If you’ve been to an ad meeting for a Broadway show recently, then you’ve probably been crowded around a table with the many other members of the team.  One meeting I know had to have [...]]]> This blog is a simple one, my friends.  Easy for us to accomplish, and symbolic for us going forward.

If you’ve been to an ad meeting for a Broadway show recently, then you’ve probably been crowded around a table with the many other members of the team.  One meeting I know had to have two rooms!  That’s ok.  It takes more and more people to put on a show these days, from marketers to digital marketers to the many producers that raise the millions of dollars necessary to pay all those people.

But in addition to all those people in the room(s), there are usually several people on the phone . . . and most of those are Producers who live in other places.

And that’s usually where things go a little wonky.

Someone doesn’t know where their mute button is, so the entire meeting hears barking dogs, or a conversation with the wifey, or . . . true story . . . a belch.  Someone else can’t hear the meeting well, and they say so every five minutes.  Someone hears very well, and speaks up every five seconds, throwing the meeting off track, because we all have to stop and listen to the person that’s not in the room.

It’s a bit of a disaster.

So, um . . . last I checked it was 2013, right?  And video conferencing is being done by 12 year olds with Skype, Google Hangouts, and Facetime, right?

Let’s get everyone who wants to call in to these meetings to do so on video.  It will create more efficient meetings, with more engagement, more accountability, and just more sh$t getting done.

See?  I told you this was a simple one.

Now, why haven’t we done it?  That’s a bigger issue.

Look, we’re always a little behind the other industries out there.  It’s not the agency’s fault.  We, as Producers, have to learn to ask for changes like this.

Because as Producers . . . as those who put the product on the stage . . . it’s our responsibility to grab the hand of our business and drag it into the next current decade.

If we don’t do it . . . who will?

#HopingToSeeVideoConferencingAtMyNextAdMeeting

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FUN STUFF:

- Play our Tony Pool and you can win an iPad.  Click here to enter and win!

- Win 2 Tickets to Murder Ballad!  Click here to enter.

- Only 46 performances of Macbeth remain!  Get tix.

And, as is more and more the case, lots of movies have made the leap as well, from Billy Elliot, to Big, to Kinky Boots.

We’ve even had albums morph into musicals, like Tommy, and [...]]]> Bunches of books have been made into Broadway shows, from Phantom, to Tale of Two Cities, to Ragtime.

And, as is more and more the case, lots of movies have made the leap as well, from Billy Elliot, to Big, to Kinky Boots.

We’ve even had albums morph into musicals, like Tommy, and as well as the catalogs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (Jersey Boys), ABBA (Mamma Mia), and many more.

Lastly, we’ve also had a ton of TV shows make it to the stage, like . . . er . . . uh . . . you know like . . . hmmmmm.

Books, movies, music, even a poem (Cats) . . . but how many TV shows have become Broadway musicals?

Seriously.  How many?

Can you find any?

We didn’t.

Ok, there’s the recent Addams Family . . . but the creators went out of their way (and rightly so) to state that they were using the original Charles Addams cartoons as their source material.  The brand of the TV show was just a bonus.

Any others?

I know about the Happy Days musical that’s played the regionals and a few tour stops.  And there’s a Lucy that’s been making the rounds.  Jerry Springer The Opera went up in London.  But like all the others, it never made it here to Broadway.  (Most recently, The Honeymooners was all set to make its pre-Broadway debut this fall at The Old Globe, but backed out at the last second).

So what is it?  Why don’t TV shows make strong source materials for Broadway musicals?

Is it because their story is told over seasons instead of a more finite arc?  Or conversely, is it because their plots are generally resolved in a 30 or 60 minute quick, simply structured wrap up?  Is it because they are generally conceived as “lighter” fare and musicals require a heavier theme?  Or frankly, is it just because we haven’t gotten around to them yet and the next decade will bring an onslaught?

Whatever the answer, the Dragnet-style “just the facts” are that TV shows don’t make successful Broadway musicals.  In fact, they just don’t make Broadway musicals period.  That seems to be the rule.

Of course, that’s the rule until someone breaks it.  And I look forward to writing that blog.

You have an idea as to why there hasn’t been more Broadway musicals based on TV shows?  Or do you have an idea for one?

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)

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FUN STUFF:

- Play our Tony Pool and you can win an iPad.  Click here to enter and win!

- Win 2 Tickets to Murder Ballad!  Click here to enter.

- Only 46 performances of Macbeth remain!  Get tix.

POSITION: Part-Time Box Office Assistant

DESCRIPTION: Vineyard Theatre, the non-profit Off-Broadway theatre company whose Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning hits include AVENUE Q, [title of show], and THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, is seeking part-time a Box Office Assistant.

