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THEATRE

There’s A Rule Broadway Insiders Follow

It’s called the two-block rule, as in, if you need to trash the show, wait until you’re two blocks away. “You wouldn’t go to someone’s house and trash their cooking, so why would you do that in a theatre?” - Washington Post (MSN)

Broadway’s Greatest Season: 1957-58

The last hurrah of these bygone performers was the Broadway season of 1957–58, arguably the greatest season on Broadway of the last 75 years. It was the last time that all of the “hall of famers” of yore (save John Gielgud) appeared “on the boards” in the same New York theater season. - The American Scholar

The Little Nonprofit That Cleaned Up 42nd St. And Times Square

Young’uns under 40 may not realize just how sleazy the heart of Broadway’s entertainment district had become by the 1980s. Now it has The Lion King, Harry Potter, office towers, and a former porn cinema remade into a flagship for children’s theater. We can thank an organization called New 42. - The New York Times

“Nothing Is Too Extravagant For Christ” — This May Be America’s Most Over-The-Top Christmas Pageant

The 17,000 costume pieces are the least extravagant feature of The Gift of Christmas, the annual spectacular presented by Prestonwood Baptist Church near Dallas. On the 300-foot stage are LED screens, lasers, fireworks, trapezing elves, flying angels, and 21 animals. (And yes, shepherds, three kings, and the Holy Family. And Santa.) - Texas Monthly

Why Did Broadway’s “The Queen Of Versailles” Flop So Badly?

“The Queen of Versailles, the biggest-budget production to open on Broadway this fall and the only large-scale new musical, aspired to be a cautionary tale about consumption and greed. Instead, it wound up as a cautionary tale about Broadway.” - The New York Times

The Most Influential Theatre Of The Past 25 Years

This is not a “best of” list. What we asked hundreds of theatre folks to do was send us 10 titles they felt had been the most influential on the theatre in the past 25 years. - American Theatre

American College Theatre Festival Quits The Kennedy Center After 58 Years

The theater festival involves collegiate theater students from across the United States, and includes eight regional competitions that have long culminated in a week-long national festival, including the awarding of scholarships and other honors, at the Kennedy Center. - Deadline

The Case For A National Theatre In The US

In the Abbey’s century-long history as a public institution lies a persuasive story about what a national theater could have done—or still might do—for the United States. Through the decades, the Abbey’s output has regularly showed how effectively theater can process national trauma at times when the public desperately needs an outlet. - The Atlantic

New York’s Public Theater Hit By Yet More Layoffs

“A decade after Hamilton opened on Broadway and the Public Theater began reaping roughly $100 million for helping to develop the blockbuster musical, the legendary downtown nonprofit company is undergoing its third round of layoffs in four years.” - Broadway Journal

Major Off-Broadway Theater Is Sued For Discrimination Over Discounts For Ticketbuyers Of Color

According to the lawsuit, Playwrights Horizons promoted the discount with the language ‘For this BIPOC Night performance, we welcome folks who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color to use code BIPOCNIGHT to unlock ($39) discount seats.’ The plaintiff, Kevin Lynch, who is white …, (paid) $90.” - The New York Times

Broadway’s Record Box Office In 2025 Still Doesn’t Keep Up With Costs

“It’s just so difficult for (producers) to get their money back. These shows are now upwards of $25 million. Ten years ago, you could have a musical on Broadway that was probably in the $13 million range." - CNN

A Theatre Tries To Answer The Perennial Question

Not ‘To be or not to be,’ but, obviously at this time of year, “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” - NPR

Wait, The Right-Wing Is Using ‘Theatre Kid’ As An Insult?

This feels very, let’s say, sixth-grade. One actor: “‘Theater kid’ being the bullied party is a tale as old as time. … We’ve always been the outsiders, the weirdos. It’s a quick cultural shorthand to treat us as the underdog.” - The New York Times

Chicago’s NPR Station Created A ‘Theatre Club’ For Younger Audience Members, And Advertised It On TikTok

The first club meetup included “an exclusive Theater Club post-show talkback with artists who worked on the show, and a drink ticket that can be used at the Chopin bar so folks can hang out after the talkback and chat theatre with likeminded folks.” - American Theatre

Dallas Theater Center Has A New Artistic Director

Jaime Castañeda, a freelance director who has worked extensively with the top regional companies in California and with New York’s Atlantic Theater Company, will assume his role next July. He succeeds interim artistic director and resident director Jonathan Norton as well as former artistic director Kevin Moriarty, now DTC’s executive director. - KERA (Dallas)

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