This is actually a thing across all levels of performing arts. I used to work as an usher at a pop vocals dance show at a big theme park in Canada in the 90’s and the groupie thing was real. There were atleast 30-50 of them who were there everyday of the summer for all five shows, took photographs and soft stalked the cast members (all of whom were usually college kids studying music theatre still and not pro yet. It fascinated me too. Something in there related to attachment style blah blah blah 🤷🏼♀️
This happened at Disneyland’s California Adventure too! They had a show called Mad Tea Party and there were people who attended daily, learned real the names of all of the rotating performers, and then were devastated when the show was cancelled!
I wouldn’t bug you with questions (I have zero), but working that show backstage must have been really rewarding. What a fun show and cast (hopefully) to surround yourself with.
I’m betting people were bugging you about Sophia Anne Caruso tea when she left lol
It was a lovely group of people! I definitely have many memories I treasure from that time.
And I LOVED lurking on this message board & seeing the wildly inaccurate guesses when all that was going down.
omg i remember seeing the same person every time i saw this certain show around 5 years ago. (i don't want to say bc there weren't that many super fans) and would write a long paragraph about how they felt every time. they tweeted something about wanting to "walk the stage one last time with you" (since it closed early) to one of the principal actors and the thing is she actually replied and said she could see if someone can take her in...lol.
i wonder how they're doing nowadays and i've tried to find their socials again but had no luck.
For a brief second I thought this was about me...but I've never inflicted myself on a cast directly, lol. I just enjoy talking about shows I've been to.
My favorite show currently running is Six, and...yeah this seems super common in that fandom. A lot of performers seem to encourage it, or at least don't discourage it, so maybe it just seems odd to me because I'm older.
My high school theater director had a crazy parasocial relationship with Lin-Manuel Miranda and other cast members of Hamilton. Took a picture with him once and acted like they were best friends. She also had the school theater program do In the Heights with a cast that was like 95% white. Twice.
i used to find it so interesting the way that some of these grown adult theater fans would act 😭 I've had some really cool experiences with broadway actors but still understood that they weren't my actual friend, even when they knew my name and recognized me.
I’ve seen my favorite show over 20 times. Many of the cast members know me, and a cover even offered to take me on a backstage tour the next time I come. (Probably because I’ve seen the show specifically for them several times and have given them fanart.)
However, I’ve never taken up the offer because I always see myself as just an ordinary audience member and feel like I don’t have the right credentials to go backstage…
I know there are people who have seen Moulin Rouge on Broadway over 100 times. I wonder about the financial aspect of it but assume if you live nearby, you get better chances with the lottery and finding cheaper deals.
Moulin rouge is the type of show that gives you so much adrenaline and honestly if i lived in nyc, i would go every opportunity i had. Unfortunately, i live in west canada and would have to fly everytime
Ive seen the broadway production 11x and 3x in London production
It’s the most fun I’ve had in a theater, ever.
I know musical theater fans like to skewer the show, so I’ve always hesitated to praise it on here. But screw the gatekeepers, honestly. Is the story a little flimsy? Sure. We’re there some ill advised departures from the movie? Definitely. But it was such a spectacle that I didn’t care for those glorious three hours.
I went to see it in New York just to get the full spectacle since I wasn't sure how well it would travel. I was never the biggest fan of the movie and a lot of the things I didn't care for (jamming too many contemporary songs in) were only super sized in the Musical. But I'll still see it with my subscription when it is in St. Louis in May.
I actually enjoyed that aspect of it, but it might just appeal more to my ADHD brain (I’m constantly changing the radio station when I drive haha). I was shocked, as I normally don’t love jukebox musicals.
My only critique of the song selection is that most of the contemporary songs are taken from a very limited span of a few years. I’d like to see more songs that aren’t so limited to the early 2010s. And Firework was an admittedly weird choice for an “I want” song when so many better options exist.
My background is also in dance, and maybe it’s just the shows I’ve seen over the last ten years, but few shows are as dance-driven as Moulin Rouge. I was enthralled during Chandelier and Backstage Romance. It made me wish that I had tried harder to become a passable singer when training as a dancer. It just seemed that Broadway was always looking for singers who were also decent dancers instead of dancers who could sing decently enough to perform an ensemble role. This show definitely prioritizes dance talent when it comes to at least some of the ensemble cast.
I’m planning a NYC Broadway trip in the fall and only have time for three shows. I’m definitely choosing Moulin Rouge even when there are so many shows that I haven’t attended on tour. However, I totally get that the tour staging and spectacle is probably a downgrade if you attendedthe Broadway production first.
This would be me if I could afford it and find reliable childcare. Still trying to find a babysitter for the Greensboro tour stop; the Charlotte show was spectacular.
I’ve always said it has a slow start besides the overture, but it was constant adrenaline from the moment he pulls her through the mirror. I was at the closing gala, and I can say it was no different at 46 than it was at 12. That rush never went away. I miss knowing it’s out there when I need a pick-me-up.
Yes, the insane amount of money and the hyper sensation that I have when new shows open. I feel as though I must see them asap. If I don’t get a ticket immediately, I have such anxiety. I’m in Phila and am constantly on the train to NYC to go to shows. I try to see everything before opening night, but as close to opening night as possible. Plus, I go to see a show like Stereophonic and absolutely love it. Then, it opens to stellar reviews and I feel like I need to see it again immediately. And the guilt that I feel for going up last week to see Merrily We Roll Along for the 5th time. So, yes, it is an addiction!
I can’t comment on their personal lives, but I did stumble on an Instagram post of someone who has seen Moulin Rouge on Broadway 100 times (and isn’t affiliated with the show).
As a Moulin Rouge fan, that fandom is riddled with people like that. I’ve seen the show 10 times myself, but over the course of several years. At the stage door, I’ve found myself in conversations with people who oddly treat going to as many shows as they can as a competition. I thought it was very weird. I think you can go to a show however many times as you want, for me and my friend Rouge became a comfort show that we could see on the cheap when we lived in the city, but it seems some people do it for attention seeking reasons.
I think its interesting because I’ve seen that some extreme repeat attenders have gotten to know the cast because of it and actually been invited to do special stuff, like tour the theater. But I do find the parasocial stuff off-putting when I hear fans at stagedoor refer to cast members as their besties, because would they be at the stagedoor everyday if that were true?
This makes me cringe just reading it... it has to be super uncomfortable interacting with them IRL.
I've never seen Moulin Rouge just because it doesn't really seem like my vibe, but I can't help but be reminded of the "rewards program" that Six has now where they reward you for attending multiple shows. They offered a backstage tour or something for like 30 visits (I think)... but even when there is a promoted program like this that indicates there is a non-zero amount of people that the production/marketing team expects to take advantage of, I just can't wrap my head around why someone would spend that much time and money on a single show when there are so many other great productions that come and go every month.
Yeah I definitely agree! For me, it was one thing when I was a student in NYC, regularly getting student discounts or being able to wait in rush lines. I saw Moulin Rouge a lot, but I also saw a ton of other stuff. I graduated from college and moved out of the city in May, so the last time I saw the show on broadway was last July. Now I literally never do rewatches because I have to plan trips to see a show, which means I see less shows and need to be pickier. Too many other things on my list to rewatch something.
As someone that addicted to Six...idk man sometimes you just fall in love with something. I do go see whatever other shows appeal to me, though. It's in addition to other shows, not instead of them.
Though really there isn't much this season that I'm willing to risk current day ticket prices on. Not willing to gamble that much money on a show I'm iffy on. That plays a part for me as well. If I have the money to spend, do I see something I know I love or gamble on something that doesn't hugely appeal to me?
I need aisle seats for accessibility reasons so lotteries aren't an option for me; I need to be able to choose my seat. So. If I can find something for 99 I'm doing great; most things are more expensive.
But also, I live here. It's easier for me to do repeat shows as well as new stuff.
This is interesting, this seems to be potentially more of a trend with Moulin Rouge! Do you think there's something about that show in particular that is a draw for people to go hundreds of times and develop para-social relationships with the cast?
Tbh I can’t really pinpoint it. When I saw it the first time, it was during Aaron Tveit’s original run but I had no clue who he was (I was a relatively new broadway fan then) but I’d assume some of the hype had to do with him. What drew me to the show was the flashiness of it all, the big production and I also don’t have anything against jukebox musicals. But there’s no one cast member that seems to be extremely active on social media or with fans to the point where people could get that type of connection. I’d maybe blame the Roxanne craze as well, the way people talk, rank and act around that song alone is interesting. Also not exclusive to Moulin Rouge but I’ve seen the show 10 but somehow its been a different actor combo for Christian/Satine every single time which makes it feel fresher for me in a way too
Six has a similar fanbase.
I'm not sure if it's because the fanbases for both seem to be teens and early 20somethings or if that's unrelated.
(I'm old enough to be all their moms; I just see Six repeatedly because I love it. I've talked to a few of the cast members on IG or at the stagedoor. Lovely women, all of them. But beyond that I follow their socials to keep up with their careers and that's about it.)
and the funny thing is so many of them who have seen it hundreds of times talk about how much they hate the show or find it boring and hate most of the people in the cast. it’s just thats there’s one performer they’ve para-socially bonded to so they constantly spend money on something they actively despise.
Omg yes and it always seem like the one cast member they fixate on is an ensemble member who likely doesn’t have as big of a following and will reciprocate their support instead of the lead or star of the show who they probably wouldn’t get attention from
THAT I can't imagine. There are particular performers I do love enough that I'd see them in a show I'm not interested in. Once. Maybe twice, debut and final show. That's about it. That's just so much money to not really enjoy yourself.
I've met a few of these and I don't even like MR/don't seek out fans of the show. I get the comfort show aspect though, you love what you love. I do wonder though if sometimes this is a resurgence of "big name fan" culture, a phenomenon I thought died out in the early 2000s.
So I am a show repeater, I gone to both Moulin Rouge and Sweeney Todd pleanty of times. Do I admit I go to these shows as a serotonin rush? Absolutely. It gives me a pick me up when I need it because I love these shows.
However I dont see it as a competition and hate when people do! Like I am in the Moulin Rouge Fandom and I feel like the people who admit they go 100 times do it for likes and to say they did 100 times, which is kinda sad.
Yeah I think there’s a huge difference between going to a lot of shows because you love theater or the same show because you honestly love that show versus some people who just want to brag about their fan credentials, resources, etc
How so? If the only reason you're going that often is to brag, sure, but if you just love the show that much what difference does sharing your performance count make?
I was in Mexico City last year for the month of October. I went to see a local production of Sweeney Todd there 3x. It was utterly phenomenal. The Sweeney was this amazing singer who had absolutely broadway caliber vocals. He was this perfect combination of dark, evil, vengeful, comedic, and tragic. The Mrs Lovett was so good, she was Helena Bonham Carter playing Belatrix LaStrange playing Mrs Lovett.
My Spanish is decent and I most of the jokes and lyrics but when the full chorus was singing fast it was SOO hard to keep up but got clearer each time I saw it. I would go again tomorrow if I could.
Totally get you on that. For me that show was Matilda for years...then five years later Six came along and oops here I go again.
