Research question about Broadway theatre

A Broadway show, like Rome, isn't built in a day. The writing and developing of a play or musical can take years. Once it gets the green light to open in a Broadway house, things speed up considerably. Between the first day of rehearsal and the first preview, usually no more than a month or two pass.

Much of this schedule is dictated by the contract that exists between Actors' Equity Association, the stage performers' union, and the Broadway League, the producers' trade orgnanization. A typical rehearsal period for a Broadway show, said Equity spokesperson Maria Somma, is 6-8 weeks. And there are even more specific guidelines within those weeks and days. "Actors' Equity Association has extensive rules negotiated into its Broadway contract with regard to rehearsals," said Somma. " For example, during the rehearsal period and before the first paid public performance ('ppp'), rehearsals do not exceed seven out of eight and one-half consecutive hours per day. In the final seven days leading up to the first ppp, rehearsals can't exceed 10 out of 12 hours per day."


Of course, there are exceptions. Some shows (usually musicals) are so complex and ambitious that a mere six-to-eight weeks won't do. A major example is currently in rehearsal. The Julie Taymor show Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, which has music by The Edge and Bono, recently began rehearsals, but it won't begin previews on Broadway until Nov. 14. Due to "the requirements of the show," said spokesman Rick Miramontez, the show will rehearse for a full 16 weeks.


What does that mean as far as Equity is concerned? "A production can rehearse longer than the usual 6 to 8 weeks without seeking permission," said Somma. "There is a formula for salaries — if a dramatic production enters its ninth week of rehearsals, then the salary goes from the minimum to the contractual. For musicals principals go from minimum to contractual salary in the tenth week and chorus salaries go to contractual in the eleventh week. Prior to those triggers, everyone makes the minimum salary."


Frequently, a show will continue rehearsals even after beginning previews, and, sometimes, a show will rehearse even after it has officially opened. The former is a common practice; particularly for shows that open cold on Broadway, with no out-of-town tryout, a piece will be honed as much as possible right up to the moment the critics take their seats. The latter process, of rehearsing after opening, is more unusual. It is typically the decision of the director or producer, who may feel that the production still needs some tweaking, or are reacting to reviews that indicate the show could use improvement. Again, there are Equity dicta are such occasions. "There are rules describing the rehearsal hours after a show has begun performances but before opening night, as well as rules governing costume calls, publicity, rest periods and breaks. After a show has opened, rehearsals can't exceed eight hours weekly."

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mrsmig said:

Okay, back from the audition.

Broadway is a very different beast from most theatre in the U.S., so if you've worked in non-profit regional theatre, throw away any preconceived notions.

A film/tv actor with box office clout who wants to prove his artistic integrity is probably not going to be "offered" a part. He's probably going to express his interest in such a project to an equally heavy-hitting Broadway producer/producers. With input from their star, the producers will assemble their creative team: director, designers (set, lighting, sound, costumes, etc.). The star, producers and directors may discuss ideal casting for the supporting roles. At the same time, the producers will be checking availability of Broadway theatres. There are only about 40 Broadway houses and the vast majority of the best ones are occupied by long-running musicals (e.g. Phantom of the Opera has been at the Majestic for 31 years). All this preliminary stuff can take months.

Sometimes a production and its stars will be announced without the theatre being booked, but it's more likely that the producers will wait to announce once the theatre is booked - so they can start selling tickets as soon as possible (usually within a couple of months of the announcement - they'll spend those months creating hype about the production, finding backers to invest in it, continuing to assemble their team, getting preliminary designs in place, and casting other roles in the show). The bigger the name, the more likely that the show will earn a big advance before the show ever opens. (Just as an example, the recent Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler was announced in January 2016. Tickets went on sale in September 2016, but the show didn't go into previews until March of the following year and didn't have its official opening until April 20, 2017. It had the biggest first-day advance in Broadway history.)

Rehearsals usually begin a minimum of five weeks prior to the first preview performance. The company will rehearse in a studio space to start with, and eventually move into the theatre at least two weeks prior to the first preview. This is the start of "tech," and during this time the show's design elements will be incorporated: the sets, lights, sound, costumes, props, etc. During tech, there are often "ten out of twelve" rehearsal days, when the actors work a twelve-hour day, with a two-hour break somewhere in the middle. This usually continues right up to previews. During the preview period, rehearsals will continue during the day, usually a maximum of five hours per day. These rehearsals will incorporate any changes or tweaks determined to be in the best interest of the production, and might include changes in blocking (staging), lighting, costumes, etc. Often these changes come as a result of seeing the preview audience's reactions to the show. Once the producers and director have determined that the show is as good as it's going to be, the show will be "frozen" (i.e. no more changes can be made). This usually occurs a few days before opening night, to give the company a chance to settle into the "frozen" production. (And I can tell you from experience that the tech-preview-opening night haul is utterly exhausting for everyone concerned.)

How long does a Broadway show run? That depends. Frequently, shows with big film/tv stars will have a limited run, with a closing date established from the very beginning. This is because film/tv stars don't want to be tied up with a Broadway show when they could be making big bucks doing film/tv (Broadway star salaries are NOTHING like film/tv star salaries). For a show with an open-ended run, it'll stay open as long as it's making money. Broadway is commercial theatre - the producers aren't in it to make art, per se; they're in it to make money. Although some shows will stagger along for a few months with half-empty houses, most will close as soon as profits diminish to a point where it doesn't make financial sense to stay open. In general, no matter how big the star, plays don't have the lengthy Broadway runs that musicals do, and very often will close within a year of opening, star or no.

(Another thing about film/tv actors and Broadway: a lot of them can't handle the schedule. Most Broadway shows play eight performances a week - Tuesday through Saturday evenings, plus matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. It can be grueling, particularly if the role is a difficult one and the actor doesn't have a theatrical background.)

Regarding the Broadway "season," there's no set time frame. Roughly speaking, the season begins in the fall, peaks over the holidays, hits the doldrums in January-February, ramps up again in March/April prior to the cutoff for Tony eligibility, peaks again in the late spring/early summer and then tapers off again as summer ebbs. The Tony Awards are a HUGE thing on Broadway, and a show that's a big winner will generally run longer, while those that are already struggling and get snubbed when the nominations come out (or don't win anything when the winners are announced in June) will usually post closing notices pretty soon afterward.

I hope this answers your questions. If you need more info, let me know - either here or via PM.



*Can't close without a writerly caution. If you plan to use material from A View From the Bridge in your book, you'll need to get permission from the Miller estate.

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