How Much Does It Cost to Put on a Broadway Show?

A TRUSTED THEATRE RESOURCE SINCE 1884

Featured Shows

Video How Much Does It Cost to Put on a Broadway Show? How much money goes to hair and makeup? How much to actors’ salaries? Watch this video to find out.

By Ruthie Fierberg, Felicia Fitzpatrick

September 25, 2017

When it comes to the business of Broadway, putting up a show is an expensive task.

But where does all that capital go?

Even the actors working in the shows don’t know the answer—as Tony nominee Santino Fontana said at a recent industry panel event: “I’d love to know.” Well, ask and ye shall receive.

Playbill spoke to Hal Luftig, one of two lead producers on Broadway’s Kinky Boots, to determine the breakdown of costs associated with opening a Broadway show. Kinky Boots, now four years into its Main Stem run, required an initial investment of 13.5 million dollars, which the show was able to recoup by October 2013.

In the video above, Playbill breaks down the initial investment to reveal how that budget accounts for the costs of putting up the show that continues to wow crowds at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

To purchase Kinky Boots tickets, click here. For discount tickets on select performances, click here.

How much money goes to hair and makeup? How much to costumes? How much of the pie is allocated to actors’ salaries? How much goes to theatre expenses like the rental, house staff, and more? How much is paid to the creative team for their fees? How much do producers make from the initial investment? Watch and learn.

Video produced by Felicia Fitzpatrick. Reporting by Tyler Mount.

PLAYBILL SITES

CONTACT PLAYBILL

FOLLOW PLAYBILL NOW