About 71% of theaters there have seen audience numbers improve since the COVID shutdowns, though only 41% are back to pre-2020 levels. The major problem right now is that 30% of theatergoers in the city, and 22% in the region, use mass transit, which is undergoing savage cuts. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Tshidi Manye has played the mandrill shaman who sings “Circle of Life” in roughly 9,000 performances, a large majority of them on Broadway. - The New York Times
“Hip-hop, (songwriter Dave Hook) argues, has never blandly replicated itself, but always adapted to new circumstances. … By giving hip-hop a Scottish voice and, in this case, bringing it into the world of William Wallace, Hook believes he is staying true to the genre’s political roots.” - The Guardian
If it works for the few but not more widely – in particular, if it doesn’t work for global-majority artists or those breaking with popular forms – what does that mean about the fringe as a marketplace for the wider industry? - The Stage
The Citizens Theatre closed in 2018 for what was supposed to be a three-year rehabilitation. The COVID pandemic, and the ensuing inflation, both delayed the completion of the project by years and caused expenses to soar; the final cost of the renovation will likely be double the original £20 million budget. - BBC (MSN)
Fringe has long since eclipsed the original festival it was founded alongside. It typically sells upwards of 2.5 million tickets a year. But 80 years on, performers and spectators alike say rising costs threaten the Fringe's free-for-all vibe. - NPR
“The figures showed around 2.6 million tickets were sold for 3,893 shows — a similar level to last year and well below the peak of three million sold in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.” The ever-rising cost of performing at, or even attending, the Fringe is thought to be the main factor. - The Scotsman
If the merger proceeds and is successful, it could become a national model for regional theater companies in other cities and states around the country, which are all facing similar financial challenges. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Owners of 24 Broadway Theaters are taking their opposition to a new Times Square casino right to theaters goers by stuffing a pamphlet into copies of the iconic “Playbill” magazine urging patrons to personally protest the proposed Midtown gambling hall. - New York Post
“Three of Pittsburgh’s most venerable troupes announced they are looking into ways they might join forces to survive. The announcement by Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theatre and Pittsburgh CLO came in the form of an email to subscribers and other supporters.” - WESA (Pittsburgh)
The redevelopment and restoration of older theatres such as the Citizens has become important as their social value and anchoring presence in towns and cities has been recognised. - The Conversation
Managing director Raphael Picciarelli: “We weren’t chasing hype for its own sake. We were trying to spark the feeling that draws people to Burning Man or the World Cup: the thrill of witnessing something unrepeatable. … We fell short on revenue, but we doubled our audience. Forty percent were first-timers.” - The New York Times
Even for a theatre critic, the orchestra is easy to overlook. It wasn’t until I sat in behind the scenes, with a copy of the music for “Annie” and “Scoundrels” in front of me, that I realized how much material is underscored with music. - Toronto Star
