Broadway: The Bad Stats
While the Broadway League (of Broadway producers) touts their latest survey of ever-growing business, Crain's NY Business shows the underside:
For the last few years Broadway has been breaking records and churning out a never-ending string of hits. Now, 18 of the 37 shows currently on the Great White Way are less than 70% full. Some, such as the musical Passing Strange, and the Nathan Lane starring play, November, are playing to 44% and 49% capacity respectively.That's right. Too many shows. That's the problem with Broadway apparently.
[...]
Theater executives say there are too many productions to go around, especially during a recession. Twenty-one new shows opened this spring, compared to 17 a year ago.
By the way, number of openings in the 1954-1955 season: 65. 1929-1930: 287!
Posts
1 comment:
This is no suprise. The rest of the country is in a recession and the only thing saving New York is the weak dollar that brings over foreigners in record numbers. Most foreigners don't want to buy an expensive ticket to see an average musical in a different language.
The only hope is to bring the ticket and hotel prices down and you'll see the badly dressed mid-westerners arrive in droves.
Post a Comment