What Is Our Ideal Broadway?

[ouridealbroadway]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 4:06pm

Hello Everyone,

I was wondering if people would be comfortable sharing what they envision to be the "ideal" Broadway? 

Throughout the Shutdown, many members of our industry shared the collective realization that major structural changes needed to take place in order to make Broadway a more sustainable and equitable industry.

So, what I would love, is if people would share what their dream scenario and/or work envirment would look like for their specific relationship to Broadway. I am looking to gather responses from across the board, so please, share what this looks like for you.

Let's make sure that to keep our responses honest, insightful, and respectful. 

Thank you, everyone - I can't wait to see where this leads us!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 4:20pm

Dream scenario? Entirely non-profit, with government subsidies.

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 4:28pm

Definitely not government subsided. 
I would like to see more “events” (ala headlining stars - Julia Roberts, Julie Andrews, Leo Dicaprio, Jennifer Aniston&hellip and more “hidden gems” (ala hadestown or come from away.) topics that’s aren’t so forward in commercial success. 
 

I’d also love to see a slow down of bio musicals or movie adaptations.  (I’m curious of devil wears prada just because of Elton John’s involvement. But that’s about it. I’d like a Dolly Parton bio musical. And that’s about it).  
 

I would also love to see some classic revivals back. Like hello Dolly was IMO so perfect.  

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 4:29pm

Definitely not government subsided. 
I would like to see more “events” (ala headlining stars - Julia Roberts, Julie Andrews, Leo Dicaprio, Jennifer Aniston&hellip and more “hidden gems” (ala hadestown or come from away.) topics that’s aren’t so forward in commercial success. 
 

I’d also love to see a slow down of bio musicals or movie adaptations.  (I’m curious of devil wears prada just because of Elton John’s involvement. But that’s about it. I’d like a Dolly Parton bio musical. And that’s about it).  
 

I would also love to see some classic revivals back. Like hello Dolly was IMO so perfect.  

[adotburr]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 4:56pm

More plays. 

Maybe its just because I'm on a play kick right now but I want to see more plays than musicals anymore.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 5:08pm

Spitballing a few perfect-world scenarios:

- One or more large theatres should be reconfigured to be more flexible. Thrust stages or a seating configuration that could be more adaptable. (Someplace like The Broadway is ideal, because it's so vast and rarely fills all its seats. Or The Marquis, which is personally insulting to anyone with eyes.) This could allow for greater possibilities and more "event" theatre.

- In order to be eligible for the Tonys, a production must make 1% of seats per quarter for the run of show available at $10 for "underrepresented audiences," to be allocated by a branch of the League or Wing.

- Reassess the exclusivity of "accredited investors" to finance shows.

- Get rid of the co-producers in the Tony voting body and as award recipients. Creative artists to make up 65% of Tony voting/nominating body.

- Greater flexibility for playing 6, 7, or 8 performances per week.

- Wage categories varying based on pre vs post recoupment, with a greater range of post-recoupment wages based on earnings.

- Abolish the use of "Broadway" for touring productions. Want to see a BROADWAY show? Come to New York City.

Updated On: 1/9/22 at 05:08 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 5:09pm

NO GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES AND GRANTS, which will lead to censorship. But perhaps better tax incentives.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 5:29pm

Can you guys expand on your outright dismissal of government subsidies? It’s fairly common in European countries, including the UK, and to my knowledge they haven’t had any issues with censorship. And government censorship is against the first amendment. We are moving toward a more corporate-controlled Broadway, and it’s actually easier for corporations to act as censors since they have the money, and aren’t in violation of the 1st amendment if they choose to pull funds from a controversial production (which is what happened with Shakespeare in the Park a few years ago). 

The current model is not sustainable as the wealth gap gets wider, and even under the current non-profit model, they might run into a problem sustaining a donor base as the generations turn over. 

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 5:32pm

As a fan, I personally would love it if shows with higher profile stars had alternates of equal billing.

For example, if performers like Audra and Kelli could alternate or understudy a role together. That way, if Kelli were out, it wouldn’t be a disappointment since I’d get to see Audra and Vice versa. Or maybe - have Kelli do 4 shows a week and Audra 4 shows a week (throw in any other Tony nominee / winners into the ring, just using them as an example)… to get them out of the “8 shows a week” pattern. But if one of them needed a show off, put the other one on.

I know this will probably be a VERY UNPOPULAR opinion due to the love and much deserved understudy appreciation lately, but it’s just something I’ve been thinking about. 
 

This thought came to mind recently when I saw an announcement that Kelli O’Hara was replacing Laura Benanti for a NY pops concert. I thought - wow if I had tickets to see Benanti, I’d be bummed for a split second but then be absolutely thrilled to see Kelli in her place. 

