Broadway Weekly Schedule
Broadway Weekly Schedule
#1Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 10:19am
I just got to thinking, is there a reason more Broadway shows don't do a different schedule? Almost every show with a few exceptions does 2 show Weds & Sat, dark Mon and Sun matinee. I would think some shows, especially struggling ones or long running ones, could benefit from being one of the only options at certain times (like Phantom for the Thurs matinee or a few shows having Sun night or Mon night performances). Is it just traditions or is there a union or otherwise reason why almost all shows follow the traditional schedule?
#2Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 10:33am
https://www.playbill.com/article/weekly-schedule-of-current-broadway-shows
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
#3Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 10:47am
Patti LuPone FANatic said: "https://www.playbill.com/article/weekly-schedule-of-current-broadway-shows"
I wasn't asking what the weekly schedule is, I know that...
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#4Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 10:49am
To answer your actual question, it's basically because audiences didn't want it. A couple of shows did try to change things up a bit a few years ago. At about the same time Phantom moved its weekday matinee to Thursday, another show did the same (I want to say it was Matilda). Another show tried moving to Fridays.
These changes were a total flop. Since the new schedule was meant to be temporary anyway (basically a test), they simply reverted back to the traditional schedule. Phantom wasn't/isn't selling that well for its Thursday matinee...but since it's also not selling worse than it was for Wednesday, either, they just left it.
Of course, none of the shows that tried were in high demand (which is part of the reason they experimented), and do remember thinking at the time that a true test of demand for a non-traditional schedules would need to be done by high demand shows.
Simply put, audiences expect tge traditional schedule.
#5Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 11:39am
Mr. Wormwood said: "Patti LuPone FANatic said: "https://www.playbill.com/article/weekly-schedule-of-current-broadway-shows"
I wasn't asking what the weekly schedule is, I know that..."
While you "know that", there are many who do not, like myself. I did it for those who might appreciate this information.....as you clearly do not.
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
Updated On: 7/18/22 at 11:39 AM
#6Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 11:42am
The family shows tend to have Sunday evening shows. Right now, only Phantom and Chicago regularly do Monday evenings.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
Sutton Ross
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
#7Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:54pm
The Thursday matinee of Moulin Rouge! before Covid was always well sold. And during previews, shows often perform on Mondays which is convenient for people trying to see as many shows as possible in a limited window.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#8Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 1:49pm
The original CATS added Monday performances years into its run so it was the only show playing on Broadway on a Monday night, which helped keep that kitty enormously successful - it had an 18 year run at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway!
PeterC6482
Understudy Joined: 12/10/19
#9Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 2:08pm
Mr. Wormwood said: "I just got to thinking, is there a reason more Broadway shows don't do a different schedule? Almost every show with a few exceptions does 2 show Weds & Sat, dark Mon and Sun matinee. I would think some shows, especially struggling ones or long running ones, could benefit from being one of the only options at certain times (like Phantom for the Thurs matinee or a few shows having Sun night or Mon night performances). Is it just traditions or is there a union or otherwise reason why almost all shows follow the traditional schedule?"
Emanuel Azenberg used to run his shows Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Saturday, Sunday. No performance on Thursday night with Monday taking the place of Thursday.
#10Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 2:37pm
Not having a Sunday matinee is an anomaly these days as most shows have a Sunday matinee performance. Years ago, Broadway was dark on Sunday; I remember seeing Amadeus during a Sunday matinee in the early 80s, the first time I attended a show on Sunday.(in August, no less). The theater district was like a ghost town and it was pretty eerie. During the time after that, more shows played on Sundays so that by the 90s, it was more the norm.
I actually like when shows perform on Monday evenings. For those of us coming in from New Jersey, there's less traffic coming into the City and parking is cheaper! Recently, Hangmen was dark on Sundays and had Monday evening performances throughout its short run. As someone mentioned, shows tend to be dark on Sundays and play on Monday evenings during previews. In fact, I'll be seeing The Piano Lesson on a Monday evening in early October. I find Sunday evening shows to be rare, but I like them because I can come into the City on one non-work day and see two shows - one toll, one parking fee!
