Voices: Broadway Beyond the Stage with Allison French
For more than fifteen years, Allison French has been at the intersection of two worlds that define New York City’s global appeal: travel and Broadway. As Senior Director at Broadway Inbound and The Broadway Collection, she has helped shape the way international travelers experience live theatre, transforming Broadway from a classic sightseeing addition into a true destination driver.
At a time when experiential travel is more important than ever, Broadway continues to captivate audiences through its emotional immediacy, cultural diversity, and uniquely immersive atmosphere. From iconic productions like The Lion King and Aladdin to innovative new shows redefining the stage experience, Broadway offers travelers something increasingly rare in a digital world: genuine human connection.
In this conversation, Allison French explores how live theatre has evolved into a central pillar of modern tourism, why Broadway remains one of New York’s most powerful cultural exports, and how changing audience expectations, celebrity casting, social media influence, and emerging productions are reshaping the future of theatrical travel experiences for global audiences.
You’ve spent over 15 years connecting global travel with Broadway. How has the relationship between tourism and live theatre evolved in that time—and what role does Broadway Inbound play today in shaping that connection?
Currently there is more motivation from tourism partners to emphasize live events than ever before. There is a recognition in the value of Broadway shows, concerts, and sporting events, so it’s an exciting time to be playing a role in that connection right now.
The idea behind The Broadway Collection is that no trip to New York is complete without a show. What makes Broadway such a powerful anchor in a travel itinerary compared to other cultural experiences?
Broadway is a powerful anchor because it encompasses so much variety and is a uniquely New York City destination. Using the term “Broadway” technically refers to 41 theatres that are almost always full and house a variety of shows every season – long running iconic performances, limited time dramatic plays, new exciting shows that have never performed anywhere else, etc.
How do you translate the emotional power of live theatre into something that resonates with international travel partners and tour operators?
Broadway is home to the best actors, singers, dancers, and musicians in the world. And Broadway theatres are much more intimate than people realize before they step foot inside one. This means that not only are you in the same building with these world class performers, but they can see you while they are hitting that high note, and (as I often do) get emotional during a show. Actors can sense the energy of an audience and respond to it, you can’t get that outside of a live performance.
What differences do you see between American audiences and international travelers in terms of the shows they gravitate toward?
Choice of shows from international travelers can be very market specific, and for American audiences it can be incredibly regionally specific as well., For example, The Outsiders (the book) is widely known as it is part of school curriculum in many places here in the US. That recognition of the source material has helped to make the Broadway musical The Outsiders an incredibly popular show choice among student travelers.
However, as the show gains more recognition with international travelers, they love the experience of seeing this show because it is a truly American story, and something they might not have the chance to see in their country.
Shows like The Lion King or Aladdin have universal appeal, while others are more culturally specific. How do you curate offerings for a truly global audience?
Being very familiar with our shows and knowing how to discuss them is incredibly important. When introducing a potential audience to a show, we find they are much more interested in “What is the show about?” as opposed to caring about things like reviews. So knowing how to give a quick summary and match up an audience to a show is part of the job that I love.
Are you seeing a shift in demand toward newer productions like Schmigadoon! or The Rocky Horror Show versus long-running classics?
This time of year is incredibly exciting as the new spring shows are opening! There can be a shift in attention onto the new shows as they tend to be getting more press, and there is a lot of attention leading up to the Tony Awards in June. So, yes there is going to be a natural demand for new shows, but the reason the classics have been running as long as they have been is that there is consistent demand for them. And who knows, maybe one of these new shows is the next long-running classic?
With over 25 shows running in a typical month on Broadway , how do you guide travel partners in selecting the “right” shows for their clients?
We try and invite our travel partners to see shows firsthand as much as possible. We have ongoing conversations and look for the reasons why a traveler might want to see each of them. Each show is not going to be perfect for each market, but also I firmly believe that there is a show for everyone, so it’s just finding the right fit and offering a variety of options.
Do you see Broadway becoming more of a destination driver rather than just an add-on experience?
Broadway as a category of live events is a big motivator for travel brands at the moment. We have always been a destination driver but we certainly see it when it comes to celebrity casting in Broadway shows. Some examples would be the recent runs of Megan Thee Stallion in Moulin Rouge.The Musical!, Whitney Leavitt in Chicago, and Tom Felton in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. People absolutely traveled to New York City to see these specific performers in these shows.
Are immersive, cross-genre productions (like newer experimental shows) changing the way Broadway fits into travel itineraries?
It’s all about communication to the traveler and ensuring that they understand a bit about what the experience is that they are going to get. There are incredibly exciting and new productions of shows happening, such as Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Travelers will have a fantastic time at this show, but if they expect it to be a straightforward revival of the original show, that is not what they are going to get from this production. I love immersive productions and experimental shows, and those travelers that want to do something unique!
How might technology—from dynamic pricing to digital storytelling—reshape the Broadway travel ecosystem?
The Broadway travel ecosystem is always shifting, but travelers have access to SO much more information than ever before. I love that they can see influencers from all over the globe attending shows and sharing their Broadway experiences, it only helps us to continue to welcome global audiences.
It can be easy to be overwhelmed by what can be complex pricing for Broadway, but buying tickets from a trusted travel source is the way to go. Our favorite travel brands around the world want to ensure that Broadway is always part of their customers NYC itineraries, and work closely with us to give travelers the best possibly experience.
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