Hal Luftig

There's only so many blocks that make up Broadway, per se, and there's only so much land. Like Will Rogers said, buy land, because they're not making any more of it. My name is Hal Luftig, and I'm a Broadway producer. Some of my credits include Here Lies Love, The Life of Pi, Legally Blonde, The Revival of Evita, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kinky Boots, and it goes on.

There's only so many blocks that make up Broadway, per se, and there's only so much land. Like Will Rogers said, buy land, because they're not making any more of it. My name is Hal Luftig, and I'm a Broadway producer. Some of my credits include Here Lies Love, The Life of Pi, Legally Blonde, The Revival of Evita, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kinky Boots, and it goes on.

There's only so many blocks that make up Broadway, per se, and there's only so much land. Like Will Rogers said, buy land, because they're not making any more of it. My name is Hal Luftig, and I'm a Broadway producer. Some of my credits include Here Lies Love, The Life of Pi, Legally Blonde, The Revival of Evita, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kinky Boots, and it goes on.

I've been doing this for 30-something years. To this day, I still get excited like a little butterfly effect in my stomach when I walk into a theater. The smell of it, the dinner of it, being walked to your seat, getting handed a playbill, sitting there knowing the curtain's going to go up, and you...

I've been doing this for 30-something years. To this day, I still get excited like a little butterfly effect in my stomach when I walk into a theater. The smell of it, the dinner of it, being walked to your seat, getting handed a playbill, sitting there knowing the curtain's going to go up, and you...

I've been doing this for 30-something years. To this day, I still get excited like a little butterfly effect in my stomach when I walk into a theater. The smell of it, the dinner of it, being walked to your seat, getting handed a playbill, sitting there knowing the curtain's going to go up, and you...

With all the people sitting around you are going to be, you know, watching and laughing or crying at the same thing.

With all the people sitting around you are going to be, you know, watching and laughing or crying at the same thing.

With all the people sitting around you are going to be, you know, watching and laughing or crying at the same thing.

Gee, I wonder why that is. Maybe you can tell me. I don't know why. Oh. Yes, I will. All right. Tell me. Theater owners now are a very big profit participant. And by profit, I don't mean after the show makes money. First, they get all of their expenses. It's called weekly rental. And that includes everything from payroll to toilet paper.

Gee, I wonder why that is. Maybe you can tell me. I don't know why. Oh. Yes, I will. All right. Tell me. Theater owners now are a very big profit participant. And by profit, I don't mean after the show makes money. First, they get all of their expenses. It's called weekly rental. And that includes everything from payroll to toilet paper.

Gee, I wonder why that is. Maybe you can tell me. I don't know why. Oh. Yes, I will. All right. Tell me. Theater owners now are a very big profit participant. And by profit, I don't mean after the show makes money. First, they get all of their expenses. It's called weekly rental. And that includes everything from payroll to toilet paper.

On top of that, they get a weekly royalty, which could be 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%. It depends on the theater, the theater owner, the show. If the show is doing well, like a million dollars a week, do the math. So that is a chunk right there. And their costs have gone up, insurance, mortgage payments, interest rates, things like that. So they pass that right on to the show. That has changed over the years.

On top of that, they get a weekly royalty, which could be 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%. It depends on the theater, the theater owner, the show. If the show is doing well, like a million dollars a week, do the math. So that is a chunk right there. And their costs have gone up, insurance, mortgage payments, interest rates, things like that. So they pass that right on to the show. That has changed over the years.

On top of that, they get a weekly royalty, which could be 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%. It depends on the theater, the theater owner, the show. If the show is doing well, like a million dollars a week, do the math. So that is a chunk right there. And their costs have gone up, insurance, mortgage payments, interest rates, things like that. So they pass that right on to the show. That has changed over the years.

How did it used to be? It used to be you paid a rent. There wasn't really a royalty attached to it. It was in the 70s, 80s, where they realized they could make a whole lot more money. They also realized, why don't you bump the tickets up $2 here and then $5 there? This is all before dynamic pricing. This was just... Hey, if the show is successful, why sell a ticket for $25?

How did it used to be? It used to be you paid a rent. There wasn't really a royalty attached to it. It was in the 70s, 80s, where they realized they could make a whole lot more money. They also realized, why don't you bump the tickets up $2 here and then $5 there? This is all before dynamic pricing. This was just... Hey, if the show is successful, why sell a ticket for $25?

How did it used to be? It used to be you paid a rent. There wasn't really a royalty attached to it. It was in the 70s, 80s, where they realized they could make a whole lot more money. They also realized, why don't you bump the tickets up $2 here and then $5 there? This is all before dynamic pricing. This was just... Hey, if the show is successful, why sell a ticket for $25?

That's how far back we're going. Liza Minnelli in the act was $25. And people were outraged, Stephen. I remember people thinking, what the hell, $25? When it opened and became sort of a hit, they bumped it up to $27.50. You shared in some of that, sure, as the show, but they got the lion's share because of their royalty. So that's how theater owners kind of work.

That's how far back we're going. Liza Minnelli in the act was $25. And people were outraged, Stephen. I remember people thinking, what the hell, $25? When it opened and became sort of a hit, they bumped it up to $27.50. You shared in some of that, sure, as the show, but they got the lion's share because of their royalty. So that's how theater owners kind of work.