Broadway buying, in plain language

Broadway ticketing is more transparent than people think and more confusing than it needs to be. There are roughly six legitimate ways to buy a seat — official box office, TodayTix, the show's own lottery, in-person rush, the TKTS booth, and the resale market — and for any given performance, the smartest of those changes depending on the show's popularity, the day of the week, your flexibility, and how much time you're willing to spend lining up or refreshing a page. These guides are how we explain each route in enough detail that you can pick the right one for your trip.

Each guide is written to stand alone — start with whichever question is on your mind. The full how-to-buy playbook is the cornerstone if you want the ranked, route-by-route comparison. The rush and lottery explainer covers the cheapest-but-most-uncertain options, with realistic odds. The TKTS booth demystified is for same-day Times Square buyers. And how to read a Broadway seating chart is the seat-selection companion — the difference between front-orchestra and front-mezzanine isn't what most people assume.