If you're an Alicia Keys fan, you should head to Broadway's Shubert Theatre to catch the new Tony nominated musical Hell's Kitchen. The show, which like Hamilton and A Chorus Line played an Off-Broadway world premiere at The Public Theatre before coming to Broadway, tracks the 15-time Grammy winner's own childhood, from being an angsty teen with a special gift to becoming a world class singer-songwriter, all while growing up in New York, the "concrete jungle what dreams are made of."
The musical has become one of Broadway's newest hits, with the average ticket price often exceeding $130—but that doesn't mean that deals aren't to be had! If you're looking to see Hell's Kitchen at a discount, here's everything you need to know.
First things first: make sure you're buying from the show's official ticket seller. If you do a simple Google search, you can find numerous ticketing websites with tickets to Hell's Kitchen and all the Broadway shows, but lots of them are re-selling tickets at an extra premium, or adding hefty service fees. For lots of reasons, the safest—and often cheapest—way to get Broadway tickets is from the official ticket seller, which in Hell's Kitchen's case is Telecharge. (When in doubt, go to a show's official website which will always link to the production's official ticket seller). Online Telecharge sales also include a small service fee, but if you're physically in New York City, you can avoid that by going to the show's box office.
The show itself sells tickets as low as $51.20, if you're willing to sit in the back of the balcony and have your view partially obstructed by a three-inch stanchion pole. If you want an unobstructed view, you'll find seats near those budget options priced at $74. Productions price their tickets differently at different performances based on the day of the week and the time of year, so you should also plan to see the show on a weeknight and not during a holiday season if you want to find the best deals.
But the cheapest tickets to be had at Hell's Kitchen are via its lottery and rush programs. Their digital lottery offers up to two $39 tickets if you win the drawing. Those interested can enter at Rush.Telecharge.com beginning at midnight ET the day before each performance. Winners are announced the same day of the performance at 10 AM ET, with a second wave of winners announced at 3 PM ET. And if you enter, make sure you keep an eye on your email inbox—you'll have a limited amount of time to buy the tickets you've won, and if you miss that window they will award your tickets to someone else! Lotteries can be tough to win, especially when the show is an audience favorite like Hell's Kitchen—but persistence pays off!
Rush tickets, which are budget-priced same-day tickets, are available in-person at the Shubert Theatre box office for Hell's Kitchen. You'll want to be there right when the box office opens, as rush tickets tend to sell out quickly—really popular shows can see eager theatregoers in line for rush tickets hours before the box office even opens! The Shubert box office opens at 10 AM Monday-Saturday, and at 12 PM on Sundays. Rush tickets, which are subject to availability and may be obstructed view, are $39, with a maximum of two tickets available per person.
Another same-day option is to visit the TKTS Booth in Times Square at 47th street and Broadway. The booth provides same-day discounted tickets to select shows on Broadway. Not every Broadway show is available at TKTS, but Hell's Kitchen has made a frequent appearance, with tickets sold at 50 percent off (so usually $70-$110, depending on the seat location). The TKTS booth hours are generally 3 pm to 8 pm Monday, Tuesday, and Friday; 11 am to 8 pm Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday; and 11 am to 7 pm Sunday. Click here to view the currently available discounts.
Keep a look out for Broadway Week deals, which occur for two weeks every January and September. During Broadway Week, almost every show on the Main Stem will provide two tickets for the price of one, and Hell's Kitchen did participate in the past by providing 2-for-1 tickets. So check back on Playbill.com since we will announce Broadway Week when the deals are live.
Good luck out there, theatregoers! For more information on how to get the cheapest tickets to Broadway's biggest hits, visit Playbill's Broadway Rush/Lottery/Standing Room Policies Page.