There has been a lot of talk up and down Broadway about what it will take to restore the business to pre-pandemic times.

The wisest elders in the industry, who have seen dark times before (although nothing like this) all say the same thing.

We need a hit.

The anecdotal data says that Broadway gets a mega-hit around every five years – something that runs ten years, is extremely profitable, and runs all over the world.  I’m talking a Hamilton, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, etc.  

And, no offense to any of the shows that opened recently . . . but we just haven’t had one of those.

But if we got one . . . and we will . . . all would be well, say a few of my mentors.  

(I’ve got some quibbles with that argument – however – given that with expenses so high these days – even mega-hits wouldn’t last 10 years.)

As I was watching the Wicked movie’s incredible press, promotion, social media content, and of course those grosses, I couldn’t help but think . . . could this be the mega-hit we’ve been waiting for  . . . even if it’s on a screen and not a stage?

When a Broadway show spawns a massive movie hit, it reminds people of what’s so magical about the stage in the first place. It says, “Hey, this is where it all began.” And it has the power to do something amazing: bring people back to the theater.  

Think about it—how many people will see Wicked on screen and decide they have to experience it live?  How many people who have seen Wicked before will go BACK to see it again?  And then, how many will get re-bit by the bug they had BEFORE the pandemic and start seeing more theater as a result? 

A rising tide lifts all shows. If Wicked’s Broadway grosses climb because of the movie (and they will – and have already), it won’t just help that one show—it could boost the entire Broadway ecosystem.  

What do you think?  Could Wicked be the thing we need?  Or are we still waiting for our next Hamilton?  

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