Beating Half-Off “Deals” for Boston Shows

The allure of half-price performances tickets in Boston through companies including BosTix or Goldstar is a no-duh.  Snagging seats to some of Broadway’s best musicals or Boston’s renowned ballet or the Blue Man Group, what could be better?  Turns out, plenty.  With a little know-how, BU students have a plethora of options when it comes to seeing big shows without paying big bucks that leave the half price ticket companies unworthy of a call back.

BU’s Activities Information Counter

There’s no need to trample all around town to hunt down the best entertainment discounts when awesome deals are right in your own backyard.  BU’s Activities Information counter on the second floor of the GSU offers great savings for movie tickets and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  Students can buy movie tickets to Regal theaters for any flick so long as it has been in theaters for at least a week for only $6.50 instead of the regular $10.00-plus.  Activities Information also distributes free college cards for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  Once the card is registered online, you can obtain free tickets to specified concerts on the same day.  That’s right, completely free.  Talk about music to my ears.

Same Day Student Rush

A number of performance venues around Boston, including the Boston Opera House, the Colonial Theater, and Wilbur Theatre, offer $25 tickets at the box office an hour before a show.  Be sure to stop by the atm beforehand since they only accept cash, and get there early!  Since most of these theaters are surrounded by Emerson College, all those artsy-fartsy kids will beat you to the punch by lining up extremely early!  So don’t expect to show up an hour before the show and waltz right in, get there at least an hour and a half if not two hours before the show.  But for tickets valued over $100 a pop for upcoming performances like Young Frankenstein and Wicked, the wait is definitely worth it.

Boston Ballet

Whether you’re in the mood for something original and exciting like the upcoming Jirí Kylián’s Black and White or just want to see The Nutcracker at Christmas, Boston Ballet will not disappoint.  As one of the largest ballet companies in North America, Boston’s own company provides a wide range of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary works each year.  WIth tickets as much as $130 per seat, nothing beats their student rush tickets for $20 in cash 2 hours before a show.

Charles Playhouse

With its ongoing runs of the ever-popular comedies Shear Madness and Blue Man Group, Boston’s Charles Playhouse is one venue you don’t want to miss.  Because of its overwhelming success, Shear Madness, the hair raising whodunit, has no closing date in sight.  Half price tickets are available an hour before the curtain with a college I.D.  In a whirl of paint, light, sound, and, well, marshmallows, Blue Man Group has made a home in Boston’s Charles Playhouse for the past few years.  Student rush tickets are $30 in cash with student I.D., with a two ticket limit per I.D.  Student rush opens one hour before the show, but be sure to get there early since people will line up for these hot seats!

Improv Asylum

Although BU’s own improv and sketch comedy groups are good for a cheap laugh, if you’re looking for the top of the top in unscripted silliness, Improv Asylum is your place to go.  Because of Improv Asylum’s Pasta Night, you can treat yourself to dinner and a show for the price of a performance ticket!  Every Thursday night, Improv Asylum offers a free Italian buffet provided by Lucca starting at 7 p.m. with your ticket.

BU Student Enrichment Series

If you can’t seem to make it out to the Boston performance scene, be sure to keep your eye out for performing arts previews right on BU’s own campus!  BU’s Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center’s Student Enrichment Series frequently sponsors showcases of Boston’s upcoming hits for students completely free!  Most recently, Boston Ballet performed excerpts of their upcoming Black and White by Jirí Kylián with a Q&A session Boston Ballet’s Ballet Master and Artistic Coordinator Shannon Parsley, Kylián’s assistant, Roslyn Anderson, Boston Ballet soloist Lia Cirio, and a few impromptu comments from Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet’s Artistic Director, who attended as an audience member.

Boston Ballet in Black and White by Gene Schiavone, courtesy of Boston Ballet.

About Rachel Stine

Rachel Stine (COM'12) is the Campus Editor for the Quad. She loves sailing the uncharted waters of BU's campus goings-on to uncover some of its deepest secrets and hidden treasures.

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