Student Blog: Broadway on Tour!

I’m going to be perfectly transparent with you all: I am a theater kid. Shocker, right? I don’t subscribe to any of that “theater kid vs. ‘kid who does theater’” drama. I am a theater kid and proud of it. 

You might be wondering, how does someone become one of these theater kids? Here’s your answer: participating in and seeing lots and lots of theater. I was in my first play in kindergarten and have been doing musicals consistently since seventh grade, but attending professional shows was another huge part of what made me fall in love with theater. 

I have been lucky enough to see many, many shows in my life. I’ve grown up in a family that values theater—although my parents definitely aren’t as obsessed with it as I am—and my parents have taken me to see shows since I was little, both on Broadway and national tours. 

I’ll be frank: when I was very young and barely knew anything about the ins and outs of theater, I used to think of Broadway tours as “less”: since they weren’t housed in the middle of the Theater District, they couldn’t possibly be as good, as professional, as special of an experience as seeing a Broadway show in Times Square, right?

Wrong. So very, very wrong. 

Tours are just as special as typical Broadway shows. I’d argue they’re even a more impressive experience, since touring productions face obstacles that shows in New York City never have to endure.

Touring performers are dedicating their lives to traveling around the country, bringing the stories they’re tasked with telling to audiences across America while dealing with travel difficulties, jet lag, pure exhaustion, sickness, and so much more. Yet, somehow, even while dealing with factors that would send some people hiding in their bedrooms for eternity, these theater artists bring their absolute best and their entire selves to their performances each night. No matter where they are in the country or how far into their tour schedules they are, the show feels brand-new every night, making every single audience member feel at home in the theater and immersing them in the magic and experience of the story the cast and crew choose to tell each night. 

I’ve fallen victim to this magic more times than I can count, and I’ve come to look forward to seeing touring productions in Philadelphia just as much as I do seeing shows on Broadway. Nothing will compare to the feeling of seeing an original cast in a Broadway theater, but seeing touring productions, many of which feature Broadway veterans as well as incredibly talented industry newcomers, comes extremely close. 

For students, touring productions also make Broadway more accessible: most major cities bring in numerous national tours each year, offering students and community members the chance to immerse themselves in their local theater communities while being exposed to the much larger world of Broadway itself. 

Now, let’s get into the details: why do I love tours so much, and why should you?

First of all, touring productions are a huge part of what fully developed my love of theater. Growing up just a short drive from the historic Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia, it became second nature for my family to see shows at the Academy of Music and other historic theaters in the city. Touring productions gave me a chance to see shows that weren’t on Broadway at the time, shows that we weren’t able to see in New York, and shows that we weren’t able to travel to see before they closed on Broadway. 

A few weeks ago, I went to see the national tour of Beetlejuice at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia with a couple of my friends. We all came into it with different levels of familiarity with the show: I had been obsessed with the music since the show first premiered on Broadway and was incredibly excited to see a show that I had not been able to see either of the times it was on Broadway (both before the pandemic and after), while my two friends didn’t have nearly as much familiarity with the musical but were fans of the movie and excited to see it come to life onstage. 

The show was a giant, fantastic spectacle, from the jarring opening beats of the overture to the emotional ballads in the second act to the heartwarming, familial finale. It was everything I’d imagined it to be and more: seeing songs I’ve listened to on Apple Music for four years be performed in front of me was incredible and reminded me how magical theater can be. It reminded me how magical touring productions can be, making theater lovers’ dreams come true and bringing the magic of theater to countless audiences across the country. Seeing the show also got my friends hooked on the music: messages were constantly appearing in our group chat about how good the songs were or what Beetlejuice TikToks had appeared on their for you pages that day. That’s the magic of touring productions I love so much: how seeing one single performance can change the way people think of a particular show. 

Touring productions make theater more accessible overall: not just geographically, but financially as well. Theaters in major cities and college towns offer rush tickets, student discounts, and giveaways catered to college students who might not get a chance to experience these shows otherwise. It also gives students the opportunity to see shows they might not have expected to see: in February, my friend and I got last-minute rush tickets to the national tour of the genderbent revival of 1776, a show I never would have planned to see if not for the easy availability of rush tickets and lotteries. The show was incredible, and I’m so glad I got the chance to see it, especially as a theater kid who also happens to be a history major! 

When I look back at the way young Emily thought about touring productions, I truly can’t believe I ever thought about them in any sort of negative light. Touring productions bring me—and countless other college students and community members—incredible opportunities to experience theater in places and with people we might not be able to otherwise. These artists should be just as celebrated as those gracing the stages of Broadway eight times a week, and getting to see national tours is an immense privilege everyone should strive to experience at least once in their lives. 

So give it a try: Google what shows are coming to a city near you, figure out the most feasible ways for you to get tickets, and invite some friends or family along! You never know what you’ll discover, what shows you’ll fall in love with just from seeing them on tour, or what will inspire you to get more involved in theater in your local community. 

And of course, once you get to the theater, it’s time to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

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