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Mr. Free Spirit Talks Broadway

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Motown the Musical

Let’s talk about Broadway:
Broadway League 2014-15 Demographics Show Record-Breaking Admission and Reflect LGBT Inclusivity
By Robert Viagas
10 Feb 2016

The Broadway League has released its annual study “Demographics of the Broadway Audience” for the 2014-15 season on Broadway. More than two-thirds were female and, surprisingly, they see more straight plays than musicals. But things are changing.
According to the 52-page report, the number of ticket buyers is continuing to grow. In the 2014–15 season, there were a record-breaking 13.1 million admissions to Broadway shows. Approximately two-thirds of those were made by tourists: 49 percent from the United States (but outside New York City and its suburbs) and 18 percent from other countries.
Sixty-eight percent of the audience was female.

The average age of the Broadway theatergoer was 44 years.
Theatergoers tend to be more affluent than the general population: 35 percent of those surveyed said they have a household income of more than $150,000 a year, compared with less than 10 percent of Americans in general.
Of theatergoers over 25 years old, 78 percent had completed college and 39 percent had earned a graduate degree.
While audiences are still primarily white (79.8 percent in 2014-15), the percentage of black theatergoers has grown from 3.6 percent in 1998-99 to 6.0 percent in 2014-15.
The average Broadway theatergoer reported attending four shows in the previous 12 months. The group of devoted fans who attended 15 or more performances comprised less than 5.6 percent of the audience, but accounted for 32 percent of all tickets sold (4.2 million admissions).
Playgoers tended to be more frequent theatergoers than musical attendees. The typical straight-play attendee saw eight shows in the past year; the musical attendee, four.
• Word-of-mouth continues to be the most influential factor in show selection: 45.8 percent said they bought a ticket on the basis of “personal recommendation.” In second place (13.6 percent) was “like the music.” In third place (19.0 percent) was “like the movie.” The factor “critics review” was only fourth place (16.0 percent). It was followed by “to see a particular performer” (14.3 percent) and “it received Tony Awards or nominations” (11.6 percent).

• Broadway audiences are continuing their shift to the web. While only 7 percent of theatergoers bought their tickets via the internet in 1999-2000— a distant third place behind phone and box-office sales— more than 50 percent did so in 2014-15, putting web sales far and away the top method for buying tickets.

• Theatergoers also get most of their information about shows from internet sources, versus traditional media. Some 74.6 percent of respondents said they get their information from websites like Playbill.com. Only 26.3 percent rely primarily on newspapers and magazines; 15.6 percent television; 6.3 percent radio. (Respondents were allowed to cite multiple sources.)
The average reported date of ticket purchase for a Broadway show was 36 days before the performance.
Domestic tourism to NYC continues to grow and has been growing steadily since 2009, and is reflected in growing domestic audiences on Broadway. There was a small dip this year in international tourists.
Lastly, some interesting findings under the category “Theatregoing Companions.” Males overwhelmingly (48.3 percent) said they saw shows accompanied by “wife or girlfriend,” but, thanks to new marriage laws, 9.4 percent of men reported that they saw shows with “husband or boyfriend.” Among women, however, only 31.9 percent reported that they saw shows with “husband or boyfriend” versus a nearly similar 27.1 percent who saw shows with “female friend(s).” Only 1.2 percent of women reported attending shows with “wife or girlfriend.”
Using the above as background there is no clear lines and or methods of advertising within the Black communities throughout the entire United States. Most Black people don’t read playbill.com.
When a new movie is coming out the advertisements are blasted via all modes of advertisement ( I.E.TV, WEB pushes, and door to door advertisement’s).

However, did you know, Color Purple and Hughie Starring Forest Whitaker are on Broadway NOW! Additionally, Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong’o is coming to Broadway starring in “Eclipsed”.

Just because we don’t fit or fall into the false demographics’ depicted above it in many cases is the lack of knowledge as to what is on Broadway and/or what is coming. I went to a meeting and excerpt of a Broadway play that was on the drawing board for casting six years ago, it was about the Ray Charles story, titled Unchain my heart. See below:
Unchain My Heart, with Dixon as Ray Charles, Postpones Opening to Spring 2011

Broadway

By Andrew Gans
09 Jul 2010

Brandon Victor Dixon
Unchain My Heart, the Ray Charles musical that had been scheduled to begin previews Oct. 8 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, will now open on Broadway in spring 2011 at a Shubert theatre to be announced.  The principal cast is expected to stay with the production. Producer Stuart Benjamin cited logistical reasons for the change in date.  The cast is scheduled to feature Brandon Victor Dixon as Ray Charles and Nikki Renée Daniels as Della with Harrison White as Jeff Brown and Tasha Taylor as Margie Hendricks.
Directed by Sheldon Epps, Unchain My Heart features the music of Ray Charles and a book by Suzan-Lori Parks.
The creative team also includes choreographer Kenneth L. Roberson, associate choreographer Edgar Godineaux, music supervisor and arranger Rahn Coleman, orchestrator Harold Wheeler and music director Shelton Becton. The design team comprises Riccardo Hernandez (sets), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Howell Binkley (lights), Carl Casella (sound), Jason H. Thompson (projections) and Charles LaPointe (hair).

The new musical, according to press notes, “explores the strength, humor and musical genius of the legendary Ray Charles. One of the greatest pioneering musical artists of all time, Ray Charles mastered everything from soul and rhythm & blues to gospel, jazz, country and pop. Set in his last live recording session, Unchain My Heart reveals Charles’ remarkable life story through his music.”
It Died on the vine without explanation.

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