What is Happening to Broadway? Words Are Coming to Pass.

Some of you may have seen this article in the New York Times recently entitled, "The Broadway Musical is in Trouble" (a subscription to NY Times is required to read it, but even if you can’t, this blog will explain).

Why is this so huge?

The New York Times is finally admitting what I and my pastors have been speaking out for years. Basically, that Broadway will not succeed until it makes room for God’s people.

The concession that Broadway musicals are in trouble is one that the NYC theatre community has seemed unwilling to make, until now. (Producer Jeffery Seller got heaps of backlash for simply stating the true fact that Broadway hasn't had a mega hit since Hamilton). But facts are stubborn things, and can no longer be denied. According to the Times article by Michael Paulson, 'None of the 18 commercial musicals that opened on Broadway last season have made a profit yet....The new musicals “Tammy Faye,” “Boop!” and “Smash” each cost at least $20 million to bring to the stage, and each was gone less than four months after opening. All three lost their entire investments.' The rest of the article continues in the same bleak vein.

Let me begin with various prophetic words that have been spoken by my church, Times of Refreshing Christian Centre, NY, under the leadership and guidance of our residing prophet of the house, Dr. Robyn Kassas.

Word spoken on October 4, 2023 from Virginia Hart Pike for Season Casting 2024 at TORCC-NY:

I have called forth a drought in creativity and excellence in the Industry for a time as I await the repentance of the Industry to bring My people back. The Industry will not prosper financially until room is made for My people to be free within the doors of the Industry.

In the 2025 Season Casting booklet, in Pastor Nathan Kassas’ word from the Lord he wrote:

And now I declare, the drought in creativity is from Me. I have dried up the demonic wells that have sustained the system - those poisoned waters that once fed your souls with false glory, emotionalism, and perversion. No more.

Also, on September 12, 2021, in Virginia Hart Pike’s (my) sermon about the Arts mountain, I declared that “…the Lord will not bless Broadway until Broadway blesses His people, Christians, not despite the fact that we’re Christian, but because we are Christian. Until that happens, Broadway will not prosper.”

And the truth is, Broadway has not been such a "Christian-friendly" place for quite some time. I will expound more on that in other blogs, but the focus for now is on the Church becoming aware of and responding to the prophetic words the Lord is releasing. As we get aligned with the words coming from God's prophets, we will find strategy and unity in how to truly bring the Kingdom of God to and through the Arts mountain, especially now when the need for fresh new inspiration is apparent even to the world.

There are many other words that have been spoken through TORCC-NY that have led us to this point that one could find if they purchased TORCC's season casting books, which are released each year. I can not recommend strongly enough for all believers to get on board with the words the Lord is releasing through His prophets, but in particular, His artists. Why His artists?

We artists operate through revelation expressed creatively, at least, when we are truly doing our jobs. Whether it’s our own revelation or someone else’s, the Arts are not something you can simply manufacture. They require some source of inspiration. The Arts have the potential to be, and should be, God’s own heart expressed through the creative gifts of His people. Works of all of the Arts should expose human hearts, locate truth where we couldn’t see it before, reveal God’s personal love for us individually, and give us all an experience of Heaven that we could not otherwise get through mere speech. This is why it is so important that the source, the inspiration of our work is pure and Godly.

Works of all of the Arts should expose human hearts, locate truth where we couldn’t see it before, reveal God’s personal love for us individually, and give us all an experience of Heaven that we could not otherwise get through mere speech.

When artists operate independently of the Church, they are in danger of their revelation coming from their own limited, biased perspective. The Holy Spirit works through the Church and The Lord’s governmental leadership: His prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). Without connection to the five-fold leadership of the Church, then Christian artists are operating from a limited revelation. I’m not saying there’s no merit to their work, but it will fall short of the maximum impact that we as Christians can, and are called to make.

This is why I am encouraging all my artist friends to attend the TORCC-NY Season Casting conference this weekend (October 3-5), either in-person, or watching online. This is when our pastors, Dr. Robyn Kassas, Dr. Tony Kassas and (soon-to-be Dr.) Pastor Nathan Kassas all release prophetic teachings and words for the new Hebraic year, 5786. These words give us a glimpse of God’s heart, and help calibrate us to the times we are in now. Being connected to these words and teachings are what give us artists relevance that transcends human wisdom and knowledge - “Heavenly relevance” (hey, I like that term!). What do I mean by that? Our work should always be relevant so it’s relatable to people. It should be a “now word”, a present truth. However, it can feel relevant but point in the wrong direction. We might be unwittingly espousing doctrines of demons in our work if we are not accountable to the body of Christ and its leadership. I’ve been there, done that, so I’m not judging anyone.

In these days, the road is narrow, and getting narrower. We cannot be sloppy spiritually in what we are creating and producing. But knowing how to be in the Lord’s will is not a matter of doing everything right. It’s a matter of our hearts being pure before Him, and being aligned with His leadership.

TORCC-NY Season Casting logo created by Dr. Robyn Kassas and the TORCC-NY creative team.

I could write books about all of this, and perhaps I will, but in the mean time, please, go to Season Casting this weekend! Here is the description from the website:

Season Casting 2026 is more than a conference—it's a prophetic gathering where heaven meets earth. Join us in New York City as we step into an unprecedented season of double grace for double authority. This is your moment to receive fresh revelation, connect with prophetic voices from around the world, and position yourself for the extraordinary move of God that is upon us. The time is now. The place is here. Your destiny awaits.

After all, how will the Christians be ready to fill the void created by the fall of the Broadway musical if we don't have the revelation from Heaven about what to create and produce? Do we want to see a move of God, or a move of man in the theatre industry? If we want a move of God, then to be His vessels we need to know His heart and His will. We want to write His story, not our own. Without hearing from His prophets and apostles, we will not know what chapter of His story we are in now. The revelation comes first to His church leaders, but we artists have the ability to communicate it in a uniquely creative and beautiful way.

I hope to see you at Season Casting, or hear what you thought of it if you can only come online!

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Virginia Hart Pike is the Artistic Director of REGA Arts, as well as a voice teacher, and composer/lyricist/bookwriter.

REGA Arts is a Christian Theatre Company with the mission of training and raising up Christians to have a career in the theatre industry, and creating new works of theater. It is affiliated with Times of Refreshing Christian Center, NY (TORCC-NY) as its spiritual oversight, under the leadership of Dr. Robyn Kassas, Dr. Tony Kassas, and Pastor Nathan Kassas.