Andrew Lloyd Webber: Broadway is in crisis – it needs addressing urgently

He added: “The truth is that, for any show, it makes practically no financial sense to come to Broadway with things as they are. Creators, writers and directors have been forced to take minimal royalties from new shows, often surviving on a fixed weekly fee rather than a royalty. It makes it impossible for young creatives to make a living from theatre alone.”

He added that “investors count themselves fortunate indeed if they see a portion of their money back”, and asked "without investors willing to take risks, and artists able to make a living, where will Broadway’s next generation of shows come from?"

"Broadway cannot survive creatively or commercially on three old shows", he continued. 

Lloyd Webber went on to “beg” theatre owners, unions and producers to “urgently” address the “crisis coming to a head” and added: “Broadway is in dire danger of rivalling Hollywood’s empty soundstages with increasingly dark theatres”.

His comments echo those of Sonia Friedman, who told The Stage in 2024 that Broadway was “a very, very challenging environment to both create and also have a commercial success”. 

“The expense of Broadway is rising, the ticket prices are rising and it’s something that does need to be addressed across the industry, across the community,” she said.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball opened at New York’s Broadhurst Theatre on 7th April and will now close on 8th August 2026.