The Box Office Assistant reports to the Box Office Manager and assists in all box office [...]]]> WHO: Vineyard Theatre

POSITION: Part-Time Box Office Assistant

DESCRIPTION: Vineyard Theatre, the non-profit Off-Broadway theatre company whose Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning hits include AVENUE Q, [title of show], and THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, is seeking part-time a Box Office Assistant.

The Box Office Assistant reports to the Box Office Manager and assists in all box office operations including single ticket sales, subscription processing, and customer service. Ideal candidates must have box office/ticketing experience, a professional and pleasant attitude, an aptitude for detail and accuracy, as well as strong customer service skills. Experience with ProVenue is preferred. This is a part-time position and hours vary based on our production schedule – please indicate your availability in your cover letter.

To Apply: To apply submit a resume, cover letter, and three references via e-mail to jobs@vineyardtheatre.org. Please type “BOX OFFICE ASSISTANT” in the subject line of your e-mail. No phone calls. The Vineyard Theatre is an equal opportunity employer.

I actually felt like it was pretty clear once you got [...]]]> I was struggling with the tone of a show I was working on several years back . . . the audience just wasn’t getting on our journey fast enough.  It took them too long to figure out what we were trying to do.

I actually felt like it was pretty clear once you got into the story, but I got some great advice from a respected vet that I will never forget, that helped me clearly define the tone for myself, and more importantly, the ticket buyers.

Here’s what this pro said:

It’s essential that at the top of your show (and sometimes even before you begin), you let the audience know the type of experience they are in for . . . or, more importantly, the type of experience you want them to have.  Think about it in theme park terms:  if you’re a roller coaster, you want your riders to know, just as they strap themselves in.  A carousel, same thing.  A haunted house . . . you get the picture.

So if you’re a comedy, better kick off with some funny.  Fantasy . . . let’s see/hear something that’s pretty far from reality.  And so on.

Let me reiterate that often this is in the first few moments of the show (if you’re going to see Somewhere in Time next month, you’ll see an example) . . . and sometimes it’s in the pre-show.  Sometimes it’s text, and sometimes it’s just an image, a sound, etc.

Examples?  On Altar Boyz, we added a “Thou Shalt Not Touch” sign over our soul sensor to let people know that despite the cool, hip looking rock concert set, and a title like Altar Boyz, we were going to poke a little fun at ourselves, so the audience could relax.  On Gypsy with Bernadette Peters, I remember the late, great, and often cranky, Arthur Laurents giving a note asking us to bring in the beautiful red house curtain at The Shubert Theatre for the audience walk-in, instead of letting them stare at the black, empty back wall of the theater and its ghost light for fifteen minutes . . . because an audience looking at darkness for that kind of time was going to get depressed, and Gypsy (while dark and dysfunctional at times) was an old fashioned Broadway show with a lot of comedy . . . and Arthur wanted the crowd to be in the mood.  (Audience response changed overnight, btw. Arthur was often cranky, but often right.)

You’re meeting your audience for the first time when they walk in your door.  Make sure you make a great and honest first impression.  If you don’t, they’ll never want to hang out with you for two and a half hours.

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)

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FUN STUFF:

- Play our Tony Pool and you can win an iPad.  Click here to enter and win!

- Win 2 Tickets to Murder Ballad!  Click here to enter.

- Only 47 performances of Macbeth remain!  Get tix.

POSITION: Events Producer

DESCRIPTION: The Drama League seeks a full-time Events Producer to implement artist and audience engagement programming in its new Theater Center in Tribeca. Responsibilities include booking and managing speakers, artists, panelists and participants for 70+ educational events; block-booking theatre performances; designing invitations, e-mail promotions, and other publications; and [...]]]> WHO: The Drama League

POSITION: Events Producer

DESCRIPTION: The Drama League seeks a full-time Events Producer to implement artist and audience engagement programming in its new Theater Center in Tribeca. Responsibilities include booking and managing speakers, artists, panelists and participants for 70+ educational events; block-booking theatre performances; designing invitations, e-mail promotions, and other publications; and executing two major annual auction events. Frequently requires evening attendance at events. Bachelors Degree, fluency with Adobe InDesign, and professional arts-related experience required; experience in production and/or event management preferred. The ideal candidate will have superb customer service skills, experience with fundraising auctions, and a personal network in the New York theatrical community. Salary $30K with impressive health and vacation benefits.

To Apply: To apply, please submit a professional resume and detailed cover letter summarizing your professional skills and personal perspective on events production to opportunities@dramaleague.org.

It is/was true for you, right?

If you don’t live in or close to NYC, and you’re a Broadway fan, odds are you [...]]]> Almost two decades ago, the Broadway League began tracking the demographics of the touring audience for Broadway shows, understanding that the audience on the road is a feeder audience for Broadway.

