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On January 4, as we reported at the time, the singular Broadway sensation Hamilton announced that it was taking its celebrated daily ticket lottery online. That didn’t happen. In what may be the most disappointing failure-to-launch of a website since Obamacare, the Hamilton digital lottery site proved unable to handle the massive public hunger for $10 tickets to see the show. (Regular tickets are sold out through November.) Faced with an avalanche of interest—reportedly more than 50,000 unique applicants on the first day—the site crashed hard, and Hamilton retreated to its live lottery system.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Hamilton on Broadway
This week, however, Hamilton announced the return of its digital lottery, having apparently worked out the kinks. After getting burned last time, we have resisted reporting this news until it was clear that the new system was functional. And it is! Which means that you can now take a daily or twice-daily stab at scoring one of 21 first-row tickets to the must-see Broadway show of the decade. Here, again, is our three-step guide to the process:
Step 1: “I am not throwing away my shot.” You can’t win if you don’t enter. Visit the Hamilton lottery site on the day of the show, starting at 9:30am, to request up to two tickets. Entries for matinees, on Wednesday and weekend afternoons, are accepted until 11am; entries for evening performances, on Tuesdays through Saturdays, can be submitted until 3pm or 4pm, depending on the day.
Step 2: “Wait for it.” Drawings take place at the 11am or 3pm/4pm cut-off times. If you win, you’ll be notified via email. You can also check your status on the lottery site.
Step 3a (very unlikely): “How lucky we are to be alive right now!” Given the vast gulf between supply and demand, your odds of getting seats this way are long. But it could happen! If you do win, take a moment to thank your lucky stars, then act fast: You have just 60 minutes to claim and pay for your tickets with a credit card online. When you pick them up them at the box office later, bring a valid photo ID.
Step 3b (very likely): “I will never be satisfied.” So you didn’t win today. Despair briefly and soldier on. It’s what Alexander Hamilton would have wanted.