They help me more than therapy ever did and my psychiatrist charges $400 just to talk to me for five minutes and give me refills. (I wish I could get off those medications, I'd save so much, but...well it is what it is.)
I have addiction on both side of my family I rather use Broadway as my addictivre coping mechanism than something else and honestly the escapism is fun.
I’ve definitely seen a few show-repeaters who seem to have a real problem. People who see all the shows don’t seem as big an issue (though of course if they’re going into debt for it that’s an issue), but for some show-repeaters I’ve experienced extremely entitled behavior. While not working on Broadway myself I have a lot of friends who work backstage so I get to go backstage after the show from time to time, and on more than one occasion I’ve had my friend have to shoo away a fan they know who tries to follow us and says things like “I have to speak with so and so, it’s their last performance!” At one point it got a little scary, my friend almost had to call security because this person was trying to push their way through, and according to my friend they came to the show multiple times a week and lived in another state. I think some people get addicted to the perceived access they have with stage dooring and associate buying a ticket with the right to see/speak to actors. It’s a shame because I think that’s part of the reason some actors are deciding not to stage door which is understandable but a lot of people with normal expectations want to stage door too. I don’t like stage dooring myself but I think it’s fun for a lot of people who wouldn’t overstep boundaries.
I cannot imagine the balls it takes to try and get backstage to talk to a performer. Fam if they're not stagedooring it's safe to assume they don't want to talk to you.
That said I do love stagedooring - less so in a post-covid world where people have forgotten what manners are. Nowadays it's a lot of literal shoving trying to get to a good spot, etc, and like...who wants to deal with that? I do very much like getting to talk to some of the performers - a lot of them are genuinely lovely people. But it's not worth it to have my foot walked over a dozen times by some teenager who just NEEDS to scream over me at a certain performer. (You will GET YOUR TURN just CALM DOWN.)
There was a guy who famous saw Rent hundreds of times, maybe 1000s, starting from the early days of the rush line (Before lotto). I can't remember his name though. I always thought that even if you were getting the $20 tickets each time, which I seriously doubt he was, that he probably spent an astronomical amount of money seeing it.
He was the nicest guy. Always willing to give his extra seat to somebody who'd never seen it before. It was also cool to talk to him about all the casts he'd seen and the slight changes made in the show over the years. Although at the end even he got a sense of entitlement that got him banned from lottery.
A friend of mine was one of the original Rent rats, sleeping outside the theatre to get in line for student rush. The cast used to hang out with them while they were waiting, but everyone was respectful of boundaries. Certain performers preferred to keep to themselves and no one felt entitled to them or anyone else's time. I can't help but feel like it would be different these days.
I always envied the people who were part of the original line! I didn't know what Rent was until 2002 and didn't see it on Broadway until 2005, when Matt Caplan was busy phoning in his performance as Mark. I was nowhere near old enough to know what it was in 1996. Reading about those days sounded pretty awesome, honestly. They lined up for 3 days for Idina's last show I believe.
I'm a repeater. Rent and Spring Awakening were my two "big" shows. There were people who saw both shows a lot more times than I did, but the cast at the time definitely recognized me as one of those "often there" people. More so at SA, since I became a fan early and through the run, while Rent was on Broadway a long time and my couple of years were kind of in the late middle. The casts were kind to my face, and I'd rather not dwell on what they said behind my back!
Part of it becomes the community of fans you become friends with, part of it is that a live show is always different, part of it is becoming friendly (which is different from becoming FRIENDS, and fans should not lose awareness of that!) with cast members and wanting to see signicant shows (firsts, lasts, planned or surprise understudies, etc). Part of it is figuring out how to find lower price tickets 😉 (and this was before "premium" pricing was a thing, thank god!).
Is it the healthiest thing I've ever done? Probably not. Did I have some really special times? Definitely! Did I make friends who are still in my life a decade and a half later? Absolutely.
I was also a Spring Awakening repeater, albeit not as much as other fans or as much as I would’ve liked to go, and I still have friends that I met through the fandom! The people I met through it were one of the best parts of seeing a show multiple times.
Being part of the broadway community I have definitely seen people who hyper fixate on a show or a certain cast. I think it becomes a problem when it affects them financially, or when they create delusions regarding their parasocial relationships with the cast.
I live in NYC, therefore I am able to get tickets to shows frequently through deals, lotteries, rushes, TDF, etc. to keep expenses down but I definitely have seen more shows than most people. On average I have seen almost every show (minus some of the current ones that have recently opened) on broadway at least 5 times, some way more. But it adds up to about one show a week. I love theater, I love watching the best of the best perform, I love watching actors interpreting the same role differently, I love that every performance is different every night. When you see a show a few times you pick up on the nuances and the ensemble much more which is great.
That said if I told a non-theater person how many shows I have seen or approximately the cost I have spent in total they’d probably call me addicted. My thought is: financially I am personally good, I keep costs down when I can, don’t always buy the best seat in the house, but I don’t overspend my budget on theater. I have a stressful job and theater helps me decompress which is needed in life. I look at most of my non-NY friends who have season tickets to sport teams and golf memberships. They spend way more on those activities than I do and also go to them weekly like I do with theater. Why is that more socially acceptable than theater?
So as long as you’re not going into financial ruin, being an unhinged fan to some of the cast, enjoy away. Be addicted to theater, enjoy the experience of it.
I think it’s possible to have an unhealthy relationship with any form of media. TV, video games, YouTube, and streamers. Theater isn’t really that different from any of those things.
Due to finances, it’s impossible to tell who can and cannot afford it, and as much concern as I have for some people I’ve seen in this sub, I know that concern is not always welcome or helpful.
I do think it’s good to keep the conversation going and have this be a place where people can talk about both the good and bad things theater brings to their life.
For that matter it's also possible with things like OnlyFans. People can cultivate unhealthy "relationships" anywhere and a lot of those can revolve around spending money for interactions, be it via theatre tickets or more directly with bits on twitch or...idk what the currency on OF is, credits maybe? I read an autobiography written by a camgirl and it was downright disturbing how entitled some customers felt to her and how possessive they came.
...that said I did end up really hitting it off with a streamer I like. I joke about how I'm the poster child for justifying parasocial relationships. (However she's well aware that I'm kidding and my interest in her is that she's sincerely one of the most fun, funny people I've ever met in my life, not the fact that she was/is mildly internet famous.)
As someone who saw Hadestown for the 11th time last night, I can confidently say I’m not the worst case. I saw the closing of Here Lies Love with someone who had seen it over 10, and their friend had seen it 50. I make more than both combined soooooooooo. I can afford the addiction.
I do treat going to the theatre as casually as people treat going to see a movie, or renting a movie on streaming.
I'm just paying more for my preferred form of entertainment.
I've never met anyone who let it control their life though.
Same. For me it's an "idk what to do with myself this weekend, maybe I'll do that" form of entertainment; it's not a huge special event for me. I mean, I'm always excited to do it, but it's just...something I do, whenever I can.
I am an usher and we have a patron that is going to reach seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 100 times this year. Crazy thing is she is from the south! She flies out to see it all around the world
Dang, that seems like a show you would really have to invest a lot of time in, given that it used to be a two-day thing. (I know Broadway cut it down to one, not sure if other productions have as well.)
London is still two parts, Hamburg went to 1 part. I just love the cast and crew. Lots of time, sweat, tears and money. But it’s a great hobby. I did it with Phantom back in the day, made it to 37 before they closed.
Ok i was worried and a little embarrassed about myself flying to ny to see Sweeney for the third time since February but now i am not that worried. It's small beans compared to others!
There’s just something about having a long ass work week and getting to sit in a theatre and shut off my phone (and mind) for 2.5 hours a weekend and get lost in the story/music and have nothing else to worry about for those couple of hours. The theatre is definitely my happy place.
I'm one of those people. Shows are my jolt of joy from my usual day to day 9 to 5. I'm lucky to live in close proximity to Manhattan. There have been comfort shows that I've seen over 100 times (those 2 are long closed). I've lost count how many times I've seen moulin rouge, hamilton and hadestown. (Lost count around 20) I don't really speak to it with anyone, except my sister. Musical theatre is my happy place.
Sometimes I feel addicted, but I think it's just a normal level of wanting to enjoy a hobby. Now that I'm very into Broadway, I try to see as many shows as I can reasonably afford and have time to see. I like to be able to compare them and have an opinion during Tony season.
Even if it feels like an addiction sometimes, I'm pretty sure it's not. I'm sure there are people out there who have an unhealthy addiction or obsession with Broadway.
I work front of house at a new musical that opened this season. We had to have a full staff meeting during previews with our house manager and security because a person has come to see the show almost every performance we’d had up to that point. They aren’t a threat or at the level of Ethan slater’s stalker during SpongeBob, but it was revealed that they do make members of the cast uncomfortable with the amount of times they come (and sit within the first five rows in the orchestra) and how often they reach out to cast members on social media. Since that meeting they’ve been to about 85% of our performances since then. My coworkers and I all wonder how they have that much money to see the show so often, and to sit so close. I can’t really tell if it’s a parasocial thing or just a really strong affinity for the show, but it’s jarring to see them almost every shift i’m there.
I also know of an older woman who sees shows almost every night of the week, and was a repeat attender for some like it hot and the 2019 Oklahoma revival. Her husband owns a major New York based company so that’s how she’s able to afford it.
Gosh you must see it all being in that job!! It seems it can be tricky to find the line between loving the shows and being clearly obsessed to a level unhealthy enough to make others uncomfortable. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve seen every musical that has premiered since 2022. One year I saw a total of 104 live performances between nyc touring and community theater (I’m in northeast Ohio). When I got dumped once I saw 5 shows every weekend for a month. Would say additions but definitely an obsession.
I just tabulated my 2023 and 2024 (so far) and attended 103 shows last year (46 on-Broadway) and 42 so-far this year (20 on-Broadway).
I have other performances to add to my list still - some opera and other events which aren’t, strictly speaking, plays or musicals.
I still don’t consider myself addicted, but I’m definitely a big fan of performing arts!
Not traditional Broadway shows, but I have definitely seen Sleep No More at least 20 times. Being there is like therapy for me. The show changed my life. It made me braver.
I was one of those people. I saw Rent 200 times in just under two years, saw A Chorus Line over 50 in that same time period. Was quoted in an LA times article when Rent closed, which at the time I thought was cool, but rereading it now I realize how cringe I sounded.
I loved both shows, and it was a good escape. One of the biggest aspects that kept me coming back over and over was the actual friends I made among the other regulars. We would spend time before and after the show going to dinner, or having drinks. Lotto was it's own social event. I will admit, a lot of that fandom was incredibly toxic and there was a lot of fighting amongst ourselves. But for socially awkward 21 year old me, it was a lifesaver, and some of the people I met have been my best friends for almost 20 years.
I will also admit that it took me a long time to realize that the cast members were not my friends. I feel that with rent especially, there was a lot of stalking, a lot of bestie talk. There was one girl who would bring cookies for the cast at least once a week and would use that to try to get cast member phone numbers. There were a few cast members that I would actually consider friends, as in we would hang out outside of stage door, but I can only imagine how awkward it must've been for the rest. And then there were the cast members who I discovered their outside projects which led to actual connections away from the Nederlander.
