Live theater attendance v. movie theater attendance

[bear88]

Posted: 12/4/22 at 4:15am

This may be unique to the San Francisco Bay Area, or the films and live shows I've been seeing lately, but I have been noticing a huge difference between going to my local multiplex, which was so dead the other day that nobody bothered to check if we had tickets, and attendance at live theater.

I'm not underestimating the problems that theaters face, or dismissing the fact that certain films, such as Wakanda Forever, are bringing in big money. I'm just going on the eyeball test.

The local multiplexes seem about the same as last year, with a handful of people even at the most convenient times. I've seen Tar and The Fabelmans, accompanied by the usual handful of people as when I saw the latest Spiderman film back in January.

But the plays and musicals I've seen have been very crowded. On Thursday, the Golden Gate Theater was almost full on a Thursday for the touring production of  Ain't Too Proud. The same thing happened when we saw Moulin Rouge! and To Kill a Mockingbird. That's partially because all of those shows have built-in audiences (Ain't Too Proud's first pre-Broadway tryout was at the Berkeley Rep four years ago too). But it's not just the big touring shows. The Berkeley Rep has been quite full for the plays I've seen, and plenty of seats are already gone for Clyde's next year. Shotgun Players in Berkeley appears to have a big hit with Great Comet, which has been sold out and been extended into February for what would be a three-month run at what its co-director said was the most expensive prices the small theater company has ever charged. The San Francisco Playhouse appeared to do quite well with its production of Indecent.

It's not shocking that commercial-friendly shows are drawing audiences, but the contrast between near-empty cineplexes and packed theaters is what strikes me. Theaters have obviously lost some season subscribers, many people are still avoiding small confined spaces due to Covid concerns, and a big hit show like Moulin Rouge! probably wouldn't have had to give out pretty good seats on TodayTix to fill the place. 

I was just curious if this dynamic has shown up in New York City or other cities. Do the numbers match what I've experienced? I have a theory about why this may be happening. For movies, the pandemic accelerated trends that have been in place for years. Adults don't want to bother with movie theaters, and that's pretty much the death knell for films - except for superhero flicks, horror, and the occasional surprise hit like Everything Everywhere All at Once - which was something of a superhero movie itself. Even if people are curious about a movie, they'll wait and stream it at home. That was true even for a see-it-in-a-theater type of movie like Steven Spielberg's reimagining of West Side Story.

But live theater can't really be recreated, nor can the enthusiasm of the audience. The opening song of Goddess, a brand-new musical that ran at the Berkeley Rep a few months ago, is filled with energy, strong vocal performances, and terrific choreography. It got a long round of applause before Amber Iman, its terrific star, even made an appearance. People can decide to drop theater, but it's had a niche audience for my entire life (and I'm not that young), so it can survive with fewer people. But energy is the difference. Audience members clapped along to the music in Indecent, they gasped and in some cases danced in the mezzanine at Ain't Too Proud, and cheered the opening lines of "Broadway Baby" in a wonderful San Francisco Playhouse production of Follies this summer.

A packed movie theater can be fun. But if it's almost empty, you might as well watch the film at home unless you feel like you really need to see the special effects on a big screen.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 8:53am

It's funny that you say this, because I just saw a video online where the individual was claiming the opposite: no one is going to the theatre, and movies are becoming more important than theatre.

[The Other One]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 9:18am

bear88, I would say that the same is true in NYC.  I suspect the primary reason for this is that movies, sooner and sooner all the time, can be watched in the comfort of one's home without fear of exposure to someone who might have Covid.  The same can not be said of live theatre.

I find myself going to see movies whenever possible both to see the film and to do my part to stop another movie theatre from shuttering.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 9:37am

With films so very quickly showing up on streaming, I'm pickier about what to see in movie theaters - not so much about the price (although that's getting ridiculous) it's about the audience.  I had a miserable time at Wakanda Forever just before Thanksgiving.  A fairly full theater....with about 8 boys that were NOT mature enough to be at the movies alone.  Kept talking, running up and down the aisles....SEVERAL of the adults in the theater talked to them.  They didn't seem to make any attempt to actually watch the film.

 

The theater I've been to locally has fared as it always had, which is with excellent attendance.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 10:56am

Films are now going from theatrical release to streaming within weeks so the majority of people no longer make the effort to go see a regular film, unless they’re action films like those Marvel films, etc. Many films are even streaming the same day as it’s theatrical release so why bother going to a movie theatre?  Comparing live theater and movie theater attendance is redundant.  A current Broadway or local play can’t be streamed at your convenience.  A majority of current films can be.  

