Want to see the hit Broadway musical Wicked without breaking the bank?
Below I share with you the different ways you can get tickets for less than full price and even $30 lottery orchestra seat tickets!
As a Broadway enthusiast, I’ve seen Wicked twice.
And, both times I was able to find affordable tickets and in one case, downright cheap tickets via the lottery system explained below.
Read on to learn how to save money on Wicked tickets.
Tickets are available at discount prices on TodayTix and other online vendors.
Sometimes StubHub and Ticketmaster have slightly cheaper tickets or better seats for the same price as TodayTix. It's worth a look.
Regular-priced tickets through TodayTix usually start from about $99 for mezzanine seating and can reach nearly $230 for premium seating, depending on the day of the week.
In this video, I explain how to use the Broadway lottery system which I've had some luck with!
$30 On-Site Wicked Lottery Tickets
Wicked, like several other Broadway productions, offers an on-site ticket lottery.
Held daily, this is a day-of-performance lottery for 26 select orchestra seats for $30 each.
Two and half hours before show time, people line up at the Gershwin Theatre box office and have their names placed in a hat.
A half-hour later, names will be drawn for the 26 orchestra tickets.
The limit is two tickets per person. The payment is in cash only. A photo ID is required.
If you want to learn more, we have an in-depth post on Broadway ticket lotteries, how they work, and which shows offer them.
Wicked also offers a digital lottery where you can enter online to win same-day cheap tickets.
Tickets for a weekday show cost just $54.
The price goes up to $64 for Friday evening, Saturday matinee performances, Saturday evening, and Sunday matinee performances.
Here's how it works:
Before 2 pm on the day of the show, you fill out a form on the Wicked digital lottery website.
After the lottery closes, you will receive an email within minutes, letting you know if you have won or not.
Make sure you are in a location with good data reception or Wi-Fi so you can check your emails.
If you win, you have just 60 minutes from notification time to pay by credit card. So be ready!
Seats are assigned at the discretion of the box office and cannot be transferred to other people or performances.
Some lottery seats may have a partially obstructed view of the stage. This isn't as bad as it sounds.
If even a sliver of the view of the stage is blocked, the show must label it as partially obstructed.
I have sat in obstructed view seats many times over the years and never felt like my experience was compromised.
If you aren't a gambler, see our post on how to get Cheaper Broadway Tickets.
If you want to go the digital lottery route, here are some things to keep in mind.
The likelihood of winning the lottery is slim - but not impossible.
When Wicked launched a digital lottery in 2016, I entered almost every day for a year and never won.
In contrast, I had a guest from Europe visiting for a few weeks. He entered just two times and won!
But if you are visiting New York City for a short trip and have your heart set on seeing Wicked, the lottery probably isn’t the best option for you.
The lottery really is a ‘game of chance’. Don’t rely on the lottery only. Have a backup plan to get tickets to Wicked.
If you don't mind seeing a different show, enter all the Broadway show lotteries.
You can enter as many as you like for the same day.
Other Deals For Wicked Tickets
It's always worth looking at money-saving websites like Groupon to see if there are any deals on Wicked tickets.
If you are open to seeing other shows, tourist attraction passes offer savings on select Broadway shows.
- The New York Pass can save you up to 10% off the full price on specific Broadway shows.
- The Sightseeing Pass and Sightseeing Flex Pass get you $20 off tickets.
I am sure you are thinking that saving on Broadway shows isn't a good enough reason to get a tourist pass.
But there are so many other benefits of getting a tourist pass.
With a pass, you can see dozens of attractions while saving hundreds of dollars.
To find out if getting a tourist pass is right for you, read are detailed post on New York City Attraction Passes: Which One Is the Best to Buy?
Military and Student Offers
Sometimes there are military and student tickets available.
This isn't always the case, so it's best to visit the show's FAQ page to confirm.
However, when available, both concessions are usually available for Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday evening performances only.
Student tickets are $69 and military tickets are $79.
These tickets are available in person at the Gershwin Theatre box office with a valid college, university, or military ID.
Tickets at the military rate are may be available online at www.GovX.com.
Tickets are subject to availability. The limit is 2 tickets per ID.
About Wicked
This prequel to The Wizard of Oz is a feel-good musical about two young witches and how their initial rivalry turns into the most unlikely of friendships.
The show follows the special friendship between Elphaba, an awkward green-skinned girl and Glinda, a popular blonde, while they are students at sorcery school in the Land of Oz.
As the girls grow into their destinies as a Wicked Witch and a Good Witch, yet discover a strong bond between them.
The show is the creation of Winnie Holzman, based on the novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire.
The music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz. The show is directed by Joe Mantello and choreographed by Wayne Cilento.
