How did Phantom of the Opera get to 10,000 (!) Broadway performances? Patrick Healy reports (NYT):
From years of detailed audience surveys, the producers and creators of "Phantom" have honed the ways to maximize its appeal, whether emphasizing the show’s love story in advertising or offering sharp discounts so audience members will return. More than 40 percent of "Phantom" patrons have seen it at least once before, and a majority of "Phantom" audiences in 2011 saw no other Broadway show that year. About 68 percent were women, and nearly 60 percent were tourists."Based on all our data, we’re able to predict, for virtually each week of the year, what the demand for seats will be, what types of people will be coming and how to price the seats," said Alan Wasser, the production’s general manager.