Industry Pro Newsletter: Suburban Theatre Audiences Are Still Missing in NYC and Beyond

Cara Joy David explores the concerning trend that suburban audiences are less willing to travel into the city center - whether that is in New York, Chicago, or beyond - to see shows due to a perceived increase in crime in the city, leaving audiences feeling less safe getting in and out of shows. In the UK, funding cuts force theatres to innovate in other ways to stave off closure and grow their audience, and the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis has a new Artistic Director.

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Industry Trends

Broadway Cares Sends $400,000 in Emergency Grants in Response to Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS responds to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by providing $400,000 in emergency grants. The article details the organization's commitment to supporting those in need and its efforts to make a positive impact in response to the crisis.

Broadway/New York

Industry Trends Weekly: Absence of Suburbanites Impacts More Than You Think by Cara Joy David

Many folks have read in the last few weeks that Broadway is suffering from a suburban theatergoer drought. That is true. Two things are important to note related to that. First, this impacts more than simply pure overall attendance numbers. Second, this isn’t totally unique to New York.

Let’s start with Broadway. According to stats released by the Broadway League, only 13.6% of the Broadway audience last season came from New York City suburbs. Most journalists cited the latest Broadway League demographics report in their articles, so they only went back to the 2006-2007 season, which is all that report did. But let’s go back further—to the first season of this century, the 2000-2001 season. To open up this century, 24.4% of the Broadway audience was suburbanites, and the years that sandwiched that year both had approximately 26% of their audience from the suburbs. Sadly, 13.6% is not only the lowest percentage in this century, it’s also approximately 10% points lower than where Broadway was when it began this century. This audience is also down in absolute numbers, with only 1.67 million folks from the suburbs attending Broadway last season. That’s also the lowest of this century.

You may think: “Well, as long as other people make up for it.” (Which they didn’t last season, but hope springs eternal.) But that’s too simplistic a view. Locals, meaning NYC and suburbanites, comprise a large portion of the straight-play audience. They also are more likely to attend shows in previews and at the beginning of their runs than tourists are. That has been the case since I’ve been covering the theater. Therefore, these audiences are unique and we either specifically need them or need their attendance segment to be covered by NYC audiences. An increase in tourists will not have the same impact. (That’s part of why I’ve always been confused as to why Congestion Pricing wasn’t top of the Broadway League “don’t do this” agenda, in place of ticket fee transparency and the proposed casino. We don’t need to give this audience one more reason to be unhappy.)

According to research done by Situation Interactive, suburbanites cite “concerns about safety” as the biggest reason they have not returned to Broadway. 51.4% of suburbanites cited that as the reason they have not returned. Only 25.3% of folks in the rest of the northeast corridor cite safety concerns as the reason they are not back; other domestic tourists seem even less concerned with safety with only 17.5% selecting it as their top reason. This makes sense—suburbanites watch/read our local news, which frequently contains reports of crime in the Times Square area. That stuff doesn’t reach other areas as much.

And that gets us to the second point, crime being perceived as high in cities is not unique to New York. When Lookingglass was forced to go into a semi-pause, then artistic director Heidi Stillman told me that she had been told by non-returning audience members that perceived crime in Downtown Chicago was one of the reasons they had not returned. I’m working on a new story, that I can’t quote from yet, and several regional theater directors, from various places in the country, have told me similarly as part of it. I spoke to a theater executive in Los Angeles who told me he had ticket buyers simply not show up to the theater when the garage directly adjacent to the theater was full; they were scared to walk from one a block down. Some of these theaters have increased their in-city audience, but are still seeing a softening in their suburban audience. It is not universal. However, it is on the minds of many leaders. When crime goes up in cities, or when there is even a perception of that increase, that may factor into a prospective audience member’s decision. That’s not unique to Broadway.

Regional

American Theatre: Rick Dildine Named Artistic Director of Children's Theatre Company

Rick Dildine is appointed as the Artistic Director of the Children's Theatre Company. The article highlights Dildine's background and experience, shedding light on the vision he brings to the renowned theatre company known for its dedication to children's programming.

International

The Guardian: RSC Tickets for Diverse Audiences – 'A Turning Point'

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) takes steps to make tickets more accessible to diverse audiences, marking a turning point for inclusivity. The article outlines the RSC's initiatives to broaden access to its productions, reflecting a commitment to diversity and engagement with varied communities.

The Guardian: UK Theatres Fear Closure After More Local Funding Cuts - 'A National Emergency'

UK theatres face a national emergency as further local funding cuts jeopardize their existence. The article explores the impact of funding reductions on the theatre industry, emphasizing the urgent need for support to prevent closures and sustain the cultural sector.

Missed our last few newsletters?

January 8, 2024 - Hopes for 2024, National Theatre Wales 100% Funding Cut

Happy New Year! This week, Cara Joy David looks back at the stage door experience at a few of the musicals currently running on Broadway, we check in with various insiders hopes for Broadway in 2024, and we look at Dallas and Denver - where the recovery has taken different paths. Across the pond, The National Theatre Wales deals with a complete funding cut from their arts council.

December 18, 2023 - 96% of US Counties Received Pandemic Arts Funds, Broadway Audiences Getting More Diverse

Before we dive in, a quick programming note - this will be our last Industry newsletter of the year. Cheers to all of you for reading along with us this year, and we look forward to continuing to support the best practices of the wider industry in 2024! A few exciting data points to close out the year - the first being that Broadway audiences this past season were younger and more diverse than in seasons past. This is a bright spot in a season that saw a bumpy box office. A new study from SMU DataArts also looked at the amount of funding that went out to arts and culture organizations during the pandemic and the impact of the unprecedented governmental support.

December 11, 2023 - Lookingglass Alice Heads to PBS, Actors Seek Higher Pay in Australia

The transformation continues to be global - after US based writers and actors won concessions from the film industry, stage performers in Australia are looking to increase their own pay. In response to funding changes at the government level, the English National Opera is moving out of London and heading to Manchester. And PBS is bringing a regional production to national airwaves as they get set to premiere Lookingglass Alice. As 2023 comes to a close, it has been a year of transformation for the entertainment industry, but in a way that it feels like we are just on the precipice of the change that is coming - and we’ll be here in 2024 with all the industry coverage you’re looking for each Monday.

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