Broadway Analytics

Broadway musicals can amass millions of dollars a week, but can also hemorrhage money. Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark lost nearly $60 million throughout its Broadway stint. A common rule of thumb for musicals is that only one in five shows recoup their investment. However, this statistic is usually attributed to “insider sources” and no real data is ever given. This research project explores public data surrounding Broadway musicals to better understand their finances and recoupment rates. We studied all musicals that opened from 2007-2017, comprising 129 musicals, and found that approximately 27% of productions recoup their investments. To find this number, we found two preliminary datasets and scoured online databases for information regarding show recoupment. We were also able to estimate missing values for cost metrics using other related variables. Additionally, this research project looks into the distribution of show profits, revealing that such few shows sustain considerable profits in their productions. For instance, only 8 of the 129 musicals we studied could reasonably have doubled their profits. We also produced a master spreadsheet consisting of every Broadway musical in our studied time period, along with information regarding recoupment, running costs, and other metrics important to our analyses for each show. The findings of this project underscore the inherent difficulty in achieving financial success on Broadway, and provide concrete data to understand what proportion of shows recoup their investment.

Are Bystanders More Persuasive Than Victims? The Impact of Social Media Backlash Toward Brand Transgressions.

In the digital age, brands face increasing scrutiny for their perceived transgressions. Influencers and social media commentators play pivotal roles in raising awareness and mobilizing collective action against such brands. Our research question delves into the comparative persuasiveness of bystanders versus victims in social media backlash toward brand transgressions: “Are bystanders more persuasive than victims? The impact of social media backlash toward brand transgressions.” We collected data through interviews and archival research to inform a study on consumer perceptions of brands and their marketing materials, particularly focusing on diversity efforts. Our goal is to gain insights into how consumers perceive brand diversity initiatives.

We conducted interviews with a diverse group of participants, varying in age, gender, interests, and knowledge on the subject. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their perceptions of brand diversity efforts. Additionally, they engaged in a projective exercise where they designed an inclusive advertisement for a fictional brand in a category they felt connected to. These interviews, alongside relevant literature, underwent coding and analysis.

Our findings suggest that social media users are directly affected by potentially unethical marketing practices highlighted by influencers; and they form attitudes towards the social issues based on how relatable they found the influencer. This research holds significance as it could enhance societal understanding of the impact of social media backlash on marketing activities. Furthermore, it aims to ascertain whether the source of the backlash and how it’s communicated further shapes consumer perceptions of brands and their marketing endeavors.

“Can you make coffee wrong, anyway?” : An Ethnographic Analysis of the Coffee Culture in Lewisburg, PA

The “three waves” of coffee describe the growing importance of unique flavors and sourcing in order to best satisfy an increasingly sophisticated palate in coffee consumption. These allude to people’s preferences for different kinds of coffee: third wave roasters emphasize the importance of traceability with their coffee beans, which in turn adds a level of education that is often referred to as the “coffee geek subculture”. Conversely, the first wave does not rely on quality in order to sell, but rather on coffee as a mass product that delivers caffeine to its consumers. The second wave, then, intersects these two extremes, and relies on chain coffee houses to create more individualized coffee drinks, though they do not focus on value orientation of the product as heavily as third wave enthusiasts. My project examines the manifestation of these three waves in Lewisburg’s coffee scene. I conducted interviews with both producers and consumers who live in our town to learn about whether or not their own coffee consumption intersects the three waves. Through this, I discovered a similar value-oriented system that distinguishes coffee consumers from one another: in Lewisburg, a person’s consumption habits are driven by either a social, ethical, or economic value orientation. In this thesis, I analyze the three wave typology to challenge current understandings of coffee culture in the United States.

The American Dream: Divergence between Class, Race, and Gender

The term “American Dream” encompasses diverse notions of economic and social success in the United States, rooted in the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. However, its meaning has evolved over the centuries. This project investigates contemporary perceptions of the American Dream and its evolution, questioning its tangibility in modern society.

Using primarily questionnaire-based research, we surveyed college students from various universities nationwide, representing diverse socioeconomic, gender, and racial backgrounds. The questionnaire explored current perceptions of the American Dream and the attributes associated with achieving it. Additionally, we plan to augment our data collection through in-depth interviews and archival research.

Our objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the modern interpretation of the American Dream. Initial findings suggest that historical trends persist, with white males often viewed as the quintessential embodiment of the American Dream. However, our analysis also reveals nuanced perspectives on the attainability of this concept across different demographic groups, considering factors such as the cost of living and efforts to enhance gender and racial diversity in the workforce. Our research sheds light on how individuals from diverse backgrounds interpret and pursue the American Dream in contemporary society.

Beliefs about Musical Attributes
Though people dance, sing, and interact musically all across the world, there is substantial individual variation in musical abilities. What do children and adults believe about where musical abilities come from? We investigated 7- to 8-year-old children’s (N = 48) and adult’s (N = 100) beliefs about origins of musical abilities. First, children gave open-ended explanations based on prompts about musical and non-musical attributes (“There is a person who is very good at playing cello. People always clap when they play. Why do you think they are good at playing cello?”). Then, both adults and children were asked to rate how much genetic factors, environmental factors, and personal choices explained those same attributes (1 – “not at all” to 5 – “just about all”). In open-ended explanations, children tended to emphasize personal choices (e.g., “he practices a lot”). For positively-worded scale ratings, adults consistently rated personal choices highest and genetic factors lowest in importance, but again considered genetic factors to be relatively important for singing and rhythmic abilities. For negatively-worded questions, adults rated the environment highest for some of the characteristics, the outliers being singing and cello being highest in genetics and personal choice respectively. In contrast, children consistently rated environmental factors as least important, and rated genetic and personal choice factors as approximately equally important. Findings suggest that children and adults both emphasize practice and personal effort in musical skill acquisition. By adulthood, however, adults refine their beliefs about the relative importance (or unimportance) of genetic contributions to musical attributes.

The Populist Wave: Unpacking the Global Drivers of 21st Century Right-Wing Populist Support

This thesis investigates the underlying causes of the global rise in right-wing populism support in the 21st century. I will examine both the origins of these shifts in public opinion and their consequences for political systems and global interactions. My analyses will take two forms: (1) a cross-national analysis of the rise in right-wing populism in 34 of the 38 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to explore the demographic factors that exhibit a relationship with populist attitudes and (2) case studies of right-wing populism in the contemporary United States (with particular attention to former president Donald Trump and his supporters) and contemporary France (with particular attention to Éric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen, respectively, and their supporters) to understand specific examples of the causes and manifestations in countries strongly impacted by the effects of globalization. Understanding this phenomenon through its roots and dynamics can provide a crucial view into mitigating its adverse effects on countries and their political systems, particularly towards movements aiming to undermine democracies, by directing more effective campaigns and policies, illuminating the future of politics, and understanding what interactions in international organizations, and borders may look like as globalization develops.