As a working actor who comes up from Washington, DC, to see Broadway shows, I feel like you hit the nail on the audiences and costs. But it's not just happening on Broadway, it's also happening in the regional theatre communities as well. I've noticied that the theatre audiences here in DC are much older (think 55+, white, and middle/upper class) and are very particular about their seats, shows, and even which actors they want to see. They can somehow afford the premium seats, which is a mystery to me on how they can buy over $200 seats to sit in a regional theatre. It's a challenge for theaters around here to cater to younger audiences when the premium seats/subscription packages are still playing a big part as to why younger audiences haven't been getting to the theaters, along with the types of shows being put onstage. If it's not relatable to the younger generations, what makes you think they can buy tickets and go see the shows? And more importantly, why use an outdated subscription/premium seat package when many of us cannot afford tickets that are $150? Things need to change, and the subscription/premium seat packages as well as working towards getting younger, more diverse audiences in the seats is the best place to start, especially when it comes to the types of shows being put out there.
I am blind, so the biggest accessibility issue for me is audio description. That's gotten a LOT better, but it's not an option, live or prerecorded, in some theaters, so unless it's a show I know really well it can be too disruptive to attend something I'll need whispered explanations about during interludes or applause. Having this service for proshots would be a great way to draw in the blind community, and appreciated for those who are already fans; depending on the circumstances for it, the track has already been made for live audiences.
@itskatharinequinn If you're curious about a good example of this, Newsies on DisneyPlus has some beautiful audio description. This could also be extended to things like the Kiss Me Kate proshot that'll be in movie theaters next month; even if it was live there had to be some AD performances, but I know this service won't be provided at the movies.
I'm at 18 year old high school senior, and I am here because you are doing the work I want to do and I want the work you do to continue and expand in the future. I feel that the Broadway business is stuck right now and I think that I can bring change to that not only at a Broadway level, but a regional level as well!
RE: NY attendees vs out of towners, I really can't overstate the financial burden involved in just getting to and staying in Manhattan, even without the variable of ticket prices once you get there. I think I'm better off financially than most and lived on the east coast until recently, an "easy" amtrak away. I still stragetically planned 3 show weekends with just one night in a hotel. Now that I've moved across the country I hope to see as many shows as I did before but I'll have to be even more strategic. And that's someone who's actively looking for shows to put on my must-see list. I imagine a lot of pre-pandemic audience members just aren't traveling to NYC with the same frequency/duration they used to. FWIW, the things that make me prioritize traveling to NYC to see a show (vs waiting for the tour to come to me) are the cast, if a concept is particularly meaningful to me, or if there's something specific to the production in NYC that probably won't be replicated on tour (like an immersive staging or the chili and cornbread at Oklahoma). And obviously if I'm interested in a show that just seems unlikely to tour. Lots of complex problems colliding into the current predicament unfortunately.
Everyone can whine all they want about prices and accessibility but let's be real, the real reason is the same reason nothing has bounced back in the same way since COVID, everyone just wants to sit their ass at home alone in front of a screen now. No clue how to fix that but it's getting really frustrating existing right now as someone who does prefer live experiences with other people.
As someone who LOVES Broadway but lives up in Canada (an 8h drive from NYC), I am astounded that live-streaming Broadway shows isn’t already a common practice. I understand why pro-shots aren’t as often made as they should be (I am of the opinion that every single Broadway production should have a pro-shot made that is available to stream post show closure) since they cost so much money to make, but Producers/Productions could make SO MUCH MONEY by simply setting up a camera at the back of the house (no need to get too fancy) and live-streaming the show every night (or once/twice a week) on a paid digital platform. I love Broadway but I can’t afford to go down to NYC and pay for accommodations AND show tickets multiple times a year. Would I pay $25 to watch a livestream of a show that I can’t come see in person though? Absolutely. And I’m sure many people around the world would do the same. Of course nothing beats seeing a show in person, but for people who don’t live in/near NYC, that would be a great alternative. I am convinced that this would be profitable for productions and wouldn’t be much of a headache to set-up either.
I'm from South Jersey (closer to Philly) and my first Broadway show was Wicked on a school trip. I was a theater major at a university like 15mins from NYC and saw shows more often. I wasn't paying bills like I am now, so prices weren't bugging me. I could just get to the Port Authority and take the bus back to campus. I live in Atlanta now and I don't see shows as much as I'd like. Soo expensive! I recently did a bday Broadway trip to see a show and stayed at a hotel (with discount rate) in NJ. Traveling/Lodging expenses on top of ticket prices are ugh. I try to see shows that tour here, but I make sure it's something I've never seen before and preplan/budget how to pay for it. It's definitely a treat for myself
What is Broadway doing to reduce production costs? If costs were lower enough to make tickets more accesible to the general public, that will bring more people in. I live in Monterrey Mexico and I love Broadway. I used to go twice a year and see 4-5 shows, but not anymore. Ticket prices and hotel rates are ridiculously expensive. With that kind of money I’ve been doing trips to Europe. I’m going to NY around Christmas and catch a lot of shows since it’s been a while but it is adding up a lot.
