OLD BROADWAY THEATERS

I was just recently in one of those old Broadway theaters. It was terrible. It's time to shut those old theaters down and re-build them all.

The seats are too narrow. Were people all skinny when they were built? (Probably yes.)

There were few stalls in the ladies' room and not much more in the men's room. Did people pee less in the old days? (Probably not, so why did they build the bathrooms so small?)

And the rows of seats were not very well raked, making any tall person in a row ahead a serious obstacle.

New theaters, in addition to being more comfortable, and possible safer (who know what lurks in those old floors and walls?) could be roomier in a way that would allow more creative concession income. It's too crowded now to sell anything efficiently.

With an evening at the theater for two (tickets, not to mention transportation, parking, and possibly a restaurant) running into the hundreds of dollars, patrons deserve a pleasant experience in every way (including a quick trip to the bathroom at intermission + something from the vending concession without missing the start of the next act). They may also be interested in a significant souvenir from the show (especially since -- with the falling dollar -- more and more of the visitors are here on a big trip from some other country).

While many shows do sell a program... or shirts and caps... or other items, the poor marketing display and inefficiency of making a sale in the crowded old theaters means the show is probably giving up the possibility of significant additional revenue.

It seems to me that these uncomfortable old theaters are doing a disservice to Broadway (by discouraging people who were uncomfortable in one show from going to another show); a disservice to the audience (which deserves a better experience); and a disservice to themselves (for giving up income from concessions) .

Lets give a big cheer for each new theater that arrives!