’Burbs scared off Broadway
Broadway is attracting fewer theatergoers from New York City suburbs — and “safety concerns” about Manhattan are a major reason, according to a survey.
The Great White Way sold 12.3 million tickets for the 2022-2023 season — a 17% drop versus 2018-2019, the last complete season before Broadway shut down because of the pandemic, according to data The Broadway League released last month.
New York metro suburbanites accounted for a mere 14% or 1.7 million of overall tickets last season — the lowest number on record in the 23 years The Broadway League has tracked such data.
The league declined to discuss the dip.
“We do not speculate generally about the numbers,” rep Scalla Jakso said.
Even as tourism is rebounding, the city has a perception problem among metro suburbanites over 55 years old, said Damian Bazadona, president of Situation Group.
Save the drama
Half of suburbanites who have not returned to Broadway cited “concerns about safety” as a primary reason why they see fewer shows, according to a survey by the marketing and advertising firm. A whopping 41% of suburbanites said “I travel to Manhattan for pleasure less often than I did in 2019.”
Overall crime in the five boroughs was down 5% through Dec. 24, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to NYPD data.
Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris tried to alleviate safety concerns in the heavily policed Theater District.
“As witnessed by millions worldwide and the hundreds of thousands of revelers who enjoyed a safe and joyous New Year’s Eve this week, Times Square is one of the safest neighborhoods in all of NYC thanks to the hardworking men and women of the NYPD,” Harris told The Post.
The Situation Group survey, which polled some 1,700 Broadway ticket buyers nationwide, found that just 30% of suburbanites attributed their cutback to work-from-home issues.
The Situation Group survey also found that 50% of suburbanites who are pulling back on theater say there are fewer shows they are interested in seeing.