Industry Pro Newsletter: New Pay Equity Standards, Audiences Want Vaccine Mandates

Much of the industry felt a little bit on hold the last week, as public health officials began more open discussions that the latest wave of the coronavirus may be starting to trend downward in many places. While that still means some restrictions and caution across the globe, it does also mean that many companies that have been able to weather the storm are once again preparing to reopen - holding those plans as loosely as they are able. In New York, some governmental support may be renewed for the performing arts sector in the form of the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit. Meanwhile last week, members of the creative economy were in front of the House Small Business Committee to lobby for more support from a national level.

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THE SOCIAL REPORT

A Strange Loop sees a significant boost following the announcement of its Broadway cast. Paradise Square climbs the leaderboard following the unveiling of its Broadway marquee.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

On Our Team Launches Pay Equity Certification Standards

The organization, launched in 2020 to work for more equitable working conditions in theater, has now launched a tool to help companies establish pay equity within their organization. The certification is designed to function like an Organic food label, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about the kinds of organizations they would like to support with their ticket buying dollars. Read more...

Do Audiences Want Proof of Vaccination Requirements? The Short Answer: Yes

The latest research from IMPACTS tracking what will make visitors to cultural entities feel safe indicates that more than 71% of likely visitors support proof of vaccination requirements for attendance. When just looking at performance based cultural entities, that number jumps north of 74%. That number is up from 53% when the data was last collected and analyzed in September 2021. Read more...

Industry Representatives Testify Before Congress

In a hearing last week before the House Small Business Committee, representatives from the arts and entertainment industry implored the committee members to continue to find ways to support the creative economy. While many organizations were able to get through the last two years based on governmental assistance programs, those programs are coming to end, but the struggles faced by companies are not yet over - putting many in an even more difficult position. Read more...

BROADWAY

AEA Celebrates National Swing Day

For the seventh year in a row, Actors Equity Association celebrated National Swing Day. This year more than ever, swings have come into the spotlight as they have worked tirelessly to keep productions up and running on Broadway, on tour, and across Regional stages. Read more...

Proposed New York State Budget Includes Extension of Tax Credit Program

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her budget proposal for the state of New York last week, and included $200 million for the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit program. This program began last year as a way for the state to assist the many productions that call New York home. Each production could receive up to $3 million in tax credits to help defray production costs. Read more...

Omicron Related Headaches and Low Tourism Numbers Make January a Hard Month

With the spate of closing news - some temporary, some not - NPR takes a look at what January has been like on Broadway - and why the mix of the latest variant and a naturally lower time for tourism means that Broadway is looking toward the Spring. Read more...

REGIONAL

A Transformed Performance Space Still Waits for Its Opening

Baltimore Shakespeare Factory took over a Hamden Church as their performance space, and a cabinet maker vowed to transform the space into something that Shakespeare would recognize. He took on the project, and then COVID hit. Read more...

Unpaid Work Returns to Midfield at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

There is an uproar in the dance community after it came out that the producers of this year's Super Bowl halftime show were seeking to recruit unpaid volunteers to take part on the field. While the producers maintain that these people will not learn choreography, dancers decry the 72-hours of unpaid work that these individuals will be required to put in on one of the most profitable events of the year. Read more...

INTERNATIONAL

RSC Artistic Director Speaks Out Against Racist Backlash

After announcing an all-Black cast for their upcoming Much Ado About Nothing, the Royal Shakespeare Company experienced a backlash couched in racism to the announcement. Erica Whymann, the Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said that she was "saddened, but not surprised" by the response. She also went on to say that it is the responsibility of cultural institutions to work "to properly understand what has been missing from our cultural world." Read more...

Museum and Theaters Hold Protests Over Lockdown Restrictions in the Netherlands

Theaters and cultural centers across the Netherlands protested what they called unfair and inconsistent lockdown restrictions in the countries last week, opening up their spaces as salons and gyms. While the country did ease some restrictions last week, the institutions are protesting that salons and gyms were allowed to reopen, but cultural institutions were not. Read more...

The UK Leads the Way in VR and Digital Experimentation

The New York Times takes a look at the many different digital experiments that have been taking place in the UK - particularly with augmented reality - that started before the pandemic. Since the pandemic, these experiments have only continued - not only with theater companies, but now catching on with audiences. Read more...

Missed our last few newsletters?

January 17 - Closing vs Hiatus, Does the Subscription Model Still Make Sense?

News of more closings - and planned reopenings - highlighted the Broadway news last week, and regionally we've seen a few more delays in productions announced. Broadway and many regions also announced an extension of mask mandates and vaccination requirements for audiences into the spring, serving as a reminder that the path to that final "new normal" will likely have a few more twists and turns before we arrive. Read more...

January 10 - Pauses and Postponements Continue, West End Reduces Weekly Performances

As the industry works to both emerge from the pandemic and deal with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, responses are starting to differ based on region. Some Broadway producers are prioritizing their ongoing tours, others are pulling people from the tour to keep running on Broadway. In Chicago, no food and drink are allowed in the theatre. In Los Angeles, they're making plans to resist a pause for as long as possible. The first week of the new year was a bumpy one to be sure, and we've got the stories from around the industry in the newsletter below. Read more...

January 3 - LA Institutions Require Boosters, Boston Invests in the Arts

Happy New Year! As we kick off another year, we find ourselves in what feels like a similar pattern: uncertainty. While the next few weeks seem destined to be rough within the industry as we continue to grapple with another surge in the virus related both to the new variant and holiday travel, we remain in a much stronger position than we were at last year. New treatments are available for those that do contract the virus, and the number of people receiving vaccines and boosters continues to rise. The New York Times laid out the case for hope in regards to the virus in their morning newsletter today. While that can be cold comfort to those in the midst of the fight within the theatre industry, it does serve as a reminder that though there is plenty of uncertainty ahead, we are in a foundationally more stable place than we were just one year ago as vaccines began to roll out. Read more...

BroadwayWorld Resources

BroadwayWorld Stage Mag - A Fully Interactive Show Program

The digital solution to your show program needs - want to see what's possible? Check out the Stage Mag's for off-Broadway's Blindness and for Next on Stage Season 3! Then start building your own at stagemag.broadwayworld.com.

Add Your Show to our Regional Events Calendar

As audiences get set to return to in-person performances, and as your company works to market your own return to the stage, make sure you've got your upcoming shows in our regional events calendars. Listings are free of charge, with boosting options available. Get your show listed now!

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