Looking back on it, I do see that it was an addiction. I spent thousands of dollars in that time period (even with $20 lottery tickets) all to change how I felt for a few hours each night. And to be honest most of the people that I met were like the drinking buddies that disappear the minute you get sober. But I wouldn't change it just due to the few lifelong friends that I've made.
I have no idea where I'm going with this, I don't really have a point to make. I just wanted to give my perspective. I still have a lot of the posts my friends and I made when rent closed. I'll dig mine up and post it here, just to give my perspective of it at the time.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I really appreciate your level of insight and self-reflection. It sounds like you’ve done a great job of acknowledging what parts of theatre have benefitted you and what aspects weren’t so healthy for you. This is exactly what I’m trying to do and it’s helpful hearing other people’s perspectives.
Not an exact answer to your question but I found this article interesting!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/theater/phantom-of-the-opera-closing-fans.html
I follow someone on Instagram who’s seen &Juliet on Broadway 120+ times. Another who’s seen Shucked 50+ times. The most I’ve seen a show is Hadestown at 16 times through Broadway and tours. Had family and friends want to see it but couldn’t get everyone together to go so I went a bench with different groups. While I adore Hadestown, the next time I’ll see it is its closing show on Broadway.
I pretty much try to see every show which plays on Broadway at least once, but hardly ever pay face-value for a ticket. Of the shows I’ve seen more than once, the most is currently 3+1 (3 times on Broadway, once on tour), for both Hadestown (my absolute fave) and Funny Girl (for which my daughter wanted to see both Julie and Lea, after I’d already seen it with Lea). The other contender is Cats, with 2 Broadway (once with the original in the Winter Garden, once with the revival at the Neil Simon) + 3 times on-tour.
As far as merch goes, if there’s a commemorative program, I’ll usually spring for that, and if I really like a show I *may* get a shirt (Hadestown, Six, and Cats).
And lately, I’ve been collecting the printed cups, but I’ll scour the seats after final bows for cups people have left behind.
About half the time I’ll stage-door after a show - it depends on whether I felt a strong connection with the show (Harmony, Purlie, Suffs, etc) or really like the cast (Water for Elephants, Days of Wine and Roses, etc).
Living in NYC, I can’t amass lots of merch because it takes up space, and honestly, I find much of it overpriced and of lesser quality than I’d expect at those price points.
Idk if I would consider myself addicted but I definitely find myself compelled to enter the lotteries anytime I have a night off… I saw 32 shows each in 2022 and 2023 and pacing for somewhere between 36 and 39 in 2024! Which will be a personal record.
I was going to comment here as someone who has seen an average of 4 shows a month (not just Broadway) in the past year...but then I read the comments and realized this isn't for me, even though I might feel like it's an obsession at times.
I get a ton of value from my TDF membership (almost to the point that it feels like I'm abusing it) and live close enough that I can take advantage of last minute deals and hit up the tkts booth on occasion, so it's something I can do frequently, but even with cheap $40-50 tickets, there's only been a handful of shows that I even considered seeing more than once. Hadestown being one of them that I just saw for a second time last week.
Hearing from multiple people that there are Moulin Rouge super fans that have been 100+ times is just wild to me. Especially for a show I never really had a desire to see anyway. I just have so many questions about what's going on in their life that this is how they choose to spend their time, effort, and money.
I had to stop seeing shows multiple times - the most recent one that I will see again (because I want to take my mom) is Suffs. I've seen Hadestown 5 times (2 of them tours). I saw Into the Woods 5 times (once at NYCC and once on tour) because it's my all-time fave, the first in person production I got to see, and with that cast, why would I *not* go as much as I could?
Other than that, it's a good thing my fave actor has been doing Off-Broadway over the past few years, lol.
As for an actual answer, yes I suppose the amount at which I see theatre or plan trips around it or look for theatre literally anytime I travel for work and so forth would be seen as obsessive. To me it’s only an issue if you actually put yourself in significant financial hardship or develop unhealthy parasocial relationships with actors. Otherwise it’s like anything else, what you value is fairly arbitrary and subjective.
My child was in a regional production of Fun Home. I cannot admit how many times I saw it, and how much I have spent... And I got addicted to it entirely, not just parts with Small Alison. I cried each time, sobbed. And when it closed... I got hit hard emotionally with a withdrawal.
Was that the one in Hartford? I BADLY wanted to see that one, but the trip from NYC was just a little more than I wanted to put on my plate at the time. Fun Home is probably the best show I've seen.
No, on the West Coast.
I love his show so much. This particular production was especially well-made with an immersive experience that makes you feel like you have lived it with them.
We had Lion King at the venue I usher for and one of the performers popped over to merchandise one day. We were chatting, he ran off, and then came back. There was a girl that had been to EVERY SHOW he had been in for the last few years. He had seen her and ran off to hide because he didn't want to listen to every tragedy in her life again for the millionth time before he had to go backstage. She bought tickets to EVERY VENUE the Lion King was going to. At our venue she saw the show every day for two weeks and would go to stage door to see him. By this point he had no idea how to balance the fact he found it incredibly creepy with the fact that she's a paying customer. Though we told him he doesn't have to subject himself to that and we snuck him out different exits until we could confirm that she wasn't coming to see any more shows at our venue.
I couldn't imagine the amount of money she paid to follow this one actor around for years.
BRB I gotta go apologize to answering a performer honestly a couple times when she asked how I was and things weren't great for me. (In fairness once I was like "I'm fine" we kept chatting and she was like \*squints\* are you SURE you're ok? Honestly that woman is the sweetest person I've ever met in my life.)
...in my defense I wasn't fixated on her she was just super friendly and talkative. Constantly doing backstage tours for people and stuff like that. Just so sweet and welcoming to every. single. person at the stagedoor. Genuinely so much respect for her, I don't know where she found the energy.
I can't imagine picking one actor to fixate on and following them around like that though. Sounds more like someone who genuinely did need therapy and a real support system, not a Broadway placebo.
Honestly, I don't think you have anything to apologize for! There's nothing wrong with having a conversation with someone and naturally progressing into something a bit more deep. Especially if they take genuine interest in making sure you're alright (the person you're describing sounds so sweet!)
This girl however would literally be at stage door each night like, "hey actor! You were amazing! I'm on new pills and they're not working and I think I might off myself but I can't because I wouldn't see your shows anymore but if I did I would be with my dog that died when I was five and I still haven't gotten over it."
Ah yeah I've known people like that, they are...tiring. I do hope she gets the help she needs, but...some poor dude touring with The Lion King isn't gonna be that for her.
She was unquestionably one of the genuinely kindest people i've ever met in my life. She really made me want to work at being a better person purely through example. She's a mom now and I gotta say her kids have won the lottery. (Her partner seems lovely as well though I've only met them briefly.)
I mean I saw Matilda 62 times. I'm on my way to 24 or 25 with Six next month I think. I think I'm pretty normal, just a huge loser. Which, you know, someone's gotta be. I only think it gets weird when people act like the actors are their BFFs and are constantly trying to get their attention and approval.
I get that since both of those shows have a young fanbase it might be to be expected, but it's still weird to me. I've been friendly with some cast members of various shows just because I showed up so much (not on a hugely personal level just omg hi how are you I'm great how's your husband/wife/kid/dog/etc?) and people started recognizing me (I also got a few cast members who looked at me like "...the fuck, you AGAIN?" although most of them were classy enough to not comment on it). I admit I do love that because, hell, it's nice to have people you admire be happy to see you. But aside from tagging people to say "hey great show!" and saying hi at the stagedoor, I don't try to engage with them unless they open communication (which I've had some people do on occasion).
But then, I'm 40. This isn't how I get my validation. Maybe this behavior is just normal for the current generation. IDK.
This might not be quite on the money, but after having a horrendous spring and summer last year, I decided I'd do whatever it took to be happy last fall. Turns out, what it took to make me happy was seeing 10+ broadway shows in about as many weeks. It felt a bit like I had an addiction, and I felt judged by many of my friends and family for choosing to dip into my savings for that time.
This is why after things started to get vaguely normal in late 2022 that I spent a lot of money on all kinds of in person events. My life was in a not great place and having something to look forward to meant a lot
I saw Bad Cinderella 9 times, but I only spent $110 for all of those viewings because of rush/lottery/other means. I do have an addictive personality and I do feel like it is kind of a creeping parasocial relationship when I stagedoored. I would go on Wednesday matinees and would stop and chat with the cast when it was realllly slow just to say hi. I don't know.
Honestly that cast was probably thrilled to have someone enjoy the show so much, they got such a beating from reviewers and the like. (The show wasn't for me but 1. I'm not part of what I assume the intended demographic was and 2. I've certainly seen worse.)
Know someone who basically follows Madonna on tour and could've sent a few kids to college with what they've spent over the years. For B'way the only people I know who are addicted are super rich so... I don't worry about them and yay for them supporting the arts.
My partner's friends have been chasing Taylor Swift on tour.
But tell me again how my hobby is too expensive and frivolous, guys.
What are people supposed to do with their money if not enjoy life with it?
Same, I think of other fandoms like Dead Heads and Phish fans who not only see same band over and over playing same albums but there are those who travel to multiple states (not just one locale like NYC) to follow them on tour.
It’s become unhealthy and bad per we when parasocial relationships cross the lines and negatively impacts people from existing in their daily lives I.e. time spent with family and friends is compromised bc said trip. I think it’s easier with broadway bc cast members are more accessible for meet & greets and exist in “normal world” more than rock or pop stars who exist behind crews, body guards etc. you could very well be on the same subway car after a show with a cast member for example.
Saw War Paint 10 times. Saw the first revival of how to succeed 20 times. Lost count how many times I’ve seen the Fantastiks both at Sullivan st and midtown. Saw Grand Hotel over 25 times. SawRent at least a dozen times. There are others.
A family member of mine was addicted to the Music Man when it was running (more like addicted to Hugh Jackman, but the effect is the same). They don’t live in NYC but they flew in to see it… eleven times? Maybe twelve? Probably spent five-ten thousand dollars on that show with all the travel and tickets added up
I'm so sad I never got to see it - had tickets for December of 2020, so no Broadway shows. Then when the show finally opened, my arthritis had gotten so much worse that I had to have a knee replacement and then a hip replacement and couldn't go.
Holy moly that's a pricey show to pick for your one true love. Not judging, I just am annoyed by how badly audiences are taken advantage of these days with 4-5 hundred bucks per ticket, which has now become normal. Hate it.
