{"product_id":"9781350578098","title":"Power and Greed Monopolies, Mergers, and Cartels on the American Stage","description":"\u003ch1\u003ePower and Greed\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMonopolies, Mergers, and Cartels on the American Stage\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpencer Weber Waller\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerforming Arts \/ Theater \/ Broadway \u0026amp; Musicals\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSince 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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 this established history, and more importantly, ask what could be done to change it via stronger enforcement of the antitrust laws to help prevent high prices and poor service suffered by concert-goers who buy their tickets online.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But how did we get to this point? This is the story of the\u003ci\u003e real \u003c\/i\u003ebattle for Broadway, where the men who controlled the business determined not only who produced for the theatrical and vaudeville stage but also what they produced, who would perform, where the show would play, how much the audience would pay, and how those profits would be divided. Discover how it took the law nearly sixty years to catch up to the illegal anticompetitive strategies of the Barons of the Gilded Age and their successors and why this story matters today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Including 18 images and newly available archival material, \u003ci\u003ePower and Greed\u003c\/i\u003e unpacks the shady world of the Syndicate, the Shuberts, the Vaudeville Combine, and their modern-day successors. Combining archival research, lively discussion and historical narrative this is a perfect read for theatre and entertainment fans, history enthusiasts and students of antitrust law that shows us how market competition and competition law can shape, but never eliminate, the worst impulses of those in power and those who seek power over what we see in live entertainment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSpencer Weber Waller\u003c\/b\u003e is deeply involved in the Broadway and touring theater industry, having represented actors, playwrights, marketing professionals, and theater companies. He was co-producer of the 2024 Broadway revival of\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eThe Who's\u003ci\u003e Tommy \u003c\/i\u003eand has invested in Broadway shows and touring productions. Professor Waller also is an internationally recognized expert in antitrust and consumer protection law. He is widely published in law and related subjects and frequently interviewed in the press.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e15 October 2026\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMethuen Drama\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9781350578098\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e296\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51223594860684,"sku":"9781350578098","price":29.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/getimage_b0e1b5b9-0894-46e5-b7e7-03a5e14d0da3.jpg?v=1783078554","url":"https:\/\/fh90cf-fv.myshopify.com\/products\/9781350578098","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}