Broadway Theatre Owners Alter Photography Rules

Two of the three major operators of Broadway theatres have adapted their photography rules due to the changing times and social media.

For years taking a photograph inside a Broadway theatre was forbidden, regardless of whether the performance had started or concluded. Due to the changing times, the advent of social media and the ever-present cell phone, two of the three major owners of Broadway theatres—The Shubert Organization and Jujamcyn Theaters—have altered their photography rules.

In separate statements, the two organizations confirmed to Playbill.com that theatregoers are now generally permitted to photograph inside the theatre prior to and after the performance as well as during intermission.

Jordan Roth, the president and principal owner of Jujamcyn, stated, “Our culture has evolved to where taking and sharing photos has become a meaningful way in which we experience and process our lives. We want the theatre to be part of that vibrant, evolving culture so we welcome our theatergoers chronicling their experiences in our houses at any time except during the performance.”

Bill Evans, the director of media relations for the Shuberts, forwarded this statement, which first appeared in the Huffington Post: “To accommodate theatre-goers in the age of social media, audience members in Shubert-owned theatres are generally permitted to take photos inside the house prior to the curtain going up, during intermission and after the show, never during the performance when the taking of pictures is strictly prohibited.”

Jujamcyn shows currently include Kinky Boots (Al Hirschfeld), The Crucible (Walter Kerr), The Book of Mormon (Eugene O'Neill), Something Rotten! (St. James) and Jersey Boys. Current Shubert shows include Chicago (Ambassador), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Barrymore), Blackbird (Belasco), The Color Purple (Bernard B. Jacobs), An Act of God (Booth), Fiddler on the Roof (Broadway), Bright Star (Cort), Eclipsed (Golden), Les Miserables (Imperial), Fully Committed (Lyceum), The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic), Shuffle Along… (Music Box), Matilda (Shubert) and School of Rock: The Musical (Winter Garden).

As of press time, a request for comment from the Nederlander Organization had not been received.