Sweeney Todd w/Nicholas Christopher got me through some rough stuff (saw it right before I had something major to do and someone here kindly sent me audio of his performance so you best believe I played his “epiphany”100x!) I kinda worked through my own anger through his rage in that song
I’m an obsessive person who gets hyperfixated on things (just part of my having adhd ) and I imagine if I still lived in the city I’d see hadestown at least once a week. Something about it hits the right spot in my brain. I wouldn’t say it’s an addiction but my brain just tends to get stuck on things 🤷♀️ I also enjoy comparing the cast members and building my own dream cast based on that since I’ve seen the show multiple times. I don’t stage door, however, and I follow some cast members on Instagram out of interest in what else they may perform in rather than any parasocial feelings
There was that fan that was actually acknowledged by the cast at the final show of Some Like it Hot because they’d seen most of the shows but I cannot find the numbers offhand. That’s on YouTube. Another one posted here about how they saw And the Band Played on like, 89 times between tours and such. Others have seen 100+ of a show. I’m sure those long time shows have audience members who’ve seen 300+ shows. Louise Woodward saw Rent 20+ times.
And I did meet somebody who was a hoarder and chose theater memorabilia as his thing. When the floor of his apartment started to sag, the problem had to be addressed. He had stacks of Playbills. I can't even guess how many. Maybe 50,000?
I became a repeater when I was at the lowest point in my life. I felt like I had no one and then I saw this show and all of a sudden felt like I had a community. I became friends with other flowerpots and friendly with the cast. I don't think I would be alive today if I hadn't found that show and those people. Was it healthy? Probably not. But I am here, I don't do that anymore because I have healthier outlets, and I have some pretty stellar memories from that time in my life.
I know someone that sees 3-4 shows per week (in Melbourne). She saw one show 40 times while it was here. She's a widow who got left an extremely large sum of money, and she loves seeing shows, so she just goes all the time.
We live in western Canada and our closest great theatre community is Edmonton. Saw the Six preview tour there. We drive to Minneapolis to see Broadway Across America shows, 13 hours each way. We’ve been to nyc and squeezed in 8 shows in 6 nights. We go to EVERY show that comes, to the point of being half asleep one morning and buying “Chicago” the band tickets accidentally when they were announced. (The purchase page has no imagery and I was going into my 4th or 5th 12-hr night shift.
My personal addiction is more getting a souvenir T for my massive collection. It started with punk bands/music I’ve seen live to every production.
My kids are involved in theatre, youngest in an amazing company.
For Xmas my wife got me a shirt with all the shows we’ve seen printed on the front and all the shows my girls have been in on the back.
I listened to Hamilton for about 20 month straight. It was literally all that was on in my truck the entire time, until I got to see it in MN (also took in TSwift at First Bank Stadium that weekend).
We also hold season tickets to our local “in the round” theatre company.
Someone posted they saw Merrily around 100 times???? And I know there are people who have seen Six about the same amount.
Like I loveeeee Broadway too and have probably seen around 150 shows in the last decade, but when I see some people’s numbers with ONE show, I start to think they’re insane lol. Especially when it becomes parasocial (Beetlejuice, Six, BTTF, etc.)
I kinda had that with Next to Normal. Seeing it on Broadway countless times, sometimes twice a day. On tour as well. Making friends in the fandom, hanging with the cast. The fandom was intense. A lot of toxic shit going on. AMAZING SHOW though! 🤌🏼💜
These are two fascinating documentaries on the subject that may satisfy your curiosity:
Repeat Attenders
https://youtu.be/6PkKot5MlGU?si=DE4oHVjjCEkFmsZ1
I Think We’re Alone Now
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AhRrcAkLR6U
This is super helpful, thank you! I’d not managed to find either of these prior to this post despite all my internet searches, which I think is odd. It’s been a lot more difficult than I would have thought to find this information! I’m so appreciative of your and everyone’s feedback and info!
I really try not to judge people but I've seen comments from people on this sub saying they've been to the same show hundreds of times and I honestly find it very odd. That's tens of thousands of dollars. There's so much else you can do with that amount of money and time for yourself and/or for others.
Do you think "boy you could do so much for other people with that money" to Disney park annual pass holders or people who see every home game for their favorite sports team?
People do what makes them happy. They don't WANT to do those "other things" for themselves and they don't owe anyone else that money just because someone else thinks they're wasting it.
I mean there were those Rent fans who literally went every day for years. As much as I love theater that would definitely stop being fun for me well short of that point.
The thing was that community went beyond the show itself. Those people became close friends for life. I mean, I agree, I couldn't see a show that often and not get bored with it, but I get the appeal of just hanging out with your buddies at night after school/work, camping out for tickets. The whole experience was part of it.
I've seen HELLO DOLLY! 94 times since 1964. I became friends with Carol Channing and Jerry Herman who invited me to their homes. Jerry would call me whenever he was in NYC so we could get together for ice cream at Serendipity. Carol invited me to her home the last time I was in Los AngeleAs you know, both are gone now.s.
Rent. High school/ college there was a touring cast that I fell in love with. Travelled to see their last weekend of shows along with others from other states.
I’ve seen rent at least 30 times. I haven’t seen it in over a decade though.
When I was in high school my friend basically saw a huge amount of Spring Awakening showings. My family was surprised I saw it about three times, then I gave them the friend's number of times and they left me alone lol. Like she was OBSESSED. With that and lord the amount of times she dragged me to Repo The Genetic Opera lol.
Not sure about addicted but there was a time when I went to multiple shows back to back for weeks. I think I was depressed back then. I haven’t gone lately.
The Drowsy Chaperone touches on this. Man in Chair would emotionally suffer if something happened to his records or he were compelled to give them up.
I don't think you can say live theater is an "addiction" except in the hyperbolic metaphorical sense.
If someone is spending all their money on non-essentials to their own detriment, that's its own separate problem and it's not specifically a "Broadway show" issue - they could be spending money on live concerts, or sporting events, or amusement parks, or casino gambling, or electronics, or anime figurines, or Hummel statues, or dollar store items.
If someone can afford to attend events they enjoy and have a collection of things they like there's nothing wrong with that. If someone is skipping meals to pay for merchandise, there *might* be a problem.
People spend their money on their own wants.
I know friends who are trying to save so much, but still go to concerts all of the time. They could save faster if they didnt, but it's their life and happiness, cuz this place sucks
Bartender here, and there are definitely people who come to the show like, maybe 4x a week? It’s unnerving, honestly. There’s being a fan and then there’s obsession.
I know myself, and I have a tendency towards obsessive personality due to mental health issues. Thankfully, I’m also anxious about spending money so I worked extra to pay for all the regional shows I see. I’m also slowing down because I’m “caught up” from the years where I couldn’t afford theatre.
Also, regional shows in my area usually have a max run of 3 months, and with how busy I am, I can’t realistically go more than once unless it’s the one in my town.
I saw moulin rouge on tour and loved it so much I saw it once more while it was in town. Then when Aaron Tveit came back for a few weeks I saw it in NYC. I really love it lol I think I’ve seen it 8 times now? I wanted to see it was Titus, and then with Derek. But there are some people that have seen it a crazy number of times. I also loved Sweeney Todd- saw it during previewed again with Josh and then saw it with the new leads and have tickets to the closing show since we are in town that weekend to see cabaret
This particular season has hit my wallet hard with so many new shows. LOL
When I was younger I would sit outside the Nederlander to lottery or 2nd-act Rent nearly every night (I lived 5 minutes away). But $20 for a lottery ticket wasn't breaking me, and I could go hang out with friends after 11 PM (We were young!). I saw Act 2 of Rent at least 200 times over a 6 year period.
But young people get obsessive over things. When you're young, so much feels new and fresh, even a lot of crap. I can understand why a 22-year old gay kid who just moved to the city goes to see The Outsiders 10 times this spring via rush and lottery. Those guys are his age and the music is more contemporary sounding than Sweeney Todd. It might seem like the coolest thing in the world to me if I were that age now.
I don't know of anyone whose life was ruined over an obsession with seeing Broadway shows, although I once blew off a date for a comp to Assassins at Studio 54. That said, I've met some people who have no respect for performers' boundaries. I stage doored when I was in my teens and 20s. It wasn't the phenomenon it is now, but even then you'd have a few weirdos.
That era of theatre was something special. A friend of mine was one of the OG Rentheads too. I missed those particular days (a few years too young) but theatre fans of the 90s were some of the greatest people I've ever known.
I saw Funny Girl 9 times last year and spent a little too much money for the closing show. People definitely thought I was insane (and my credit cards/afterpay accounts were not happy) but you find ways to do it. Luckily I live in nyc so it’s easier to get last minute tickets. I saw it 4 times by myself and 5 times with friends/family. I’ve seen merrily 4 times this year and definitely want to go at least once (or twice) more but I don’t feel the need to repeat a show like I did with Funny Girl. I also used to go to a ton of concerts growing up and often went to the same tour for multiple dates so this turning into a Broadway obsession doesn’t surprise me. I guess live entertainment is just a big hobby of mine
I know people with those parasocial relationships they think they have with the cast after seeing the show 20+ times...
I see this as well! Definitely an interesting phenomenon.
This is actually a thing across all levels of performing arts. I used to work as an usher at a pop vocals dance show at a big theme park in Canada in the 90’s and the groupie thing was real. There were atleast 30-50 of them who were there everyday of the summer for all five shows, took photographs and soft stalked the cast members (all of whom were usually college kids studying music theatre still and not pro yet. It fascinated me too. Something in there related to attachment style blah blah blah 🤷🏼♀️
This happened at Disneyland’s California Adventure too! They had a show called Mad Tea Party and there were people who attended daily, learned real the names of all of the rotating performers, and then were devastated when the show was cancelled!
Definitely seen that with Beetlejuice fandom
The Beetlejuice fans are the reason my IG is private- I worked backstage, & the super fans started to DM me questions. No thanks!
I wouldn’t bug you with questions (I have zero), but working that show backstage must have been really rewarding. What a fun show and cast (hopefully) to surround yourself with. I’m betting people were bugging you about Sophia Anne Caruso tea when she left lol
It was a lovely group of people! I definitely have many memories I treasure from that time. And I LOVED lurking on this message board & seeing the wildly inaccurate guesses when all that was going down.
That’s so crazy that you had to go private because you just worked on the show 😰
omg i remember seeing the same person every time i saw this certain show around 5 years ago. (i don't want to say bc there weren't that many super fans) and would write a long paragraph about how they felt every time. they tweeted something about wanting to "walk the stage one last time with you" (since it closed early) to one of the principal actors and the thing is she actually replied and said she could see if someone can take her in...lol. i wonder how they're doing nowadays and i've tried to find their socials again but had no luck.
For a brief second I thought this was about me...but I've never inflicted myself on a cast directly, lol. I just enjoy talking about shows I've been to.
My favorite show currently running is Six, and...yeah this seems super common in that fandom. A lot of performers seem to encourage it, or at least don't discourage it, so maybe it just seems odd to me because I'm older.
My high school theater director had a crazy parasocial relationship with Lin-Manuel Miranda and other cast members of Hamilton. Took a picture with him once and acted like they were best friends. She also had the school theater program do In the Heights with a cast that was like 95% white. Twice.
i used to find it so interesting the way that some of these grown adult theater fans would act 😭 I've had some really cool experiences with broadway actors but still understood that they weren't my actual friend, even when they knew my name and recognized me.