Ticketing Strategy is its own whole job on Broadway because it's niche and weirdly delicate. The average household income of a Broadway patron is $271,000. So while MANY patrons do NOT come from those means, producers know they can (to a point, evidently) command exorbitant prices. For me, I don't care if you charge $1,500 for premium seats--as long as you consistently offer rush and lottery, and have some pricing available to folks who DON'T have that income. Labor is one of the biggest cost factors and there's nothing to be done about that. I do think we could pare down on scenic costs, but suggesting that is definitely tricky. It simply *is* much more expensive than it used to be. The other solution, for me, is livestreaming/offering other income sources for producers so we're not so heavily reliant on the limited number of seats in the theater. It feels inevitable; but it's going to take time.
Live in Sacramento. I was in New York in March and did a 9 show week for the first time in 24 years. I’d love to see shows streamed, especially ones who are not going to tour like all the plays. They rarely ever tour and if they do it’s Los Angeles of Chicago. One thing I noticed in March was that the orchestra seats are pretty comfortable, but once you get up into the balconies and the mezzanines… Yikes! Also, what’s with the limited merch? These shows should be selling merch online. There are companies that print on demand. That way you can get better sizes better varieties, and offer more stuff in general. I’m a subscriber and watch to keep up with Broadway.
Hi Katherine. I am a Generation X living in NJ in the tri-state area. I love theater (Broadway, Off Broadway, regional, whatever). I average going to the theater at least once a week. Always buying the most inexpensive tickets I can find. $100 is my ceiling. Whoever thought up this Playbill promotion they’re doing in October is a genius. I’m constantly entering lotteries to get back to see shows I’ve already seen (& in some cases didn’t even like) to snag these special edition Playbills. Every time I post at a theater with one of the Playbills, I get requests from friends to try and grab an extra Playbill for them. People are trading the Playbills online & helping each other collect. It’s getting me to return to shows I’ve already seen when there are so many new shows starting previews & opening this month!
hey katherine subscriber on your youtube channel and also a graduate student BA Theater. I love your points that you made. In this day and age social media and marketing are the top sellers, such as Ticktock Instagram short reels, etc. I do believe that streaming for a broadway show will be beneficial as well. I do agree in my opinion broadway is way to expensive. most of these new Broadway shows are for the younger generation of audience. We should do is mix up such as making the show equal for older people and the new generation today society. such as: even though it's old style make jokes that we would understand 2024 generation and make it funny/serious. and also what you said assisability will also go long the way as well.
I know it’s hard but they need to make streaming an option. I live far away but I’m lucky to go at least a few times a year. I have to make choices, I wish I could see them all. I would 100% pay for streaming. You have done a wonderful job with marketing for Gatsby btw… I’ve gone to see it all 4 times I’ve gone to New York this year ❤
I feel you Katharine have it all figured out and could single handedly revive the Broadway business. Its so sad and disheartening to see theater consistantly decrease in sales when there are amazing people like you who have the solution
@5:47 I’m more interested in the weekly costs since producers somehow always finds investors willing to shell out the $$$ for capitalization. @7:10 nowadays people are pickier on where they spend their hard-earned $$$ so the shows that tend to do well either have great word of mouth or have an A-list celebrity or well-known IP. Nowadays I prefer to watch off-Broadway shows since they tend to be more intimate and more affordable.
i’m in the rural mountain west area and i’ve only been to broadway twice. i don’t even get to see touring/regional shows more than once a year, since the closest those are to me ends up being like 2 hours away at least
I live in the UK and have visited the US several times solely to attend theatre. Obviously this is an outrageously expensive experience (costing me around £1500 all in (flight ,pre booked shows and accommodation -not able to do rush or box office as I need to guarantee I can see the show i fly for) and one I am not often able to do once a yr or so at best and picking specific shows to attend - usually seeing one main one several times and another while on the trip. I have absolutely no qualms with paying a fee to say £10 or £20 to view Broadway shows online in addition and this would mean that i could see and therefore support a much much larger number of shows. It's a no brainer to open up revenue like that. I am always shouting YES at the screen every time you bring this up in videos
Also I get the numbers and am all for people being paid fair wages/ wages they deserve but please for the love of god stop casting "stars" on major salaries.. they are not the ppl i fly across the ocean for and do not get me started on how much seats were bumped up for Appropriate for the 2 supposed stars who weren't even that good as I don;t want to get blocked for profanity. Keep up the good fight for the fans and theatre lovers Katherine! xx
I came back to Barcelona today, I was in New York for one week, I saw 4 shows, 2 bought before I arrived and 2 on the same day rush tickets. Thanks for all the info😊I loved it but I couldn't afford to travel to New York, pay a Hotel there and normal price to all these shows. So happy that there are options and I don't mind if I have restricted sight or sit in the back.
I saw my first broadway show at age 13, just after my family left Ohio and moved to Northern NJ. I saw several more in the next 10 years. When I moved back to OH I was a season ticket holder for the touring companies coming through Cleveland. I am now 76 years old. I would definitely pay to see a live streamed broadway show!! Someone illegally posted most of Music Man with Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman on RUclips and I watched that. I had hoped to get to NYC to see that show but I live in FL now and it's not so easy anymore. I do see touring shows in Orlando occasionally. I am a lifelong Broadway Show fan and would love to see those shows being streamed as I age!
