And the Money Keeps Rolling In

Most people don’t realize how much capital it takes to start a show on Broadway.  It’s so easy to go see a show, and completely take for granted the work that was put into the performance.  The actors are obvious, it’s pretty hard to forget about them.  But someone had to design and make all the costumes, put together the sets, help with makeup, do the staging…The list goes on and on, all the down to the ushers at the door. 

But the most important part of a Broadway show, and unfortunately the most easily overlooked, is the investors.  Broadway shows don’t make even close to enough money from ticket sales to cover the costs of production, and rely on the investors to bridge the gap. Without the money from these investors, the shows’ producers would not have enough money and would never even make it past the planning stages.

Now, with the economy as bad as it is, even big-name shows such as “Hair” are having a hard time finding sponsors.  A month before rehearsals started in January, Hair’s producer Elizabeth McCann only had been able to bring in $3 million of the $6.5 million that the show required.  Even her regular investors were afraid to risk their money.

It’s really a shame that investors aren’t willing to help pay for Broadway shows.  The only way for Broadway to survive the economic recession relatively unscathed is to continue playing shows.  It is impossible to avoid losses in the short-term, because of the decreased attendance, but continuing to play shows will ensure an eventually successful recovery.