January 1, 2018
Chapter 10 (Producers & Investors)
Last month, the Broadway League filed suit in Federal Court against some of the top Casting Directors, accusing them of violating Antitrust Laws. The casting directors have been trying to unionize as they remain one of the very few "creatives" on Broadway who are not protected by a union and therefore do not receive Pension or HealthCare payments. One casting director was fired from a job (casting the reading of a new musical) because of her request for pension and health payments.
Chapters 10 & 13 (Producers & Investors, Box Office)
During the last week of December, when several Broadway shows played a nine-show week and increased their premium ticket prices, Broadway brought in $50.3 million, besting last year’s record of $49.7 million. Several Broadway shows set all-time box office records, with “Hamilton” bringing in the highest gross ever recorded for a Broadway show in a regular week, at $3.85 million, and “Chicago” raking in $1.26 million, the most the show has made in its 21 years on Broadway.Overall, Broadway grossed $1.64 billion in 2017, with average attendance topping the past three years, at 13.74 million.
Chapter 10 (Producers & Investors) Life after Broadway. Jersey Boys which closed on Broadway last year is the latest hit show to move to an Off-Broadway complex (New World Stages). The show reduced its cast size and earned over $520,000 during the holiday week in December, breaking venue records. Another hit show that has done the same and is still doing well is Avenue Q.
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