Industry Pro Newsletter: Is AI a Threat to Broadway's Newest Shows?

This week, we're exploring the forces shaping the future of the theatre industry, from technological disruption to fundamental questions about its workforce and leadership. On Broadway, the rise of AI is changing how audiences discover new shows, even as looming labor negotiations, which have drawn the attention of Congress, threaten to halt current ones. At the same time, we're seeing innovative solutions to talent pipeline challenges emerge overseas, while also celebrating the creators and leaders steering the art form forward, from a key artistic appointment in the regional sector to a major international award for a Tony-winning writing team.

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Managing Director - Mainstage Center for the Arts

The Managing Director will oversee business operations, development, marketing, and daily administration to ensure the organizational health of Mainstage Center for the Arts. This role works in close partnership with the Artistic Director to align artistic programming with financial, operational, and community goals as set forth by the Board of Directors.

Industry Trends

AI Recommends Outdated Broadway Shows, Overlooks New Titles

OpenAI’s ChatGPT often suggests shows that have closed, are West End‑only, or never ran on Broadway. In tests on October 2–3, about 17% of current Broadway shows failed to appear in any ChatGPT result. Competing model Perplexity’s Comet did somewhat better, but still omitted new and active titles like Liberation, Punch, The Queen of Versailles. As audiences (especially younger audience members) continue to use large language models as search engines, a reliance on traditional SEO marketing to reach audiences is coming to an end.

Broadway/New York

Congress Signs Letter Urging Equity and the Broadway League to Avoid Strike

Members of Congress, including Hakeem Jeffries and Mike Lawler, have signed a letter urging Actors’ Equity Association, the Broadway League, and the musicians’ union to negotiate in good faith and avoid a strike.The letter was addressed to leaders including Broadway League President Jason Laks, Equity President Brooke Shields, and heads of Local 802. Equity and Local 802 are engaged in contract negotiations and have authorized strike votes over pay, health care, and other demands. Zohran Mamdani, Democratic frontrunner for NYC mayor, tweeted support for Equity and Local 802, emphasizing the need for a fair deal.

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Creators Will Aronson And Hue Park Among Honorees At 2025 Asia Game Changer Awards

Will Aronson and Hue Park, the Tony‑winning creators of Maybe Happy Ending, have been named among the 2025 Asia Game Changer Award honorees. The awards will take place October 15, 2025, at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York City. They are recognized for bridging cultures through musical theater and elevating global appreciation for Asian creativity. Other honorees include Elaine Chao, Dr. James S.C. Chao, Jon Huntsman Jr., Yuja Wang, and Kiran Nadar, and Juju Chang will emcee the event.

Regional

Studio Theatre Appoints Jess Chayes as Associate Artistic Director

Studio Theatre in Washington, DC has named Jess Chayes as its new Associate Artistic Director. Chayes brings strong credentials in new‑work development and ensemble creation from her prior role as Associate Artistic Director at Northern Stage and as a founding co‑artistic director of The Assembly. She has directed projects through Playwrights Horizons, The Vineyard Theatre, The New Group, and others. Chayes succeeds Danilo Gambini, who is departing to pursue freelance directing.

International

The Stage: Prison Leavers to Be Trained for Theatre Work in Bid to Boost Talent Pipeline

A new UK initiative called Second Stage will train prison leavers for backstage roles in theatre, addressing a growing shortage of technical talent. The program is a collaboration between SOLT, UK Theatre, His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, theatre employers, and prison governors. Participants will receive skills training and industry placements in areas such as lighting, sound, set building, and costume. The University of East London will evaluate the program’s effectiveness through interviews with participants, measuring its impact on rehabilitation and employment outcomes.

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October 3, 2025 - Meta’s Ad Overhaul & Broadway’s sLabor Tensions

This week, we explore an industry navigating significant challenges while simultaneously planting seeds for future growth. From the looming impact of Meta's AI-driven advertising updates and financial anxieties on Broadway to the potential fallout from a government shutdown on D.C. venues, the sector faces considerable headwinds. Yet, alongside these pressures, we see powerful signs of investment and innovation, including a new fund to cultivate theatrical works in New York City, a major donation for a university performing arts center in Philadelphia, and new artistic leadership shaping the future of the Stratford Festival.

September 29, 2025 - Courts Rule in Favor of Artists Over NEA Funding

In New York, Manhattan Theatre Club ushers in a new era with a new Artistic Director, while in Louisville, a new dual leadership team takes the reins at Actors Theatre of Louisville. The industry is also facing key challenges head-on, from a major court victory securing federal arts funding to a legal dispute on Broadway and a push by UK unions to ensure the safety of front-of-house staff. We also check in with the winner of the Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education on the state of arts education.

September 22, 2025 - Times Square Casino Denied, Troubling Working Conditions at Des Moines Opera

This week, we have the excitement of a new season alongside significant industry-wide challenges. As we look ahead to the new shows of the Fall Broadway season and celebrate programs designed to foster the next generation of artists and audiences, we also turn our attention to the crucial conversations happening behind the curtain. This edition highlights the pressing financial and labor issues shaping the theatre landscape, from a major union action in New York and difficult working conditions in the American heartland to the financial pressures facing venerable institutions abroad.

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 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and for The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)! 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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