Performing arts, Theatre director Leadership, Cultural Scorecard, Cultural

This study investigates the determinants of consumer interest in the immersive theatre genre in order to determine which part of today’s audience can best handle high risk and uncertainty in its decisionmaking process and thereby ensures the popularity of this innovative theatre genre. The study adopts a quantitative approach and samples 315 respondents from three different generations: the millennial generation, Generation X, and the baby boomers. Using literature about product innovation, consumer behavior, immersive theatre, and the millennial generation, hypotheses about the relationship between several determinants and the interest in immersive theatre experiences are developed and tested. The results indicate (1) that the millennial generation shows the most interest in immersive theatre, which can be explained by millennials’ interest in other immersive experiences; (2) that individuals characterized by openness to experience, an entrepreneurial mindset, or symbolic needs show a higher interest in the immersive theatre form and/or its marketing strategy; and (3) that non-millennials characterized by hedonism demonstrate a low interest the immersive theatre form, whereas millennials characterized by hedonism demonstrate a higher interest. An additional finding suggests that interest in the immersive theatre form from regular theatre goers can be explained by immersive theatre’s marketing strategy. Altogether, the study demonstrates that the uncertainty that comes from product innovativeness in the performing arts does not always has a negative effect on the demand. In contradiction, it generates interest in performing arts among people who are younger and/or have the attitudes and behavior of the millennial generation.