Here Lies Love is the first Broadway show to offer affordable, accessible, and ethical childcare to parental and caregiver theatre patrons alike. That’s right, it will provide free childcare at certain performances! We are going to dive deep into why that is such a massive deal in this industry, and why it proves more shows and venues should offer these or similar services.

This announcement was first made on 15 August and shocked not only the community of New York City and Broadway, but the majority of theatrical communities across the world. Having childcare provided, especially free childcare, is unheard of. Having it be provided in a performing arts space has never been done before.

These first-of-its-kind free childcare services was provided during the 3:30 PM matinee performance on 23 September. That’s not the only performance these services were at! There are three other performances the show and partner Broadway Babysitters are planning to have these free services for patrons, this will be announced at a later date. To say this is groundbreaking would be a vast understatement.

The need for a service like this has somewhat always been around. Like many things about this industry, however, it is merely coming to a brighter light and being spoken about louder. The value of good childcare is essential for any parent to have peace of mind. The value of having free childcare while you enjoy yourself knowing the children are safe, and having fun with trained professionals in the industry is incomprehensible. Furthermore, the extent to which this program could grow is unimaginable. There is no shortage of those wanting to be part of an audience for large-scale shows, but there is a shortage of affordable options to make that happen, especially when children are involved in the equation. This program will give parents and caregivers alike the chance to relax and do something for themselves probably for the first time in a long time.

Jen Malenke, owner of Broadway Babysitters, founded the company to aid performers with having a job between show contracts, as well as helping actor parents with affordable childcare. She has been on Broadway, reality shows, a judge on a competition show, and performed at concerts. Like many before, she got her “big break” when she was a babysitter and has seen the need for this kind of service for a long time.

Obviously, this free childcare services opportunity isn’t just for those who wouldn’t typically be able to see these performances. There is no doubt that the theatre and babysitting service is profiting from this as this, of course, means more ticket sales for a matinee performance, which traditionally doesn’t get many ticket sales. With the added factor of children, this means parents are also more likely to spend money on merchandise as well as ask for the babysitting service in the future, either privately or at one of the other matinee performances.

This article was originally published on TheatreArtLife.com on August 29, 2023. Written by TheatreArtLife Content Producer Drew Janine. Where applicable, verb tenses have been altered in this version to reflect time’s passage since the announcement.

Drew Janine

Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive in her work. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020, and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending some time on tour. Drew’s favorite by far though, has been the chance to work on Broadways and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry.