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I work right next to the Broadway Theaters and attend quite a few Broadway Plays and Musicals. One thing that I always noticed is almost everyone at the Broadway Shows is White! Why is this true in one of the most ethnically diverse cities in America?
Yes, I know that 65% of the people atteding Broadway Shows are tourists but NYC is full of tourists of all ethnic groups and from all over the world.
I knew my friends on City Data would not believe me unless I got some type of official study, so I googled the subject and came up with an official survey developed by THE BROADWAY LEAGUE.
Eighty-three percent of all tickets were purchased by Caucasian theatergoers, of those 65% were women.
The average age of the Broadway theatergoer was 44 years, older than in the past few seasons.
Only 4% of the tickets are bought by African Americans
I found this to be very interesting and scary at the same time. It says as America becomes more Hispanic and the baby boomers die out, interest in Broadway Shows will fall drastically.
What can Broadway do to get more participation by ethnic minorities, younger people, and men?
Those statistics aren't that surprising to me. Definitely not surprising that only 4% of tickets were purchased by African Americans, there isn't much an interest in plays from the African American community. Also, Broadway isn't cheap, it makes sense that most of the tickets were purchased by older people who are more financially secure.
Now, if you contrast this with data from 10-20 years ago and you find the average age of the person attending shows was about 35 or so, then we might have an issue.
Those statistics aren't that surprising to me. Definitely not surprising that only 4% of tickets were purchased by African Americans, there isn't much an interest in plays from the African American community. Also, Broadway isn't cheap, it makes sense that most of the tickets were purchased by older people who are more financially secure.
Now, if you contrast this with data from 10-20 years ago and you find the average age of the person attending shows was about 35 or so, then we might have an issue.
I strongly disagree that Blacks are not interested in plays. There are many Black people working in theatre and not all are performers, they have Black people working I every aspect on Broadway. Broadway is expensive but a venue like Riverside theatre is widely attended.
Yes, there is the issue of economics and yes there is a disparity in america but come on..... if the same black ppl can spend $300 on an iphone, $150 for new sneakers or $200 on beats headphones, true religion jeans or a nice car/rims then they can drop $80 for one of those broadway plays. The Black American consumer base is very strong on average so if there was an interest then more blacks would watch it.
I'm just stunned that some ppl see a problem with so few black people going to Broadway plays. I rather go to the Apollo Theatre or some other place in Harlem that doesn't view me as scum and only lets me in because they were *forced* to at a certain time in history.
You have to be careful in any study. What about pro sports? I am sure that if you looked at Basketball, there would be a larger market share of African Americans fans with tickets, than say Lacross or fast pitch softball. I have friends of all colors and what we/they enjoy sometimes is very diverse, or in some cases, very close.
Yes, there is the issue of economics and yes there is a disparity in america but come on..... if the same black ppl can spend $300 on an iphone, $150 for new sneakers or $200 on beats headphones, true religion jeans or a nice car/rims then they can drop $80 for one of those broadway plays. The Black American consumer base is very strong on average so if there was an interest then more blacks would watch it.
I'm just stunned that some ppl see a problem with so few black people going to Broadway plays. I rather go to the Apollo Theatre or some other place in Harlem that doesn't view me as scum and only lets me in because they were *forced* to at a certain time in history.
I concur. Good shows and talent translates across any color 'boundary'.
I work right next to the Broadway Theaters and attend quite a few Broadway Plays and Musicals. One thing that I always noticed is almost everyone at the Broadway Shows is White! Why is this true in one of the most ethnically diverse cities in America?
Yes, I know that 65% of the people atteding Broadway Shows are tourists but NYC is full of tourists of all ethnic groups and from all over the world.
I knew my friends on City Data would not believe me unless I got some type of official study, so I googled the subject and came up with an official survey developed by THE BROADWAY LEAGUE.
Eighty-three percent of all tickets were purchased by Caucasian theatergoers, of those 65% were women.
The average age of the Broadway theatergoer was 44 years, older than in the past few seasons.
Only 4% of the tickets are bought by African Americans
I found this to be very interesting and scary at the same time. It says as America becomes more Hispanic and the baby boomers die out, interest in Broadway Shows will fall drastically.
What can Broadway do to get more participation by ethnic minorities, younger people, and men?
Perhaps blacks are not buying tickets because they are uninterested in what is on display. Typically black people will support shows that are of value to them. Much of broadway however doesn't cater to a diverse group, it's primarily intended for a certain demographic, and we all know who that demographic is.
As a Black American, I've been to a Broadway show twice. I honestly only went because my girlfriend begged me to go. Considering only 12% of America is black, i think 4% attendance rate isn't to bad.
It's sad as whole that someone can write a statistic in an article and it is taken as truth. It is also sad that some posters are using their own personal preferences in the performing arts to justify this erroneous statistic. The percentage is not that low because the percentage of Blacks employed in the industry is higher than that. Blacks wouldn't be hired at this rate if there were not enough theatre goers to demand this type of hiring rate.
Theatre is one of largest money making industries in NYC, skilled technicians of all types make a good salary. So it is sad to read that Black people are using their personal preferences to actually state on a public forum that Black people are not interested in theatre.
The first Black woman to conduct an orchestra for a Broadway production was recently honored. There are a couple of Black musical directors working now in top productions, as well as costume people and stage managers, and others. If there were not that many Black people interested in theatre this wouldn't happen.
What can Broadway do to get more participation by ethnic minorities, younger people, and men?
Blacks aren't the only minorities and are no longer the largest minority in the country or in NYC. Doesn't the stats say that Hispanics are the now the majority minority and in some areas the minority-majority? To get more minorities, maybe Broadway should start presenting their shows in Spanish? If the stats posted in OP are correct, and btw I agree with another poster that's not bad especially considering Blacks are 13% of the total population. That 4% of Blacks buying B'way tickets represents over 1/3 of the Black population (percentage-wise) so Blacks have done their part and should not be expected to carry the rest of the load nor expected to compete with Whites in high percentages of purchasing tickets. Look to Hispanics to step up and support these American institutions, it's their time now. They have the sheer numbers, they largely have intact two-parent families, large extended families, low death rate among their young men, lower incarceration rate (than Blacks), they're mostly employed (even off the books or under the table pay). Look to them, it's their time now.
culturaly we all have different tastes in the arts. im white but given the choice of seeing a broadway show or one of those amazing gospel groups im going gospel.
i dont go because i think i would feel out of place going to see the performers i like .
Old post but if your still interested just go, you probably won't be the only White person there. It's about love between humanity anyway. Just be sure to bring your wife, there are always more ladies in attendance, some are single and looking for attractive men.
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Maybe cater to the new minority-majority?
