Power and Greed: Monopolies, Mergers, and Cartels on the American Stage

Since the second half of the 19th century, live entertainment in the United States has been governed by monopolies and powerful business cartels. Through power and greed they controlled who could produce, book, and present live performance and legitimate theatre, affecting audiences in New York City and across North America.

Far from being a historical problem, it took the botched rollout of the 2023 Taylor Swift Eras tour via Live Nation/Ticketmaster for people and Congress to question th...