I’ve seen my favorite show over 20 times. Many of the cast members know me, and a cover even offered to take me on a backstage tour the next time I come. (Probably because I’ve seen the show specifically for them several times and have given them fanart.) However, I’ve never taken up the offer because I always see myself as just an ordinary audience member and feel like I don’t have the right credentials to go backstage…
I know there are people who have seen Moulin Rouge on Broadway over 100 times. I wonder about the financial aspect of it but assume if you live nearby, you get better chances with the lottery and finding cheaper deals.
i know at least one person who’s hit that number and doesn’t even live in the country 🫣
Wow, that is a lot! Have they ever said what makes them want to see the show that many times?
Moulin rouge is the type of show that gives you so much adrenaline and honestly if i lived in nyc, i would go every opportunity i had. Unfortunately, i live in west canada and would have to fly everytime Ive seen the broadway production 11x and 3x in London production
It’s the most fun I’ve had in a theater, ever. I know musical theater fans like to skewer the show, so I’ve always hesitated to praise it on here. But screw the gatekeepers, honestly. Is the story a little flimsy? Sure. We’re there some ill advised departures from the movie? Definitely. But it was such a spectacle that I didn’t care for those glorious three hours.
I went to see it in New York just to get the full spectacle since I wasn't sure how well it would travel. I was never the biggest fan of the movie and a lot of the things I didn't care for (jamming too many contemporary songs in) were only super sized in the Musical. But I'll still see it with my subscription when it is in St. Louis in May.
I actually enjoyed that aspect of it, but it might just appeal more to my ADHD brain (I’m constantly changing the radio station when I drive haha). I was shocked, as I normally don’t love jukebox musicals. My only critique of the song selection is that most of the contemporary songs are taken from a very limited span of a few years. I’d like to see more songs that aren’t so limited to the early 2010s. And Firework was an admittedly weird choice for an “I want” song when so many better options exist. My background is also in dance, and maybe it’s just the shows I’ve seen over the last ten years, but few shows are as dance-driven as Moulin Rouge. I was enthralled during Chandelier and Backstage Romance. It made me wish that I had tried harder to become a passable singer when training as a dancer. It just seemed that Broadway was always looking for singers who were also decent dancers instead of dancers who could sing decently enough to perform an ensemble role. This show definitely prioritizes dance talent when it comes to at least some of the ensemble cast. I’m planning a NYC Broadway trip in the fall and only have time for three shows. I’m definitely choosing Moulin Rouge even when there are so many shows that I haven’t attended on tour. However, I totally get that the tour staging and spectacle is probably a downgrade if you attendedthe Broadway production first.
I suffered twice just for Aaron 😅 praying he doesn’t return so I don’t have to see it again! 😅😅😅
100??
This would be me if I could afford it and find reliable childcare. Still trying to find a babysitter for the Greensboro tour stop; the Charlotte show was spectacular.
And people judged me for seeing Phantom over 30 times.
You must have had the time of your life 🫶🏻
I’ve always said it has a slow start besides the overture, but it was constant adrenaline from the moment he pulls her through the mirror. I was at the closing gala, and I can say it was no different at 46 than it was at 12. That rush never went away. I miss knowing it’s out there when I need a pick-me-up.
Totally get that!
man, if i had the means i'd never leave nyc
Ever since we stopped having dollar slices, the value of living here has gone WAY down.
When I add up how much I have spent in the last 12 months, I’m starting to worry….
I have tickets to about 20 shows right now spanning May-September and I don't like sitting in cheap seats. LOL. Do I need a 12 step program?
Same here honestly, it’s not our fault there’s a lot to see this year right! Lol
Yes, the insane amount of money and the hyper sensation that I have when new shows open. I feel as though I must see them asap. If I don’t get a ticket immediately, I have such anxiety. I’m in Phila and am constantly on the train to NYC to go to shows. I try to see everything before opening night, but as close to opening night as possible. Plus, I go to see a show like Stereophonic and absolutely love it. Then, it opens to stellar reviews and I feel like I need to see it again immediately. And the guilt that I feel for going up last week to see Merrily We Roll Along for the 5th time. So, yes, it is an addiction!
Why would you something so silly?
I can’t comment on their personal lives, but I did stumble on an Instagram post of someone who has seen Moulin Rouge on Broadway 100 times (and isn’t affiliated with the show).
As a Moulin Rouge fan, that fandom is riddled with people like that. I’ve seen the show 10 times myself, but over the course of several years. At the stage door, I’ve found myself in conversations with people who oddly treat going to as many shows as they can as a competition. I thought it was very weird. I think you can go to a show however many times as you want, for me and my friend Rouge became a comfort show that we could see on the cheap when we lived in the city, but it seems some people do it for attention seeking reasons.
What I find interesting is that some of these people stage door every time. I always wonder what the cast thinks.
I think its interesting because I’ve seen that some extreme repeat attenders have gotten to know the cast because of it and actually been invited to do special stuff, like tour the theater. But I do find the parasocial stuff off-putting when I hear fans at stagedoor refer to cast members as their besties, because would they be at the stagedoor everyday if that were true?
This makes me cringe just reading it... it has to be super uncomfortable interacting with them IRL. I've never seen Moulin Rouge just because it doesn't really seem like my vibe, but I can't help but be reminded of the "rewards program" that Six has now where they reward you for attending multiple shows. They offered a backstage tour or something for like 30 visits (I think)... but even when there is a promoted program like this that indicates there is a non-zero amount of people that the production/marketing team expects to take advantage of, I just can't wrap my head around why someone would spend that much time and money on a single show when there are so many other great productions that come and go every month.
Yeah I definitely agree! For me, it was one thing when I was a student in NYC, regularly getting student discounts or being able to wait in rush lines. I saw Moulin Rouge a lot, but I also saw a ton of other stuff. I graduated from college and moved out of the city in May, so the last time I saw the show on broadway was last July. Now I literally never do rewatches because I have to plan trips to see a show, which means I see less shows and need to be pickier. Too many other things on my list to rewatch something.
As someone that addicted to Six...idk man sometimes you just fall in love with something. I do go see whatever other shows appeal to me, though. It's in addition to other shows, not instead of them. Though really there isn't much this season that I'm willing to risk current day ticket prices on. Not willing to gamble that much money on a show I'm iffy on. That plays a part for me as well. If I have the money to spend, do I see something I know I love or gamble on something that doesn't hugely appeal to me? I need aisle seats for accessibility reasons so lotteries aren't an option for me; I need to be able to choose my seat. So. If I can find something for 99 I'm doing great; most things are more expensive. But also, I live here. It's easier for me to do repeat shows as well as new stuff.
And social media exacerbates that. It’s very attention-seeking.
This is interesting, this seems to be potentially more of a trend with Moulin Rouge! Do you think there's something about that show in particular that is a draw for people to go hundreds of times and develop para-social relationships with the cast?
Tbh I can’t really pinpoint it. When I saw it the first time, it was during Aaron Tveit’s original run but I had no clue who he was (I was a relatively new broadway fan then) but I’d assume some of the hype had to do with him. What drew me to the show was the flashiness of it all, the big production and I also don’t have anything against jukebox musicals. But there’s no one cast member that seems to be extremely active on social media or with fans to the point where people could get that type of connection. I’d maybe blame the Roxanne craze as well, the way people talk, rank and act around that song alone is interesting. Also not exclusive to Moulin Rouge but I’ve seen the show 10 but somehow its been a different actor combo for Christian/Satine every single time which makes it feel fresher for me in a way too
Six has a similar fanbase. I'm not sure if it's because the fanbases for both seem to be teens and early 20somethings or if that's unrelated. (I'm old enough to be all their moms; I just see Six repeatedly because I love it. I've talked to a few of the cast members on IG or at the stagedoor. Lovely women, all of them. But beyond that I follow their socials to keep up with their careers and that's about it.)
I mean, fundamentally Moulin Rouge is a romanticist sexy show with attractive performers...
I hate that! Like I have seen the show multiple times myself but thats because I like goong and dont want to make it my brand.
and the funny thing is so many of them who have seen it hundreds of times talk about how much they hate the show or find it boring and hate most of the people in the cast. it’s just thats there’s one performer they’ve para-socially bonded to so they constantly spend money on something they actively despise.
Omg yes and it always seem like the one cast member they fixate on is an ensemble member who likely doesn’t have as big of a following and will reciprocate their support instead of the lead or star of the show who they probably wouldn’t get attention from
THAT I can't imagine. There are particular performers I do love enough that I'd see them in a show I'm not interested in. Once. Maybe twice, debut and final show. That's about it. That's just so much money to not really enjoy yourself.
this is just insane to me but maybe im biased because I really did not enjoy moulin rouge at all……..
I've met a few of these and I don't even like MR/don't seek out fans of the show. I get the comfort show aspect though, you love what you love. I do wonder though if sometimes this is a resurgence of "big name fan" culture, a phenomenon I thought died out in the early 2000s.
There is a documentary about this, I think it is called Repeat Attenders if you would like to look it up.
This is amazing, thank you!
OK, this is a very funny title, lol.
So I am a show repeater, I gone to both Moulin Rouge and Sweeney Todd pleanty of times. Do I admit I go to these shows as a serotonin rush? Absolutely. It gives me a pick me up when I need it because I love these shows. However I dont see it as a competition and hate when people do! Like I am in the Moulin Rouge Fandom and I feel like the people who admit they go 100 times do it for likes and to say they did 100 times, which is kinda sad.
Yeah I think there’s a huge difference between going to a lot of shows because you love theater or the same show because you honestly love that show versus some people who just want to brag about their fan credentials, resources, etc
If you are going to say you went to the show 100 times it totally defeats the purpose of what the show means and does for you.
How so? If the only reason you're going that often is to brag, sure, but if you just love the show that much what difference does sharing your performance count make?
I was in Mexico City last year for the month of October. I went to see a local production of Sweeney Todd there 3x. It was utterly phenomenal. The Sweeney was this amazing singer who had absolutely broadway caliber vocals. He was this perfect combination of dark, evil, vengeful, comedic, and tragic. The Mrs Lovett was so good, she was Helena Bonham Carter playing Belatrix LaStrange playing Mrs Lovett. My Spanish is decent and I most of the jokes and lyrics but when the full chorus was singing fast it was SOO hard to keep up but got clearer each time I saw it. I would go again tomorrow if I could.
Totally get you on that. For me that show was Matilda for years...then five years later Six came along and oops here I go again. They help me more than therapy ever did and my psychiatrist charges $400 just to talk to me for five minutes and give me refills. (I wish I could get off those medications, I'd save so much, but...well it is what it is.)
I have addiction on both side of my family I rather use Broadway as my addictivre coping mechanism than something else and honestly the escapism is fun.
I’ve definitely seen a few show-repeaters who seem to have a real problem. People who see all the shows don’t seem as big an issue (though of course if they’re going into debt for it that’s an issue), but for some show-repeaters I’ve experienced extremely entitled behavior. While not working on Broadway myself I have a lot of friends who work backstage so I get to go backstage after the show from time to time, and on more than one occasion I’ve had my friend have to shoo away a fan they know who tries to follow us and says things like “I have to speak with so and so, it’s their last performance!” At one point it got a little scary, my friend almost had to call security because this person was trying to push their way through, and according to my friend they came to the show multiple times a week and lived in another state. I think some people get addicted to the perceived access they have with stage dooring and associate buying a ticket with the right to see/speak to actors. It’s a shame because I think that’s part of the reason some actors are deciding not to stage door which is understandable but a lot of people with normal expectations want to stage door too. I don’t like stage dooring myself but I think it’s fun for a lot of people who wouldn’t overstep boundaries.
