How to Find Cheap Metropolitan Opera Tickets in NYC

Opera buffs don't have to pay exorbitant prices for world class performances.

Founded in 1883 and originally housed in a theater on Broadway at 39th Street, the Metropolitan Opera is one of the premier cultural institutions of New York, the United States and the world. Boasting such legendary performers as Enrico Caruso and Christine Nilsson, along with conductors such as Arturo Toscanini, Gustav Mahler and Dmitri Mitropoulos, all this history and culture has a price, with prime orchestra seats running into the hundreds of dollars, but the crafty opera-goer has many choices for cheaper tickets.

Things You'll Need

• Phone
• Credit card

Instructions

1. Call the Metropolitan Opera Box Office (212-362-2000) at 10 a.m. on the day of the performance you would like to see for standing room tickets. As of the publication date, the Met offers standing room tickets in the orchestra for $22.00 and in the Family Circle for $17.00.

2. Buy score-desk seats -- the choice of the diehard opera lover. Similar to Family Circle standing room tickets, these spots offer no view of the stage but do offer a desk with a reading light, upon which the opera goer places a copy of the score or libretto and follows along. These seats cost $16.00 for the general public and $10.00 for students.

3. Go to the Met Opera Box Office at 10 a.m. on the day of the performance you want to see if you are a full time student under the age of 29 to obtain student discount tickets. Costing $25.00 for weekday performances and $35.00 for weekends, these tickets require valid college identification and in-person box office purchase.

References

• The Metropolitan Opera: FAQs: Tickets and Subscriptions
• The Metropolitan Opera: Reserve Seats for Nabucco
• The Metropolitan Opera Guild: Score-Desk Seats
• "The New Yorker"; Cheap Seats; Alex Ross; February 2009