Over Labor Day weekend, my best friend and I took a trip to New York City to see Harry Styles’ tour. Other than going to the concert, we made sure to enjoy all that New York City had to offer. The Met, The Strand Bookstore and, most importantly, a Broadway show to close off the weekend. We ended up seeing “Hadestown” since we’re big fans of the show and haven’t had the chance to get to see it since the national tour hasn’t come to Missouri yet.
The show was absolutely incredible live on stage and getting to experience it with the audience was even better. Broadway has been a major pillar in my love for media in general. Any time I find myself in New York, I find my way to some sort of Broadway show. But lately, it seems like Broadway has been in a bit of a weird period. It seems like every week there is news of multiple shows closing earlier than expected, confusing stunt cast choices and overall just a bit of uncertainty with each coming season since the pandemic. So, what in the world is happening over on the Great White Way?
With Broadway being limited to only 41 major active theaters such as the Palace and Gershwin Theatre, shows are bound to close and rotate each year, especially after the end of Tony Award Season. But this year, it feels like every single week another long-running and well-loved show is announcing its final dates or closing sooner than expected.Â
I know one particular closure that caught me completely off guard was the announcement of the early closure for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” a reimagined revival of the classic Broadway show set in the world of ballroom dance and culture. It was a bold and groundbreaking take on a classic that felt like a breath of fresh air within the season’s show lineup. The show was so incredibly popular and critically acclaimed. Earlier this year, they announced an extension for the show’s already limited run, which would mean its last show would be in January 2027. But in July, it was announced that the show would have its final performance on Aug. 8, almost six months earlier than expected. According to a report from Deadline, high operating costs, lower ticket revenue and fewer shows completely selling out after the Tonys led to its early closure.Â
Along with this closure came even more announcements in the later months such as “Moulin Rouge” closing this summer, followed by “Six: The Musical,” “& Juliet” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).” The first two ended their runs in early January and the latter ended its run in late November. In the case of “& Juliet,” it seems like it just reached the natural conclusion of a four year show run for a Broadway show. It was massively popular and ultimately just ran its course. But when it comes to the closure of the original shows such as “Two Strangers,” that’s where I begin to have concerns.
Similar to the bigger concerns with the current state of film and television, Broadway is experiencing what I can only describe as “IP overload.” Out of the 26 shows running currently on Broadway, 18 of them are based on preexisting intellectual properties such as films, books, historical figures and more – the list goes on. Being based on something isn’t necessarily a death sentence for a show – two of my all-time favorite shows (and some of the most iconic) are adaptations of “The Wizard of Oz” – but it feels like every season there are more and more shows based on popular movies and revivals of classic shows with huge stars and less and less original shows on Broadway.Â
That’s not to say that these shows won’t be any good. Many of them have been and have done great work to change and adapt the source material in interesting ways, but for every “Oh Mary!” or “Jellicle Ball,” there’s about three “The Lost Boys” each season – shows that just don’t have much impact beyond whatever precedes them.Â
Yet these shows continue to be produced because ultimately a name is profitable, which I think is keeping a lot of shows that might be “financially riskier” out of theaters. In a similar vein, lots of shows have begun to rely on stunt casting to advertise their shows. This has worked in the case of the current revival of “Chicago” for almost 30 years, featuring its signature method of casting the role of Roxie Hart with someone who’s not necessarily a Broadway star. Although I’m pretty sure now they just cast people who were on reality shows to varying degrees of success.Â
Although this tactic is as old as Broadway itself, it’s been used to a large degree in the past couple of years in almost every show. With some actors making their grand return to the stage, in the case of Jordan Fisher in “Hadestown,” Lea Michelle in “Chess” and most recently Leslie Odom Jr. ‘s return into the role of Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.” This also includes huge celebrities getting to make their debut, such as with Megan Thee Stallion’s limited run as Zeigler in “Moulin Rouge.” While these choices aren’t necessarily bad, they definitely can feel like a cynical way to market a show without having to actually market the show, just use the big names on the marquee and use the admiration and hype that come with their brands as a selling point.
It can’t be overstated just how much the current state of the economy has impacted access to Broadway shows and the ability to sustain them throughout the past couple of years. Broadway has been experiencing a financial slump. International tourism has been decreasing due to Trump’s immigration policies and the rise in popularity in other places. The Office of New York State Comptroller reported a 3% decline in international tourists in 2025. Even massive shows like “Wicked” have been struggling to sell out shows for the past couple of months. The rent in Broadway theaters is getting higher and the number of people going to shows is fluctuating due to a lack of disposable income for many Americans as the costs of necessities such as groceries and housing are rising, with 49% of American families being unable to afford the cost of living with essential goods because of the rising prices and lower wages. So when economic issues arise, the arts are always the most affected, especially when live theater and ticket prices are getting even more expensive, making this type of experience not attainable for the average person.Â
I fell in love with the allure of Broadway and musical theater as a child because I had the opportunity to see it on stage. That opened my eyes to the world of theater and performing arts for the first time. I’ll never forget seeing “Wicked” at the Gershwin Theatre for the first time when I was 10 years old on my first trip to New York City. I connected to that world and to the world of musical theater in a way that still stays with me to this day. I got to connect in this way because I was able to have access to it, which is becoming less and less attainable.Â
Luckily, many shows have been receiving pro-shots, along with a few getting a theatrical release such as “Hamilton” and “Hadestown,” which is a good start. It’s been amazing to be in theaters full of people getting to experience them for the first time on the big screen while also not having to pay lots of money to experience the magic of a great musical.
But the arts shouldn’t be a luxury for only those with enough money to experience it. Some of the greatest writers, composers, actors, directors and regular girls like me found something to dream about and reach for in getting to see a show on Broadway. The next Stephan Sondheim or Audra McDonald might just be waiting for their chance to see a show that changes their life, but if the people in charge don’t make a change, they just might lose them.