Broadway audience, 2009-2010

The Broadway League has released its demographic survey for the 2009-2010 theatre season and once again, the typical theatergoer was - yours truly!

• Tourists accounted for 63 percent of the 11.89 million Broadway admissions.
• 66.3 percent of the audience was female.
• 69 percent of those making purchasing decisions were women.
• Three-quarters of admissions were Caucasians.

That pretty much describes me.

Of course in some ways I'm above average.

According to the League, the average playgoer saw 7 shows, compared with 5 for musical attendees. Those who saw 15 or more shows comprised 6 percent of the audience but 31 percent of admissions.

I saw 14 Broadway shows: 8 musicals and 6 plays. But if you add the 2 off-Broadway plays, it's a 50-50 split. My only limit is the number of shows I can squeeze into a long weekend.

And I make 100 percent of the purchasing decisions. I pay for every ticket myself, sometimes using discount codes but I've also ponied up full price and even bought premium seats on a few occasions.

Interestingly, critics reviews were cited as the most important factor in choosing a play, while a personal recommendation was the single strongest factor in picking a musical.

At this point I pretty much know based on the cast and the subject matter what interests me. But I do trust the reports from my friends and fellow bloggers. If they're excited about a show, that means a lot.

I don't think there's any one, sure-fire thing producers can do to get me to buy a ticket - except quintuple the number of toilets in the ladies room, and I'm not sure they have the ability to do that. I don't enjoy really, really loud music and I'm very squeamish, although there are exceptions. I loved Fela! (which wasn't too loud for me) and Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite musicals. So, go figure.

Generally though, I'm up for anything and I like to think I have pretty varied tastes in plays and musicals. I enjoy a good story and I don't want to be bored.

The League also noted that the number of international visitors dropped, blamed on the poor global economy. But they still accounted for 17 percent of all Broadway admissions. One in four foreign tourists took in a Broadway show during their trip to New York.

I'm sure there's much more interesting data but the League charges $25 for the full report. And from the summary, the snapshot of the average Broadway theatergoer doesn't seem to change much from year to year.

A Broadway show pulls the plug

If you go to the Facebook page for the Broadway play Elling you'll find some people who are extremely disappointed that it's closing on Sunday, only a week after opening night. They had tickets for later in what was advertised as a 20-week run.

Here are two examples, the first from England and the second from Australia:

"If this is true can we have a valid explanation as to why since I have booked my flights and hotel and I am traveling from England to see this. It's one hell of a waste of money if the play has closed. Incidentally, it is money I can ill afford to lose. I am not a happy Brendan [Fraser] fan at present."

"I'm shattered about the news of it's closure. Was only going to the US to see the show. I had no idea that shows close all the time, as someone on this board said previously. All booked & paid for. I don't want to go now."

According to the most recent statistics from The Broadway League, in the 2008-2009 season international visitors accounted for 21 percent of the 12.15 million Broadway admissions - the highest ever. Overall, tourists accounted for 63 percent of all ticket purchases.

I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done. The producers are under no obligation to keep open a play or musical that's losing money. The average paid admission for Elling last week was $22.03 and it only took in $145,070.

The problem is, something like this hurts the Broadway brand, as well as all of the other businesses in Times Square that rely on tourist dollars.

Perhaps there ought to be a little truth-in-advertising when you buy a ticket, stating in big, bold type that there's no guarantee how long the show will run or whether the actor you came to see will be in it that day.

I know to a lot of theatre fans, that's obvious. Of course you realize the producers can pull the plug at any time. An actor can go on vacation or become ill.

But clearly, some people don't know. If you look at the marketing material for Elling, it says: "20 weeks only. Now on Broadway." If you're a Brendan Fraser fan in England or Australia, you probably think it'll be there for 20 weeks.

So, what will those disappointed fans in England and Australia tell all of their friends, family, neighbors and coworkers about their experience? My guess is they won't have much that's good to say.

I hope they decide to see something else on their trip to New York City but I'm not optimistic. I bet they'll think twice about ever buying another ticket to a Broadway show. The Great White Way has lost some goodwill.

Broadway audience, 2008-2009

The Broadway League released its annual demographic report this week for the 2008-2009 theatre season. There weren't too many surprises and I don't think the numbers are all that different from previous years.