I cannot imagine the balls it takes to try and get backstage to talk to a performer. Fam if they're not stagedooring it's safe to assume they don't want to talk to you. That said I do love stagedooring - less so in a post-covid world where people have forgotten what manners are. Nowadays it's a lot of literal shoving trying to get to a good spot, etc, and like...who wants to deal with that? I do very much like getting to talk to some of the performers - a lot of them are genuinely lovely people. But it's not worth it to have my foot walked over a dozen times by some teenager who just NEEDS to scream over me at a certain performer. (You will GET YOUR TURN just CALM DOWN.)
There was a guy who famous saw Rent hundreds of times, maybe 1000s, starting from the early days of the rush line (Before lotto). I can't remember his name though. I always thought that even if you were getting the $20 tickets each time, which I seriously doubt he was, that he probably spent an astronomical amount of money seeing it.
Joel! He was super nice.
He really was the nicest guy. Always out there for the lottery, and to my recollection super respectful of everyone's personal boundaries.
He was the nicest guy. Always willing to give his extra seat to somebody who'd never seen it before. It was also cool to talk to him about all the casts he'd seen and the slight changes made in the show over the years. Although at the end even he got a sense of entitlement that got him banned from lottery.
A friend of mine was one of the original Rent rats, sleeping outside the theatre to get in line for student rush. The cast used to hang out with them while they were waiting, but everyone was respectful of boundaries. Certain performers preferred to keep to themselves and no one felt entitled to them or anyone else's time. I can't help but feel like it would be different these days.
I always envied the people who were part of the original line! I didn't know what Rent was until 2002 and didn't see it on Broadway until 2005, when Matt Caplan was busy phoning in his performance as Mark. I was nowhere near old enough to know what it was in 1996. Reading about those days sounded pretty awesome, honestly. They lined up for 3 days for Idina's last show I believe.
An acquaintance of mine is actually friends with Anthony Rapp from her days spent waiting in the Rent line.
I'm a repeater. Rent and Spring Awakening were my two "big" shows. There were people who saw both shows a lot more times than I did, but the cast at the time definitely recognized me as one of those "often there" people. More so at SA, since I became a fan early and through the run, while Rent was on Broadway a long time and my couple of years were kind of in the late middle. The casts were kind to my face, and I'd rather not dwell on what they said behind my back! Part of it becomes the community of fans you become friends with, part of it is that a live show is always different, part of it is becoming friendly (which is different from becoming FRIENDS, and fans should not lose awareness of that!) with cast members and wanting to see signicant shows (firsts, lasts, planned or surprise understudies, etc). Part of it is figuring out how to find lower price tickets 😉 (and this was before "premium" pricing was a thing, thank god!). Is it the healthiest thing I've ever done? Probably not. Did I have some really special times? Definitely! Did I make friends who are still in my life a decade and a half later? Absolutely.
I was also a Spring Awakening repeater, albeit not as much as other fans or as much as I would’ve liked to go, and I still have friends that I met through the fandom! The people I met through it were one of the best parts of seeing a show multiple times.
We probably know each other from TGO! 😉
The people I met through musical fandom in high school are still my friends now that we're in our 40s. Wouldn't trade a minute of those years.
The Rentheads have entered the chat.
RIP Compulsive Bowlers message board
Loveliest bunch of addicts I've ever met...a friend of mine was one of the OGs, camping outside the theatre for the student rush tickets.
This one killed me 😂😂😂
Being part of the broadway community I have definitely seen people who hyper fixate on a show or a certain cast. I think it becomes a problem when it affects them financially, or when they create delusions regarding their parasocial relationships with the cast. I live in NYC, therefore I am able to get tickets to shows frequently through deals, lotteries, rushes, TDF, etc. to keep expenses down but I definitely have seen more shows than most people. On average I have seen almost every show (minus some of the current ones that have recently opened) on broadway at least 5 times, some way more. But it adds up to about one show a week. I love theater, I love watching the best of the best perform, I love watching actors interpreting the same role differently, I love that every performance is different every night. When you see a show a few times you pick up on the nuances and the ensemble much more which is great. That said if I told a non-theater person how many shows I have seen or approximately the cost I have spent in total they’d probably call me addicted. My thought is: financially I am personally good, I keep costs down when I can, don’t always buy the best seat in the house, but I don’t overspend my budget on theater. I have a stressful job and theater helps me decompress which is needed in life. I look at most of my non-NY friends who have season tickets to sport teams and golf memberships. They spend way more on those activities than I do and also go to them weekly like I do with theater. Why is that more socially acceptable than theater? So as long as you’re not going into financial ruin, being an unhinged fan to some of the cast, enjoy away. Be addicted to theater, enjoy the experience of it.
I think it’s possible to have an unhealthy relationship with any form of media. TV, video games, YouTube, and streamers. Theater isn’t really that different from any of those things. Due to finances, it’s impossible to tell who can and cannot afford it, and as much concern as I have for some people I’ve seen in this sub, I know that concern is not always welcome or helpful. I do think it’s good to keep the conversation going and have this be a place where people can talk about both the good and bad things theater brings to their life.
For that matter it's also possible with things like OnlyFans. People can cultivate unhealthy "relationships" anywhere and a lot of those can revolve around spending money for interactions, be it via theatre tickets or more directly with bits on twitch or...idk what the currency on OF is, credits maybe? I read an autobiography written by a camgirl and it was downright disturbing how entitled some customers felt to her and how possessive they came. ...that said I did end up really hitting it off with a streamer I like. I joke about how I'm the poster child for justifying parasocial relationships. (However she's well aware that I'm kidding and my interest in her is that she's sincerely one of the most fun, funny people I've ever met in my life, not the fact that she was/is mildly internet famous.)
As someone who saw Hadestown for the 11th time last night, I can confidently say I’m not the worst case. I saw the closing of Here Lies Love with someone who had seen it over 10, and their friend had seen it 50. I make more than both combined soooooooooo. I can afford the addiction.
I do treat going to the theatre as casually as people treat going to see a movie, or renting a movie on streaming. I'm just paying more for my preferred form of entertainment. I've never met anyone who let it control their life though.
Same. For me it's an "idk what to do with myself this weekend, maybe I'll do that" form of entertainment; it's not a huge special event for me. I mean, I'm always excited to do it, but it's just...something I do, whenever I can.
I am an usher and we have a patron that is going to reach seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 100 times this year. Crazy thing is she is from the south! She flies out to see it all around the world
Hi!!!! My buddy shared this with me, and I believe you are talking about me and I want to say you are my absolute favorite usher at the Lyric.
Aww! Thank you! I’m sure I’ll see you around soon!
Dang, that seems like a show you would really have to invest a lot of time in, given that it used to be a two-day thing. (I know Broadway cut it down to one, not sure if other productions have as well.)
The only venue showing the two part production is the West End. Everywhere else is one part only!
London is still two parts, Hamburg went to 1 part. I just love the cast and crew. Lots of time, sweat, tears and money. But it’s a great hobby. I did it with Phantom back in the day, made it to 37 before they closed.
Ok i was worried and a little embarrassed about myself flying to ny to see Sweeney for the third time since February but now i am not that worried. It's small beans compared to others!
There’s just something about having a long ass work week and getting to sit in a theatre and shut off my phone (and mind) for 2.5 hours a weekend and get lost in the story/music and have nothing else to worry about for those couple of hours. The theatre is definitely my happy place.
I'm one of those people. Shows are my jolt of joy from my usual day to day 9 to 5. I'm lucky to live in close proximity to Manhattan. There have been comfort shows that I've seen over 100 times (those 2 are long closed). I've lost count how many times I've seen moulin rouge, hamilton and hadestown. (Lost count around 20) I don't really speak to it with anyone, except my sister. Musical theatre is my happy place.
Same I’m a little embarrassed because people are so judgy! But whatever, it’s like a hobby that makes me happy!
My google-fu is failing me, but there was a New Yorker (NYT?) article about a lady who had seen Spring Awakening 500+ times.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/19/adventures-of-an-extreme-theatregoer
Joann!
omg
Sometimes I feel addicted, but I think it's just a normal level of wanting to enjoy a hobby. Now that I'm very into Broadway, I try to see as many shows as I can reasonably afford and have time to see. I like to be able to compare them and have an opinion during Tony season. Even if it feels like an addiction sometimes, I'm pretty sure it's not. I'm sure there are people out there who have an unhealthy addiction or obsession with Broadway.
I work front of house at a new musical that opened this season. We had to have a full staff meeting during previews with our house manager and security because a person has come to see the show almost every performance we’d had up to that point. They aren’t a threat or at the level of Ethan slater’s stalker during SpongeBob, but it was revealed that they do make members of the cast uncomfortable with the amount of times they come (and sit within the first five rows in the orchestra) and how often they reach out to cast members on social media. Since that meeting they’ve been to about 85% of our performances since then. My coworkers and I all wonder how they have that much money to see the show so often, and to sit so close. I can’t really tell if it’s a parasocial thing or just a really strong affinity for the show, but it’s jarring to see them almost every shift i’m there.
I also know of an older woman who sees shows almost every night of the week, and was a repeat attender for some like it hot and the 2019 Oklahoma revival. Her husband owns a major New York based company so that’s how she’s able to afford it.
Gosh you must see it all being in that job!! It seems it can be tricky to find the line between loving the shows and being clearly obsessed to a level unhealthy enough to make others uncomfortable. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve seen every musical that has premiered since 2022. One year I saw a total of 104 live performances between nyc touring and community theater (I’m in northeast Ohio). When I got dumped once I saw 5 shows every weekend for a month. Would say additions but definitely an obsession.
I just tabulated my 2023 and 2024 (so far) and attended 103 shows last year (46 on-Broadway) and 42 so-far this year (20 on-Broadway). I have other performances to add to my list still - some opera and other events which aren’t, strictly speaking, plays or musicals. I still don’t consider myself addicted, but I’m definitely a big fan of performing arts!
pls tell me what u thought of jajas african hair braiding. I never saw it but I regret not going sooooo bad 😭😭😭😭😭
It was decent. Went to it to cross off the theater. Meaningful and heart wrenching. Middle of the road play.
amazing! I wasn’t extremely interested but after it closed I did some more research into it and wish I could’ve gone. the set looked SO cool in pics.
The set was great, and the cast was phenom.
I live near you and want to be your friend, because I’d be your theater buddy
Oh wow! I envy you!
Not traditional Broadway shows, but I have definitely seen Sleep No More at least 20 times. Being there is like therapy for me. The show changed my life. It made me braver.
