Industry Pro Newsletter: Closing vs Hiatus, Does the Subscription Model Still Make Sense?

January 17, 2022 -

News of more closings - and planned reopenings - highlighted the Broadway news last week, and regionally we've seen a few more delays in productions announced. Broadway and many regions also announced an extension of mask mandates and vaccination requirements for audiences into the spring, serving as a reminder that the path to that final "new normal" will likely have a few more twists and turns before we arrive.

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INDUSTRY TRENDS

Experiments in Shifting The Subscription Model

The subscription model has long provided many companies with one form of financial security - however, after two years of constant shifting in response to the pandemic, many companies are re-evaluating the best way to provide flexibility for audiences, retain the steady flow of subscription dollars into their coffers, and not create additional liabilities in an uncertain time. ArtsHub Australia offers a roundup of some of the experiments. Read more...

The Making of Our Childhood Sucked - A Zoom Non-Theatre Experience

Writing for HowlRound, Ezra Brain describes the process of making zoom theatre early in the pandemic, and what that level of experimentation throughout the pandemic has meant for the theatre industry at large - as never before have we seen this level of experimentation in form necessitated. It is also worth looking back at these early experiments as a new round of productions have been announced as shifting to digital formats. Read more...

BROADWAY

To Kill a Mockingbird Concludes its Run at the Shubert, Will Reopen at the Belasco

Yesterday, To Kill a Mockingbird played its final performance at the Shubert Theatre, and will reopen on June 1st at the Belasco Theatre. The show's producers announced the move last week, and said that the reason for the move was to ensure the show could continue with an unrestricted run. Greg Kinnear, who recently took over the role of Atticus Finch from Jeff Daniels, will continue in the role when the show reopens. Read more...

New Labor Battle Opens on Broadway

After the announcement of Mrs. Doubtfire's hiatus, the labor Unions that represent the workers of Broadway feel that producers are manipulating the contractual situation to take advantage of closing language. Producers insist that they are just doing what it takes to make the shows survive. Read more...

Industry Editor - Inside the 'Hiatus' vs 'Closing' Announcements

Cara Joy David takes a look at the reason why producers are announcing closings with reopenings, how that fits into the contractual agreements between producers and the unions, and why the unions are pushing back on the moves. Read more...

Lincoln Center Grapples With Its History

As Lincoln Center looks for new ways to engage with a more diverse audience, part of that reckoning is taking a look at the historical neighborhood that was razed to build the complex on the Upper West Side - San Juan Hill, a thriving Black and Latino neighborhood. WNYC looked at that history on Morning Edition. Read more...

A Hard December Makes January Even Rougher on Broadway

Michael Paulson writes in the New York Times about the challenges faced by Broadway after the Omicron variant decimated the holiday season, cutting the average holiday box office by more than half. Read more...

New York City Center Will Require Booster Shots by January 31

The new policy will apply to all staff, artists, and audience members attending productions at City Center. They join a list of New York institutions that are now starting to define fully vaccinated as including a booster shot. Read more...

Broadway Extends Mask and Vaccination Policy to April 30

The Broadway League announced that to attend shows at all 41 Broadway theatres, patrons will be required to wear masks at all times and show proof of vaccination through at least April 30th. This includes all patrons that are eligible for vaccines, including children. Read more...

REGIONAL

Kravis Center Celebrates Seven Years of "Broadway Reach"

The grant-funded program allows underserved youth to not only experience a Broadway show on stage at the Kravis Center, but to do so in conjunction with an afterschool arts program. Read more...

DC Area Theatres Extend Mask and Vaccination Mandate

Theatre Washington announced this week that the mask and vaccine requirements for audiences would remain in place at DC Area theatres. While these policies will be reviewed on a continual basis, the next update will come no later than March 31, 2022. Read more...

American Shakespeare Center Unveils New Leadership Model

Brandon Carter will take the title of Artistic Director, but the company will be run by a multi-person management group with interlinked responsibilities. Since last February, ASC had been run by four actor-managers, but since that time three of the four had left the company, necessitating another shift in the leadership model. Read more...

INTERNATIONAL

Royal Shakespeare Company and Cruise Operator Cunard Sign Partnership

The 3-year deal will bring RSC productions on board the Queen Mary 2 for select sailings. The offerings will include an evening of Shakespeare's love scenes, workshops with the performers, and an abridged version of the musical Miss Littlewood. This is another way in which traditional theatre companies are seeking new ways to reach audiences. Read more...

Network for Neurodivergent Artists Launches in the UK

Launched by artists and activists JJ Green and Beth Westbrook, the Neurodivergent Creatives Network is designed to promote opportunities for neurodivergent artists, provide resources for both creatives and producers alike in working with neurodivergent artists, and to uplift the creatives that are a part of the network. Read more...

Missed our last few newsletters?

January 10 - Pauses and Postponements Continue, West End Reduces Weekly Performances

As the industry works to both emerge from the pandemic and deal with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, responses are starting to differ based on region. Some Broadway producers are prioritizing their ongoing tours, others are pulling people from the tour to keep running on Broadway. In Chicago, no food and drink are allowed in the theatre. In Los Angeles, they're making plans to resist a pause for as long as possible. The first week of the new year was a bumpy one to be sure, and we've got the stories from around the industry in the newsletter below. Read more...

January 3 - LA Institutions Require Boosters, Boston Invests in the Arts

Happy New Year! As we kick off another year, we find ourselves in what feels like a similar pattern: uncertainty. While the next few weeks seem destined to be rough within the industry as we continue to grapple with another surge in the virus related both to the new variant and holiday travel, we remain in a much stronger position than we were at last year. New treatments are available for those that do contract the virus, and the number of people receiving vaccines and boosters continues to rise. The New York Times laid out the case for hope in regards to the virus in their morning newsletter today. While that can be cold comfort to those in the midst of the fight within the theatre industry, it does serve as a reminder that though there is plenty of uncertainty ahead, we are in a foundationally more stable place than we were just one year ago as vaccines began to roll out. Read more...

December 27 - AEA's New Executive Director, More Restrictions Around the Globe

Amidst a week of more illness related closures on Broadway, an apologized-for comment from the President of the Broadway League led to a wide celebration of understudies and swings from the wider industry - below, we've got the video of Hugh Jackman doing that from curtain call of The Music Man. While the production shutdowns (and recent closing announcements) are an echo of March 2020, it is important to remember that across Broadway and across the country, there were many productions that were able to continue their holiday performance schedule without interruption, thanks to the health and safety protocols that theatres have in place. Read more...

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 off-Broadway's Blindness and for Next on Stage Season 3! 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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