Survival of the Hittest

With Broadway productions sliding into the summer doldrums, it was the time to assay the season, and the statistics were grim. ONE OF 'WORST' LEGIT SEASONS, headlined Variety, while the New York Times intoned, THE THEATER TODAY: NO PLACE FOR DRAMA. In 52 attempts, 36 shows flopped, ten got into the black, and six are still struggling. Financially, of the $8,097,040 invested, $5,742,863 went down the drain, which does not take into account the six productions financed at $1,156,854 that died before reaching Broadway.

Worst hit were the serious dramas. Fourteen opened, and all failed. The longest, Tiny Alice, lasted but 20 weeks, its tenure stretched by the fine acting of John Gielgud and Irene Worth, and Author Edward Albee's teasing defenses. Musicals, which made up nearly a third of the new offerings, did little better. The most literate, Oh What a Lovely War, never saw its fifth month; pure hokum promoted Baker Street toward the winner's circle, and Fiddler on the Roof, skimming the surface of a Sholom Aleichem story, became the smash of the season.

Which should have left the boards clear for comedy. And indeed two small-cast productions, Luv and The Odd Couple, emerged as the season's co-favorites, recouping their costs after only 80 and 29 performances. But in a season of the survival of the hittest, this was small cheer; 14 of the year's 17 comedies have already closed.

Broadway theater owners, meanwhile, were solacing themselves with good news from Washington. Starting Jan. 1, 1966, the 10% tax on tickets (in effect since 1917) will be repealed. Further, prices will shed their straitjackets. Hit shows will be able to charge what the freight will bear, perhaps as much as $25 a ticket. Flexibility will also mean that for lagging shows, box-office prices can be dropped to rock bottom overnight.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.