Theatre Development Fund

We’ve been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of the great seats at great prices allowed by TDF, and are considering becoming members so we don’t need to keep bothering and Venmo’ing said friend.

A wonderful organization that provides access to tons of shows at a steep discount. The $ 30 a year fee is worth it even if you only see a few shows a year. And they always have good seats available (even though you can’t choose where to sit). Broadway shows are typically $ 30-​$ 47 while off-​off-​Broadway is only $ 9.

After starting to work in the nonprofit sector 4 years ago I joined tdf! Great find — I see between 10 – 20 shows each year. Shows are priced very well and the selection is usually great! Thank you!

What else can really be said? Of the dozens of shows I have seen this year TDF provided me the best discounts for shows I otherwise would not be able to afford.
As long as you are a qualifying government employee, student, retiree or clergyman you have access to hundreds of shows (Broadway, Off Broadway, Classical music concerts, Ballet) that change on a regular basis.
For every show I see through TDF I have never had an obstructed view of the stage and regardless if I was fourth row center or in the mid mezzanine I have never been let down by my seats. Thank you TDF for making me happy beyond all measure :)

Now you can afford the theater.

Love TDF! With my membership, I can finally afford to go to more shows. They charge you a small membership fee, but it is really worth it. While they don’t normally offer sold-​out shows like Wicked or Lion King, you can still get really good deals on other shows– broadway, off-​broadway, off off broadway, opera, dance, etc.
I’m a member of other services and still check out discounts at places like Broadway Box, Goldstar and Clubfreetime. But honestly, I get most of my tickets from TDF– they usually have the best prices. Plus, I get to support a non-​profit. If you qualify, don’t hesitate to apply. Only wish they had an app!
Oh, and btw, so far, most of the seats I’ve gotten are really decent!

Mind to Mind: An Evening of Psychic Theater tickets are no longer being sold by TDF.
After 3 months of sales, I was informed by TDF that my show does not meet their criteria.
I’m Sorry for any inconvenience to you, my Dear Theater Goers, but as a producer I am very disenchanted that my show Mind to Mind was dropped, when similar shows are simultaneously being sold by TDF.
Regards,
Sebastian Black

«Created in 1968 to help an ailing New York theatre industry, TDF has grown into the nation’s largest performing arts nonprofit, providing support to more than 900 plays and musicals and returning upwards of $ 2 billion in revenue to thousands of Broadway, Off-​Broadway and Off-​Off Broadway music and dance productions.»
For only $ 30 a year membership, you get access to hundreds of affordable Broadway to off-​off and musical performances. Broadway shows are $ 43 or less with service fee and off-​off tix are only $ 9! And you can reserve up to 9 tix.
You do need to qualify to join being either a student, teacher, non-​profit worker or union member and will need to send in proof.
Find out more at

This is a review of TDF annual membership NOT the TKTS booth in Times Sq or their other locations. I am not a fan of standing in line for hours and guessing what show will show up discounted. No doubt a good deal but a waste of precious time still. This is a review of the TDF membership that allows you to prebuy your tickets weeks in advance so you can plan out the rest of your time in NYC properly. I have been a member for 2 years now and took advantage of their military discount (they also have a teacher one). I pay less since I don’t live in the NYC radius but I live in MD and come back home enough to make the membership pay off. I have seen «In the Heights», «The gazillion bubble show», «Cirque du Soleil», Phantom of the Opera”, «Stomp» and «Big Apple Circus» using my membership. Most of my seats were in the orchestra (front) area. I have never been disappointed with my membership and my tickets have always been waiting for me at the box office with no issues. You only pay the service charge per transaction, so it’s the same $ 4 for an order of 1 ticket or 10. So it’s makes it better than buying them through ticketmaster sometimes when they charge you $ 2-​$ 3 PER ticket. This is a great way to see some shows that you couldn’t afford before.

My $ 12 TDF National Membership paid off in one show. It’s especially worth it if you live near NYC but still qualify for the 100+ miles away (e.g. Hartford, CT area). Definitely recommend it if you love theater and you will utilize the membership.

TDF is an amazing new discovery to me. If you can prove that you’re a student or work for a nonprofit, for $ 27 you can have access to amazingly cheap show tickets without standing in line for TKTS.
Some advice:
— Check the calendar regularly. I’ve found if I check for a date I want to see a show 3 – 5 days in advance, the largest selection exists. If you check too early, there won’t be enough shows posted. If you check too late, the tickets are gone.
— Don’t expect the best seats in the house. I’ve never had a totally obstructed view, but I’ve had to crane my neck or crouch to see all of the stage.
— Don’t forget to check out the non-​Broadway tickets. Some of the best deals are for jazz shows and off-​Broadway shows.
I love the weekly emails, too. They help me keep up to date with the shows in the city.

