The musicals are coming! The musicals are coming!
Last year, the buzz around Shubert Alley was in the sheer volume of new musicals on the boards.
And for once, the buzz wasn't exaggerated.? (We theatermakers are dramatic by nature.? The sky is always falling while we're seeing triple rainbows.)
In the 2023-24 season, there were 16 brand spankin' NEW musicals.??
That's a lot.? (Especially when only five can get a Best Musical Tony nomination.? And especially when nominations and wins are such a key component of life on Broadway and life AFTER Broadway.)
When the season was over, everyone said, "Well, that will never happen again!”
Enter this season.
Right now . . . as of October 19th, when I'm composing this . . . I count twelve announced new musicals (or ready to announce new musicals).? TWELVE.? And it's only October.??
So much for a fluke.? This is now a TREND.
To put that into perspective, I had my new Associate Producer do some data mining.?
We looked at the ten years prior to the pandemic.??
The average number of new musicals on Broadway each year was 9.6.??
So if we stuck at the 12 for this year, plus the 16 from last year, that means in the two most recent years, we're averaging 14 new musicals a year.? That's a whopping 46% more than the average of the previous 10 years.??
What does all this mean?? Is this triple rainbow time?? Or is the sky falling?
Well, it’s a bit of both.
For fans of new musicals has there ever been a better time?? There has never been so much new product available for people who like singing and dancing with their drama.
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But the challenge for the industry is . . . the grosses are still 18% down, while expenses are up, from 10-30%!
More product, fewer customers.? It's like if people stopped driving and the auto companies said, "Let's make more cars."
Don't get me wrong . . . I AM one of those fans of new musicals, so I'm in heaven with all this product.? But the challenge these musicals have in competing for a smaller audience (and a changing one) concerns me.? Will shows that should stand out get that opportunity?? Will new voices be heard?? Will the only thing that survives be big branded IP???
Time will tell . . . and hopefully the audience will come ROARING back to its pre-covid levels and beyond (and hopefully Broadway inflation will flatline at least).??
So why is this happening?? What's causing this now-official-trend?
Is it:
Will it continue?? Can it continue???
Of course it can - provided there are investors willing to invest, despite greater risks, and in decreased margins.? (Another reason why the extension of the Broadway tax credit is essential - because we're not out of the pandemic woods yet.)
Enjoy this new musical-infused season.? Go see something you wouldn’t usually see. Because all these musicals need your support.??
Because what I’d love to see is not only more new musicals, but more recouping new musicals.? If we could accomplish that?? The art form would explode even more than it already is.??
(Stay tuned - because this volume of new musicals is screaming for a few changes in the industry - I’m going to lobby for one in a couple of weeks).
Want even more industry and marketing insights? Follow me on social media! When I don’t write a full article here, I share micro-KENisms on Instagram,?LinkedIn,?Facebook, and?TikTok?(yes, even TikTok!)
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Assistant Manager, Merchandise
2 周Love these shows! Support the Arts!
Founder at Vizual Voices
3 周I just saw Water for Elephants on Wed night & it was Amazing!!
Performing Artist/Director/Choreographer and President of Promethean Spark International
3 周This is fascinating to see the evolution of our industry right before our eyes. Regional theater is on the rise and lots of new musicals are being debuted at large local theaters. More than I have ever seen and some of it is top notch talent. When people see non-equity or equity tours come through and feel like their local theater is presenting just as high-quality entertainment as the high ticket prices, they lose incentive to make the trip and spend the money at a Broadway show. I live out west now and have heard this sentiment over and over. I'm not sure what the answer is, but the industry is definitely evolving quickly.
President & CEO- Broward Center for the Performing Arts; Presenter, promoter, bringing community together through shared experiences
4 周Great data as always. In contrast, Touring and the Road continues to see record breaking subscriptions, grosses and numbers of total weeks. The real question has to be if the NYC model of open ended productions is still the path to success given the data you provided? Will Road presenters be willing/able to invest in a new model and what would it look like?
Writer/Proofreader/Creative Theater Critic
1 个月This is spot on. I was up in NY and then NJ. I saw roughly 300 shows. My complaint 10 years ago was the lack of quality new musicals. I loved Kimberly Akimbo and will see it on tour in Charlotte. I thought Water For Elephants creatively and altogether was amazing. I may try to go for a quick trip to see it before Dec 8. I saw The Great Gatsby and for me it was a typical Broadway Grand Musical. Did check my watch on that one. Stunt Casting does work. I.e. when the Last Ship was failing and Sting came in and that brought me in as well as Josh Groban in Natasha…… Limited runs that do Anazing such as Romeo and Juliet and I am sure Othello! I was so disappointed in August in people wearing shorts, pajama pants to Saturday night theater. For producers the seats were filled, although seem to heavily rely on tourists. Theater for so many years was a special event for avid theater goers. Then came the Hype where people waiting u to a year for good seats. My last one was Hamilton. Great show…wouldn’t be a repeat for me. My passion would keep me writing but I’ll stop here. Nicest “celebrity” actor werre Liev Schreiber and Peter Krause. Kind and gave their time…so lovely??