By Lee Pfeiffer
Noel Coward once asked rhetorically, "
Why must the show go on?" It's a question investors might well have been asking over the decades. It's a well known fact that, if you want a good return on your investment, stay far away from Broadway shows. Generally, investors are motivated by the glitz and glamor of being part of a major production - but relatively few pay off big and most don't even return the backer's initial investment. The cost of producing a play on Broadway is now so great that a show often has to run for years just to break even. However, investors are benefiting from a source of income generally looked upon with disdain by the lifted pinky crowd in New York City: stock company productions. As Variety reports, shows that bomb spectacularly on Broadway can end up turning major profits over a period of years in out-of-town productions that even include high school performances. Unburdened by massive salaries and production costs, local stage productions can pack in "regular folks" at reasonable prices, even as Broadway's $125+ seats remain empty. For more
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