June 2026
Broadway subsidies aren't usually the sort of thing that dominate dinner table conversation, but a recent article in The Hollywood Reporter raised some questions that I think are worth asking.
One thing that struck me is that New York has long offered tax incentives to television and film productions. Those programs are now a permanent part of the landscape and are generally understood as investments in an industry that creates jobs and generates economic activity. The debate around Broadway seems to be different, more focused on what form the subsidies should take instead of whether or not they should exist at all.
Cody Lassen, the Tony-winning producer of Spring Awakening, observed in the article, “I think there’s still a bigger discussion of what shows should qualify, what shows should get the full amount, but I don’t think there’s a solution there that will ever please anyone.”
That strikes me as exactly right. Perhaps the more interesting conversation is not whether commercial theater should receive public support, but how that support might best be structured.
Could there be ways to encourage stronger partnerships between Broadway and regional theatre? How can assistance be designed in ways that help develop new work and support local theaters? Rather than viewing these worlds as entirely separate, perhaps there are opportunities to strengthen the connections between them.
And then there is another issue that seems increasingly difficult to ignore: the role of digital media.
As you might know, Flipping the Script Productions has been exploring ways to share Musicals Without Music with a wider audience through digital distribution. Those plans are still evolving, but they've made me think about accessibility in a broader sense.
As I wrote about last month, a digital audience doesn't replace a live audience. It expands it. Someone who can't travel to New York, can't afford a ticket, or simply learns about a production after it closes might still have the opportunity to experience the work.
Perhaps the future of theater lies not in choosing between Broadway and regional models - or between live and digital experiences - but in finding ways for these worlds to complement one another.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Until next month,
Stephen Rourke
Flipping the Script Productions
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