Why Are So Many Shows Canceled for Super Bowl Sunday?

[mamaleh]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:40pm

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.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:44pm

The Super Bowl is in New York. Or New Jersey, rather. It's going to be a traffic/tourist nightmare.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:48pm

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.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:50pm

^Ditto to that. I commute to the city right past Metlife Stadium and I already am planning to avoid that area like the plague the week before the game and a few days after. I heard that busses taking people to the game will not be allowed to leave that area, leaving less busses for regular commuting.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:51pm

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

[dreaming]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:51pm

I'm a huge Denver fan-and if they move on to the Superbowl, I'll sure be cheering them on! (And I'm a theater freak, too! Frankly, I've been to one matinee on a Superbowl Sunday-but that wasn't when it was here. I'll have to get to my bar early for the game.)

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 12:53pm

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

[Kad]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 1:03pm

Or they just want to eat buffalo chicken dip.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 1:16pm

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

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 1:38pm

The entire week leading up to the Super Bowl will bring the crowds to NYC, with activities planned in Times Square all weekend.

Fingers crossed for good weather!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 1:43pm

Don't Forget This!

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 1:44pm

Addy, will you be in town for the Superbowl or already off to Sochi by that time?

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 2:54pm

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

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 4:14pm

I realize I am in Palm Springs, not New York City, but when I worked at a professional theater here we tried "counter-programming" (to use the TV term) with a special "Super Bowl day" matinee.

IT DID NOT WORK. We ended up with a half-sold house. Millions of Americans who otherwise pay little attention to football watch the Super Bowl and enjoy the parties scheduled to go with the telecast.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 4:32pm

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!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 4:38pm

Yeah, I think it is more the fact that the Super Bowl is in NJ and very close to the city. It's very annoying on a regular day to be on route 3 during rush hour traffic. I don't even want to know what that and surrounding roads and public transportation is going to be like on February 2nd this year. I'm assuming security will be very tight around the stadium as well.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 4:40pm

Because Patti LuPone is hosting a tailgate party.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 7:47pm

It's disgusting. Serve them right if they get rained out.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 8:06pm

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?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 8:14pm

When the game is played in the north, isn't it usually in a dome stadium? Since MetLife Stadium isn't a dome, that could be one reason it was never selected.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 8:49pm

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

[wexy]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 8:49pm

Ed, they play football in the snow. We can see a show 364 days this year and 365 every other one. I'll be watching the game somewhere. It's not exactly a tragedy.

Updated On: 1/16/14 at 08:49 PM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 8:54pm

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.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 9:13pm

See it is held a lot in Florida.

I would of thought New York would be a key host city as there is a lot of wealth there, where the Super Bowl owners can 'cash in'.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 9:43pm

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.