# opera tickets at the Met



## AlexG (May 19, 2016)

Hi all,

I am new to this site, and new to opera... I have a quick question that hopefully someone can help me with. I recently learned about Rush Tickets at the Met... Is anyone familiar with these, and has anyone actually been successful in purchasing them through the Met website?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Yes. It has been known to happen but you have to be kind of at the right place at the right time. Friends had put in for them and were surprised to find they were chosen at the last minute. They got lucky.
Another thought is to buy the cheapest seat way up high and hope that a kindly usher will permit you to better an unclaimed seat in the orchestra. They often do "paper" the auditorium at the last minute and standees end up getting a good seat.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi Alex, and welcome to the site. I've been successful with rush tickets in years past, maybe once or twice a season. But it does seem like it's all in the timing of your mouseclick. Standing room tickets are another low budget option to get you in the door, and yes, if space and decorum permit, possibly into an open seat.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I think it's a waste of time, O.P is never been seen again.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

There were two seasons that I lived in Manhattan and kept records; 2012-13 and 2013-14. The Met was using the now discarded weekend lottery system. I had 86 entries into that lottery. I won 4 times, and was on the wait list 6 times. 4 of the 6 times I was waitlisted I was able to buy tickets, so in all I was able to go to 8 of the 86 opera performances I tried for via the lottery. 

I definitely did better in 2012-13 than 2013-14, and though my records are not complete I'm pretty certain I did better in 2011-12 than 2012-13, going three times from what was certainly less than 30 entries.


I have not been in NYC for the Met Opera's season since then, so I haven't tried the new online day-of system.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

The performance hall where I usher on a regular bases will let patrons move down to better seats once the program has started.

However, if the patron who holds tickets for those seats arrives late, they have squatting rights to their ticketed seat and the one who moved there has to go to another seat; even if the patron with the seat tickets arrives 5 minutes before the end of the performance ... and yes, that has happened more than once.

On one show a family of four arrived 85 minutes into a 90 minute show, and we were required to seat them ... the patron, you see, is always right ... I ushered them to their row and just as soon as they got seated the curtain fell and the show was over. Pointless to even show up that late, but, people are people and do strange things.



Pugg said:


> I think it's a waste of time, O.P is never been seen again.


OP's don't have to log on to the site to see the discussion and/or replies ... 

Only area the public cannot "see" are the member only areas.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

You mean to say that "during" a production at the Met, a patron can come in the middle of it and claim back their seat? I thought once the lights dimmed no one was ever allowed into the auditorium till intermission.
They have a special theater for late persons or people who need to use bathroom facilities in the middle of an opera and cannot get back in.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Krummhorn said:


> T
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> O
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> ...


I know that Krummhorn, however it would be ever so nice ( not to mention polite) to react if one see someone has replied.:tiphat:


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