November 19, 2024

A TKTS booth, which sells rush theater tickets, is coming to Philadelphia

The New York City staple has offered discounted seats to Broadway shows since the 1970s. This marks its first North American location outside Manhattan.

By Kristin Hunt
PhillyVoice Staff

Mark Vergari/The Journal News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

TKTS is known for its Times Square booth in New York City, above. The service offers discounted, rush theater tickets to plays and musicals. A TKTS booth is opening in Philadelphia on Thursday.

TKTS, which has long provided theater-goers with rush tickets to Broadway shows in New York, is opening a Philadelphia outpost.

The new booth launches Thursday at the Independence Visitor Center on Market Street. There, customers can purchase tickets to shows playing in the city and surrounding counties within 72 hours at discounts of up to 30-50%. TKTS, which is operated by the not-for-profit Theater Development Fund, has no other U.S. locations outside New York.

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Its original kiosk in Times Square opened in 1973. TKTS has since expanded to London and Tokyo, and launched a second Manhattan location at Lincoln Center.

Visit Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation partnered with TDF to bring this service to the city. They have signed 21 troupes and theaters to the program so far, and expect more to join. Participants include Ensemble Arts and the Philadelphia Ballet, as well as the Tony-winning Wilma Theater. The full list of organizations includes:

• 1812 Productions
• Arden Theatre Co.
• BalletX
• Bearded Ladies Cabaret
• EgoPo Classic Theater
• Ensemble Arts Philly
• FringeArts
• Hedgerow Theatre Co.
• Inis Nua Theatre Co.
• interACT Theatre Productions
• Lantern Theater Co.
• The Media Theatre
• Penn Live Arts
• Philadelphia Ballet
• Philadelphia Theatre Co.
• The Philadelphia Orchestra
• Quintessence Theatre Group
• Theatre Ariel
• Theatre Exile
• Theatre Horizon
• The Wilma Theater

In a statement, Angela Val, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, said the booth would provide a "high-profile platform to promote local and regional theatre."

TKTS has sold 69,472,209 tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in New York City since its '70s debut. Service fees from these sales support TDF's mission to make theater more accessible.

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