Broadway audiences still white and affluent, according to study

Anyone who’s seen a Broadway show in the last year probably won’t be shocked by what a new study released this week has to say about theater demographics: spectators on Broadway are still predominantly white and affluent.

The study, released Thursday by the Broadway League, says 78% of Broadway audiences in the 2012-13 season were white. By comparison, black theatergoers comprised 3.5% of Broadway audiences. Latino and Asian spectators represented 7.6% and 6.6% of Broadway audiences, respectively.

The average household income of Broadway theatergoers was $186,500. The typical Broadway spectator was middle-aged, according to the study, with an average age at 42.5 years. Female theatergoers represented 68% of audiences.

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As reported earlier by the Broadway League, total box-office revenue for the 2012-13 Broadway season was $1.14 billion, which was essentially flat from the previous season. Attendance was 11.6 million individuals, down from 12.3 million in the previous season.

The Broadway League cited Hurricane Sandy as a major factor in the decline in attendance. The average ticket price for a Broadway show for the 2012-13 season was $98.42, up from $92.37 in the previous season.

The study released this week said the number of Latino theatergoers rose 2% from the previous season to 880,000 admissions.

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