With a focus on staging long runs of Broadway tours, and a budget driven by ticket sales rather than grants or donations, The National Theatre’s unique identity among D.C. playhouses awards it some challenges.

Founded in 1835, the National has the longest-running continuous business operation of any theater in the country.

But because of a lack of successful touring productions coming out of New York this year, it is dark from late March through October, Executive Director Donn Murphy said.

The National saw successes and disappointments this season, Murphy said. “Spamalot” was a smash, but its Joan Collins and Linda Evans vehicle “Legends”, and “Doubt,” a nonmusical Broadway play featuring its original star, didn’t drive ticket sales.

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“The theater is about the musical,” TicketLiquidator.com Chief Executive Officer Donald Vaccaro said. “Very rarely will a play, even a star-driven play in New York, be a hot ticket.”

National depends exclusively on ticket sales for revenue, Murphy said, though corporations sponsor free outreach events.

Organizations rarely rent the space because it proves too expensive to outfit the stage, Murphy said.

The nonprofit Shubert Organization has run it since 1974.

“The National Theater is what I would call an unfurnished apartment,” Murphy said. “When our shows move in, they don’t want anything in their way.”

Plays that come usually have a long run and expected mass appeal.

Rarely will it host one-time events such as concerts in case it might conflict with a tour.

“Because the National Theater doesn’t present a traditional season, they tend to want to make sure they get the top titles,” said Laura Matalo, owner of the Marketing Group, which represents Broadway tours. “But there are not a lot of shows that are on the road for multiple weeks.”

Many shows Matalo markets end up at the Kennedy Center, which hosts subscriber-driven seasons, or Warner Theatre, which can host a show for a week.

At 1700 seats, the National is smaller than Warner and Baltimore’s Hippodrome.

“Some producers are really less interested in the quality experience of having a 1,700-seat house; they want the profits of a 2,200-seat house,” Murphy said.

Broadway is a cyclical business, and late 2007-2009 looks promising, Murphy said. The theater booked “Avenue Q,” “The 28th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” and a return engagement of “Spamalot”, and hopes to bring “The Color Purple,” “Jersey Boys” and Disney’s “High School Musical” to D.C.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com