Knowing what’s coming out on Broadway—and in the theater community in general—is one of the easiest ways to enhance your theater experience. Keeping up with, and even staying ahead of, the trends in the theater can be a ton of fun. Theater aficionados around the world flock to New York City to see the latest and greatest shows, but even if you are unable to come to New York, you can still be active within the theater and stay up to date with the newest trends.
Here are a few ways how.
First, check out the web and check it out frequently. Google’s a great resource, but you’re going to find a lot of pointed advertisements if you go this route. Sure, you’ll see what’s new, but you won’t see everything—just what advertising money has been geared toward. Instead of Google, check out each of the top third-party ticket sites. SeatGeek, StubHub, and more all have a ton of tickets available, even for the most popular shows. You can sort these tickets by popularity and give yourself a very clear idea of just what other people are buying. The hotter a show is, the more highly it will rank. When looking for the newest trend on Broadway, this can give you a real-life picture of what’s going on. And you won’t have to rely on paid advertising to figure it out. The added bonus of this is that you can buy tickets right from these sites if desired.
Next, check out the major cultural blogs and magazines. The New Yorker’s articles are a long-running example of this. Even if you don’t subscribe to the magazine, you can still check out their website and get an idea of what professional culture writers are focusing their time and energy on. This magazine focuses on NYC, but since this is the theater capital of the world, it’s a good place to start your search. There are many
Not everyone lives in or near New York, of course. Be sure to check out whatever the major cultural publications of your region are so you can point yourself toward whatever the hot theater trends are of your particular corner of the world are. Maybe you can’t go see the New York opening of the Next Big Thing, but you can go and see the opening of Hamilton when it comes to your city.
Another way to stay ahead of cultural and theater trends is to get out of the house and interact with other like-minded arts fans. Most major cities have groups and clubs that allow you to hang out and talk with people who also want to stay up to date with everything going on Broadway. This might entail adapting a production for the local theater, chartering a bus to go and see a play in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or another big metro area, or something else. The choices for a group like this are endless. Not only does this further immerse you in what’s going on in the general theater community, it gives you a chance to help your own city stay up with Broadway’s trends.
Whatever you do, don’t forget that Broadway is more than just the theater. It’s about the experience. There’s no place in the world like Broadway and 42nd, but even if you don’t live near the city, you can still experience bits and pieces of Broadway in your own community. Whether it’s a major professional production that’s out on tour, or if it’s a tiny community theater show that you’ve helped out with, the Broadway way of life is one of the most exciting things out there.