Updated On: 1/9/22 at 05:32 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 5:40pm

To put it in the simplest terms, a safe, responsible, diverse, and trusting environment with competent leadership. A place where everyone feels welcome.
I’d also like more of an appreciation for new and emerging artists, as well as original works. 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/9/22 at 8:19pm

Not terribly long ago, I proposed a "New Deal for Broadway," which includes among its planks the following:

(*) A 5-show week. 8 shows a week was arcane long ago, but now it's utterly impractical. Besides which, the grind wears out many performers before their time. So... cut it down to 5, like the work week that every other important industry is usually built on (in theory). My proposed schedule is as follows: Wednesday matinee (1), Thursday (1) / Friday (1) / Saturday (1) evening, and Sunday matinee (1). It's nicely laid out: 2 days off, 5 on, no 2-a-days -- better work / life balance.

(*) Lower ticket prices for in-person seating. (Getting to the in-person distinction in a moment,) The average in-person cost of a theater ticket today is $150-$200, if you're lucky. I don’t have to tell you the standard prices are outrageous. I hear it every day, even from industry folks. [One colleague confided, "It used to cost less to sit in the cheap seats of a Broadway matinee than to see the first run of a movie. Broadway is now for out-of-towners. I'm solidly upper middle class, and if I weren't comped because I'm a known director, I couldn’t afford it. Going to the theater -- with three kids? 1,500 bucks with parking, food, etc.? No. Prices some time ago have made [it] something expensive you do, like going to see a live football game in the good seats."] Stuff like lottery, S.R.O., etc., is supposed to make it easier on the average schmo, but it doesn't do nearly enough and, in the case of lottery, usually leaves too much to chance. So, I'm gonna take the low end of that average spectrum and make it the high end: $75-$150 for in-person tickets is still pricey for some folks, but generally more reasonable for typical buyers.

(*) Simultaneous pay-per-view live streaming of every performance at a more affordable price point. I got this idea when colleagues of mine, major music stars in the rap world, began to experiment with something very interesting during the initial wave of the pandemic. They've marketed and presented live streaming events with low ticket prices -- think $10 or less -- to considerable financial success. Now, they don't have a lot of options to build further upon that model (a concert's a concert, no matter who guests), but theater... that's another story entirely. As I just said in the previous bullet point, Broadway has basically become a luxury item, like people who pay to see the Super Bowl, or watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve, in person. The difference between Broadway and such events is those of us without deep pockets can watch the latter from home. So, we need a hybrid model: those who can afford the luxury item can continue to buy a ticket to see it in person, but we open up accessibility, affordability, etc., in the form of a simultaneous live stream, tickets for which are far more affordable for the average person.

In order to see if it'd work, I ran the numbers, with some assumptions baked in (for example, the 5-show schedule and in-person ticket prices outlined above). For the virtual ticket, while affordability and accessibility are key, it also has to be worthwhile for the bottom line. I came up with this scale: $20 for Wednesday matinees and Thursday evenings, $30 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $25 for Sunday matinees, and $10 student / senior discount for all of them with valid ID. Fairly within reach for many who'd buy.

Just for gits and shiggles, I ran an income projection on only the video hits -- no in-person ticket sales -- to get first estimates, and I was quite surprised. On clicks alone, in best case scenario, the show (an original straight play) doubled its backers' investment in less than four months.

(How sustainable is this? About as sustainable as the present model. When one assumes, for example, that streaming tickets are in the price range I quoted, and takes into account that purchases for online events commonly have a median range of 20,000 - 100,000 purchases, about 5,000 people at $20 a ticket is about the same amount we'd have to make off live gate, minimum, to break even with an in-person audience. All we're doing here is removing the false value of a $350 list [with constant discounting so our product presents as affordable] and allowing access to that part of the market that still can't afford $175.)

(*) "Instant recordings" as take-home souvenir for those who continue to see it in person. You might be saying at this point, "Well, if everyone hears about the virtual prices, they'll just stay home and pay those!" As you've seen, the math already makes that all okay, as streaming income would now be a show's primary income, but don't worry, I thought of a way to keep people with deeper pockets coming in-person: 1) to the best of our ability, we restrict the capability to record the streams, and 2) create "instant recordings" (in the vein of, say, Concert Live) as a souvenir you have to attend in person to obtain. Directly following every performance, the in-person ticket buyer receives a pro-quality audio recording of the show they just saw, accounted for in the price of one’s ticket and theirs to own, either in physical format, for the “old fogies,” or for download / streaming within 24 hours via a special token, QR code to be scanned with a mobile device, etc. Ushers would be waiting with the physical product, QR codes, whatever, on the way out the door. 

