If you're used to frequent flyer miles, Starbucks stars, or Chipotle Rewards, you know about stores giving you bonuses for being a repeat customer. But did you know Broadway has its own rewards program?
Meet Audience Rewards, a loyalty program rewarding theatregoers for buying show tickets. The program covers shows on Broadway, Off-Broadway, opera, cabaret, workshops, and other attractions in New York City. If you're not familiar with the program, you want to be. If you are, you might be surprised at some of the new programs they're running, part of a revitalization of the offering鈥�"new razzle, same dazzle," as they put it.
The program lets you earn ShowPoints when you buy tickets, and you can redeem those ShowPoints for a huge list of exciting rewards, including autographed merchandise, events with the shows' casts, and deals to help get you to your next Broadway show. Those deals can include discounts, exclusive pre-sale access, and even the ability to snag a seat to an otherwise sold-out megahit.
Find out exactly what you need to know to use Audience Rewards to make your theatre ticket buying go even further.
Join
Great news鈥擜udience Rewards is totally free to join and use, an add-on to the Broadway ticket buying that you're already doing. If you're seeing shows and aren't earning ShowPoints, you're missing out. All you have to do is head to AudienceRewards.com and click "Sign Up" in the upper right-hand corner. Pop in your email address and set a password, and you're on your way to earning free stuff.
Purchase Tickets鈥攁nd Earn ShowPoints
To get rewards, you have to earn ShowPoints. Luckily there's lots of ways to make sure you're getting those points. The easiest is to head to Audience Rewards' Events listings, which will let you look at all of the shows and events that can help you start earning rewards. If you click through to buy from Audience Rewards' site, everything will be set up to make sure your purchase earns you points. All eligible ticket purchases will earn you two points per $1 spent, but some shows offer special ShowPoints bonuses when you see shows like Chicago, SIX, Smash, and The Outsiders.
If you're going to your usual first-party ticket seller, you just need to make sure that your Audience Rewards account is linked via your member ID鈥攜ou can find this at the top of every page when you're logged in on the Audience Rewards website. When you're checking out, there will be a spot to put in that member ID. Many of the ticketing platforms will save that information with your account, meaning you'll only have to put it in once. Just make sure you're getting your tickets online. Theatre box offices aren't able to add your member ID to in-person sales.
And best of all鈥攅arning ShowPoints does not mean you can't use discount codes or take advantage of sales. ShowPoints are earned based on how much you do spend.
Supercharge by Going VIP
If you're a Broadway super fan, you'll have no trouble achieving VIP status with Audience Rewards. If you earn 10,000 ShowPoints over 365 days, you'll be upgraded to VIP status. That gets you access to more rewards, including access to premium seats and exclusive events. But it also means that you supercharge how fast you're earning points. You'll get three ShowPoints per $1 spent, and select shows will offer double bonus days. You'll even save 500 ShowPoints on tickets you get by redeeming ShowPoints鈥攖here's an infinite loop we're here for!
Redeem Those Points
Click "Spend ShowPoints" at the top of the Audience Rewards homepage, and you'll get to choose between Broadway show tickets, experiences, and merchandise. Every item costs a certain amount of ShowPoints. If you have enough in your balance, use those points to "pay" for whatever you want!
If you've been going to Broadway shows, you might even already have points that you don't know about. Those points aren't going to spend themselves, so lets dig into exactly what you can spend them on!
What Can You Get?
Tickets
Tickets are how you earned all those ShowPoints, and tickets are the most popular item to use them on! If you save up enough points, you can redeem for totally free tickets. But Audience Rewards also lets you use ShowPoints to discount a ticket purchase. This lets you upgrade a less expensive ticket to a premium one using ShowPoints.
You'll be able to redeem ShowPoints for performances in the next three months. There's a limited quantity of available offers, but that list also gets regular updates鈥攖he pro tip is to check often if you're looking for a specific title.
And Audience Rewards can be an under the radar way to get into a particularly hot ticket. Shows like Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, and Good Night, And Good Luck starring George Clooney have been selling out for top dollar, but both have ShowPoint redemption offers currently available. Audience Rewards is that clutch hot ticket connection you've been looking for.
Experiences
You've seen the shows鈥攏ow go behind the curtain! Audience Rewards offers a number of special theatrical experiences for ShowPoints, from post-show Q&As to cast meet and greets, walk-on roles, and lots more. Recent offerings have included meetings with the casts of Chicago and SIX, a panel and autograph session with The Outsiders, a night out to meet a Broadway pro and see their show, a special launch party and concert for the new David Yazbek musical Dead Outlaw, and gift cards to Theatre District eateries Glass House Tavern and Sardi's.
This is another page to think about visiting periodically, because sometimes there's events available to Audience Rewards members without even redeeming ShowPoints鈥攁 freebie!
Merchandise
Who doesn't like free swag? From signed 半岛体育s to show posters and cast recordings of your favorite Broadway musicals, as well as branded mugs, magnets, and T-shirts, you can use your ShowPoints to order from an ever-updating catalogue of theatre-themed goodies.
, or consult their Frequently Asked Questions .
