Theater Lessons of 2022

This edition of Industry Trends appeared earlier in BroadwayWorld's Industry Pro Newsletter. Want to be the first to know about the latest industry trends? Click here to sign up!

Back when 2021 became 2022, it was hoped that live theater could return to pre-pandemic normality in the new year. Alas, 2022 was not smooth sailing for the theater. Not only were there still plenty of Covid cancellations, but there were also a host of other problems plaguing the industry. (Several of which were discussed in a prior column, archived here.) Here are three of my takeaways from 2022:

Buying Habits Have Changed

Most producers -- those without sell-out hits -- will tell you less people are buying tickets far ahead, more are deciding a few days out (if that). Producers are relatedly seeing shows taking longer to find their audience. (This slow build has resulted in those overseeing upcoming shows to increase budgeting for reserves.) Both of these intertwined phenomena are making it harder for shows to project revenue. Theater hasn't experienced the full impact of this yet, but it undoubtably will alter investor pitches in the future.

Stars Can Save Material

The best combination of celebrity and material is not always perfectly clear, but sometimes it is. You likely can't replicate what happened with Lea Michele -- she was, after all, the dream Fanny Brice (despite not being Jewish) for many who had watched her auditioning for the role for years via GLEE. When FUNNY GIRL first opened, critics went after not just original lead Beanie Feldstein but also the material, with some saying the show should never have been revived. Now those same folks are thrilled it is on Broadway. The production did something smart -- rather than have a press night or two, reviews for Michele's performance trickled in for months, so every few weeks there was a reminder of just how much the critics loved her.

Broadway Needs to Recalibrate

This season has seen one big straight play hit without a starry cast, LEOPOLDSTADT. One could argue that Stoppard is the star of that, but Stoppard, like Sondheim, has not always meant box office gold. Based on interviews conducted outside the theater, it seems like the success of that production is based on a combination of subject matter, Stoppard, reviews and word-of-mouth. But one hit does not mean there isn't a problem. The old "make better shows and people will come" does not say it all. International tourism is still down from pre-pandemic levels and we are seeing the impact of that across the industry; the upcoming PHANTOM and STOMP closings providing the most direct evidence. Some of Broadway's tristate area audience, which skewed older, remains reluctant to return to the theater because of Covid-related concerns. That means there is a need to bring in new audiences. The producers of KPOP caught flack for not having a better marketing and social media game, but its stars continually promoted the show to millions of followers on personal accounts and that didn't result in ticket sales. There needs to be industry-wide efforts to develop new groups of theatergoers -- it is more than one show can manage.