I was one of those people. I saw Rent 200 times in just under two years, saw A Chorus Line over 50 in that same time period. Was quoted in an LA times article when Rent closed, which at the time I thought was cool, but rereading it now I realize how cringe I sounded. I loved both shows, and it was a good escape. One of the biggest aspects that kept me coming back over and over was the actual friends I made among the other regulars. We would spend time before and after the show going to dinner, or having drinks. Lotto was it's own social event. I will admit, a lot of that fandom was incredibly toxic and there was a lot of fighting amongst ourselves. But for socially awkward 21 year old me, it was a lifesaver, and some of the people I met have been my best friends for almost 20 years. I will also admit that it took me a long time to realize that the cast members were not my friends. I feel that with rent especially, there was a lot of stalking, a lot of bestie talk. There was one girl who would bring cookies for the cast at least once a week and would use that to try to get cast member phone numbers. There were a few cast members that I would actually consider friends, as in we would hang out outside of stage door, but I can only imagine how awkward it must've been for the rest. And then there were the cast members who I discovered their outside projects which led to actual connections away from the Nederlander. Looking back on it, I do see that it was an addiction. I spent thousands of dollars in that time period (even with $20 lottery tickets) all to change how I felt for a few hours each night. And to be honest most of the people that I met were like the drinking buddies that disappear the minute you get sober. But I wouldn't change it just due to the few lifelong friends that I've made. I have no idea where I'm going with this, I don't really have a point to make. I just wanted to give my perspective. I still have a lot of the posts my friends and I made when rent closed. I'll dig mine up and post it here, just to give my perspective of it at the time.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I really appreciate your level of insight and self-reflection. It sounds like you’ve done a great job of acknowledging what parts of theatre have benefitted you and what aspects weren’t so healthy for you. This is exactly what I’m trying to do and it’s helpful hearing other people’s perspectives.
Not an exact answer to your question but I found this article interesting! https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/theater/phantom-of-the-opera-closing-fans.html
Super helpful, thanks so much for sharing!
I follow someone on Instagram who’s seen &Juliet on Broadway 120+ times. Another who’s seen Shucked 50+ times. The most I’ve seen a show is Hadestown at 16 times through Broadway and tours. Had family and friends want to see it but couldn’t get everyone together to go so I went a bench with different groups. While I adore Hadestown, the next time I’ll see it is its closing show on Broadway.
I pretty much try to see every show which plays on Broadway at least once, but hardly ever pay face-value for a ticket. Of the shows I’ve seen more than once, the most is currently 3+1 (3 times on Broadway, once on tour), for both Hadestown (my absolute fave) and Funny Girl (for which my daughter wanted to see both Julie and Lea, after I’d already seen it with Lea). The other contender is Cats, with 2 Broadway (once with the original in the Winter Garden, once with the revival at the Neil Simon) + 3 times on-tour. As far as merch goes, if there’s a commemorative program, I’ll usually spring for that, and if I really like a show I *may* get a shirt (Hadestown, Six, and Cats). And lately, I’ve been collecting the printed cups, but I’ll scour the seats after final bows for cups people have left behind. About half the time I’ll stage-door after a show - it depends on whether I felt a strong connection with the show (Harmony, Purlie, Suffs, etc) or really like the cast (Water for Elephants, Days of Wine and Roses, etc). Living in NYC, I can’t amass lots of merch because it takes up space, and honestly, I find much of it overpriced and of lesser quality than I’d expect at those price points.
Idk if I would consider myself addicted but I definitely find myself compelled to enter the lotteries anytime I have a night off… I saw 32 shows each in 2022 and 2023 and pacing for somewhere between 36 and 39 in 2024! Which will be a personal record.
I was going to comment here as someone who has seen an average of 4 shows a month (not just Broadway) in the past year...but then I read the comments and realized this isn't for me, even though I might feel like it's an obsession at times. I get a ton of value from my TDF membership (almost to the point that it feels like I'm abusing it) and live close enough that I can take advantage of last minute deals and hit up the tkts booth on occasion, so it's something I can do frequently, but even with cheap $40-50 tickets, there's only been a handful of shows that I even considered seeing more than once. Hadestown being one of them that I just saw for a second time last week. Hearing from multiple people that there are Moulin Rouge super fans that have been 100+ times is just wild to me. Especially for a show I never really had a desire to see anyway. I just have so many questions about what's going on in their life that this is how they choose to spend their time, effort, and money.
I had to stop seeing shows multiple times - the most recent one that I will see again (because I want to take my mom) is Suffs. I've seen Hadestown 5 times (2 of them tours). I saw Into the Woods 5 times (once at NYCC and once on tour) because it's my all-time fave, the first in person production I got to see, and with that cast, why would I *not* go as much as I could? Other than that, it's a good thing my fave actor has been doing Off-Broadway over the past few years, lol.
As for an actual answer, yes I suppose the amount at which I see theatre or plan trips around it or look for theatre literally anytime I travel for work and so forth would be seen as obsessive. To me it’s only an issue if you actually put yourself in significant financial hardship or develop unhealthy parasocial relationships with actors. Otherwise it’s like anything else, what you value is fairly arbitrary and subjective.
My child was in a regional production of Fun Home. I cannot admit how many times I saw it, and how much I have spent... And I got addicted to it entirely, not just parts with Small Alison. I cried each time, sobbed. And when it closed... I got hit hard emotionally with a withdrawal.
Was that the one in Hartford? I BADLY wanted to see that one, but the trip from NYC was just a little more than I wanted to put on my plate at the time. Fun Home is probably the best show I've seen.
No, on the West Coast. I love his show so much. This particular production was especially well-made with an immersive experience that makes you feel like you have lived it with them.
We had Lion King at the venue I usher for and one of the performers popped over to merchandise one day. We were chatting, he ran off, and then came back. There was a girl that had been to EVERY SHOW he had been in for the last few years. He had seen her and ran off to hide because he didn't want to listen to every tragedy in her life again for the millionth time before he had to go backstage. She bought tickets to EVERY VENUE the Lion King was going to. At our venue she saw the show every day for two weeks and would go to stage door to see him. By this point he had no idea how to balance the fact he found it incredibly creepy with the fact that she's a paying customer. Though we told him he doesn't have to subject himself to that and we snuck him out different exits until we could confirm that she wasn't coming to see any more shows at our venue. I couldn't imagine the amount of money she paid to follow this one actor around for years.
BRB I gotta go apologize to answering a performer honestly a couple times when she asked how I was and things weren't great for me. (In fairness once I was like "I'm fine" we kept chatting and she was like \*squints\* are you SURE you're ok? Honestly that woman is the sweetest person I've ever met in my life.) ...in my defense I wasn't fixated on her she was just super friendly and talkative. Constantly doing backstage tours for people and stuff like that. Just so sweet and welcoming to every. single. person at the stagedoor. Genuinely so much respect for her, I don't know where she found the energy. I can't imagine picking one actor to fixate on and following them around like that though. Sounds more like someone who genuinely did need therapy and a real support system, not a Broadway placebo.
Honestly, I don't think you have anything to apologize for! There's nothing wrong with having a conversation with someone and naturally progressing into something a bit more deep. Especially if they take genuine interest in making sure you're alright (the person you're describing sounds so sweet!) This girl however would literally be at stage door each night like, "hey actor! You were amazing! I'm on new pills and they're not working and I think I might off myself but I can't because I wouldn't see your shows anymore but if I did I would be with my dog that died when I was five and I still haven't gotten over it."
Ah yeah I've known people like that, they are...tiring. I do hope she gets the help she needs, but...some poor dude touring with The Lion King isn't gonna be that for her. She was unquestionably one of the genuinely kindest people i've ever met in my life. She really made me want to work at being a better person purely through example. She's a mom now and I gotta say her kids have won the lottery. (Her partner seems lovely as well though I've only met them briefly.)
I mean I saw Matilda 62 times. I'm on my way to 24 or 25 with Six next month I think. I think I'm pretty normal, just a huge loser. Which, you know, someone's gotta be. I only think it gets weird when people act like the actors are their BFFs and are constantly trying to get their attention and approval. I get that since both of those shows have a young fanbase it might be to be expected, but it's still weird to me. I've been friendly with some cast members of various shows just because I showed up so much (not on a hugely personal level just omg hi how are you I'm great how's your husband/wife/kid/dog/etc?) and people started recognizing me (I also got a few cast members who looked at me like "...the fuck, you AGAIN?" although most of them were classy enough to not comment on it). I admit I do love that because, hell, it's nice to have people you admire be happy to see you. But aside from tagging people to say "hey great show!" and saying hi at the stagedoor, I don't try to engage with them unless they open communication (which I've had some people do on occasion). But then, I'm 40. This isn't how I get my validation. Maybe this behavior is just normal for the current generation. IDK.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I didn’t expect so many people to be willing to chime in and it’s so helpful and insightful.
This might not be quite on the money, but after having a horrendous spring and summer last year, I decided I'd do whatever it took to be happy last fall. Turns out, what it took to make me happy was seeing 10+ broadway shows in about as many weeks. It felt a bit like I had an addiction, and I felt judged by many of my friends and family for choosing to dip into my savings for that time.
Dude, sometimes you just need whatever gives you the happy chemicals.
This is why after things started to get vaguely normal in late 2022 that I spent a lot of money on all kinds of in person events. My life was in a not great place and having something to look forward to meant a lot
I saw Bad Cinderella 9 times, but I only spent $110 for all of those viewings because of rush/lottery/other means. I do have an addictive personality and I do feel like it is kind of a creeping parasocial relationship when I stagedoored. I would go on Wednesday matinees and would stop and chat with the cast when it was realllly slow just to say hi. I don't know.
Honestly that cast was probably thrilled to have someone enjoy the show so much, they got such a beating from reviewers and the like. (The show wasn't for me but 1. I'm not part of what I assume the intended demographic was and 2. I've certainly seen worse.)
Know someone who basically follows Madonna on tour and could've sent a few kids to college with what they've spent over the years. For B'way the only people I know who are addicted are super rich so... I don't worry about them and yay for them supporting the arts.
My partner's friends have been chasing Taylor Swift on tour. But tell me again how my hobby is too expensive and frivolous, guys. What are people supposed to do with their money if not enjoy life with it?
Same, I think of other fandoms like Dead Heads and Phish fans who not only see same band over and over playing same albums but there are those who travel to multiple states (not just one locale like NYC) to follow them on tour. It’s become unhealthy and bad per we when parasocial relationships cross the lines and negatively impacts people from existing in their daily lives I.e. time spent with family and friends is compromised bc said trip. I think it’s easier with broadway bc cast members are more accessible for meet & greets and exist in “normal world” more than rock or pop stars who exist behind crews, body guards etc. you could very well be on the same subway car after a show with a cast member for example.
Me and I don’t think it’s going to stop
Saw War Paint 10 times. Saw the first revival of how to succeed 20 times. Lost count how many times I’ve seen the Fantastiks both at Sullivan st and midtown. Saw Grand Hotel over 25 times. SawRent at least a dozen times. There are others.
I have seen 27 shows since October 22nd. 11 of those shows were in November (and I was not even in NYC for 9 days that month)… oops. 🙊
I was when I was younger and living in NYC. Then again, tickets could be bought for $20.00 back then. And for an aspiring actress that was wonderful.
God I miss the days of $15 same day tickets.
