I’m curious if anyone can share any knowledge they may have on rent prices that theatre owners may asking producers/shows to pay? How much is rent, typically, as a percent of the overall operating costs for shows. Should a show expect to see rent be 30% of their total costs?
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This article is from Nov 2021 so it may be a bit outdated but it stated a theater on Broadway would rent for $10k-$20k per week plus 5-7% of the show’s weekly grosses. So for a long-running hit show like Wicked or Hamilton, theater rent can easily be at least $100k per week but for struggling shows it could be roughly $25k per week.
The theatre owner also has a whole bunch of fixed expenses (staffing & operational costs) whose costs get covered by the show, which is usually 6 figures per week.
If the landlord owns their ticketing service (Telecharge, Broadway Direct, etc), that’s another way to collect money. Those ticket companies also include group sales arms that get a commission.
Then there are smaller things that add up:
bar/concessions sales
a nominal sliver of merch
There are marketing services or email blast lists that can be purchased via the landlord
Theatre owners sometimes invest in shows, so if it recoups that's another revenue stream from the show.
If Broadway is in a healthy place as it is right now (meaning theatres rarely sit dark), it’s a pretty cushy business for a landlord.