Never been to NYC but alot of the national tours come through my city (Sacramento) and I'm a 2 hour drive from SF that has Broadway previews (got to see The Wiz revival in previews). Rob McClure is playing Mrs Doubtfire for the last time here next week and Kimberly Akimbo(!) is coming in Jan. Not sure how much the tours have an impact on the industry. Very grateful for the tours until I can get to NYC 🙏🏾
Definitely part of strategy! Oftentimes producers will hold off on a tour so you can *only* see the product in NYC. But then again, there are versions of this in reverse like Six and the Wiz which toured before Broadway. The world is changing!
I’m a college student in nyc and my family lives in Jersey- we go to Broadway shows a few times a year, like 3-5. I definitely find myself frequenting Off Broadway much more.
More thoughts... A lot of the times when I recommend a Musical, friends that don't speak perfect English are afraid to go because they won't understand what's going on. No idea how to help that but in the Opera they often work with "overtitles" (not sure what they are called in English).
Hello Katherine. Great points. So many thoughts… I’m thinking the industry is undergoing growing pains similarly to what mp3s & streaming did to the record industry. Artists found LPs cost big $ and don’t sell, tours and merch do. I’ve observed several shows run on BWAY for a bit, then hit the road. There are pros/cons here, including the Union costs, but that’s another conversation. In short, it’s cheaper for producers. As for the age, I think it’s awesome with the younger trend and social media is playing a huge part of that, i.e., I love watching Vlogs. Yes, also slimes, lol. Sometimes they have sparked my interest in show, then I go see it. And I’ve got to say it, the biggest legacy BWAY boat anchor is gone. Just my observation here, but Phantom and some of the Disney shows, where grandparents can join the kiddoes, seemed to draw the older audience. Missing NYC and BWAY. Hope to return soon. Best, Patrick
We've still got some great anchors: Wicked, Hamilton, Lion King, Chicago--but you're right. And Phantom is returning in a new form in the Spring! Should be fun :)
I am 52 and have loved musicals since high school but the high cost of tickets has kept me from seeing as many touring shows as I wouldl like. For my 50th birthday. my best friend and I decided to go see The Music Man with High Jackman, with neither of us ever having been to NYC. It was amazing and EXPENSIVE even though we went in January. I have since been back 3 other times - twice with my 17 year old daughter who has fallen in love with NYC and Broadway. I was able to figure out the subway and bus system to save money. I am also the music/drama teacher at my school and I have fostered a love for all things NYC and musicals with my students. I agree with others that the actual getting to Broadway is very cost prohibitive. The SERVICE fee of $60 per ticket to prepurchase online tickets is outrageous! I lucked out last time by having a friend who was visiting NYC purchase tickets at the box office for me prior to our next vist. We were able to get rush tickets for Back to the Future which also saved money. I also agree that there were shows we walked by that I had no idea what they were about and had not even heard of prior to walking the streets of NYC. More marketing and understanding what I am going to be seeing prior to shelling out so much money would be helpful.
The marketing for Shucked was so fun. I felt the show had legs because of it. I felt it could have gone longer had Tommy was at a different house. Your thoughts?
It didn't sell like we expected it to, for sure. Sales were never abysmal (totally respectable--especially so soon post shutdown), but it also didn't soar the way folks expected it to/hoped it would. I think we continue to learn that if you're marketing during the Broadway run, you're too late to START the proper word of mouth. You're just too late. Out of town productions are expensive, so many producers prefer to keep it to one if possible, but I do firmly believe major marketing spend needs to happen during out of towns to get the hardcore theatre fans invested and start the snowball of word-of-mouth. It takes *time* to build a brand. And if we don't consistently have a reliable audience coming to all our shows, we have to draw them to individual shows. And that's gotta take time.
I don’t live in NYC, but travel to NYC to see shows - both Broadway and increasingly, off-Broadway. I come to see multiple shows every time I travel. I do NOT have that household income. I wish! Question - Are more shows touring instead of staying on Broadway? If so, is that impacting Broadway attendance? NYC is expensive. Hotel prices have spiked so out of towners have to budget for increased ticket prices and expensive hotels. Separately, Mincemeat at the Golden? That seems ambitious. Wouldn’t the Hayes make more sense? Is something slated for the Hayes after JOB?
I would buy tickets to see a proshot in a heartbeat! In fact, I've already seen proshots of The Waitress and Titanic the musical at my local movie theater. It was such a nice experience and SO MUCH cheaper. (Oh, I'm from California so I've never been to Broadway... hopefully I will someday.)
You have probably seen this? ruclips.net/video/fy7PL-TUgEc/видео.html Aside from bawling seeing Gavin Creel in one of his last recorded moments and the song from "Walk on Through" just broke me. This short commentary on Broadway really speaks to your questions about what is the future of live theater and this particularly concentrated piece of medium we call Broadway musicals. Also the crazy talent that was collected for lunch speaks to Gavin's "light and heart" I mean, wow!
