Arts professionals, is David Leonhardt right?

A recent article by Mr. Leonhardt, in the New York Times asks if rising costs of elaborate stage effects, fuel and inflation in general are killing the touring Broadway musical. The tried and true titles of the past no longer seem to draw, and more and more presenters are seeing houses of only 50 - 60% capacity. Titles such as Hairspray, The Producers, etc... fail to perform financially on the road, as well as they did in New York. Is the touring/ road show system broken? If so, what does the future hold?

Arts professionals, is David Leonhardt right?headache

Clearly, the touring musical has lost much of its appeal, and the cost of putting them on is really staggering. Something will have to change.

Part of this, I think, is that people want to have "an authentic experience," and to authentically experience a Broadway musical you more or less have to be on Broadway. One possible response is to create shows as touring shows that change with the territory, constantly shifting and incorporating local elements. Musicals are, like it or not, competing with films, and one advantage that theater has over film is that no play is a finished text; it can be reinterpreted and modified endlessly as it is performed. I would like to see traveling theater projects that offer something more like a unique experience.

Arts professionals, is David Leonhardt right?

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