Reality Check...The Business of Broadway is Tough and Not Diverse

Skim through Backstage's The 25 Most Powerful People on Broadway and note NO racial diversity; thank goodness for the few women who appear on the list.  

First up (of course) are the men who run the Broadway theaters. Then there are several  directors and producers. Finally, there are a couple of journalists and casting directors.

We...I get the picture; we...I understand who runs Broadway.
   
So, don't be surprise by Keli Goff's article Black Producers Still Rare on Broadway when you learn that there is only one African American duo who hands on produce Broadway shows - Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones. And they only joined the Broadway party in recent years.

And don't be surprise when you check out Alisa Solomon's The Not-So-Bountiful Trip to Broadway and learn that the number of black directors working on Broadway in last decade can be counted on one hand.  By the way, congrats to Debbie Allen, Kenny Leon, Marion McClinton, Charles Randolph-Wright, and George C. Wolfe. 



As a black woman who is a devoted fan of the theater, I keep coming back to this topic of diversity. But the reality is that the $11 billion business of Broadway is a tough one; most shows will never recoup their initial investment. And Broadway is not very diverse. Not behind the scenes. Not on stage (even though this appears to be getting better in recent years). And not in the audience.

And simply put...that's that!

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