Per Daniel Craig, BW crowds age is...

[skies]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:42pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Daniel-Craig-Is-Done-With-Broadway-But-Not-the-Stage-20150827

He added, "I've done Broadway and I was happy with that, but I don't want to do Broadway anymore. The audience is all over 50, on the whole, and I think new faces and cheaper tickets are the only way forward. And it's never going to happen."

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:49pm

Well, he's not entirely wrong. 

[Sunny11]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:50pm

Wow.. So he didn't pass by The Lion king, Matilda, Aladdin, Finding Neverland ect and see a swarm of young kids ? 

Updated On: 8/27/15 at 06:50 PM

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:52pm

Kids don't count. He's talking about adult patrons who pay their own way in, and he is right, theater is by far a 50 and upwards crowd in America, even between 42nd and 53rd St. 

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:52pm

He's not wrong at all.  The majority of worthwhile theater in New York is done off-Broadway.  If it's good enough for the likes of Vanessa Redgrave and Eileen Atkins, it's good enough for Daniel Craig.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:58pm

And I believe the average age is MUCH higher for plays vs. musicals. The number of young people at straight plays is appalling.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 6:58pm

And I'm sure Craig was first and foremost referring to the audiences of A Steady Rain and Betrayal. I can only speak for the performances I attended of each, but it certainly looked like most in the audience were about that age. 

 

Of course his presence in these plays is what caused the tickets to be so expensive. If he does a show at CSC or The Public it's not like every seat will suddenly be $20. 

Updated On: 8/27/15 at 06:58 PM

[Sunny11]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:01pm

There is also a strong market for young adults. It's not 50+ adults who are filling up the theatres to see  Wicked or who gave Daniel Radcliffe, Nick Jonas or Darren Criss such strong  numbers in how to succeed. 

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:04pm

I've been going to theatre alone for 3 years now most of the time. Well like 95% of the time. From 16-19 years old (now). Here in LA the majority is old people in the seats. Just from what I noticed is that young people don't see a show randomly unless there is a something worth bragging about. Like actor, reviews, word of mouth, score... and so on. Older people see everything. I get worried when I think of how, when these people die that theatre audiences will be less and less. I've tried to bring family and friends to shows and they put every musical or play into ONE category. "Oh, you know I don't like that type of music", "You like musicals? haha".. Like if they only knew that every show has different type of music and story line. The other thing to is, how expensive theatre can be. I appreciate theatres that have student discounts or rush tickets. Those types of things will bring in more curious "future" theatre goers.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:04pm

Exactly. Look at Hugh Jackman in the River. They offered cheap ticket options. Neither of his shows were accessible. I'd have loved to see Betrayal, but I can't afford all that.

[DeNada]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:10pm

Yet that same young market didn't flock to see Radcliffe in Cripple of Inishmaan, or Criss in Hedwig.

Marry a white-hot star to a show - preferably a musical - that doesn't really challenge the audience too far, and you're fine.  That show is not going to be a Pinter piece about adultery, or two policemen sat on stage chatting, or a transsexual rock musical that's exhausted its audience.

I'm not really sure if Mr Craig's going to find a younger, less affluent audience off Broadway, however; the man's never going to star in anything that's not well marketed.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 8:28pm

You can't really generalize on or off-B. It has a lot to do with the specific show, and in the case of off-B companies, their programming determines their demo. 

A show like Hand to God draws younger on Broadway.

The crowd at the Public, NYTW etc almost always seems heavily skewed toward the student debt crowd whereas at RTC and MTC and LTC, it veers toward the Social Security set. Shows like Mercury Fur and Gloria draw young people, shows like Shows for Days and Informed Consent don't..

I think Craig is right to an extent, but I think it has more to do with the choice of play than venue.  Will Ivo draw young people to Broadway the same way he did at NYTW? My guess is no, but there was not a sea of gray hair at the Rylance Shakespeares or, for that matter, Jerusalem. It's interesting that more young people are interested in Rylance than the superstars the older set shells out money for. 

But as I say you can't over-generalize. What Craig has to do is choose plays that appeal to the younger theatre goer, not just do it off-B. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 8:47pm

I'd say he might have over-generalized a bit, but I think he'll definitely find a fresh crowd off-broadway, regardless of their age. I really respect it actually. I love how many celebrities are choosing to do shows off-Broadway nowadays. I don't know if this is a new trend or not, but I like it. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 8:56pm

Am I the only one who accidentally misread this as Daniel Radcliffe? LOL I thought "wow, he sure is sour on never being nominated for a Tony." As for Daniel Craig, he's certainly not incorrect, but there are lots of young people who love theater. It's gotten so expensive I'm not surprised at the lack of young patrons.

Updated On: 8/27/15 at 08:56 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:01pm

"new faces and cheaper tickets are the only way forward."

 

Yep.  

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:02pm

Someone with more intimate knowledge should correct me if I am wrong, but I am sure he was paid top dollar for his performances in both shows and both shows had high ticket prices with little to no availability of discounts of any sort.  I don't have issue with that but to bemoan the lack of cheaper ticket prices as he's being paid a healthy salary feels like a guy concerned about how many poor people he sees as he drives by in his Porsche.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:03pm

I would imagine he is holding both truths.  

[mikem]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:11pm

I would agree with those who are saying that he's basically correct but that he is being disingenuous in making it sound like the high ticket prices (which leads to older audiences) were inflicted upon him.  If he had wanted there to be cheaper options for Betrayal or A Steady Rain, the producers could have made it happen.  The recent Mark Rylance Twelfth Night is a good example of that.  I saw that show from the second row for $25.  

[Sunny11]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:18pm

I just think that Craig needs to pick a more youth oriented show next time if he wants a younger audience. The article jokey suggested " James Bond the musical" but something like that might actually be appealing to him. 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:18pm

I don't really think that's what he was saying.  I think he's saying one leads to the other and he no longer wants to be part of that equation.  So he says he wants to be on stage somewhere, but I would assume he means not as part of the big budget commercial calculus.  But as my mentor Mr Roxy always always always says all the time, time will tell.

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:21pm

"If he had wanted there to be cheaper options for Betrayal or A Steady Rain, the producers could have made it happen."

 

Maybe? I don't think actors, even stars, really have control over that. I mean, maybe he could have pulled some strings if he felt REALLY strongly about it. But I think for the most part, that kind of thing is not up to the actor, or even on their radar, I would imagine.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 8/28/15 at 12:09am

He sounds like an asshole. 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/28/15 at 12:22am

Broadway fans might have thinner skin than cops!

[mamaleh]

Posted: 8/28/15 at 1:07am

Maybe Craig didn't notice, but the crowds I saw at CURIOUS INCIDENT and HAND TO GOD, to name two plays, were fairly young.  Also, if he would lower his star salary, chances are producers could lower ticket prices, thereby attracting younger audiences. 

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/28/15 at 2:26am

"if he would lower his star salary, chances are producers could lower ticket prices, thereby attracting younger audiences. "

I'm afraid I'd have to call that wishful thinking. It would just put more money in the hands of scalpers.