So sad Water For Elephants is closing. My favorite of the season. You're spot on, the tv ad tells you nothing about this rather complex story and the beautiful way is is told through a tapestry of spoken, sung, dance, acro, puppetry and silks.i also think since social media is so much about great visuals, very few of the logos have really popped. Probably Beetlejuice was the best in quite a while.
Beetlejuice was a FASCINATING case study. Mediocre reviews, not really seeing awards love, but AFTER traditional marketing and critical reception, its niche audience found it thru tiktok, created a rampant fandom, and THEN it began to turn around and thrive. We are going to see more and more of this (though hopefully SOONER before/as a show opens, to avoid the stop clause which happened on Beetlejuice.)
And then you have the fact that people just aren’t making the same kind of money that they used to make. Add that to rising cost and theaters that are not handicap accessible (the city itself isn’t very accessible as well), and you have a brew for them not coming. They would rather go to their local and regional theaters, which are newer buildings that are more accessible. And the ticket prices are usually much cheaper.
It could easily, without sitting in the best, or even second best, seats in the house cost a family of 4 $1,000 to see a big show on Broadway. Imo that is the main problem.
You want the younger audience - you got to find ways to cheapen it up - smaller spaces (more comfortable spaces)…and more youthful theatre - they do a good job of this on the West End where off-west end shows like Babies and Extraordinary Women Who changed the World, Heathers and West end productions of Mean Girls, Why am I so single. Also we sort of do this with the excellent long running The play that goes wrong and Little Shop, but more shows that are solid and quirky but have cheaper smaller houses (the operation Mincemeat transfer shouldn’t that I fear). Also more diverse offerings so the senior set has their space (I think this space might already be served by NY city center, MTC and roundabout and 2nd stage so less worried here) but also non traditional audiences have something to bring them in. Lastly - more stunt casting the genz crowd. We saw this work to Great effect with Hadestown. And now look at how Rene Ziegler / kit conner in Romeo doing (hint - very buzzy, bringing in the youngsters).
I can tell you exactly why you’re not getting the older audiences back. Or at least, what I feel is the reason. Old people don’t want to see shows written for and about angsty 20-year-olds, which most shows are about nowadays. They don’t want to see Heathers or mean girls. The shows are not geared towards them, so they are not going to the theaters. Most of the “blue hair crowd” don’t wanna go see a show that’s loaded with pop music. They’re more likely to go see a show like Beautiful or The Who’s Tommy because that is the music of their generation. Most of them can’t even follow the lyrics of Hamilton. So that’s probably why you’re not getting the older audiences back in the seats. Also, as morbid as it is, a lot of them are starting to pass on.
I woud also say this applies to the West End as well. And yes lean into digital releases. Film a pro shot of every broadway show and release let's say one a month in obscure areas or online for a limited time. You could make a big deal about pro shot screenings. There's a great video essay by Lindsay Ellis on the death of the movie musical. But one thing she mentioned is how movies used to do "roadshows" this big marketing cmaapgin where they would take the movie to different cities ans it would be like a night at the theatre. And it used to be really sucessful before other factors came in. So do a 21st century equivalent of that. Release a pro shot and make it an experience. Audiences would get food maybe specially curated drinks and menus tied to the themes/characters of the show. Merch, the works. DO THAT with pro-shots. So it's like a touring production. But of a proshot. It's treated like a night at the theatre. A programme an intermission break. And so on. And it only runs for 1-3 nights? To keep the exclusivity of it. Then for shows that are close the show is availble online for digital viewing for a fee. You're selling them an experience.
I think, bro hasn’t come back yet one because the tourist to because the locals and got the money despair and the hotels aren’t giving any package deals to their guest to help boost and promote it
A Huge reason why Broadway isnt back, are those prices, NOT the actual Ticket price, believe it or not thats actually only a little more expensive then the UK but in the UK you pay 2,50 pounds in Tax, i wanted to get a ticket for a broadway show and it WAS affordable until it wasnt. All of the sudden a 150 Dollar Ticket was 210 Dollar! not the actual Ticket but those taxes that are just a huge rip off of the american people and as i saw that i immediately canceled Broadway. I am not paying a huge tax for absolutely nothing to get a digital ticket and then sit in a shitty seat. I payed 125 Pound for the best seats in the house for Mrs.Doubtfire, i payed 86 Pound for 5th row in Hadestown, i payed 56 Pound to see "two strangers carry a cake across NY". Those are normal prices and not that different to Broadway but you add "grifter-tax" to your prices and therefore priceout everybody. I was in shock when i saw the amount of cash that would get added to my tickets
As a working actor who comes up from Washington, DC, to see Broadway shows, I feel like you hit the nail on the audiences and costs. But it's not just happening on Broadway, it's also happening in the regional theatre communities as well. I've noticied that the theatre audiences here in DC are much older (think 55+, white, and middle/upper class) and are very particular about their seats, shows, and even which actors they want to see. They can somehow afford the premium seats, which is a mystery to me on how they can buy over $200 seats to sit in a regional theatre. It's a challenge for theaters around here to cater to younger audiences when the premium seats/subscription packages are still playing a big part as to why younger audiences haven't been getting to the theaters, along with the types of shows being put onstage. If it's not relatable to the younger generations, what makes you think they can buy tickets and go see the shows? And more importantly, why use an outdated subscription/premium seat package when many of us cannot afford tickets that are $150?
