Broadway Doesn’t Need Scott Rudin. It Never Did.

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Word on the street is that Scott Rudin is sniffing around Broadway again. And I have to ask… why?

Sure, he’s produced some incredible shows. He’s won plenty of Tony Awards. But let’s not pretend that justifies the years of abuse, manipulation, and unchecked power that defined his career. Broadway has been better without him. Period.

Back in 2021, The Hollywood Reporter blew the lid off what so many in the industry already knew: Rudin ran his office like a war zone. Throwing baked potatoes and glass bowls at assistants, smashing a computer monitor on someone’s hand—this wasn’t just high-strung behavior, it was violent and toxic. And for years, it was tolerated because he was “brilliant.”

He “stepped back” from his projects after the story came out. Not because he saw the error of his ways—but because the public finally caught on. And when the spotlight faded, so did he… at least on paper.

Let me remind you that I’ve written about Rudin’s behavior for years on this blog. I called on entertainment unions to put him on their "DO NOT WORK" lists. I said, “If serial rape by Harvey Weinstein or longstanding workplace bullying by Rudin isn’t enough for groups to take action… I’m terrified of where that line in the sand lies.”

I stand by that.

And it’s not just about abuse—it’s about representation. I crunched the numbers and found that out of the 77 productions Rudin backed, less than 10% were written or directed by BIPOC artists. In the wake of Broadway's so-called racial reckoning, Rudin was still pushing all-white creative teams. I said it then, and I’ll say it now: he had the power to shift the culture, and he chose not to.

Let’s be real—Broadway didn’t just survive without Rudin. It started healing. New producers stepped in. New voices got the spotlight. The culture started to shift. And yeah, there’s still a long way to go, but at least we’re moving forward.

Then came Vanity Fair’s 2022 report that Rudin was still pulling strings from the shadows, allegedly orchestrating the shutdown of To Kill a Mockingbird. This guy doesn’t know how to walk away. He doesn’t want to. Because it’s never really been about the art—it’s been about control.

So no, this isn’t just “Can Scott Rudin come back?” It’s “should we let him?” And my answer is a hard no.

I love this industry too much to pretend people like him are necessary. They’re not. The myth that brilliant, abusive producers are the only way to get great theater is just that—a myth. Broadway works best when it’s collaborative, respectful, and inclusive. That’s the future. That’s where the good work is coming from now.

So if Rudin wants a comeback, he can look elsewhere. We’re doing just fine without him.

Let’s keep it that way.