Insight into scheduling
Insight into scheduling
#1Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 1:27pm
I know the typical Broadway show schedule is Tuesday through Sunday with Matinees on Wednesday and Saturday.
I know several people love to do Broadway marathons. On days like Thursday, it is rare to find a matinee, but I disperately look for one. Occassionally, I do find one and it is well attended. I would imagine if a show offered a matinee different than the rest of the shows it would likely sell out as it would be one of the few shows that are showing at the time.
Any particular reason why a show has a Wednesday matinee as opposed to a Thursday or Friday?
Not to be confused with Dave19.
Updated On: 11/23/14 at 01:27 PM
#2Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 1:33pm
There is a lot of ancillary support for the Wednesday matinees. Like, where I grew up in PA, the local bus runs a $25 roundtrip Shopper's Special bus on Wednesdays only that mentions Broadway matinees as one of the benefits. So, I'd imagine similar things happen elsewhere, too.
Also, on the industry side, if you're doing auditions for future shows, rehearsals for reading and benefits, etc., you would want to do them at a time when most people are free. If every working actor had different days off, it would be more challenging to enable people to do things in between their Broadway schedule to benefit them having a next show to go into, etc.
Updated On: 11/23/14 at 01:33 PM
#2Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 2:02pm
It's a shame that Broadway hasn't really embraced Thursday matinees. It is pretty much a 50/50 split in London of whether a show does a Wednesday/Thursday matinee. A handful of shows also do matinees on a Tuesday and Sunday.
It's an interesting one. Jersey Boys is the only musical in London to do a Tuesday matinee, so if you want to catch a musical that afternoon it has to be Jersey Boys.
Didn't a lot of shows trial thursday matinees in the summer? Cinderella, Phantom, Mamma Mia!?
LarryD2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/1/14
#3Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 2:03pm
In London, Wednesdays and Thursdays are both big matinee days. There are some shows over there (Jersey Boys, The Mousetrap, and The Woman in Black) that also offer a Tuesday matinee. There have been attempts over here to extend weekday matinees further--The Book of Mormon has offered Friday matinees in the past, and this past summer, a few shows (Cinderella, Beautiful, Phantom--maybe others?) offered Thursday matinees. As of right now, I think Phantom is the only Broadway show still currently offering a Thursday matinee.
Updated On: 11/23/14 at 02:03 PM
#4Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 2:47pmInteresting enough Phantom is one of the few shows that has a Monday evening show. While I have seen Phantom more times than I care to admit, I would likely attend it again if I wanted to see a show and no others on my list was playing. Seems like good business to me.
Not to be confused with Dave19.
#5Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 3:01pm
Considering early weekdays are the best days already to get better seats/deals for shows, since people rather see shows on the weekends, etc., how would that play out on having a Sunday matinee versus a Monday show, as many shows with discount codes offer less/worse seats on weekends.
Also, I doubt the Broadway marathoners who see a dozen shows in 3 days, etc., exist in a high enough volume to affect schedule decisions.
Unless you think 1,605 people doing Broadway marathons will sell out Phantom every Monday night. 
Updated On: 11/23/14 at 03:01 PM
#6Insight into scheduling
Posted: 11/23/14 at 3:29pm
While there are not as many marathoners, I am sure there are plenty of tourists and/or businessmen or ladies, that want to see a show and can't find one playing on a Monday evening or other afternoon besides Wednesday. .
Can't say I have attended a Monday evening show, but the Thursday matinees seem to do well.
Not to be confused with Dave19.
