| Sonia Friedman has produced 59 Broadway plays and musicals. With the exception to the rule being HARRY POTTER, her productions usually run 9 months or less. A very few clock in at a year. She is what I call a 'real' producer, of the old school. She produces a play, people get to see it, they make some money, but not the zillions of HAMILTON, and then she takes them off before they are old and stale or weakly re-cast. Her productions are bespoke productions, not little machines with interchangeable parts. Theater was always disposable, and should remain so. Open, break even, maybe make a few $, and move on to the next show. Even that big hit STEREOPHONIC is currently scheduled to close after 9 months - and I would put money on that holding. I prefer the turn over. I prefer feeling that I missed a show I wanted to see because the run ended. That means theatre is healthy. To me. |
