Reports of theater\u2019s death have been exaggerated for generations. In 1938, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart famously called theater \u201cthe fabulous invalid,\u201d poking fun at the endless predictions of its demise. Nearly 90 years later, the patient is still very much with us.<\/p>\n
Today, New York\u2019s stages are as bold and alive as ever. As Broadway Week<\/a> once again puts the spotlight on live theater across the city, it\u2019s worth remembering how much there is to celebrate.<\/p>\n Broadway is vital to our city\u2019s cultural life and economy. The 2025\u20132026 season<\/a> drew nearly 14.6 million attendees and generated $1.91 billion in ticket sales, with audiences filling more than 90% of available seats.<\/p>\n But the theater world is bigger than Broadway.<\/p>\n Across the city, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theaters are creating our most adventurous work. These are essential places where emerging and established playwrights and performers can find an audience and where theatergoers can take a chance on something they\u2019ve never heard of before.<\/p>\n A 2019 study<\/a> identified 748 Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway organizations, supporting 3,000 jobs and generating $584 million in direct annual economic output, with an estimated broader impact of $1.3 billion.<\/p>\n The numbers only tell part of the story. Smaller theaters are incubators for work that ultimately reshapes the broader culture \u2014 from the start of \u201cHamilton\u201d<\/a> at the Public Theater<\/a> to \u201cHadestown\u201d<\/a> at New York Theatre Workshop<\/a> \u2014 New York theater has always been interconnected.<\/p>\n So in this great theatrical ecosystem, it is surprising to hear persistent predictions of theater\u2019s decline. It is easy to be confused when so much of the conversation begins and ends with the business of Broadway. The fortunes of one production, or even one season, don\u2019t tell us whether theater itself is thriving.<\/p>\n Theater\u2019s resilience is inherent to the art form. It has never depended on one model of success. I see that resilience every day at 59E59 Theaters and among the independent theater companies we collaborate with and support.<\/p>\n