Forget the booth, its my TDF membership that had me going to the theater more than ever over the past year. I joined for only $ 25 during a sale and saved many times that amount of money on the shows. My seats from TDF have been extreme side orchestra to front row mezzanine and everything in between. Not perfect, but considering my tickets always cost just a fraction of their full price and way less than what I would pay at the booth (just $ 25 — $ 35 per show), I consider it a WIN.

I love my TDF membership! For a mere $ 27.50 a year, you have access to discounted theater, opera/​classical, dance and music tickets if you’re a student, teacher, union member, arts professional, not-​for-​profit employee, senior citizen (62+), or member of the armed forces (phew, that’s a mouthful!). All you have to do is send in proof of your eligibility and you’re good to go.
I’m in it primarily for the theater tickets, and there is no shortage available for shows around the city (and even in the greater Tri-​State area). Keep in mind, they don’t offer tickets to shows that are perennial sell-​outs (i.e. most B’way musicals), but there is generally a wide range of tickets available to Broadway and Off-​Broadway plays. The most I’ve paid for a B’way show was $ 36.50, and I’m usually still seated in the orchestra. And now they’ve just started offering off-​off-​Broadway tickets for a mere $ 9 with no service fee («off-​off @ $ 9»)! Yes, that means you can see live, quality theater for less than the price of a movie.
They update the online listings daily, and they often offer shows that are still in previews but will surely be popular once officially open. Keep an eye out for those b/​c they come and go like the wind. For tickets not listed under «off-​off @ $ 9», there is a $ 4 service fee per show, not per ticket (you can order up to 9 tickets per show, based on availability). It’s a small price to pay for deeply discounted tickets. Keep in mind that while TDF runs the TKTS booths, they are separate entities. You can, however, purchase gift certificates for use at the TKTS booths.
So if you love the performing arts and you’re eligible, what are you waiting for? It’s so worth it. And if you’re an artist like me, take heart in knowing that you don’t have to be starving for great entertainment.

Bwhahahaha. All those tourists on this long line, waiting many hours for tickets. discounted? Well, that’s what you think.
Whatever. This is the worst tourist trap on the whole island. You’re waiting outside, by the new light up stairs, in the freezing cold or sweltering hot, risking your chance to get show tickets that are limited. What if you’re 200^th in line? Sucks for you.
And the people aren’t even that friendly that work there either, when you do actually make it up to the window booth. Hopefully they have the show you want. Hopefully they have good seats that are together for you and your friend. Hopefully they’re not ripping you off.
Go do yourself a favor and use broadwaybox, go to the theater and buy a ticket, try lotto seats, or get student id tickets.
:)

If you live in or near NYC, work for a non-​profit agency, and are a theatre geek… then you’ve gotta join TDF! Greatly discounted tickets allow me to see, on average, 5 shows per wk (when I’m in NYC). There have been wks when I’ve seen 7 shows in 7 days… which I’d never be able to do without TDF.

Ok. Definitely a great way to get cheap tickets to Broadway shows and stretch that dollar. But waiting in line takes away a lot of time to do really important things like shopping, eating, sleeping, and drinking.
Waited over an hour and a half. Got to the ticket counter and the sales people are RUDE. We were first in line and didn’t get choices of tickets/​seats. We wanted 4 tickets and to be seated together. Rude. Rude. Rude. Rude. How hard is it to seat four people? Press that stupid button that says four. Let us pay $ 50 for our tickets and we could go on our merry way.
But NoOoOooO I had to sit my lone-​ass one row in front of my friends. Bah. Still a steal for tickets! Maybe I should have given the lady a twinkie.

This is a great way to get cheaper tickets to broadway shows. I used to be a member way back when I was college. It was a great way for a broke college student to go to theater. And back then they didn’t even have an annual fee.

Super discounts for many people: teachers, retired folks, students, et al.

For number 800, we have to show some lovin to TDF. TDF was an integral part of my early years in the city. We went to tons of shows, and not just Broadway. Concerts, opera, ballet, TDF opens the doors for all of it. Thanks, dudes. You helped me appreciate a side of NYC I don’t think my family would otherwise have been able to afford!

If you qualify for membership, you can purchase heavily discounted tickets either by mail or online to Broadway and Off-​Broadway shows (i.e., $ 29 — $ 33 for B’way shows!) without having to stand on line at TKTS. It is the same organization as TKTS, but you receive the tickets either by mail or print out a confirmation to take to the box office, depending on how far in advance you’ve purchased them. For example, you can purchase tickets for the next day or a month from now. The Web site gives you a complete list of what’s available.
I no longer order the tickets by mail because they asked for two alternate dates, which meant I had to block three dates on my calendar until they mailed me the tickets. By ordering them online, I just click the date I want the tickets, pay by credit card, done deal.
Annual membership fee: $ 25. Qualification for membership: full time students, teachers, union members, seniors (62 and over), civil service employees, staff members of not-​for-​profit organizations, performing arts professionals, members of the armed forces and clergy are eligible to become TDF members.
They do not have a phone number. The number I listed above is their fax number.