Things need to change, and the subscription/premium seat packages as well as working towards getting younger, more diverse audiences in the seats is the best place to start, especially when it comes to the types of shows being put out there.
I am blind, so the biggest accessibility issue for me is audio description. That's gotten a LOT better, but it's not an option, live or prerecorded, in some theaters, so unless it's a show I know really well it can be too disruptive to attend something I'll need whispered explanations about during interludes or applause. Having this service for proshots would be a great way to draw in the blind community, and appreciated for those who are already fans; depending on the circumstances for it, the track has already been made for live audiences.
I *love* the suggestion of audio descriptions for proshots. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
@itskatharinequinn If you're curious about a good example of this, Newsies on DisneyPlus has some beautiful audio description. This could also be extended to things like the Kiss Me Kate proshot that'll be in movie theaters next month; even if it was live there had to be some AD performances, but I know this service won't be provided at the movies.
I'm at 18 year old high school senior, and I am here because you are doing the work I want to do and I want the work you do to continue and expand in the future. I feel that the Broadway business is stuck right now and I think that I can bring change to that not only at a Broadway level, but a regional level as well!
RE: NY attendees vs out of towners, I really can't overstate the financial burden involved in just getting to and staying in Manhattan, even without the variable of ticket prices once you get there. I think I'm better off financially than most and lived on the east coast until recently, an "easy" amtrak away. I still stragetically planned 3 show weekends with just one night in a hotel. Now that I've moved across the country I hope to see as many shows as I did before but I'll have to be even more strategic. And that's someone who's actively looking for shows to put on my must-see list. I imagine a lot of pre-pandemic audience members just aren't traveling to NYC with the same frequency/duration they used to. FWIW, the things that make me prioritize traveling to NYC to see a show (vs waiting for the tour to come to me) are the cast, if a concept is particularly meaningful to me, or if there's something specific to the production in NYC that probably won't be replicated on tour (like an immersive staging or the chili and cornbread at Oklahoma). And obviously if I'm interested in a show that just seems unlikely to tour. Lots of complex problems colliding into the current predicament unfortunately.
1000% The costs are astronomical
Everyone can whine all they want about prices and accessibility but let's be real, the real reason is the same reason nothing has bounced back in the same way since COVID, everyone just wants to sit their ass at home alone in front of a screen now. No clue how to fix that but it's getting really frustrating existing right now as someone who does prefer live experiences with other people.
As someone who LOVES Broadway but lives up in Canada (an 8h drive from NYC), I am astounded that live-streaming Broadway shows isn’t already a common practice. I understand why pro-shots aren’t as often made as they should be (I am of the opinion that every single Broadway production should have a pro-shot made that is available to stream post show closure) since they cost so much money to make, but Producers/Productions could make SO MUCH MONEY by simply setting up a camera at the back of the house (no need to get too fancy) and live-streaming the show every night (or once/twice a week) on a paid digital platform. I love Broadway but I can’t afford to go down to NYC and pay for accommodations AND show tickets multiple times a year. Would I pay $25 to watch a livestream of a show that I can’t come see in person though? Absolutely. And I’m sure many people around the world would do the same.
Of course nothing beats seeing a show in person, but for people who don’t live in/near NYC, that would be a great alternative. I am convinced that this would be profitable for productions and wouldn’t be much of a headache to set-up either.
Weirdly, the contracts don't exist yet! Or, at least, contracts that make sense for us to use longterm. But I'm so with you on this.
I'm from South Jersey (closer to Philly) and my first Broadway show was Wicked on a school trip. I was a theater major at a university like 15mins from NYC and saw shows more often. I wasn't paying bills like I am now, so prices weren't bugging me. I could just get to the Port Authority and take the bus back to campus. I live in Atlanta now and I don't see shows as much as I'd like. Soo expensive! I recently did a bday Broadway trip to see a show and stayed at a hotel (with discount rate) in NJ. Traveling/Lodging expenses on top of ticket prices are ugh. I try to see shows that tour here, but I make sure it's something I've never seen before and preplan/budget how to pay for it. It's definitely a treat for myself
What is Broadway doing to reduce production costs? If costs were lower enough to make tickets more accesible to the general public, that will bring more people in. I live in Monterrey Mexico and I love Broadway. I used to go twice a year and see 4-5 shows, but not anymore. Ticket prices and hotel rates are ridiculously expensive. With that kind of money I’ve been doing trips to Europe. I’m going to NY around Christmas and catch a lot of shows since it’s been a while but it is adding up a lot.
Ticketing Strategy is its own whole job on Broadway because it's niche and weirdly delicate. The average household income of a Broadway patron is $271,000. So while MANY patrons do NOT come from those means, producers know they can (to a point, evidently) command exorbitant prices. For me, I don't care if you charge $1,500 for premium seats--as long as you consistently offer rush and lottery, and have some pricing available to folks who DON'T have that income. Labor is one of the biggest cost factors and there's nothing to be done about that. I do think we could pare down on scenic costs, but suggesting that is definitely tricky. It simply *is* much more expensive than it used to be. The other solution, for me, is livestreaming/offering other income sources for producers so we're not so heavily reliant on the limited number of seats in the theater. It feels inevitable; but it's going to take time.