Structuring the recording mechanism into the weekly running nut would be next to nothing. Patch a multi-track into the soundboard, and rather than the muddy noise from a raw dump, they get clean channel feeds, enabling "real deal" recordings better than simply what's useful for archival purposes. Devote a soundboard operator to getting the mix, and, barring equipment rental or purchase, there's no added cost.

Speaking of which, with regard to actors... cover art would not include faces, so no royalties for likeness rights, and real-time regular tabulation (for accuracy, according to industry standards or better) of sales, download, or streaming numbers would factor into their salaries.

(This would make relying on a label's interest in releasing a cast recording a thing of the past. It also plants the seeds for the long-awaited nullification of the bootleg market. Only thrill-seekers would go to the trouble of making an illicit recording of potentially questionable quality when one can just snag the product on the way out or access a personal digital copy later, and the wide availability of other performances would eventually make the uniqueness of an item shared illegally on the Internet virtually nil.)

Updated On: 1/11/22 at 08:19 PM

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 7:36am

How in the world do you think many of these production were able to come back?  Government subsidies.  

[JasonC3]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 8:26am

A more diverse mix of shows at price points that allow a more diverse mix of theatregoers to support them.

Periodic (maybe once a decade) repertory festivals/limited runs of multiple productions from the same creator (ala Kennedy Center's Sondheim Celebration) or featuring similar content themes, ones that attract audiences and performers from around the world becoming major "must see" destination events.

Continued increase in the quality and use of streaming options. Maybe offering a discounted bundle as well ... buy an in-person ticket and gain access to a streaming performance afterwards to relive the experience.

Maintaining some of the ticket refund/exchange flexibility introduced during the pandemic.

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 8:51am

With the many changes that need to occur to better the industry, another thing that needs to change is to be more open. Give more opportunities to be on Broadway. There is a lot of unknown talent out there that needs proper recognition. Producers need to figure out a way to put on a show that doesn't have big names. Unknown talent MUST be recognized! Having a musical or play of Complete Unknowns on Broadway would be remarkable!

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 9:53am

Dylan, the vast majority of Broadway casts are “unknown” to the general ticketbuying public. This season alone has more than 20 shows with complete unknowns: Six, Colored Man, Slave Play, Passover, Paradise Square, Girl from the North Country, Book of Mormon, Wicked, Ain’t Too Proud, Tina, Strange Loop, Harry Potter, Phantom, Lion King, DEH, MJ, Aladdin, Hamilton, Come from Away, Doubtfire, Flying Over Sunset, Hadestown, Caroline or Change, I’ll stop listing now. (Even Tony nominations/wins do not make an actor “known” or a “big name.&rdquo

The “star vehicle” shows are rare (Music Man, Am Buffalo, Mockingbird, Am Utopia, Mr. Saturday Night, Plaza Suite, etc)

Stars bring in audiences who wouldn’t otherwise see the show. They’re creating work, not taking it away.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 11:36am

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: 

"Structuring the recording mechanism into the weekly running nut would be next to nothing. Patch a multi-track into the soundboard, and rather than the muddy noise from a raw dump, they get clean channel feeds, enabling "real deal" recordings better than simply what's useful for archival purposes. Devote a soundboard operator to getting the mix, and, barring equipment rental or purchase, there's no added cost."
 

You're leaving out the labor cost to film a show, which is substantial.
 

 

[Rainah]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 11:54am

For those who are against government subsidies for broadway shows specifically, perhaps a better suggestion would be greater funding for wraparound services like Broadway Cares which is providing healthcare to so many actors.

I'd also like to see more options for crowdfunding type things for shows. Be hard to fund an entire show that way, but you could crowdfund a decent cut. 

I'd like to see a return to contracts that give the original cast a small cut of the profits after a show recoups. Something like the entire cast splitting 1% of the profit wouldn't hurt smash hit shows, and wouldn't harm struggling shows as it's only after recoupment. It would create a more stable living situation for many broadway actors, which imo is important to keep the most talented in our industry. It rewards their creative input, which can sometimes be substantial. It also incentivizes in-demand actors to chose new works. All good things. Baking it into contracts as the default, like cast recordings, also lowers the cost and organizational difficulties a lot as you don't have to renegotiate every time.

But the bigger changes I want are cultural rather than legislative.

I want to see a rise in proshots that treats them like cast recordings. Not necessarily profitable on their own, but essential for marketing and important to preserve our art. It's downright wrong that lyricists, sound designers, and composers have their work preserved on every show while costume designers, directors, choreographers, and book writers etc are forgotten.

