You have probably heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  Many people not only judge books by their covers, but also judge musicals and plays by their covers, or titles. In March, the Drama Club presented the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the audience was outnumbered by the audiences of previous PAHS musicals.

    For instance, when the Drama Club presented the musical West Side Story in 2010, there were 750 people in the audience just in one night. However, when the Drama Club performed Titanic in 2017, there were about 1,500 people throughout all three days, according to Mrs. Maria Malek, Drama Club adviser and English teacher.

     This observation leads people to the question, does show name recognition affect Drama Club show attendance? Mrs. Malek provided some insights.

1. Do you believe that show name recognition has a direct effect on audience attendance?

    “Absolutely. People form strong connections with plays, so well-known plays are more likely to bring bigger audiences,” Mrs. Malek said.

2. Have you noticed lower audience numbers when there is a not-known play/musical being presented?

    “Yes. Even this year with How to Succeed, our audience numbers were not as high as they were in previous years. In some areas, How to Succeed is well-known, but around here it isn’t much known.”

3. How many people attended How to Succeed, and how did it compare to last year’s musical, Titanic?

    “This year, probably about 1,250 people showed up throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Last year, between 1,250 and 1,500 people showed up. It was closer to 1,500 because it was Titanic and that musical has an emotional effect on people.”