A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller, Hal Luftig — and learn that there is only one guarantee: the theater owners always win. (Part two of a three-part series.)
- SOURCES:
- Debby Buchholz, managing director of La Jolla Playhouse.
- Sonia Friedman, Broadway producer.
- Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer, former owner of Jujamcyn Theaters, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
- Hal Luftig, Broadway producer.
- Luis Miranda Jr., political strategist, founding president of the Hispanic Federation, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Viva Broadway, and The Public Theater.
- Michael Rushton, professor of arts administration at Indiana University.
- Jeffrey Seller, Broadway producer.
- Richard Winkler, Broadway producer.
- Stacy Wolf, professor of theater at Princeton University.
- RESOURCES:
- Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir, by Jeffrey Seller (2025).
- Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America, by Luis Miranda Jr. (2024).
- Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America, by Stacy Wolf (2019).
- “‘Hamilton’ Inc.: The Path to a Billion-Dollar Broadway Show,” by Michael Paulson and David Gelles (New York Times, 2016).
- “On the Performing Arts: The Anatomy of Their Economic Problems,” by W.J. Baumol and W.G. Bowen (The American Economic Review, 1965).
- EXTRAS:
- “How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
- “You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
630. On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing
A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller,…
629. How Is Live Theater Still Alive?
It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about … Abraham Lincoln?! (Part one…
Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)
Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code? SOURCES: Patti Chamberlain, senior…
628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?
There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of…
627. Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It
Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. Where does all this sludge come from — and how much is it costing us? (Part one of…
Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Update)
The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit. SOURCES: Kirk DesErmia, facilities manager in…
626. Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System
Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who…
625. The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn’t Touched
Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others — including the Trump…
EXTRA: The Downside of Disgust (Update)
It’s a powerful biological response that has preserved our species for millennia. But now it may be keeping us from pursuing strategies that would improve the environment, the economy, even our own health. So is…
624. The Animal No One Loves, Until They Do
To most people, the rat is vile and villainous. But not to everyone! We hear from a scientist who befriended rats and another who worked with them in the lab — and from the animator…