Industry Pro Newsletter: The Lost Generation of Theatre-Makers, Broadway League Reports Individual Grosses
And the NEA reports the arts sector shrank much faster than the overall US Economy.
By: Alex Freeman Mar. 28, 2022
Last week, we got two different sets of data that started to make a case for the current state of the cultural economy - a report from the NEA laying out just how bad things got in the depths of 2020 (and hinting at some initial recovery in 2021) - and the first time The Broadway League reported individual show grosses since Broadway reopened. While these data sets don't give a complete picture on their own - not to mention the numerous regional data points that we've previously reported on - the signs are clear that recovery is upon us, but the path ahead is still a long one for many organizations.
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Industry Trends
Arts Sector Shrank at Nearly Twice Rate of US Economy
According to a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts, employment and overall economic contributions in the arts sector shrank at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the US economy during the pandemic. While some ground was recovered during 2021, the losses of 2020 have not yet been made up. Read more...
The "Lost Generation" of Theatre-Makers
As in-person theatre returns, the Los Angeles Times highlights nine artists who have made the decision to not come back with it. Read more...
Broadway & Beyond to Host Webinar on Anti-Racist Stage Management Practices
The webinar will take place on April 5th, with free enrollment but advanced registration is required. The event will explore the Stage Manager's role in building an equitable and compassionate environment for a production. Read more...
Broadway/New York
Broadway League Returns to Traditional Gross Reporting
Last week, the Broadway League returned to reporting grosses for individual shows, as opposed to their pandemic practice of only sharing the compiled data for all shows on Broadway. As we prepare for the slew of April openings ahead of the Tony-eligibility cutoff, you can get that weekly information here on BroadwayWorld. Read more...
NYC Mayor Drops Vaccine Requirements for Athletes and Performers
In what was a surprise move for many - including evoking a Twitter thread of pushback from AEA President Kate Shindle - NYC Mayor Eric Adams dropped the private employer vaccine mandate as it relates to professional athletes and performers. The Broadway League has said the city's policy change has had no impact on their own vaccination policy. Read more...
'Perfect Crime' to Celebrate 35th Anniversary Next Month
The longest running play in New York, 'Perfect Crime' will celebrate 35 years of performing off-Broadway on April 18th. Read more...
Regional
Hillary Clinton, Former Secretary of State, to Play Giant at Arkansas Rep
Arkansas Rep will present Into the Woods starting next month, and they have tapped former Arkansas First Lady, among many other titles, to give voice to the off-stage giant. Read more...
How Can Small Arts Organizations Grow?
Highlighting the recent departure of a newly hired Executive Director, Jeremy Reynolds, writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, highlights the struggles of many small arts organizations to grow into larger, more sustainable institutions. Read more...
Michael Bobbit on the Importance of Racial Equity in Arts Agencies
The Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council appeared on Arts Engines with Aaron Dworkin. Read more...
Upright Citizens Brigade, the improv comedy company that counts Amy Poehler among its founders, was forced to close on both coasts due to the pandemic. New investors have come in to take over the company and re-open their operations on the West Coast. Read more...
American Blues Theater to Build New Home
The long-standing itinerant Chicago company has announced a $6.5 million campaign to build their first permanent home in the new Lincoln Avenue North Arts District in Chicago. Read more...
International
The small Australian company is focused on creating work with their company of disabled and neurodiverse performers is the first Australian company to win the prize known as the Nobel Prize of Theatre. Read more...
Shakespeare North Playhouse Sets Opening Plans
This fall, the newly built replica of the Elizabethan Cockpit-in-Court theatre will open with three pieces written by students before staging a newly interpreted version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The space was built with traditional carpentry methods - meaning there are no screws or glue of any kind used in the construction. Read more...
For Artists in Eastern Europe, An Uncertain Future
As the war in Ukraine continues, the cultural sector in other Eastern European countries is currently paralyzed with uncertainty about what might come next in the geopolitical landscape around Russia. Read more...
Missed our last few newsletters?
March 21 - Nicole Rosky New Editor-in-Chief of BroadwayWorld, New Data on Pandemic Recovery
New data points show that the theatre industry is once again at an inflection point - first, data backs up the anecdotal sense that the recovery from the pandemic shutdown has been uneven across the globe, and across different regions within countries. With most pandemic response being handled on a local level, this uneven recovery is not surprising. As the industry gets back to the new normal, we are also seeing an increasing number of examinations that reveal that things might be getting back to the old normal in a way that seems to ignore many of the non-pandemic related conversations around equity and access to opportunity that occurred over the last two years - like unpaid internships continuing to be offered at many large institutions. Read more...
March 14 - Tony Awards Have a Date, New DEI Report from AEA
The announcement of the Tony Awards and the return of the BC/EFA Red Bucket campaign brought a huge sense of normalcy back to the theatre industry last week - unfortunately this week, we were also reminded how far the industry has to go in establishing the new normal with the release of Actors Equity Association's latest Diversity and Inclusion report. As we look toward Tony Awards season, this is also your reminder that this newsletter would be great to include in your For Your Consideration campaigns. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, reach out to the BroadwayWorld Sales team. Read more...
March 7 - Kelvin Dinkins, Jr New Executive Director at ART, Barbara Gaines to Retire from CST
With many of the pandemic restrictions being lifted in New York City this week, that the Broadway COVID safety team will celebrate their 2,000th performance on Broadway Tuesday night highlights the new phase of normalcy that the industry has entered. While much of the wider culture reduces restrictions in an effort to attract more tourists and audiences back into the seats, that leaves theatres and cultural institutions faced with the difficult task of balancing audience needs and desires, while keeping potential risk as low as possible to prevent having to shut down operations for any amount of time moving forward. 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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