Industry Pro Newsletter: 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.

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Employment Opportunity

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

BroadwayWorld Seeks College Student Bloggers for Fall 2025

BroadwayWorld.com announces it is accepting applications for its student blogger program. This remote, unpaid opportunity is open to college students anywhere in the world who have a passion for theatre. Student bloggers will write about their theatrical experiences, from campus productions to local community theatre. Interested students are encouraged to visit the website to find more information and submit an application for the Fall 2025 semester.

12 Schools Win Free License to Produce SUFFS Through Nationwide Initiative

The producers of the Broadway musical Suffs have selected twelve high schools to receive a complimentary performance license. This program, created in partnership with the Educational Theatre Association, aims to bring the story of the women's suffrage movement to students across the United States. The winning schools represent a diverse range of communities. This initiative provides a unique opportunity for students to engage with history by producing the new musical.

Broadway/New York

2025 Fall Preview 

The upcoming theatre season is filled with a variety of new plays, musicals, and anticipated revivals. A comprehensive guide to the new shows details their creative teams, casts, and opening night dates. A companion piece reveals that many of these productions were developed at regional theaters, Off-Broadway, or in London before transferring. These articles provide a complete look at what is coming to the stage this fall.

Caesars Palace Casino Denied Approval to Open in Times Square After Final Vote

A key community committee has voted against the proposed Caesars Palace casino project in Times Square. Manhattan's Community Board 5's advisory committee voted 10-1 to recommend that the state deny the application. While this vote is an important step, the final decision rests with the state's Gaming Facility Location Board. In a follow-up statement, developers Caesars Entertainment and SL Green expressed their intent to continue working to address community concerns.

Over 1,300 Equity Members Send Letter to The Broadway League

A large group of Actors' Equity Association members has signed an open letter regarding contract negotiations. The letter urges The Broadway League to agree to a fair Production Contract with improved wages, benefits, and safety protocols. This action demonstrates a strong, unified stance from the union's membership. The letter was sent as the union and the league continue to negotiate the terms of their next agreement.

Regional

Workers Bear the Burden of Des Moines Metro Opera's Ambitions

Howard Sherman details allegations of unsafe and grueling working conditions at the Des Moines Metro Opera. Citing investigative articles from the Des Moines Register, Sherman describes a "boot camp" like environment where employees have worked extremely long hours, sometimes up to 89.5 hours a week, with little overtime pay. The article mentions instances of staff experiencing injuries and exhaustion, and criticizes the company's leadership for a lack of action and production knowledge. Sherman suggests that for the safety of its workers, the company must scale back its ambitions.

American Theatre: Cultural Alliance Report: Philly Theatres Lag Behind Post-Pandemic

A recent report indicates that Philadelphia's theatre sector is experiencing a slower post-pandemic recovery compared to other local arts disciplines. The study, conducted by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, found that theatre attendance and revenue have not returned to pre-pandemic levels as robustly as other cultural areas. The report identifies challenges such as changing audience behavior and increased operational costs as contributing factors. These findings suggest a need for specific support for the city's live theatre organizations.

International

The Guardian: RSC staff urged to apply for voluntary redundancy amid financial pressures

The Royal Shakespeare Company is encouraging its employees to apply for voluntary redundancy amid significant financial challenges. This initiative is a response to rising costs, the lingering financial effects of the pandemic, and reductions in public arts funding. The renowned theatre company is looking to reduce its overall staff numbers as part of a necessary cost-saving plan. The application for the voluntary redundancy scheme has been opened to all of the organization's permanent staff members.

Missed our last few newsletters?

September 15, 2025 - Broadway Shows Feel Tourism Dip + NEXT ON STAGE Returns

As the fall season kicks off, the theater world is abuzz with new beginnings, major milestones, and mounting tensions in New York’s cultural core. This week’s newsletter spotlights fresh opportunities for emerging performers with the launch of NEXT ON STAGE Season 6, while Broadway braces for shifting trends amid a tourism slowdown. From a packed fall lineup of new shows to community opposition against a proposed Times Square casino, the stakes are high both on and off stage. We also check in on honors for key industry figures, regional recognition with the BroadwayWorld Awards, and vital funding for theater abroad.

September 8, 2025 - Mission Critical for Arts Criticism

Before we dive into this week’s stories, a quick update on some audience data from BroadwayWorld. We recently asked our audience a few different questions in our regular newsletter - the first, asking how many live events they attend in a month. With options of 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 5+, our audience reported that they fall nearly evenly across the spectrum - indicating that the BroadwayWorld audience is an excellent cross-section of the casual theatergoer and the highly committed fan. Further backing that data up is a question we are currently deploying in our newsletter asking if readers are currently subscribed to a full season at a regional theater for the 2025-2026 season. Early data from that question shows a nearly even split - 50.5% reporting they are subscribed, and 49.5% reporting they are not subscribed. If you’re interested in reaching both casual theatergoers and diehard fans, subscribers and single ticket buyers - then get in touch with your BroadwayWorld advertising sales rep today.

September 2, 2025 - 4,000 Broadway Recordings Head to the Classroom

This week's newsletter explores the delicate balance between preserving theatre's past and navigating its present challenges and triumphs. We highlight two major archival initiatives from the Wait in the Wings foundation and the New York Public Library, both aimed at making theatrical history more accessible than ever. This theme of legacy is also present in stories of history being made, as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child prepares to break a significant Broadway record, and of history at risk, with a historic California theatre facing potential demolition. We'll also cover the immediate business of the stage, from a high-profile lawsuit and regional leadership changes to concerns that public transit cuts could hinder the industry's ongoing recovery.

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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