Why Are So Many Shows Canceled for Super Bowl Sunday?

I remember several years ago I was able to get a great seat to THE SEAFARER's matinee that Sunday. It's my gut feeling that the camps of theatergoers and football enthusiasts are rather mutually exclusive. So why cancel so many shows that day? Doesn't make sense to me.

Because youre not a producer.
1. The crowds are NOT mutually exclusive, i assure you, and that just plays on stereotype. Not to mention many a story where a notable number of audience members have their phones out refrshing web pages for game updates and letting out cheers and groans at every update.
2. Many actors and lots of crew ALSO love football. Performance on a Super Bowl Sunday? Guess what, they're backstage watching and getting distracted quite a lot.
3. This isnt any other Super Bowl year. It's being hosted IN our city. Times Sq is Super Bowl village. It will be a madhouse and the excitement wont be for a Broadway show. The bars in the area will be wall to wall. None of thema re going to be thinking "I can't get into THIS bar, so let's go see Bridges of Madison County instead. TKTS will be a nightmare to access.
It's wonderful to want a day where you can get a good seat, but if youre a producer, you need to make money. Move the performance to another day that will sell better and let your cast and crew enjoy the excitement. Everyone wins.

What everyone else has already said. Superbowl Sunday in NYC will be a nightmare.

And if people don't watch the Super Bowl, they probably want to be home to watch the Puppy Bowl.

---

Updated On: 1/16/14 at 12:53 PM

Yes, Puppy Bowl is also a must for me on Super Bowl Sunday.

---

Don't Forget This!

---

LH, I'll be in town. I head out to Sochi right after the Opening Ceremony.

---

I think it's more of an issue this year being that it is in the vicinity of the city. I remember in college freezing in the rush line on Super Bowl Sunday to see the OBC of Spring Awakening. Am I wrong to state its a new trend to cancel? Especially considering the report that young people and women are the primary Broadway consumers as reported at the beginning of the year? Sounds like Broadway would be the perfect ladies day out!

Because Patti LuPone is hosting a tailgate party.

---

This is the first Super Bowl to be hosted in the vacinity of New York City, why has it taken so long for the area to host the event?

The game is usually played in warm weather stadiums so weather isn't usually a factor.

---

No open air stadium in the north has ever been used...until now. This was a rather monumental decision. Only two cities in the north have hosted the Super Bowl; Minneapolis and Detroit. Both were dome stadiums. The Super Bowl is typically hosted in the south or on the west coast. Rarely anywhere else.

That might be true, but a lot of people travel from out of town for the game anyway. If you have money, you can do whatever you want.

And yeah, rain or snow is not a factor at all. They will play, unless there is thunder and lightning or some other big weather event that is too dangerous for people to be sitting out in. And it was only a playoff game, but the 49ers and Packers were playing in Green Bay on the 5th when it was insanely cold in an outdoor stadium. So, if that happens again, they still won't cancel it.

---