Industry Pro Newsletter: Meta’s Ad Overhaul & Broadway’s Labor Tensions

Meanwhile, major new funding in NYC and Philadelphia signals significant investment in the arts.

By: Alex Freeman Oct. 06, 2025

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.

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Employment Opportunity

Director of Youth Academy - Orlando Family Stage

The Director of the Youth Academy (full-time, year-round) is responsible for managing all Youth Academy camps, classes, and residencies. They also serve as a positive representative for Orlando Family Stage in the community. The Director of the Youth Academy reports directly to the Senior Director of Education.

Industry Trends

When AI Replaces Targeting: What Meta’s 2026 Update Means for Theater Marketing

Meta is phasing out granular interest‑based targeting in favor of its AI‑driven suite Advantage+, consolidating many detailed audience categories into broader groupings. This means targeting tools like “fans of Jonathan Groff” or “interested in BroadwayWorld.com” will no longer be available starting January 15, 2026. The change poses challenges especially for limited‑run and smaller productions that rely on precise audience segmentation. The article recommends that shows build first‑party audience data early and use lookalikes and industry vendors to mitigate the loss of targeting options.

BroadwayWorld My Shows Announces Badges & Points While Celebrating First 10K Reviews

BroadwayWorld’s My Shows platform has surpassed 10,000 user reviews since its launch, marking early growth. To further engage users, the platform is introducing badges (e.g. First Curtain Call, Critic in Training, Superfan) tied to user milestones. It is also rolling out a points system, where users can earn points for rating, reviewing, adding shows, and referrals.

Broadway/New York

Broadway Doomsaying Lands Just Before Labor Negotiations Heat Up

As Broadway labor negotiations approach, the article cites renewed pessimism from some commentators about the financial feasibility of future seasons. Some industry voices worry that rising costs, escalating demands, and franchise fatigue are eroding the commercial model. The piece tracks recent critical commentary and statements from writers and theater watchers. It notes that the timing of these doomsaying narratives coincides with intensifying collective bargaining discussions among Broadway stakeholders.

NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and New Georges Launch Fund for New Theatrical Works

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, in partnership with New Georges, has launched a new fund aimed at supporting the creation of original theatrical work. The initiative will provide grants to early‑stage playwrights, directors, and producers to develop and present new work across the city. Proposals will be accepted from diverse creators working across genres and formats. The program intends to grow the pipeline of new theatrical voices in New York and expand public access to innovation in theatre.

Regional

The Naples Players Receive Grand Aurora Award for Renovation Excellence

The Naples Players theater company in Florida has been honored with a Grand Aurora Award for Renovation Excellence. The award recognizes the company’s facility upgrades, including improvements to accessibility, acoustics, and audience comfort. Their recent renovations preserved architectural integrity while modernizing technical and performance capabilities.

American Theatre: What the Government Shutdown Means for D.C. Theatres

The article outlines how a U.S. government shutdown would disrupt theaters in the Washington, D.C. area by affecting federal grants, tourism, and venue operations. Many theaters depend on National Endowment for the Arts funding or federal support, which could be delayed or frozen. The shutdown could also reduce out‑of‑town visitor attendance and complicate scheduling for federally owned venues. Some local theaters are already preparing contingency plans to handle possible revenue shortfalls during a shutdown.

Philly Voice: University of Pennsylvania Receives $5 Million Donation for New Performing Arts Theater

The University of Pennsylvania has been awarded a $5 million gift to support construction of a new performing arts theater on its campus. The donation will fund design, construction, and outfitting of performance and rehearsal spaces. The new facility aims to expand capacity for student and community arts programming. University leaders say the project will enhance Penn’s role in regional arts infrastructure.

International

Stratford Festival Reveals Jonathan Church as Next Artistic Director

The Stratford Festival has named Jonathan Church as its next Artistic Director, succeeding Antoni Cimolino. Church currently serves as Artistic Director of Bath Theatre Royal and has a background in UK regional theater. His appointment begins in 2026 and the festival says he will set artistic direction for upcoming seasons. The announcement comes after a global candidate search and aims to build on Stratford’s legacy of classical and contemporary programming.

Missed our last few newsletters?

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.

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.

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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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.

Industry Pro Newsletter: Broadway Wins Big at the Clio Awards, UK Looks to Ban Resellers

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.

Industry Pro Newsletter: Leigh Silverman New President of SDCF, UK’s National Youth Theatre Expands Access Initiative

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.

Industry Pro Newsletter: Leadership Changes in Opera Large and Small

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.

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