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As JamesJay64 mentioned, Minneapolis is a top city outside of NYC and LA.
It has the most number of theaters in the US, per capita. Also, DC and Chicago have good scenes, and Houston is a solid pick as well.
There are articles that research the claim and say it is an urban legend: Sorry, TwinThat second-most-theater-seats-per-capita-outside-New-York stat is total BS https://thetangential.com/2014/07/29...otal-bull****/
Quote:
This mantra is getting embarrassing for us—and for all the other cities that make similar claims. Cleveland claims “the second largest theater district in the nation, outside of New York.” The Houston Theater District says it “ranks second behind New York City for the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area.” Detroit “is home to the second largest theatre district in the United States behind only New York City.” The Denver Performing Arts Complex “is the second largest performing arts center in the world after New York City’s Lincoln Center.” Everybody wants to be #2.
Many cities make the claim but no one has hard stats
The article says article that make the claim just site each other. The article talks up the theater scene in MSP. It is definitely top 10, but the article says the per capita seat comment is not proven:
Quote:
the number-two theater-seat claim seems plausible…but here’s the issue. We’re smaller than New York and Chicago, but we’re not that small. If it really comes down to a per-capita breakdown, it would be easy for small communities to grab the edge over us...
I’m not the first one to question this claim; for example, Derek Lee Miller at Minnesota Playlist also went in search of verification and came up empty... At this point, it’s essentially an urban legend, but a thread on the now-defunct Callboard discussion site for theater insiders once traced the claim to a questionable interpretation of a study that was made decades ago. Once people started saying it, they just kept right on saying it, and the more people said it, the more other people felt safe repeating it—because how could it be wrong? No one (except grumpy nitpickers on pro-Cleveland discussion boards) had any incentive to question it.
Again I am not saying that MSP should not be in the conversation. All I am saying is that many cities have variations of that claim and the internet is really shoddy in terms of statistics to confirm or refute the claim
Cleveland's Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center in the country outside of New York
Only Lincoln Center is larger based on the number of seats
There are articles that research the claim and say it is an urban legend: Sorry, TwinThat second-most-theater-seats-per-capita-outside-New-York stat is total BS https://thetangential.com/2014/07/29...otal-bull****/
Many cities make the claim but no one has hard stats
The article says article that make the claim just site each other. The article talks up the theater scene in MSP. It is definitely top 10, but the article says the per capita seat comment is not proven:
Again I am not saying that MSP should not be in the conversation. All I am saying is that many cities have variations of that claim and the internet is really shoddy in terms of statistics to confirm or refute the claim
That article is interesting. It names Connecticut as No. 7 but within 2 hours of my house is all the theater anyone could want or need. It has to be one of the highest concentrations of theaters in the country.
Our state has really great theaters like Hartford Stage, Theaterworks and The Bushnell in Hartford; Long Wharf, Yale Rep and Shubert in New Haven; the Palace and Rich Forum in Stamford; the Garde and Flock in New London; Downtown Cabaret in Bridgeport; and the Palace in Waterbury. It also has the world renowned Goodspeed Opera House in East Hadaam, Westport Country Playhouse in Westport and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford.
To add to this, in 2 hours I can be in the heart of the theater district in New York City as well as theaters in Boston and Providence. It’s phenomenal. You can’t beat that really. Jay
That article is interesting. It names Connecticut as No. 7 but within 2 hours of my house is all the theater anyone could want or need. It has to be one of the highest concentrations of theaters in the country.
Our state has really great theaters like Hartford Stage, Theaterworks and The Bushnell in Hartford; Long Wharf, Yale Rep and Shubert in New Haven; the Palace and Rich Forum in Stamford; the Garde and Flock in New London; Downtown Cabaret in Bridgeport; and the Palace in Waterbury. It also has the world renowned Goodspeed Opera House in East Hadaam, Westport Country Playhouse in Westport and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford.
To add to this, in 2 hours I can be in the heart of the theater district in New York City as well as theaters in Boston and Providence. It’s phenomenal. You can’t beat that really. Jay
This is why I love CT. I can be in Boston in 1:45 from the house. 2:15 to Manhattan. 1:45 to Providence.
A lot of people in the Hartford area are always in Boston. They go there all the time. So the argument 'who really goes that far to see City X, Y or Z"? is B.S. And I am sure if you live in FFC, you go to NYC for stuff like that as well all the time. And then if you live on the coast line, you can take the train.
There are articles that research the claim and say it is an urban legend: Sorry, TwinThat second-most-theater-seats-per-capita-outside-New-York stat is total BS https://thetangential.com/2014/07/29...otal-bull****/
Many cities make the claim but no one has hard stats
The article says article that make the claim just site each other. The article talks up the theater scene in MSP. It is definitely top 10, but the article says the per capita seat comment is not proven:
Again I am not saying that MSP should not be in the conversation. All I am saying is that many cities have variations of that claim and the internet is really shoddy in terms of statistics to confirm or refute the claim
Totally hear you on some of the the claims, there are "top 10" lists supporting just about everything.
I will say, as someone who has lived in NYC, Chicago, the Twin Cities and Atlanta, the Twin Cities certainly over-index in the arts and specifically theater. They are certainly above Atlanta, which is 50% bigger in size. Between the two downtowns, programs in the schools, the support of little hole in the wall venues for 200 people, comedy clubs, improv, etc. I have no idea if they are really second per capita ( and first per capita for golf supposedly), but can vouch for them punching way above their weight.
Yes, there are amateur theatre groups everywhere and big broadway shows go on national tours but that’s not what I mean when I say theatre scene, I mean somewhere where a person can regularly catch performances of plays both classic and contemporary/modern/original of a variety of genres and types performed by professional actors.
Cleveland apparently has the largest theatre district in US outside Chicago, and NYC
One of only 5 cities with permanent professional resident companies in each of the major performing arts disciplines. Ballet, Opera, Symphony and theatre productions.
Second largest concentration of theatre seats in a downtown area, behind NY.
New Orleans has always had and supported a very lively arts scene, includin drama.
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