Show-Score is updating how reviews appear on its site and providing new data on its members to producers.
The site, which assigns scores to Broadway and off Broadway shows based on reviews from fans and professional critics, made these changes after hearing from community members and producers. For lead producers specifically, the site will provide data on the taste preferences of its more than 230,000 members, who are frequent theatergoers, so that shows can better track who may want to purchase tickets.
On the data side, the site will give shows that have more than 100 reviews an anonymized snapshot on which members wish to see their show, breaking down age, gender, demographics and other factors, and what else they want to see. It will also provide data on what goes into the members’ buying decision and the demographics of scores for the show.
The plan is to reach out to lead producers of Broadway show and provide the data for free.
“We’re making it available for free to the industry because we really want the shows to more quickly be able to understand who likes their show,” said Tom Melcher, chief executive and founder of Show-Score.
The majority of members on the site are female, with more than half aged 35 and up.
The benefit to the site will be getting its customers to the shows they want to see, Melcher said, and the site makes money by selling tickets to the shows on its platform.
For reviews, the site is making changes that could influence the score the show receives, including creating separate pages for each out-of-town tryout for Broadway shows and then a new page when the show comes to Broadway. It will sort all reviews from critics from highest to lowest, rather than by influence, and make similar changes on fan reviews.
Additionally, the site will move reviews of previews down to the bottom of the page after the show has 50 reviews and provide messaging on what a preview is.
“It turns out for the consumer, it’s an incredibly confusing issue,” Melcher said.
