I am SO glad I got to see this production! Inventive, unique, and a flat out great time. Honestly I don’t understand how it’s such a mystery when we talk about the rising costs of Broadway. Where does the money go??? Certainly not the actors. The whole system needs a reboot.
Having theater ownership run like the mob, with power consolidated to three families is the part no one wants to say out loud. An anti-trust case could easily be brought if anyone cared enough to do so.
That's fascinating. I wonder if any party who'd have judicial standing would be brave enough to bring the case. I can easily see how alienating one of those families feels like too grave of a risk.
It was done back in the 80’s to Bell Systems which was the largest telecommunications company in the world. It was deemed a monopoly and the Anti-Trust Division of the Department of Justice brought a case against them which forced it to break up into smaller regional companies. Of course this is The US and eventually two of those “Baby Bells” became At&T and Verizon but there is still a choice available to consumers where previously there was none.
Something I’ve seen mentioned a few times in this conversation that I keep thinking about is the lack of transparency from theatre owners. Say what you will about the unions, but the costs involved with union labor are well documented and understandable. The cost of renting a Broadway house, on the other hand… sigh. (I know it’s not as simple as that one factor, but it seems to me that it’s a problem that can’t be fixed until we can put all of the data in perspective.) Anyway, it’s part of why my show is gunning for off-Broadway, even though Broadway’s the brass ring — it’s still possible to responsibly produce things there. Also, The Jellicle Ball is the most joyful thing I’ve ever experienced in a theatre and I’m so sad to see it go.
Thank you for this essay! I, too, have previously said that I never need to see another production of Cats, but I just bought a ticket yesterday for Cats: The Jellicle Ball because I’ve heard so much about it (and a queer, theatre-loving person, I feel like I’ll regret missing it).
I am SO glad I got to see this production! Inventive, unique, and a flat out great time. Honestly I don’t understand how it’s such a mystery when we talk about the rising costs of Broadway. Where does the money go??? Certainly not the actors. The whole system needs a reboot.
Having theater ownership run like the mob, with power consolidated to three families is the part no one wants to say out loud. An anti-trust case could easily be brought if anyone cared enough to do so.
That's fascinating. I wonder if any party who'd have judicial standing would be brave enough to bring the case. I can easily see how alienating one of those families feels like too grave of a risk.
It was done back in the 80’s to Bell Systems which was the largest telecommunications company in the world. It was deemed a monopoly and the Anti-Trust Division of the Department of Justice brought a case against them which forced it to break up into smaller regional companies. Of course this is The US and eventually two of those “Baby Bells” became At&T and Verizon but there is still a choice available to consumers where previously there was none.
Something I’ve seen mentioned a few times in this conversation that I keep thinking about is the lack of transparency from theatre owners. Say what you will about the unions, but the costs involved with union labor are well documented and understandable. The cost of renting a Broadway house, on the other hand… sigh. (I know it’s not as simple as that one factor, but it seems to me that it’s a problem that can’t be fixed until we can put all of the data in perspective.) Anyway, it’s part of why my show is gunning for off-Broadway, even though Broadway’s the brass ring — it’s still possible to responsibly produce things there. Also, The Jellicle Ball is the most joyful thing I’ve ever experienced in a theatre and I’m so sad to see it go.
This is fascinating! I wonder if it's similarly opaque on the West End...
There’s no way it can be, right? The economics are so wildly different. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the government subsidizes it there…
Thank you for this essay! I, too, have previously said that I never need to see another production of Cats, but I just bought a ticket yesterday for Cats: The Jellicle Ball because I’ve heard so much about it (and a queer, theatre-loving person, I feel like I’ll regret missing it).
You have to come back here after you’ve seen it to let me know your thoughts!