When you think of rush tickets you may imagine those guys who slept outside to see Rent; or even worse, waiting for hours for standing-room-only seats.

But scoring bargain seats doesn’t necessarily mean compromised quality, or even waiting in line at all.

You probably know about Broadway’s TKTS booths where you can get discounted tickets before a show.

But what’s cool is now there’s an app for that!

The At The Booths iPhone app lists what discounts are available for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, so you can decide whether it’s worth braving the crowds. It’s even has an indicator to show how long the line is at the booth throughout the day.

In Los Angeles, companies like the Center Theatre Group will unload last-minute tickets using online services like Goldstar.com and the L.A. Stage Alliance.

Washington, D.C.’s version of that is TicketPlace, which has daily listings of half-price tickets to cultural performances.

So your best bet is to sign up for email alerts to stay in the loop.

And remember, for those companies that do it the old-fashioned way, which means standing in line two hours before the show, remember to bring ID and that many rush-ticket deals are cash only.

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