Broadway League

NEW YORK EXTENDS $3 MILLION BROADWAY TAX CREDIT; DISNEY’S ‘ALADDIN’ APPROVED

May 8, 2023 by Philip Boroff

New York State extended the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit, a subsidy of up to $3 million per Broadway show, as the industry struggles with rising costs and subpar sales.

On May 3, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the two-year extension through 2025 and said commercial Off-Broadway shows will also be eligible, albeit for a smaller credit. The Broadway League trade association lobbied for preserving the program. It was designed to jumpstart the industry, which contributes billions to the economy, and encourage productions “to begin performances sooner and come back stronger” as the city recovered from Covid-19.Continue Reading

ACTORS’ EQUITY, BROADWAY LEAGUE REQUIRE VACCINATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES, NOT AUDIENCES

July 29, 2021 by Philip Boroff

Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League mandated that actors and other employees at Broadway theaters be fully vaccinated — with a few exceptions — while unvaccinated audience members will be admitted and asked to wear a mask.Continue Reading

BROADWAY OFFICIALLY CANCELS ALL 2020 PERFORMANCES

June 29, 2020 by Philip Boroff

The Broadway League said theaters are offering refunds through Jan. 3, 2021, as the industry officially canceled performances for the rest of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading

WITH EARLY CURTAIN, BROADWAY HAS LOWEST BOX OFFICE TALLY IN FOUR YEARS

April 8, 2020 by Philip Boroff

Is the Broadway season over? If so, statistically, 2019-20 was both disastrous and illustrative of the industry’s resilience.

BROADWAY LEAGUE REACHES SHUTDOWN PAY PACT AS ‘HANGMEN’ CANCELS

March 20, 2020 by Philip Boroff

With no end in sight for the global coronavirus pandemic and U.S. theater shutdown, the Broadway League announced an agreement with the industry’s unions requiring suspended productions to pay an additional two weeks to actors and other workers who lost their incomes. Continue Reading

‘HARRY POTTER’ & THE CURSED BOX OFFICE YARDSTICK

December 1, 2019 by Philip Boroff

The last week of July 2019 was business as usual for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. Sales rose less than 2 percent to $1.4 million, according to data from the Broadway League, the trade association of producers and theater owners.

But there was a huge increase in a closely watched measure in those seven days. Harry Potter ‘s sales jumped from 84 percent of its “gross potential” to 101 percent, according to the same posting. What changed was the basis for comparison. After four months of claiming a weekly gross potential of $1.7 million, the production slashed the figure to $1.4 million.

Like average ticket prices, sales relative to gross potential is an important signifier of a show’s box office strength. But gross potential, which the League posts weekly with other box office figures, loses value as a benchmark of success when it fluctuates along with ticket prices.Continue Reading

BROADWAY POSTS RECORD SALES, RISING ATTENDANCE

May 28, 2019 by Philip Boroff

Thanks to Hamilton, The Lion King, Harry Potter and other blockbusters that draw fans from around the world, Broadway reported a record $1.8 billion in sales — up 7.8 percent — for the season that ended on Sunday.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ENDS STRIKE AGAINST BROADWAY LEAGUE

February 8, 2019 by Philip Boroff

After 33 days, Actors’ Equity has ended its limited strike against the Broadway League over how its members are compensated for developing new work.

Actors had sought profit share and a raise from the current $1,000 weekly salary when participating in a developmental lab, which are multi-week workshops to create new plays and musicals.Continue Reading

MUSICALS’ AVERAGE TICKET JUMPS TO $126; PLAYS REBOUND

May 30, 2018 by Philip Boroff

The Broadway season that ended on Sunday was strong but not stellar.

Overall attendance: up 4 percent to 13.8 million, according to the Broadway League. Grosses rose 17 percent, to $1.7 billion. The average price of a ticket for a musical gained 11 percent to $125.70 — thanks to strong demand for Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King, Hello, Dolly! with Bette Midler and, increasingly, Mean Girls, which looks like a hit.