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 11:21am

Broadway just had its best week since pre-Covid. The film biz had its worst Thanksgiving weekend since the 1990s. That’s just one week, but theatre was in a much better place than movies in a frame that is typically lucrative. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 11:34am

I'm about 75 miles east of Times Square and am finding movie theaters sparsely attended lately. I regularly attend the Live in HD presentations and they are so popular out here that frequently a second auditorium has to be opened to accommodate the crowd. A few weeks ago there were only 8 people at the LA TRAVIATA transmission. A year ago there were a mere 12 people at Spielberg's WEST SIDE STORY.at the same theater.

On the other hand, the Broadway shows I've attended since the re-opening have been quite full.

 

 

[James885]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 11:48am

I feel like this is a bit of an apples and oranges comparison. Movie theater attendance and box office grosses have been down aside from the big blockbusters like Jurassic World or Black Panther, the latter of which will likely hit a billion dollars once its all said and done. The problem the movie industry is facing is that one billion dollar hit isn't enough to make up for the hundreds of millions of dollars in losses studios are taking on the rest of their slate. The pandemic definitely accelerated a streaming trend that was already growing. On that note, it'll be interesting to see how well the new Avatar movie does.

I haven't been to NYC since the pre-covid times, but it's my understanding that the audience for Broadway also hasn't yet returned in the same way it was there before March 2020. It seems like the more popular, long-running crowd pleasers have basically recovered, but many new shows are having trouble finding an audience. In general, people are being a lot more picky with how they spend their money. 

As an another attendance anecdote, I saw Clyde's in LA this past weekend (excellent, btw) in a relatively small theater was only about 3/4 full.

Updated On: 12/5/22 at 11:48 AM

[JanMaxwellsBag]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 11:50am

The only movie I felt any urgency to see in a theater this year was Nope, mostly because I didn’t want to be spoiled. Also, as a result of the pandemic, I invested in making my home television set up slightly more theatrical. I have blackout curtains in my living room, a Soundbar with two extra surround sound speakers and a subwoofer, and a decent 4K TV. With the minimal waiting time between theatrical and streaming/VOD, I don’t really feel the need to go to a theater. 

Ya girl is also a big ol’ stoner, so being at home makes it more convenient to imbibe.

[JBellan87]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 12:21pm

Other than Wakanda Forever (and that's starting to fizzle), there really isn't anything out in movie theaters that is generally appealing to the masses/general movie going public.  Most of what is in coming now are the oscar movies like The Fabelmans, The Whale, etc.  Next big release is Avatar next week and then nothing like huge until February with Antman.  2023 is going to hopefully be a better year at the movies and is pretty stacked-3 MCU movies, 4 DCU movies, Indy 5, John Wick 4, Ghostbusters 4, etc.

I do work part time in a regional theater and for the shows we've had recently have been pretty well attended.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 12/5/22 at 12:44pm

Anecdotal evidence is not indicative of a trend. Revenue is down 22% compared to 2019, but considering the lack of films, industry analysts are optimistic.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/03/how-the-summer-box-office-sizzled-then-fizzled-in-charts.html

Meanwhile, practically every new show on Broadway is struggling, with only the blockbuster titles, and MJ,  doing well. 

 

[bear88]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 2:11am

Maybe theater is doomed too, and all we’ll get is biomusicals, gimmicky shows, and old warhorses until the end of time. But even now, there’s a new hit play on Broadway and creatives are trying, at least. There’s a variety of shows to see. 

The movie situation seems more dire. Adults have stopped going to theaters, and there is little incentive for studios to make films aimed at them. It’s the death of an entire art form: popular, often middlebrow entertainment aimed at grownups (even if teens enjoyed it too). Berkeley, where I lived for many years, used to be filled with movie theaters that played a wide variety of films. Almost all of them are gone now. What’s left? Live theater.

Movie theaters, as a destination, cannot survive on the sporadic comic book movie or sequel, no matter how much money a particular blockbuster makes. They are sad places to visit. Live theater has many problems, but aside from Covid concerns, they are lively places to go - whether seeing a touring musical based on a known quantity or a new play in a smaller theater. Theater is going through a bad patch, as it has many times before.

Moviegoing, like anything, is a pastime. If people stop going for anything but the latest comic book movie, it will become a specialty thing. I think it already is.

Updated On: 12/6/22 at 02:11 AM

[BJR]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 8:18am

And dig under the hood and the blockbusters are starting to see some difficulty:

HAMILTON has started commercials and is not always selling out; LION KING ain't doin the Macys parade for the first time in 25 years cuz they're just excited; PHANTOM announcing closing may have spurred a rush to get tix, but it's still closing.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 9:04am

As mentioned, there is also just a dearth of movies actually screening in theaters that aren't based on comic books or other existing franchises. The mid-budget film isn't really a thing anymore.

I love seeing movies in theaters but not much has really caught my interest. I think the last one I saw was Top Gun 2, and that was only because my husband wanted to see it.