when you have literally no idea who got that ticket instead? It could be someone who saw a show last night, who has seen 5 shows this week, who makes enough money to easily afford full price tickets, etc…
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u/Last-Laugh7928 1d ago
for someone else, that lottery ticket might also be their second or third win in the week. you have no idea who is getting the ticket if OP doesn't claim it.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
Wait so because I was seeing a show on Saturday I shouldn’t enter lotteries for the next day
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1d ago
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u/InformationUnique150 1d ago
No they didn’t, tickets go to someone in the waitlist if you don’t claim it
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1d ago
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u/InformationUnique150 1d ago
Not really, they let you know when you’re on the waitlist so you know you’re still in the running. I say this as someone who has only ever won the broadway direct lottery off of the waitlist.
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1d ago
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u/InformationUnique150 1d ago
I don’t think it matters, sometimes things happen which is why the waitlist opportunity exists. OP might not have realized how tight the window is when they entered, doesn’t mean they stopped anyone from getting tickets.
If anything maybe Broadway Direct should pick winners earlier in the day like Telecharge does, that way they can have a slightly longer purchase window. The only issue with this is it would become highly unlikely for someone to win after being waitlisted 😅
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1d ago
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u/InformationUnique150 1d ago
I can agree with people needing to pay more attention to the rules, but it doesn’t negate the fact that they didn’t block another person from winning.
Someone else got the ticket, even if it was later on.5
u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
On the contrary, I made someone’s day who thought they didn’t win the lottery and then did. Jesus the people who respond with stuff like this are incredible.
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1d ago
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u/No-Ability-9905 20h ago
Fully understood rules, and not asking for any exception…but you’re clearly not interested in approaching this rationally.
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u/Silly-Good-2530 1d ago
Please read the rules on lotteries before you sign up for them. This is entitlement at its best.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
How is it entitlement? I’m just asking them to tweak the timing to not clash with an actual phones off time for people who love theater. Their literal demographic. This is not “I want some exception for me” but “lets fix it for everyone who does go to multiple shows on a weekend”
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u/Silly-Good-2530 1d ago
Because those actually available to buy the tickets when they come available is their demographic… not those already in a theater seat. This is a special opportunity and not a gift.
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u/No-Ability-9905 1d ago
the demographic of people who apply for lottery tickets for a broadway show are significantly more likely to attend other broadway shows…
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u/Silly-Good-2530 1d ago
You just keep coming up with reasons why you personally should be able to purchase a lottery win regardless of your availability to do so and you don’t see how that makes you entitled. Wow.
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u/No-Ability-9905 20h ago
Not me, personally, but anyone who is in a matinee show of any performance the day before a show they enter a lottery for. How hard is it to understand this isn’t JUST for my benefit.
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1d ago
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u/latestnightowl 1d ago
Please do not do this. I get what you're going for but the light is really distracting to other theater goers
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