I'd also like to see greater organizing and promoting of off broadway work, ideally creating their own little encoves of high profile and interesting shows that aren't 'broadway material' but are still great shows. We talk a lot about how to get these interesting, challenging, weird little shows on broadway when they aren't commercially successful, I'd rather have them in their own spot where they can be commercially successful and their own thing. As a tourist who visits NYC once a year at most, I have never attended an off broadway show because I can never find enough information on them to confirm I would like them. Whereas broadway shows there's always a wealth of information. Not just accounts and reviews but things like b-roll footage and proshots and cast recordings. I'd like to see something between big budget broadway shows and small offbroadway shows that only cater to locals.

And I'd like to see the industry continue its recent trend of standing up against abuse and not hiring abusive people - especially in positions of power. I don't mourn Scott Rudin's productions as much as the knowledge of how many talented people were driven out of the industry by his behaviour and what works we missed out on. There are SO MANY extremely talented folks out there. We don't need to rely on abusers. 

Updated On: 1/10/22 at 11:54 AM

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 12:17pm

No more biopic musicals about musicians. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 12:57pm

Ideally, the mid 1951-1965. 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 2:13pm

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "g.d.e.l.g.i. said:

"Structuring the recording mechanism into the weekly running nut would be next to nothing. Patch a multi-track into the soundboard, and rather than the muddy noise from a raw dump, they get clean channel feeds, enabling "real deal" recordings better than simply what's useful for archival purposes. Devote a soundboard operator to getting the mix, and, barring equipment rental or purchase, there's no added cost."


You're leaving out the labor cost to film a show, which is substantial."

Believe me, I'm well aware of it, which is why I said this (emphasis mine):

"Directly following every performance, the in-person ticket buyer receives a pro-quality audio recording of the show they just saw..."

[whatever2]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 8:27pm

just my $0.02:

i think the reticence toward government funding deserves more unpacking.

(and i'm mindful that the expressions of said reticence are not a statistically valid sample.)

as another poster noted, it's a common practice in other countries, so it would be interesting to know WHY folks think it can't work here. is it the current political moment? principled opposition? something structurally embedded in our culture's DNA? more? other?

and for the poster who dismissed the question by noting that Broadway currently receives government funds: the paltry sums granting agencies currently provide, plus the temporary influx of pandemic-related money, really isn't relevant to the equation; long-term, it's welcome but not material.

Updated On: 1/10/22 at 08:27 PM

[broadfan327]

Posted: 1/10/22 at 11:44pm

whatever2 said: "just my $0.02:

i think the reticence toward government funding deserves more unpacking.

(and i'm mindful that the expressions of said reticence are not a statistically valid sample.)

as another poster noted, it's a common practice in other countries, so it would be interesting to know WHY folks think it can't work here. is it the current political moment? principled opposition? something structurally embedded in our culture's DNA? more? other?

and for the poster who dismissed the question by noting that Broadway currently receives government funds: the paltry sums granting agencies currently provide, plus the temporary influx of pandemic-related money, really isn't relevant to the equation; long-term, it's welcome but not material."

A politician that I won't name recently was upset about Sesame Street advocating children get a COVID-19 vaccine.  I imagine if his party takes over the House, there will be resolutions to defund PBS which airs Sesame Street after it airs on HBO. 

I don't see his party supporting works with non-traditional views.  The government can't censor existing works just for existing, but they don't have to provide money for works they don't agree with if they are subsidizing the arts.  Local state governments are censoring library books they don't agree with, for instance, by having them removed from libraries in the state.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 1/11/22 at 2:39pm

Where people respect performers and don’t get mad or insult them when they don’t do what they want- example: stagedooring. Don’t also hang around the stage door if you haven’t even seen the show. That’s just creepy. Like I don’t care how much you like the person you’re waiting for-it’s creepy. They don’t owe you that, and to wait…it’s obnoxious and creepy. And recording the show? Disrespectful on all levels. Do you think it’s okay? Then you don’t care about the performers. Bottom line. You don’t. 

 

 I want a Broadway that is as diverse as Waitress’s final cast was, but as an opening cast, They could have had C. Renee and J. Henry open the show and then filmed it with Sara after. Or did a special filming when they weren’t in rehearsals or whatever. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/11/22 at 3:23pm

hearthemsing22 said: "Where people respect performers and don’t get mad or insult them when they don’t do what they want- example: stagedooring. Don’t also hang around the stage door if you haven’t even seen the show. That’s just creepy."

I know this is a pipe dream, but coming out of the pandemic, only permit stage dooring and backstage tours to the people that know  cast and crew members personally. And any prospective subs auditing a performance.