NYT: Hot, Big and Buggy: Why Do Broadway Actors Love to Work Summers Here?

[MezzA101]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 8:29am

The nearly 11,000-seat Muny in St. Louis is receiving the regional theater Tony Award. This week it began preparing to open its 107th season with “Bring It On.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/theater/the-muny-st-louis-tony-award.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NU8.Qcoa.e4UGQQaSYmkM

[inception]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 10:02am

Ever since I first read about it,  The Muny has gone onto my bucket list of theatres to visit.  It sounds like the size of a hockey arena, but outdoors - crazy!  The logistics of getting to St Louis from Vancouver takes some planning.

In the May issue of T the NYT style magazine there was a long essay by an Aatish Taseer - an immigrant woman from India - who did a driving trip from Chicago to LA along Route 66 going through Missouri,  Oklahoma, Texas, & New Mexico . The part of the article where she went through St Louis she made it sound like it is on a very steep economic decline.  And yet the Muny can fill 11000 seats for weeks over the Summer?  I don't know how reliable the essay was, & I haven't done any of my own follow up research.

I just googled and their AI overview came back saying, " The St. Louis economy has a mixed outlook. While it's a diverse economy with strengths in various sectors, it also faces challenges like a declining population and financial issues. "

Well then props to the Muny for staying successful in the face of such issues.

Edit to add that the Malkin Bowl where Vancouver's Theatre Under the Stars does two musicals every July & August only seats 2000.  We're a very small city.

Updated On: 6/8/25 at 10:02 AM