Hot Seats

Your favorite performer has announced a one-night show in the Cities, so you wait anxiously for tickets to go on sale, only to find that row ZZ, section 456, is the best you can get. We feel your pain. The truth is, before tickets ever go on sale to the public, a large share is set aside for subscribers, fan club members, season ticket holders, and radio station promotions. The remaining tickets are then distributed to box offices and various ticket brokers. The people who get the best seats are those who know how to work the system by either pouncing on ticket opportunities as soon as they go on sale or by purchasing tickets through channels that give them access to seats unavailable to the general public. Here are a few ways to get in on the good seats.

Newsletters: Find out about concerts and events before the masses by simply registering for free e-newsletters. Sign up at ticketmaster.com, mrchanpresents.com, cities97.com, pollstar.com, livenation.com, or jambase.com and, in addition to receiving the inside scoop on upcoming TC shows, benefit from presale opportunities, discount tickets, and more exclusive deals.

Subscription and membership deals: Numerous local venues offer affordable subscription packages, which are especially worthwhile if you’re a regular theatergoer. Plus, membership dollars usually go toward fueling future performances and events. The Guthrie’s season subscribers purchase eight-, six-, or four-play packages and receive priority order status and seats for several theater events and special presentations (612-225-6238). Membership at the Southern Theater includes discounted opening night tickets, invitations to member-only events, discounts at Seven Corner establishments, and reduced membership at the Walker, Intermedia Arts, and the Loft (612-340-1725 ). By joining the Hennepin Theatre Trust—which runs the Orpheum, State, Pantages, Hennepin Stages, and Music Box theaters—members experience preferred seating at shows, entrance into members-only events, and opportunities to purchase tickets prior to the general public (612-373-5606). Subscription season benefits for the Minnesota Orchestra include advance notice on performances and events, first-choice seating, discounted tickets, and prepaid parking (612-371-5656). Other institutions, such as Walker Art Center, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Children’s Theatre Company, offer equally attractive packages.

Enhancing your show experience: There are several ways to get the most out of your concert or show experience. Myth Nightclub offers the TC’s best VIP lounge, complete with an unobstructed, bird’s-eye view of performers, a private bar, and the plushest surroundings in town (651-815-4002). First Ave.’s Sightline Seating allows concertgoers to reserve a table in the balcony for select shows, assuring the best view of the concert. It’s only $35 for a three-person table, plus the cost of tickets (612-332-1775). The Minnesota Opera’s Young Professionals Group gives great perks to opera lovers in their twenties and thirties. YPG members gain access to social and opera-related events, including postshow cocktail parties, plus a notable discount on tickets to Minnesota Opera performances (612-333-6669). Similarly, the Urbanites program at Ordway Center provides twenty-one- to thirty-five-year-old professionals with networking opportunities, discounted tickets, and an insider look at theater productions (651-224-4222).