Bring back the 8pm curtain!

[d.anders]

16 hours ago, RyanDean said:

Theatre producers are very alert to the fact that "commuter" theatregoers (those who live beyond NYC in other parts of NY or in NJ/CT) have simply not returned to their pre-pandemic theatregoing habits.

I had forgotten about the effects of Covid, and I'm sure you are quite right. I know several long-time theater subscribers who stopped subscribing after Covid struck. Covid is still with us, even though it's less deadly. Lots of people still wearing masks in NYC, especially among our senior population. No one my age wants to encounter a simple cold let alone Covid. This thinking has to affect ticket sales.

[ShortCutie7]

I literally chose to see Boop the other night because it had an 8pm curtain- so glad I did!

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

On 2/8/2025 at 8:22 AM, Ali Gator said:

I think it's more of a generational change.

As 'the silent generation' die off, and 'boomers' and 'Xers' age, the younger generations are taking over - Millennials and Zoomers, neither which the majority enjoy being 'out' for the night and socializing. That's not their life. Don't believe me ? Just ask anyone 20 - 45. Their idea of 'date night' is not going to the theater and having a nice dinner, but staying home with their partner, watching Netflix and ordering from GrubHub. That is why nothing stays open past 9 in any city any more. That's why so many movie theaters have closed. That's why so many restaurants have closed. (Grubhub to-go orders do not keep a restaurant in business - it's the bar and alcohol sales.) 

I may be an outlier; but, I prefer to eat after the show.  I like the opportunity to discuss the show with my friends over dinner after the performance.  Even in Las Vegas, where I live, there are few restaurants open away from the Strip after a show.  That holds true whether the show starts at 8pm or 7:30pm or 7pm.  So, I place my problem on the restaurants, not the shows.

On 2/7/2025 at 10:49 PM, Danny-Darko said:

Sadly, I've seen this has been the case everywhere, not only in NY. 

Yes, even in Las Vegas, there are very few restaurants open past 10pm compared to only 20 years ago 

On 2/6/2025 at 12:42 PM, jeezifonly said:

Staggered times around the district ease traffic/sidewalk congestion and more evenly distribute dinner service at restaurants. In London, one show may start at 7:30, another at 7:45, another at 8:10…

I never thought of this, but it makes sense!  This is the only logical reason I would accept for staggered times if I were in charge of dictating theater times.

[ShortCutie7]

2 hours ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

I may be an outlier; but, I prefer to eat after the show.  I like the opportunity to discuss the show with my friends over dinner after the performance.  Even in Las Vegas, where I live, there are few restaurants open away from the Strip after a show.  That holds true whether the show starts at 8pm or 7:30pm or 7pm.  So, I place my problem on the restaurants, not the shows.

Yes, even in Las Vegas, there are very few restaurants open past 10pm compared to only 20 years ago 

I never thought of this, but it makes sense!  This is the only logical reason I would accept for staggered times if I were in charge of dictating theater times.

Right, so restaurants both in NYC and Vegas have basically removed eating after a show (even a 7pm one) as an option!  Even when I used to go to Vegas as a child (20+  years ago), we would see the later performances that started around 10pm to avoid having to eat dinner too early… part of me wishes shorter NYC shows would adopt that model (I believe Titanique does have a late performance), but then again commuting varies a lot in NYC whereas in Vegas the majority of audience members would just walk to their hotels.