Live in Sacramento. I was in New York in March and did a 9 show week for the first time in 24 years. I’d love to see shows streamed, especially ones who are not going to tour like all the plays. They rarely ever tour and if they do it’s Los Angeles of Chicago. One thing I noticed in March was that the orchestra seats are pretty comfortable, but once you get up into the balconies and the mezzanines… Yikes! Also, what’s with the limited merch? These shows should be selling merch online. There are companies that print on demand. That way you can get better sizes better varieties, and offer more stuff in general. I’m a subscriber and watch to keep up with Broadway.
Hi Katherine. I am a Generation X living in NJ in the tri-state area. I love theater (Broadway, Off Broadway, regional, whatever). I average going to the theater at least once a week. Always buying the most inexpensive tickets I can find. $100 is my ceiling.
Whoever thought up this Playbill promotion they’re doing in October is a genius. I’m constantly entering lotteries to get back to see shows I’ve already seen (& in some cases didn’t even like) to snag these special edition Playbills. Every time I post at a theater with one of the Playbills, I get requests from friends to try and grab an extra Playbill for them. People are trading the Playbills online & helping each other collect. It’s getting me to return to shows I’ve already seen when there are so many new shows starting previews & opening this month!
hey katherine subscriber on your youtube channel and also a graduate student BA Theater. I love your points that you made. In this day and age social media and marketing are the top sellers, such as Ticktock Instagram short reels, etc. I do believe that streaming for a broadway show will be beneficial as well. I do agree in my opinion broadway is way to expensive. most of these new Broadway shows are for the younger generation of audience. We should do is mix up such as making the show equal for older people and the new generation today society. such as: even though it's old style make jokes that we would understand 2024 generation and make it funny/serious. and also what you said assisability will also go long the way as well.
I know it’s hard but they need to make streaming an option. I live far away but I’m lucky to go at least a few times a year. I have to make choices, I wish I could see them all. I would 100% pay for streaming.
You have done a wonderful job with marketing for Gatsby btw… I’ve gone to see it all 4 times I’ve gone to New York this year ❤
I feel you Katharine have it all figured out and could single handedly revive the Broadway business. Its so sad and disheartening to see theater consistantly decrease in sales when there are amazing people like you who have the solution
@5:47 I’m more interested in the weekly costs since producers somehow always finds investors willing to shell out the $$$ for capitalization. @7:10 nowadays people are pickier on where they spend their hard-earned $$$ so the shows that tend to do well either have great word of mouth or have an A-list celebrity or well-known IP. Nowadays I prefer to watch off-Broadway shows since they tend to be more intimate and more affordable.
More interested in weekly costs in what way? (Also yes to loving Off bway!)
i’m in the rural mountain west area and i’ve only been to broadway twice. i don’t even get to see touring/regional shows more than once a year, since the closest those are to me ends up being like 2 hours away at least
i'm watching from the west end!! we definitely feel the same stress over here, so totally agree with everything you're saying
And West End by and large is much more reasonably priced!!
I live in the UK and have visited the US several times solely to attend theatre. Obviously this is an outrageously expensive experience (costing me around £1500 all in (flight ,pre booked shows and accommodation -not able to do rush or box office as I need to guarantee I can see the show i fly for) and one I am not often able to do once a yr or so at best and picking specific shows to attend - usually seeing one main one several times and another while on the trip. I have absolutely no qualms with paying a fee to say £10 or £20 to view Broadway shows online in addition and this would mean that i could see and therefore support a much much larger number of shows. It's a no brainer to open up revenue like that. I am always shouting YES at the screen every time you bring this up in videos
Also I get the numbers and am all for people being paid fair wages/ wages they deserve but please for the love of god stop casting "stars" on major salaries.. they are not the ppl i fly across the ocean for and do not get me started on how much seats were bumped up for Appropriate for the 2 supposed stars who weren't even that good as I don;t want to get blocked for profanity. Keep up the good fight for the fans and theatre lovers Katherine! xx
I came back to Barcelona today, I was in New York for one week, I saw 4 shows, 2 bought before I arrived and 2 on the same day rush tickets. Thanks for all the info😊I loved it but I couldn't afford to travel to New York, pay a Hotel there and normal price to all these shows. So happy that there are options and I don't mind if I have restricted sight or sit in the back.
Thank goodness for rush and lottery!!!
I saw my first broadway show at age 13, just after my family left Ohio and moved to Northern NJ. I saw several more in the next 10 years. When I moved back to OH I was a season ticket holder for the touring companies coming through Cleveland. I am now 76 years old. I would definitely pay to see a live streamed broadway show!! Someone illegally posted most of Music Man with Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman on RUclips and I watched that. I had hoped to get to NYC to see that show but I live in FL now and it's not so easy anymore. I do see touring shows in Orlando occasionally. I am a lifelong Broadway Show fan and would love to see those shows being streamed as I age!
