Broadway has this nifty revenue producing trick. Take a theater that fits 900 people and put in 1200 sears. It’s like ads on cable TV. There’s usually 40% more in same time frame as broadcast.
Theater margins are tight. So you squeeze people in.
I used to work backstage at these shows. Tiny dressing rooms, corridors, everybody lives on top of one another. It’s kind of fun to be honest.
The Pit is the same thing. Cram an orchestra into a space meant for a band.
The whole point of Broadway is the buzz. The crowded streets. The packed bars. The fans at the stage door.
Every producer, performer, stagehand in Broadway runs close to wind. A theater actor can have a 3-month run then not get another part for 2-years.
Developing these plays and musicals take years. Investors wait a long time for returns. It’s not like investing in Amazon. It’s a lot more fun.
I grew up in theater. I’ve done thousands of shows. But I’ve no idea how we get humptey-dumptey back on the stage.
Theater people are intense. They never back off. The show must go on is a way of life. You learn that fast. When I was a kid I had a 101 fever and tbe director just laughed at me. Get you ass on stage and work. If anybody can figure this out they will. But what sobering days for the beautiful art.
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