As the 2026-27 Broadway season kicks off this month with preview performances of Paranormal Activity, producers hope that the season ahead surpasses last year’s modest gross profit increase, driven by a handful of star performances. Amid the Paddington influencer swag, one questionable theater marketing tactic continues to gain traction on Broadway and beyond: rehearsal footage.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m ready for Rachel Zegler to blow the roof off the Winter Garden Theatre in Evita next spring. But do I need to see fast-cut rehearsal footage of Fabian Aloise’s foot-stomping choreography? I’m not so sure.
One of the joys of live theater is the unexpected—the illusion of an imaginary world, temporal by nature. Dorothy’s face after pulling back the curtain on the Wizard says it all.
It wants better content.
Late-night scrolling and the nightmare that follows
Just last night, I was late-night scrolling through Instagram and stumbled upon the glorious Maria Friedman—also stumbling— in a rehearsal of “This Time” from the European premiere of Kimberly Akimbo.
The video captures the inherently messy process of putting on a show, offering fun insight for theatermakers and enthusiasts following our favorite performers and productions. But it also cracks the veneer of what makes the theatergoing “one moment in time” experience so unique.
Audiences are raving about the recent Hadestown release, which surpassed Hamilton as the highest-grossing pro-shot/live theater capture in box office history. “Pro” being the operative word. Yes, these are different viewing experiences. Hadestown is a product, not a process. Sound mixing, multi-camera editing, and the actors’ awareness that they’re playing for both a live and remote audience reimagines the source material for a new medium.
Rehearsal footage, on the other hand, intended to lure audiences, can sometimes do the exact opposite. Some theater marketing folks are veering toward a happy medium, offering more intentional studio teasers, such as the incredible Alysha Umphress singing “With Every Breath I Take” from the rarely revived City of Angels (one of our top regional theater picks for August).
Only time will tell what tricks Broadway’s marketing agencies will pull this season. Let’s hope they keep the rabbit in the hat until it’s ready for its close-up.
Have another minute?
Road Trip – 5 regional theater productions worth the trip this August
Review – Raúl Esparza and Lily Rabe anchor a gloriously messy ‘Winter’s Tale’
Off Script – The man who made me a critic never called himself one
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