I love this. And re: slime tutorials/bootlegs--if we had livestreaming and proshots, we wouldn't NEED slime tutorials!
Never been to NYC but alot of the national tours come through my city (Sacramento) and I'm a 2 hour drive from SF that has Broadway previews (got to see The Wiz revival in previews). Rob McClure is playing Mrs Doubtfire for the last time here next week and Kimberly Akimbo(!) is coming in Jan. Not sure how much the tours have an impact on the industry. Very grateful for the tours until I can get to NYC 🙏🏾
Definitely part of strategy! Oftentimes producers will hold off on a tour so you can *only* see the product in NYC. But then again, there are versions of this in reverse like Six and the Wiz which toured before Broadway. The world is changing!
I’m a college student in nyc and my family lives in Jersey- we go to Broadway shows a few times a year, like 3-5. I definitely find myself frequenting Off Broadway much more.
Honestly, I love that. Off Broadway is struggling, too and there are such gems to see!
More thoughts... A lot of the times when I recommend a Musical, friends that don't speak perfect English are afraid to go because they won't understand what's going on. No idea how to help that but in the Opera they often work with "overtitles" (not sure what they are called in English).
Genuinely wish we had better options for accessibility here!
Hello Katherine. Great points. So many thoughts… I’m thinking the industry is undergoing growing pains similarly to what mp3s & streaming did to the record industry. Artists found LPs cost big $ and don’t sell, tours and merch do. I’ve observed several shows run on BWAY for a bit, then hit the road. There are pros/cons here, including the Union costs, but that’s another conversation. In short, it’s cheaper for producers. As for the age, I think it’s awesome with the younger trend and social media is playing a huge part of that, i.e., I love watching Vlogs. Yes, also slimes, lol. Sometimes they have sparked my interest in show, then I go see it. And I’ve got to say it, the biggest legacy BWAY boat anchor is gone. Just my observation here, but Phantom and some of the Disney shows, where grandparents can join the kiddoes, seemed to draw the older audience. Missing NYC and BWAY. Hope to return soon. Best, Patrick
We've still got some great anchors: Wicked, Hamilton, Lion King, Chicago--but you're right. And Phantom is returning in a new form in the Spring! Should be fun :)
@@itskatharinequinn Truth. Betting they will be around for another 10 years too. Take care. :)
I am 52 and have loved musicals since high school but the high cost of tickets has kept me from seeing as many touring shows as I wouldl like. For my 50th birthday. my best friend and I decided to go see The Music Man with High Jackman, with neither of us ever having been to NYC. It was amazing and EXPENSIVE even though we went in January. I have since been back 3 other times - twice with my 17 year old daughter who has fallen in love with NYC and Broadway. I was able to figure out the subway and bus system to save money. I am also the music/drama teacher at my school and I have fostered a love for all things NYC and musicals with my students. I agree with others that the actual getting to Broadway is very cost prohibitive. The SERVICE fee of $60 per ticket to prepurchase online tickets is outrageous! I lucked out last time by having a friend who was visiting NYC purchase tickets at the box office for me prior to our next vist. We were able to get rush tickets for Back to the Future which also saved money. I also agree that there were shows we walked by that I had no idea what they were about and had not even heard of prior to walking the streets of NYC. More marketing and understanding what I am going to be seeing prior to shelling out so much money would be helpful.
The marketing for Shucked was so fun. I felt the show had legs because of it. I felt it could have gone longer had Tommy was at a different house. Your thoughts?
It didn't sell like we expected it to, for sure. Sales were never abysmal (totally respectable--especially so soon post shutdown), but it also didn't soar the way folks expected it to/hoped it would. I think we continue to learn that if you're marketing during the Broadway run, you're too late to START the proper word of mouth. You're just too late. Out of town productions are expensive, so many producers prefer to keep it to one if possible, but I do firmly believe major marketing spend needs to happen during out of towns to get the hardcore theatre fans invested and start the snowball of word-of-mouth. It takes *time* to build a brand. And if we don't consistently have a reliable audience coming to all our shows, we have to draw them to individual shows. And that's gotta take time.
I don’t live in NYC, but travel to NYC to see shows - both Broadway and increasingly, off-Broadway. I come to see multiple shows every time I travel. I do NOT have that household income. I wish!
Question - Are more shows touring instead of staying on Broadway? If so, is that impacting Broadway attendance? NYC is expensive. Hotel prices have spiked so out of towners have to budget for increased ticket prices and expensive hotels.
Separately, Mincemeat at the Golden? That seems ambitious. Wouldn’t the Hayes make more sense? Is something slated for the Hayes after JOB?
I would buy tickets to see a proshot in a heartbeat! In fact, I've already seen proshots of The Waitress and Titanic the musical at my local movie theater. It was such a nice experience and SO MUCH cheaper. (Oh, I'm from California so I've never been to Broadway... hopefully I will someday.)
