In 2016 Lin-Manuel and Hamilton made famous a tradition started by Jonathon Larson's Rent: offering last minute tickets at a reasonable price so those who couldn't afford Broadway ticket prices could still enjoy the show. With Rent, it became a cultural phenomenon for "RENT-head" fans to get in line super early to purchase a $20 rush ticket that day to see the show.
From Wikipedia:
RENT-heads[edit]
Rent gathered a following of fans who refer to themselves as "RENT-heads." The name originally referred to people who would camp out at the Nederlander Theater for hours in advance for the discounted $20 rush tickets to each show, though it generally refers to anyone who is obsessed with the show.[28] These discounted tickets were for seats in the first two rows of the theater reserved for sale by lottery two hours prior to each show.[28][29] Other Broadway shows have followed Rent's example and now also offer cheaper tickets in efforts to make Broadway theater accessible to people who would otherwise be unable to afford the ticket prices.
With Hamilton there were two options: the $10 lottery, and standing in line for rush / cancellation line tickets. In the beginning people would camp out for DAYS to get rush tickets. They finally had to put a stop to that, and set times of day when people could stand in line. The first time we tried for the lottery, Don won the tickets. Other times we stood in line for the rush tickets -- but never overnight.
Now that Broadway has reopened, we have been seeing more shows. In order to fund this habit, we are buying them via Rush tickets (both in-person and online), and the show's lottery. We have scored tickets to see Music Man (with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster), Mrs. Doubtfire, Plaza Suite, and most recently Beetlejuice (with Alex Brightman). I have had a few losses, but more wins than losses, perhaps because there are a lot of people not ready to return to, as the Hamilton lyric goes, "the greatest city in the world."
What is frustrating is each show has its own set of rules. For Plaza Suite I learned at 2 pm I won tickets to the 7 pm show. I had one hour to purchase the ticket, then high tail it the train station. The adrenaline rush was awesome. I went by myself and floated to the theater. For Beetlejuice, we learned at 3 pm the night before the 8 pm show. We were already planning to be in NYC to celebrate my birthday with brunch at Pastis and touring the Morgan Library, so all we had to do was find things to do in New York, eat dinner, and see a show.
Living only 90 minutes from Broadway, this adds to the excitement. Since Broadway reopened, I have seen: Pass Over, Six, Harry Potter, Music Man, Mrs. Doubtfire, Paradise Square, Into the Woods, Plaza Suite, and Beetlejuice, with ticket prices ranging from $40 to $99. Paradise Square was my favorite -- see it if you ever have the opportunity. It had the total package: unknown story rooted in history, incredible dancing, moveable sets, powerful songs, and detailed costumes. It is a shame it closed so early.
A couple of notes on Beetlejuice:
* The audience was really into the show! Some came dressed as Beetlejuice--wearing black and white striped outfits. Many hooted and laughed. I feel the lead, Alex Brightman, fed off of the energy. I read in the movie Michael Keaton adlibbed 90% of his lines. I wonder what percentage Alex Brightman adlibs on a regular night. The move the crowd responded, the funnier he became.
* I don't know how they did the set. In the early scenes the giant house was decorated as boring middle class Americana (which I do like), then it transformed to a sleek modern like, then to the funhouse Beetlejuice black and white style. This is a show that would be even more fun to watch from back stage. There were sets other than the house, including the attic and outdoors.
* The second act seemed long. Felt like it could use more work to make it snappier. Maybe it needed more Alex Brightman.
The show is high energy and lots and lots of fun. I just don't know how it would work without the lead. It is as hard to imagine as a remake of Aladdin without Robin Williams. Sure it can happen, but you need just the right person to carry it.
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