What It Actually Takes to Run a Broadway Show Every Night | WSJ
Video Overview & Insights
Broadway has long been a place where audiences come to put their fears aside and sit together to be entertained, even in times of war, recession and uncertainty. Today, it’s also a billion-dollar industry powered by thousands of workers across 41 theaters in New York’s Times Square theater district.
one thing my former teacher said when i started my acting career was that you cannot do theater alone, it doesnt matter if it is a monologue or what, and this video shows this to people who are not familiar with theater as a whole. theater only exists because lots of people love it and are ready to make it happen
WSJ spent a day in the life of a Broadway electrician in the lead up to a “Chicago” show to reveal the machine behind this American art form—from the factory floor to a nearly sold-out curtain call.
Locations:
“Whenever there have been economic downturns, broadway has been a place for people to come…”
Maybe in the 1920s, not with today’s ticket prices!
Museum of Broadway
PRG Scenic Technologies
👍🏼
PRG Secaucus
Ambassador Theatre
This would be fun job working for Broadway
Chapters:
0:00 – Broadway's influence
the dream <3
1:00 – 8am: Morning routine
3:23 – 11am: Scenic shop
catch tonight like to share do not like to share litter boxes they need their own
4:30 – 1pm: Lighting tests
5:32 – 2pm: Visit the loading bays
Love this!
6:33 – 5pm: Ambassador Theatre and “Chicago” pre-show checks
9:14 – 6pm: Doors open and show starts
Theatre as an art form is forever, however the addition of digital media is taking jobs away from puppeteers, musicians, visual artists, carpenters and other craftspeople.
9:53 – 9pm: “Chicago” ends
#Broadway #Theatre #WSJ
Cant wait for Beaches
More User Perspectives
Ticket pricing forced me out of my seat long ago. I miss the theater more than I could've ever imagined... but I have to eat.
@MsKimiferthank you for sharing
@heinemagerman1619Thank you 15 minutes.
@DschildkretI think there was a video somewhere in these ads
@eliasbernstein8:00 I love that Ann Reinking's image is still being used in the show. What a legacy! ❤
@donhailer4994I can feel the corre y corre in the backstage and me pone nervous😂😂😂
@victorg007@TimotheeChalamet
@WalktheTalk31more of these please~!
@coopxerI'd love it so much if there was a multi episode documentary of the creation of a whole show
@angerock49Production Resource Group bought up all the small production companies and now run a Google type monopoly. There is no competition left they own it all sadly.
@Sinv2222Send this to Timothee Chalamet seeing as he seems to like to hate on live performances.
@Wildatom88I love this kind of thing- thanks so much for posting and keep up the good work❤🎉❤
@kevinwhelan9607Clicked for fun, then saw one of my favorite brewery’s represented within the first 30 secs. Shout out to Log Tavern!! 0:36
@alaynatillis5310As someone who does tech for community theater in 100+ year old buildings, so glad to know the backstage experience is equally as scuffed on Broadway.
@sadmeattThank you all for your service 🫡
@stevenlee3278Fascinating!!!!!!! Of course so much work goes into a show, but we never get to see it!
@Justaguy4263too bad no one in their right mind goes to New York on purpose anymore.
@scarletbelmont9022Having worked in theatre for nearly 20 years, I find it funny watching this. I love my job and the people I work with, but a lot of this is overstating and glamourising the sheer mundanity of it all. It’s just like any other job. The guy talking about the build up to the show like it’s some sort of adrenaline pumping rush? Nah, cmon man, everyone’s sat in the crew room chatting.
@JM1513-o2dOh I REALLY liked this one. We need more of these!
@jonahsahnAbsolutely amazing
@lorrainepalmateer2670Thank you Jimmy Fedigan. You’re a substantial part of the reason Broadway is now unaffordable.
@Uber-babyThis was such a good video love to see the behind the scenes of broadway, just an idea that a lot of us would like to see is a behind the scenes of playwrights current now ones with a little touch of history of the craft ; like a small inspirational dream peace your guys production value is great keep up the great work we love your work.
@clubreoTheater is truly an art form that cannot be replaced. Spot on!
@kc83948I believe most people working in this video and backstage are well paid union jobs. NYC is an expensive place to live so a good paying secure job is very important.
@brentbeacham9691just wait till ai takes their job
@seanwashereohhhhh i thought "broadway" was one super famous set in nyc....theres many???
@addisonratchford7080Really interesting video. Thanks for making it.
@KevinAcrossAmericaVery cool video. More like this, plz!
@ChrisRakowskiNothing compares to seeing and hearing real people performing live in front of you
@davidtydeman1434You think of the theater as sitting empty between performances, but, as this video shows, the get-ready takes all day. There may be rehearsals if the director calls one or if a replacement is being put into the show, or auditions for those replacements. Dressing rooms need to be cleaned and prepared, costumes sent out to be cleaned and repaired. And once a week the standbys come in to run through the show to make sure they're ready to go on if necessary.
@hanschristianbrando5588The shows in Las Vegas is better than Broadway ones. I still live in Las Vegas. I saw a show with dope effects with my family and cousin last year. I loved it so much. Soon Las Vegas will soon be expected to have the first show with AI on earth for the first time ever in frank.
@daveotuwa5596No women, very few people of color. Too bad that Broadway doesn’t hire folks that represent the majority of Americans. And that it doesn’t tell them that this would be a place that I could work.
@johnkim7914:03 - I think thats the angel from phantom that he would sing the all i ask of you reprise.
@WillDonovan-kp9qb:)
@anyadudleyThis world is as foreign to me as Mars.
@robertwilks121musicSuper awesome video! Thank you so much for the insight… very cool.
@Magpondwould love a salary breakdown
@keithm257I once went backstage at the ambassador after I saw Chicago many years ago
@zackstark24601Operation Mincemeat rocks as does the Museum of Broadway.
@marylamb2130Broadway theater is SOOOOO much more than their actors. Honestly the actors are given too much credit and publicity compared to the work the crews and builders do DAILY to get these monstrously massive productions every day.
@egamerejI used to work on broadway one week a month behind the scenes doing security screenings. The behind the scenes to me was always more fascinating than the shows.
@divantebrown9654