Alex Freeman

This week, we look at the record-setting viewership of the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and renewed efforts in New York and abroad to redefine cultural priorities. Across Broadway, we probe shifting economic pressures on creatives through a new interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Meanwhile, with the announcement of a new arts and culture transition committee by Zohran Mamdani, incoming leadership may reimagine the city’s cultural agenda. On a regional level, we follow the pioneering costume exhibition by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance at Denver International Airport — a celebration of decades of creative work — and internationally, we cover a new report revealing post-pandemic shifts across UK theatres, as well as the opening night of Paddington: The Musical in London’s West End.

From award-winning Broadway marketing campaigns and fresh digital viewing options for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to updates on tax credits and Tony eligibility, the industry continues to adapt on multiple fronts. Regional and national stories examine how institutions are navigating political scrutiny and how artists across the country are sustaining their work amid financial pressures. Internationally, major regulatory changes in the U.K. signal further shifts in how audiences access live performance.

Poudre High School Theatre demonstrates how Stage Mag can be used by organizations of all shapes and sizes to build a fully interactive show program. In New York, the Performing Arts Library prepares a major Martha Graham exhibition, and Leigh Silverman steps into her new role as President of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation. Regionally, IN Series appoints its first Executive Director and Dallas restores funding to Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Abroad, the National Youth Theatre expands its Assemble programme with a significant new grant.

This week’s roundup highlights major leadership changes, funding shifts, and renewed investment in the performing arts. OPERA America has named Michael J. Bobbitt as its next President & CEO, while Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced $1.5 million in emergency food grants nationwide. In New York, The Joyce Theater Foundation received a landmark $15 million gift, and Broadway productions prepare to take the stage at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Regionally, Chicago’s cultural department faces a proposed budget reduction, Theatre Washington released a new industry impact report, and Houston Grand Opera appointed James Gaffigan as its next Music Director. Meanwhile, in the UK, opera and arts education take center stage with efforts to broaden access and strengthen creative learning.

Broadway enthusiasts got into the Halloween spirit with show-inspired costumes, while BroadwayWorld expanded its reach with new WhatsApp Channels for international readers. Onstage and behind the scenes, the American Theatre Wing named the jury for the 70th Obie Awards, and Actors’ Equity ratified a new contract with The Broadway League, marking an important step for performer benefits and producer relations. Regionally, Center Theatre Group unveiled its 2025/26 LA Writers’ Workshop and Artist Residencies, and Albuquerque Little Theatre welcomed a new executive director. Internationally, the fallout from Arts Council England’s portal crash continues to leave arts groups in uncertainty—underscoring the ongoing challenges of supporting creativity worldwide.

On Broadway, both actors and musicians move closer to new contracts, with tentative deals heading to their respective unions for ratification. Beyond New York, the spotlight turns to growth and innovation — from Shakespeare & Company’s upcoming intensive for mid-career professionals in the Berkshires to the Shubert Organization’s landmark partnership in London. Meanwhile, TodayTix joins Ari Emanuel’s expanding live-events empire, and BroadwayWorld’s own Next On Stage competition returns for its sixth season, celebrating the next generation of musical theatre talent.

The week begins with the news that the Broadway League and AEA completed a marathon negotiation session that has resulted in a tentative agreement - meaning that one side of the potential strike equation is solved pending ratification. Negotiations with Local 802 are still ongoing. We also have a piece that looks at the compensation differences for performers for shows that originate on Broadway and those that stop on Broadway as part of an ongoing tour. A new report out of Chicago shows that arts and culture related foot traffic is back to pre-pandemic levels in downtown, an encouraging sign for arts related recoveries across the country.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This week, theaters are dealing with critical financial and leadership decisions across the board. We're covering the ongoing fight for a state tax credit in Chicago, staff cuts at the Kennedy Center, and leadership changes at both Trinity Rep and Opera Australia. In New York, the debate over the proposed Times Square casino continues. Alongside these challenges, we're also seeing positive steps for the industry's future, including the launch of a new national arts accessibility hub and the date being set for the 2026 Jimmy Awards.

This week's industry news paints a complex picture of resilience, challenge, and change across the theatrical landscape. While new data reveals a promising, though uneven, post-pandemic recovery in both New York City foot traffic and the Canadian arts economy, financial realities remain stark, highlighted by the unfortunate closure of Berkeley's Aurora Theatre. Yet, signs of forward momentum are clear, with new leadership at the SDC Foundation, significant NAMT grants fostering new work, and Ohio creating new tax incentives for touring productions.

In this week's newsletter, we're seeing the many ways the theatre industry is securing its future. From new partnerships like Caesars Palace and Wendell Pierce's initiative to support historic theaters of color, to crucial last-minute funding for a Charlotte arts group, the community is working to sustain its institutions. We also look at new leadership with the Seattle Children's Theatre naming its first woman of color as Artistic Director, and discuss the importance of new British musicals with director Alex Jackson. Plus, we'll cover the latest in Broadway legal disputes and award season triumphs, ensuring you're up-to-date on all the developments across the globe.

From a new study showing Gen Z’s growing impact on Broadway ticket sales to a casting controversy that has sparked conversations around representation, audiences and creators alike are redefining engagement. Meanwhile, institutions across the U.S. and U.K. confront critical operational issues—from artist housing and staffing changes to emergency funding and infrastructure upgrades. Alongside moments of investment and renewal, the community also mourns the tragic loss of a production manager at Jacob’s Pillow.

This week, a look at a pair of new initiatives with different purposes: the first being Conrad Ricamora's 'The Right to Be There' scholarship, a vital step toward supporting Asian American male actors. We also look at the Times Square Casino’s offer of job fairs for theatre professionals, an effort aiming to offer new employment avenues within the industry. Beyond these, leadership transitions continue regionally, with David Muse announcing his departure from Studio Theatre and Adam Weinert joining Hudson Hall. We also look at a report from the UK on freelancer pay problems and the consequences of recent congressional funding cuts hitting organizations across the US.

This week, we see a mix of challenges and innovative responses shaping the industry, from the impending depletion of New York's Broadway Tax Credit and ongoing financial struggles in regional theaters, to exciting new programs like MTI's Broadway Senior Series celebrating older adult performers. We also cover significant shifts in critical roles at The New York Times and the highly anticipated reopening of the historic Cherry Lane Theatre, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of the theatrical landscape both locally and globally.

This edition highlights significant developments in industry advocacy and funding, with arts organizations both fighting for increased government support and grappling with budget challenges in various states. We also cover key updates from Broadway, including the new Tony Awards Nominating Committee and local efforts to protect the Times Square theater district, alongside inspiring international news showcasing the resilience of the arts.