I live in New York - Broadway ticket prices are way to high- yes I understand that cost have gone up
You have probably seen this? ruclips.net/video/fy7PL-TUgEc/видео.html Aside from bawling seeing Gavin Creel in one of his last recorded moments and the song from "Walk on Through" just broke me. This short commentary on Broadway really speaks to your questions about what is the future of live theater and this particularly concentrated piece of medium we call Broadway musicals. Also the crazy talent that was collected for lunch speaks to Gavin's "light and heart" I mean, wow!
So sad Water For Elephants is closing. My favorite of the season. You're spot on, the tv ad tells you nothing about this rather complex story and the beautiful way is is told through a tapestry of spoken, sung, dance, acro, puppetry and silks.i also think since social media is so much about great visuals, very few of the logos have really popped. Probably Beetlejuice was the best in quite a while.
Beetlejuice was a FASCINATING case study. Mediocre reviews, not really seeing awards love, but AFTER traditional marketing and critical reception, its niche audience found it thru tiktok, created a rampant fandom, and THEN it began to turn around and thrive. We are going to see more and more of this (though hopefully SOONER before/as a show opens, to avoid the stop clause which happened on Beetlejuice.)
@@itskatharinequinn agree 100%
And then you have the fact that people just aren’t making the same kind of money that they used to make. Add that to rising cost and theaters that are not handicap accessible (the city itself isn’t very accessible as well), and you have a brew for them not coming. They would rather go to their local and regional theaters, which are newer buildings that are more accessible. And the ticket prices are usually much cheaper.
New Yorker here, and I’m a Broadway regular
It could easily, without sitting in the best, or even second best, seats in the house cost a family of 4 $1,000 to see a big show on Broadway. Imo that is the main problem.
I try to make it to NYC yearly, but some years I'm going to touring shows instead.
You want the younger audience - you got to find ways to cheapen it up - smaller spaces (more comfortable spaces)…and more youthful theatre - they do a good job of this on the West End where off-west end shows like Babies and Extraordinary Women Who changed the World, Heathers and West end productions of Mean Girls, Why am I so single. Also we sort of do this with the excellent long running The play that goes wrong and Little Shop, but more shows that are solid and quirky but have cheaper smaller houses (the operation Mincemeat transfer shouldn’t that I fear). Also more diverse offerings so the senior set has their space (I think this space might already be served by NY city center, MTC and roundabout and 2nd stage so less worried here) but also non traditional audiences have something to bring them in. Lastly - more stunt casting the genz crowd. We saw this work to Great effect with Hadestown. And now look at how Rene Ziegler / kit conner in Romeo doing (hint - very buzzy, bringing in the youngsters).
I can tell you exactly why you’re not getting the older audiences back. Or at least, what I feel is the reason. Old people don’t want to see shows written for and about angsty 20-year-olds, which most shows are about nowadays. They don’t want to see Heathers or mean girls. The shows are not geared towards them, so they are not going to the theaters. Most of the “blue hair crowd” don’t wanna go see a show that’s loaded with pop music. They’re more likely to go see a show like Beautiful or The Who’s Tommy because that is the music of their generation. Most of them can’t even follow the lyrics of Hamilton. So that’s probably why you’re not getting the older audiences back in the seats. Also, as morbid as it is, a lot of them are starting to pass on.
im 16 and i go once a year, but would go more if i could
I woud also say this applies to the West End as well. And yes lean into digital releases. Film a pro shot of every broadway show and release let's say one a month in obscure areas or online for a limited time. You could make a big deal about pro shot screenings. There's a great video essay by Lindsay Ellis on the death of the movie musical. But one thing she mentioned is how movies used to do "roadshows" this big marketing cmaapgin where they would take the movie to different cities ans it would be like a night at the theatre. And it used to be really sucessful before other factors came in. So do a 21st century equivalent of that. Release a pro shot and make it an experience. Audiences would get food maybe specially curated drinks and menus tied to the themes/characters of the show. Merch, the works. DO THAT with pro-shots. So it's like a touring production. But of a proshot. It's treated like a night at the theatre. A programme an intermission break. And so on. And it only runs for 1-3 nights? To keep the exclusivity of it. Then for shows that are close the show is availble online for digital viewing for a fee. You're selling them an experience.
I think, bro hasn’t come back yet one because the tourist to because the locals and got the money despair and the hotels aren’t giving any package deals to their guest to help boost and promote it
A Huge reason why Broadway isnt back, are those prices, NOT the actual Ticket price, believe it or not thats actually only a little more expensive then the UK but in the UK you pay 2,50 pounds in Tax, i wanted to get a ticket for a broadway show and it WAS affordable until it wasnt. All of the sudden a 150 Dollar Ticket was 210 Dollar! not the actual Ticket but those taxes that are just a huge rip off of the american people and as i saw that i immediately canceled Broadway. I am not paying a huge tax for absolutely nothing to get a digital ticket and then sit in a shitty seat. I payed 125 Pound for the best seats in the house for Mrs.Doubtfire, i payed 86 Pound for 5th row in Hadestown, i payed 56 Pound to see "two strangers carry a cake across NY". Those are normal prices and not that different to Broadway but you add "grifter-tax" to your prices and therefore priceout everybody. I was in shock when i saw the amount of cash that would get added to my tickets