The Broadway League released its findings from its 2017–2018 “Demographics of the Broadway Audience” survey. The report explores audience behavior and statistics, including census data, point of purchase, and theatregoing frequency.
The average age of Broadway theatregoers was down from 41.7 the previous season to 40.6. Though this is still, on average, above the general U.S. population, the number continues to inch closer to the median age.
For the second consecutive year, the Great White Way welcomed the largest number of audience members under the age of 18 (2.1 million, up from 1.65 in the previous report). This is in part due to such new shows as Frozen, Mean Girls, and SpongeBob SquarePants attracting a kid and teen crowd, but also to the variety of programs and initiatives from the League designed to ignite a passion for theatre in students and young artists.
“Programs like Kids’ Night on Broadway, Broadway Bridges, and the Jimmy Awards are so important in encouraging young people to be interested in theatre,” said Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin. “It’s exciting to see record numbers of kids and teens attending Broadway shows.”The full reports are available for purchase at BroadwayLeague.com.