I remember reading some time ago that more shows were reconsidering Wednesday matinees. The reason was that in the past, Sunday matinees were attended by women who didn't hold full time jobs and local high schoolers on field trips. The article stated that with women being in the workforce, there were fewer audience members in demand of Wednesday matinees. That was a while ago, but I haven't seen much of a shift from Wednesday matinees.
After all that, I have no idea why the current typical schedule of Broadway shows is what is it is, lol.
Phantom4ever
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/17/07
#11Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 4:44pm
Here is an article about those 3 original shows (Matilda was not one of them) opting for Thursday matinees back in 2014. The article cites increasing tourism and the need to spread the matinee traffic out over two days.
https://playbill.com/article/cinderella-mamma-mia-and-the-phantom-of-the-opera-begin-thursday-matinee-schedule-april-3-com-216800
And in general, Broadway is a fairly traditional place. If you get off the Tues-Sat night, Wed-Sun matinee schedule, then chances are that the show adds either a Sunday or Monday night show. Theater people seem to like having *almost* a real weekend from Sunday at 5pm all the way to Tuesday night. About 48 hours off. The alternate schedules, such as Phantom's, they only get one full night off, Tuesday to enjoy. And so many shows these days cram 5 shows into a weekend.
#12Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 5:00pm
jagman1062 said: "
I actually like when shows perform on Monday evenings. For those of us coming in from New Jersey, there's less traffic coming into the City and parking is cheaper! Recently, Hangmen was dark on Sundays and had Monday evening performances throughout its short run. As someone mentioned, shows tend to be dark on Sundays and play on Monday evenings during previews. In fact, I'll be seeing The Piano Lesson on a Monday evening in early October. I find Sunday evening shows to be rare, but I like them because I can come into the City on one non-work day and see two shows - one toll, one parking fee!
"
For more than thirty years, I attended trade shows at the Javitz Center about four times a year. The shows ran Sunday - Thursday morning, and most attendees (thousands of us) would be finished with business by Tuesday mid-afternoon, and on our way home. So many attendees and vendors were looking for a show on Sunday night (or Sunday matinee if they would start on Monday morning) or Monday night, and the choices were slim at best. (Restaurants were always opened and packed on Sunday and Monday nights).
I no longer attend trade shows at the JC, but I still get out to NYC regularly and still book my getaways from Sunday - Tuesday (hotels are soooo much cheaper Sunday and Monday nights). Glad I've been able to catch some great shows on a Sunday matinee.
#13Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 5:15pm
It seems to work well in London to have varying matinee days. Infact, if you planned carefully you could do 2 shows a day from Tuesday-Sunday with Monday being the only day with no matinees.
Most shows do a Weds or Thursday matinee (it’s pretty evenly split), with a handful doing Tuesdays (Beauty and the Beast, Woman in Black) and Fridays (Mormon, & Juliet).
As a regular visitor to New York I’d love a more varied schedule. In fact, I always tend to catch the Phantom Thursday matinee on my trips (and did Moulin Rouge when they had them in 2019)
#14Broadway Weekly Schedule
Posted: 7/18/22 at 10:36pm
Mark_E said: "It seems to work well in London to have varying matinee days. Infact, if you planned carefully you could do 2 shows a day from Tuesday-Sunday with Monday being the only day with no matinees.
Most shows do a Weds or Thursday matinee (it’s pretty evenly split), with a handful doing Tuesdays (Beauty and the Beast, Woman in Black) and Fridays (Mormon, & Juliet).
As a regular visitor to New York I’d love a more varied schedule. In fact, I always tend to catch the Phantom Thursday matinee on my trips (and did Moulin Rouge when they had them in 2019)"
I wish the London schedule was more how NY was. I would love to do something like a Weds-Fri trip and see six shows instead of four. I only want to get a hotel for so many nights and pack in as many shows as I can so I wish there were more days with matinees for me to do 2 show days (and I'm not gonna see Phantom on a Thursday every time I come haha). But I know, it's very much a "first world problem."
I'm sure if it was viable or potentially a money maker, producers would explore it more so it must not be the case as some of you said.
Thank you all for your insights!
Videos