Here are some statistics:

• The average age of the Broadway theatergoer was 42.2.
• Forty-seven percent of theatergoers at musicals said a personal recommendation was the strongest factor in deciding which show to see.
  
• Women comprise 66.2 percent of the audience.
• International visitors accounted for 21 percent of the 12.5 million ticket-buyers, the highest ever.
• Overall, tourists bought 63 percent of all tickets for Broadway shows.
• Broadway theatergoers reported an annual household income of $195,700.
• Of theatergoers over age 25, 73 percent had completed college.
• The typical playgoer saw eight shows in the past year, compared with four for musical attendees.
• Those who saw 15 or more shows comprised 5 percent of the audience but represented 31 percent of all tickets sold.
  

What interested me most was the racial breakdown: 73.7 percent white; 8.6 percent Hispanic; 3.9 percent Asian; 2.4 percent black; and 11.4 percent other.

In a news release accompanying the report, Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the league, exclaimed:

"Broadway is a national pastime! As there is more of a choice for the theatergoer than ever before, it is exciting to report that we are seeing a wider audience for Broadway. Our shows, and our audience, are more diverse than ever."

Well perhaps the Broadway audience is getting more diverse but if it's three-quarters Caucasian, largely college-educated, with a household income of nearly $200,000, I don't see how you can lay claim to being a national pastime.

Still, I'm a little hopeful that next year's figures will show some improvement.

The percentage of Hispanic theatergoers jumped from 5.7 percent to 8.6 percent in one year. Part of that could be more visitors from Spanish-speaking countries, or the success of musicals like In the Heights, which takes place in a Latino neighborhood in New York City.

Attendance by black theatergoers reached a 10-year high of 6.7 percent in the 2006-2007 season, only to drop to 2.4 percent two years later.

Now, this is my anecdotal evidence from one weekend in New York City but I noticed at Memphis, Race and waiting in the lobby at Fela! that the audiences for these shows with strong black characters seemed a lot more racially diverse than usual.

(And next spring's Broadway revival of Fences, with the box-office cachet of Oscar winner Denzel Washington, will hopefully draw theatergoers of all backgrounds.)

If Broadway truly wants to call itself a national pastime, let's hope that what I saw was part of a growing trend.

Broadway by the numbers

Sadly, Gratuitous Violins did not make Time magazine's list of the 25 Best Blogs of 2009. But I am part of another exclusive club.

The League of American Theatre Producers has released its demographics report for the 2007-2008 Broadway season. Among the findings: Those who saw 15 or more shows comprised 5 percent of the audience, and represented 30 percent of all tickets sold.

Coincidentally, I saw 15 Broadway shows during that time period, putting me in the top 5 percent. It's nice to be above average in something. I feel really, really special. Thanks, Broadway League!

The League also reports that:

• Forty percent of tickets are now purchased online.
• The typical playgoer saw 8 shows.
• The typical musical theatre fan saw 4 shows.
• The percentage of theatergoers who purchased tickets more than a month in advance rose to 39 percent, from 32 percent.
  
• Tourists purchased about 65 percent of the nearly 12.3 million tickets sold.
• Foreign tourists comprised more than 15 percent of attendees.
• Word of mouth is the single biggest factor in picking a musical.
• Critical reviews are most influential in choosing a play.
• The average age of Broadway theatergoers was 41.5 years old.
• Those under 18 accounted for 12.5 percent of the audience.
• 31 percent of theatergoers live in New York state.
• 19 of the top 25 counties from which theatergoers hail are in New York or New Jersey.
• Other top areas include counties in Michigan, Florida, California, Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area.
  

As the report points out, a lot of these figures haven't changed very much over the past few years and I don't think there were any huge surprises. But two things seem significant to me:

Theatergoers under age 18 accounted for a record 1.5 million tickets. "We know that children who attend a Broadway show grow up to be loyal theatergoers,” says Charlotte St. Martin, the League's executive director.

Attendance by international visitors once again well surpasses pre-Sept. 11 levels, totaling 1.88 million tickets. "This audience stays longer and sees more shows than domestic tourists."

One statistic I'd be interested in knowing is, What's the percentage of tourists who come to New York City and don't see a Broadway show?

I know, perish the thought. But I'm sure there are a few. And with tourists playing such a big role in ensuring the health of the Great White Way, I wonder what can be done to get them in a seat?