A paucity of theaters for new musical productions

The limited number of Broadway theaters suitable for musicals, coupled with the large percentage that are occupied by long-running juggernauts, may well prevent otherwise-ready new works from being seen.

Consider:

Ambassador (Chicago), Barrymore (Curious Incident), Beaumont (King and I), Broadway (Fiddler), Circle in the Square (Fun Home), Gershwin (Wicked), Hirschfeld (Kinky Boots), Imperial (Les Miz), Jacobs (Color Purple), Lunt-Fontanne (Neverland), Majestic (Phantom), Marquis (On Your Feet), Minskoff (Lion King), New Amsterdam (Aladdin), O'Neill (Book of Mormon), Palace (American in Paris), Rodgers (Hamilton), St. James (Something Rotten), Shubert (Matilda), Sondheim (Beautiful), Wilson (Jersey Boys), Winter Garden (School of Rock)

That's 22 theaters -- 55% of the houses on Broadway -- that are currently occupied by productions that either have been running, or look likely to continue to run, for years on end. That's a big number -- imagine if more than half the screens at your local multiplex were still showing Back to the Future, Titanic, and Gone With the Wind.

Of the remaining 18 theaters, four are not really suitable, or are very seldom used, for musicals (Cort, Friedman...Hayes and Studio 54 only work if the orchestra is on stage.)

That leaves only 14 houses potentially available for new musical productions. Many of those have tenants or are soon to be occupied with new shows, some of which may well end up being long-running juggernauts that close off that house for years to come as well.

The situation is quite different on the West End, which has 50% more theaters than does Broadway. More theaters = more opportunities for new productions to find space, build audiences, and advance the art form.

I wonder if Broadway has ever had this kind of shortage-of-space problem in the past. We are in the golden age for Broadway revenue right now -- nearly 1.4 billion in tickets sales this past season, the highest ever, and nearly double what it was just a decade ago. And the reason is not just increased prices for tickets -- the number of tickets sold eclipses anything Broadway has seen in decades, if not all-time. The dark days of Broadway limping along as a struggling industry are over. All of that means that shows have a greater chance of staying open longer than they ever have before. But the number of theaters is not increasing, so as more long-running hits occupy more theaters, the opportunity for new works to find a home and make their mark decreases.

Interesting and unfortunate byproduct of the success that Broadway is enjoying.

Updated On: 12/26/15 at 12:02 PM

There aren't that many juggernauts with super long runs. Some of those shows listed above have already posted closing notices and a few more are limited runs produced by subscription based companies, others are relatively new productions that are likely experiencing normal healthy runs. It really isn't a shortage per se, it is just a sign that the industry is healthy for the moment.

Which of the above have posted closing notices, other than Les Mis for nearly a year from now? (plenty of time for it to be extended a million times, as it has in the past)

When would the industry at its healthiest? When every single theatre has a show that runs for 2 years?

Quality is highly subjective and it's rare that more than a handful of people at any given time are satisfied with any given Broadway season at all. Broadway is a commercial capitalist enterprise. Any show that raises the money to open on Broadway is "worthy of Broadway". Whether or not it makes a profit is determined by audiences. And Broadway houses being used for productions other than a play or musical is Broadway History 101. It's not indicative of anything other than a tradition that spans over a century. I think a dearth of quality product is only a problem to the dissatisfied individual and no one else.

mister matt--

I'm afraid you misapprehended what I was saying as well as the dynamic at play. I'm not talking about subjective quality but about the quality of the tenant to the landlord. When there are shows lined up waiting for theatres, shows like (to pick an obvious example) Amazing Grace don't get the time of day from a landlord no matter how ready willing and able they are to load in. That's because every booking is an investment to the landlord and has to be evaluated as such. When a show lacks a provenance on any level, having money to burn does not get you on Broadway unless there is a soft market. For the landlord, it is not a roll the dice and pray type of thing.

getting back to the OP, I think it is fair to say that the wheel will come off of SOME show in each of these categories (struggling long runners, class of '13, this year's crop) in the foreseeable future, and that opens up a boatload of houses.

Hamilton22 said: "Hogan's Hero, your incorrect comments seem to be making a farce out of this thread. How uncouth of you. Please take your wildly wrongful statements to the gully hole where they belong. Thank You, sir.

Actually, I think his comments were spot-on. Broadway's dynamic is constantly changing -- not always for better, although it's pretty good right now. Although we, the audience, are always looking for "quality" (whatever the heck that means), the landlords and producers are looking to make a buck -- which is how it should be.

Even this last year, a landlord turned out a show which would have stayed longer. But the lease includes the right of the landlord to close the lights if sales don't amount to what was expected (in the contract). Of course, without a "good prospect" waiting to load in, a landlord (like any wise hotelier) may prefer any "head in the bed" to an empty hall.

But it's all about the dollars. And there's nothing wrong with that -- as long as we, the audience don't give them our dollars unless they bring something we enjoy.

Happy New Year everybody,

m

"

Hamilton22 said: "Hogan's Hero, your incorrect comments seem to be making a farce out of this thread. How uncouth of you. Please take your wildly wrongful statements to the gully hole where they belong. Thank You, sir.

It's show business

Hogan, you consistently demonstrate an expert level of insight into how musical theatre runs as a business, and i learn something from nearly every post you make (thank you), which is a LOT more than i can say for some of the posers (i meant posters,,,,) on this board....

The same landlords that gambled on After Midnight and It Shoulda Been You. Landlords are generally interested in potentially high profitable shows because they provide high revenue and stability. Sure, limited engagements can represent a need for a placeholder by landlords, but again, they are chosen in addition to open-ended quickly closing flops. Hits, specialty attractions, limited engagements and flops occur every season. My point being that regardless "quality product" for landlords or an abundance of long-running hits, Broadway maintains business as usual and every season new productions find a home. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening at all.

In the end, we're in complete agreement.

So...anyone have a single ticket to Hamilton they want to sell at face value?

Perhaps there is some analogy to be drawn to past eras...

The difference, however, is that Broadway has never pulled in as much revenue, and never sold as many tickets, as it does today -- and there's no sign of that trend abating. More ticket sales means that more extant shows can run longer. But since increased ticket sales doesn't translate into an increased number of theaters, it means that if the current trends continue, eventually there will not be enough theaters to house new productions. Sure, a significant number of shows close, thereby opening up spaces, but high ticket sales and robust revenue across the industry mean that more shows stay open longer AND more new material gets produced. (The new tax breaks should increase the production of new material, too.) Eventually, the new material will not be able to find a home. By my count, there are still around 14 theaters that can be rented either now or in the near future for a new musical, but as long as things continue the way they are, that number is bound to dwindle.