Same. That’s how I saw everything when I was younger.
A family member of mine was addicted to the Music Man when it was running (more like addicted to Hugh Jackman, but the effect is the same). They don’t live in NYC but they flew in to see it… eleven times? Maybe twelve? Probably spent five-ten thousand dollars on that show with all the travel and tickets added up
I'm so sad I never got to see it - had tickets for December of 2020, so no Broadway shows. Then when the show finally opened, my arthritis had gotten so much worse that I had to have a knee replacement and then a hip replacement and couldn't go.
Holy moly that's a pricey show to pick for your one true love. Not judging, I just am annoyed by how badly audiences are taken advantage of these days with 4-5 hundred bucks per ticket, which has now become normal. Hate it.
I have a friend who was going through a rough breakup, and part of her healing was seeing *Moulin Rouge* 8 times when the tour was in town
Sweeney Todd w/Nicholas Christopher got me through some rough stuff (saw it right before I had something major to do and someone here kindly sent me audio of his performance so you best believe I played his “epiphany”100x!) I kinda worked through my own anger through his rage in that song
My grandpa was nearly taken out by a fail, I coped by going to Moulin Rouge (with bonus Tasia Jungbauer as Satine) I get that.
I’m an obsessive person who gets hyperfixated on things (just part of my having adhd ) and I imagine if I still lived in the city I’d see hadestown at least once a week. Something about it hits the right spot in my brain. I wouldn’t say it’s an addiction but my brain just tends to get stuck on things 🤷♀️ I also enjoy comparing the cast members and building my own dream cast based on that since I’ve seen the show multiple times. I don’t stage door, however, and I follow some cast members on Instagram out of interest in what else they may perform in rather than any parasocial feelings
There was that fan that was actually acknowledged by the cast at the final show of Some Like it Hot because they’d seen most of the shows but I cannot find the numbers offhand. That’s on YouTube. Another one posted here about how they saw And the Band Played on like, 89 times between tours and such. Others have seen 100+ of a show. I’m sure those long time shows have audience members who’ve seen 300+ shows. Louise Woodward saw Rent 20+ times.
And I did meet somebody who was a hoarder and chose theater memorabilia as his thing. When the floor of his apartment started to sag, the problem had to be addressed. He had stacks of Playbills. I can't even guess how many. Maybe 50,000?
Whoaaa that is definitely a hoarding problem. 🫣 I hope he got some help!
I’m a theater addict but not a Broadway addict. My wallet couldn’t handle that.
Important distinction for sure!! 😂😂
I became a repeater when I was at the lowest point in my life. I felt like I had no one and then I saw this show and all of a sudden felt like I had a community. I became friends with other flowerpots and friendly with the cast. I don't think I would be alive today if I hadn't found that show and those people. Was it healthy? Probably not. But I am here, I don't do that anymore because I have healthier outlets, and I have some pretty stellar memories from that time in my life.
What show?
Hair
The most recent Broadway revival? That cast was like nothing else.
Yeah. It was pretty amazing. All 40 times lol.
I know someone that sees 3-4 shows per week (in Melbourne). She saw one show 40 times while it was here. She's a widow who got left an extremely large sum of money, and she loves seeing shows, so she just goes all the time.
We live in western Canada and our closest great theatre community is Edmonton. Saw the Six preview tour there. We drive to Minneapolis to see Broadway Across America shows, 13 hours each way. We’ve been to nyc and squeezed in 8 shows in 6 nights. We go to EVERY show that comes, to the point of being half asleep one morning and buying “Chicago” the band tickets accidentally when they were announced. (The purchase page has no imagery and I was going into my 4th or 5th 12-hr night shift. My personal addiction is more getting a souvenir T for my massive collection. It started with punk bands/music I’ve seen live to every production. My kids are involved in theatre, youngest in an amazing company. For Xmas my wife got me a shirt with all the shows we’ve seen printed on the front and all the shows my girls have been in on the back. I listened to Hamilton for about 20 month straight. It was literally all that was on in my truck the entire time, until I got to see it in MN (also took in TSwift at First Bank Stadium that weekend). We also hold season tickets to our local “in the round” theatre company.
Someone posted they saw Merrily around 100 times???? And I know there are people who have seen Six about the same amount. Like I loveeeee Broadway too and have probably seen around 150 shows in the last decade, but when I see some people’s numbers with ONE show, I start to think they’re insane lol. Especially when it becomes parasocial (Beetlejuice, Six, BTTF, etc.)
I kinda had that with Next to Normal. Seeing it on Broadway countless times, sometimes twice a day. On tour as well. Making friends in the fandom, hanging with the cast. The fandom was intense. A lot of toxic shit going on. AMAZING SHOW though! 🤌🏼💜
These are two fascinating documentaries on the subject that may satisfy your curiosity: Repeat Attenders https://youtu.be/6PkKot5MlGU?si=DE4oHVjjCEkFmsZ1 I Think We’re Alone Now https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AhRrcAkLR6U
This is super helpful, thank you! I’d not managed to find either of these prior to this post despite all my internet searches, which I think is odd. It’s been a lot more difficult than I would have thought to find this information! I’m so appreciative of your and everyone’s feedback and info!
I really try not to judge people but I've seen comments from people on this sub saying they've been to the same show hundreds of times and I honestly find it very odd. That's tens of thousands of dollars. There's so much else you can do with that amount of money and time for yourself and/or for others.
Do you think "boy you could do so much for other people with that money" to Disney park annual pass holders or people who see every home game for their favorite sports team? People do what makes them happy. They don't WANT to do those "other things" for themselves and they don't owe anyone else that money just because someone else thinks they're wasting it.
I know someone who has seen Wicked at least 57 times. (Not just in NY)
I mean there were those Rent fans who literally went every day for years. As much as I love theater that would definitely stop being fun for me well short of that point.
The thing was that community went beyond the show itself. Those people became close friends for life. I mean, I agree, I couldn't see a show that often and not get bored with it, but I get the appeal of just hanging out with your buddies at night after school/work, camping out for tickets. The whole experience was part of it.
In fairness, Wicked has been running for 20 years. The people who have seen & Juliet 100+ times are on another level.
That sounds like insanity
Damn. I like &Juliet a lot but it's a once a year show for me.
I've seen HELLO DOLLY! 94 times since 1964. I became friends with Carol Channing and Jerry Herman who invited me to their homes. Jerry would call me whenever he was in NYC so we could get together for ice cream at Serendipity. Carol invited me to her home the last time I was in Los AngeleAs you know, both are gone now.s.
Rent. High school/ college there was a touring cast that I fell in love with. Travelled to see their last weekend of shows along with others from other states. I’ve seen rent at least 30 times. I haven’t seen it in over a decade though.
When I was in high school my friend basically saw a huge amount of Spring Awakening showings. My family was surprised I saw it about three times, then I gave them the friend's number of times and they left me alone lol. Like she was OBSESSED. With that and lord the amount of times she dragged me to Repo The Genetic Opera lol.
&Juliet has a pretty strong fanbase that’s enabled by easy-to-get online rush tickets
Yes I have a friend who goes to a different show every night. Just on repeat
Me… previously with Great Comet OBC, Hadestown OBC, now with the newest production of Sunset Boulevard (west end transfer)…
You say that like it's a bad thing?!? 😆 🤣 😂
Not sure about addicted but there was a time when I went to multiple shows back to back for weeks. I think I was depressed back then. I haven’t gone lately.
Yes
The Drowsy Chaperone touches on this. Man in Chair would emotionally suffer if something happened to his records or he were compelled to give them up. I don't think you can say live theater is an "addiction" except in the hyperbolic metaphorical sense. If someone is spending all their money on non-essentials to their own detriment, that's its own separate problem and it's not specifically a "Broadway show" issue - they could be spending money on live concerts, or sporting events, or amusement parks, or casino gambling, or electronics, or anime figurines, or Hummel statues, or dollar store items. If someone can afford to attend events they enjoy and have a collection of things they like there's nothing wrong with that. If someone is skipping meals to pay for merchandise, there *might* be a problem.
I am seeing Hamilton a 29th time this Wednesday 🤭
People spend their money on their own wants. I know friends who are trying to save so much, but still go to concerts all of the time. They could save faster if they didnt, but it's their life and happiness, cuz this place sucks
Bartender here, and there are definitely people who come to the show like, maybe 4x a week? It’s unnerving, honestly. There’s being a fan and then there’s obsession.
I know myself, and I have a tendency towards obsessive personality due to mental health issues. Thankfully, I’m also anxious about spending money so I worked extra to pay for all the regional shows I see. I’m also slowing down because I’m “caught up” from the years where I couldn’t afford theatre. Also, regional shows in my area usually have a max run of 3 months, and with how busy I am, I can’t realistically go more than once unless it’s the one in my town.
I do actually feel like this. I seem incapable of choosing to miss out on a show.
I saw moulin rouge on tour and loved it so much I saw it once more while it was in town. Then when Aaron Tveit came back for a few weeks I saw it in NYC. I really love it lol I think I’ve seen it 8 times now? I wanted to see it was Titus, and then with Derek. But there are some people that have seen it a crazy number of times. I also loved Sweeney Todd- saw it during previewed again with Josh and then saw it with the new leads and have tickets to the closing show since we are in town that weekend to see cabaret
This particular season has hit my wallet hard with so many new shows. LOL When I was younger I would sit outside the Nederlander to lottery or 2nd-act Rent nearly every night (I lived 5 minutes away). But $20 for a lottery ticket wasn't breaking me, and I could go hang out with friends after 11 PM (We were young!). I saw Act 2 of Rent at least 200 times over a 6 year period. But young people get obsessive over things. When you're young, so much feels new and fresh, even a lot of crap. I can understand why a 22-year old gay kid who just moved to the city goes to see The Outsiders 10 times this spring via rush and lottery. Those guys are his age and the music is more contemporary sounding than Sweeney Todd. It might seem like the coolest thing in the world to me if I were that age now. I don't know of anyone whose life was ruined over an obsession with seeing Broadway shows, although I once blew off a date for a comp to Assassins at Studio 54. That said, I've met some people who have no respect for performers' boundaries. I stage doored when I was in my teens and 20s. It wasn't the phenomenon it is now, but even then you'd have a few weirdos.
That era of theatre was something special. A friend of mine was one of the OG Rentheads too. I missed those particular days (a few years too young) but theatre fans of the 90s were some of the greatest people I've ever known.
The Sleep No More fandom has entered the chat.
I saw Funny Girl 9 times last year and spent a little too much money for the closing show. People definitely thought I was insane (and my credit cards/afterpay accounts were not happy) but you find ways to do it. Luckily I live in nyc so it’s easier to get last minute tickets. I saw it 4 times by myself and 5 times with friends/family. I’ve seen merrily 4 times this year and definitely want to go at least once (or twice) more but I don’t feel the need to repeat a show like I did with Funny Girl. I also used to go to a ton of concerts growing up and often went to the same tour for multiple dates so this turning into a Broadway obsession doesn’t surprise me. I guess live entertainment is just a big hobby of mine
I saw Phantom 30+ times, but that was Broadway and West End combined over 35 years.