It is/was true for you, right?

If you don’t live in or close to NYC, and you’re a Broadway fan, odds are you see shows at your local Civic Center or PAC, am I right?  That’s what I used to do (shout out to the Colonial Theater and the Wang Center in Beantown!).

Touring shows are gateway drugs to the bright lights of Broadway.  Additionally, since touring shows can be more profitable than Broadway shows, it’s important for us Producers to understand just who out there is buying the tickets, how they buy them . . . and why.

Enter The League and their biennial report on the Touring Audience Demographics!  And the latest report, for the 2011-2012 season (which featured almost 13 million admissions in almost 300 theaters across our great theatrical nation) was just released last week.

You can get the full report here directly from The League, but I’m going to summarize their summary for you.

Here are the key points from the 2011-12 Touring Broadway Demographic Study:

• 12.7 million total attendees is the lowest reported attendance since 2004-05.  (NOTE FROM KEN:  GULP!)
• 70% of touring show attendees were female.
• The average age of the Touring Broadway theatregoer was 50.5 years.  (NOTE FROM KEN:  This is older than the NYC audience)
• 89% of the Touring Broadway theatregoers were Caucasian.  (NOTE FROM KEN:  This is whiter than the NYC audience.)
• 78% of the audience held a college degree and 30% held a graduate degree.
• 46% of national theatregoers reported an annual household income of more than $100k, compared to only 21% of Americans overall.
• 31% of respondents were subscribers to the “Broadway Series” at their local venue.
• On average, Touring Broadway attendees saw 4 shows per year.
• When looking for information about the show, the majority of audiences looked to the theatre’s website.
• The most commonly cited source for show selection were:  the music, personal recommendation, articles about the show, having previously seen the show, and its inclusion in the season subscription
• Respondents reported the Tony Awards to be more influential this season than in previous seasons.  21% of respondents said that Tony Awards or nominations were a reason they attended the show, compared to 8% in the 2005-06 season.
• Only 17% of respondents said that an advertisement influenced them to see a show and 14% said they were influenced by a newspaper critic’s review.
• 65% of the audience said that some kind of incentive (discounts for restaurants, parking and transportation, free merchandise, backstage tours or complete packages) would encourage them to attend theatre more frequently.
• Facebook was the most widely used social networking site.
• 40% of respondents said different performance times would encourage them to attend Touring Broadway more frequently.
• 47% of Touring Broadway theatregoers used the Internet to purchase their tickets, the highest percentage yet.
• Advance sales to single-ticket buyers has increased in comparison to the early 2000′s.
• 34% of respondents said they made a visit to NYC in the past year.  Of those 82% attended a Broadway show while in town. (NOTE FROM KEN:  This number should be 90% or more IMHO, so we’ve got work to do.)
• 75% of respondents said they would prefer to receive theatre information electronically, rather than postal mail.

Well, what do you think?  Is the Touring Audience what you expected it to be?  Do you fit in the above group?

If you’re interested, click here to see a summary of the latest report on the Broadway demographic audience and you can see how the two stack up side by side.

Lots of interesting stuff in the report, as always.  Of course, the most concerning stat is the drop in attendance since almost ten years ago.  And, significantly, the past three years have seen a decrease each year.

Why?  Is it because the subscription audience is waning?  Is it because there’s too much competition out there?  Is it because there aren’t enough new blockbusters out there to drive admissions?

Sure, yep, and true that.

But those aren’t the only reasons.  And because the Touring Market is such a necessary component of the Broadway Business Model, especially for musicals, we better find out.  And fast.  Because no one wants to see a fourth year of decline for the next report.

What do you think the issue is?

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)

_ _

FUN STUFF:

- Play our Tony Pool and you can win an iPad.  Click here to enter and win!

- Win 2 Tickets to Murder Ballad!  Click here to enter.

- Only 48 performances of Macbeth remain!  Get tix.

POSITION: Development Associate

DESCRIPTION: Gulfshore Playhouse, a not-for-profit, professional theatre company located in Naples, Florida, is seeking a dynamic, motivated individual to serve as the Development Associate for their 2013-2014 Season. Gulfshore Playhouse offers a diverse season of straight plays ranging from venerated classics and Broadway hits to contemporary plays and world premieres. [...]]]> WHO: Gulfshore Playhouse

POSITION: Development Associate

DESCRIPTION: Gulfshore Playhouse, a not-for-profit, professional theatre company located in Naples, Florida, is seeking a dynamic, motivated individual to serve as the Development Associate for their 2013-2014 Season. Gulfshore Playhouse offers a diverse season of straight plays ranging from venerated classics and Broadway hits to contemporary plays and world premieres. The Playhouse is passionately committed to producing high-quality, professional theatre which exceeds the expectations of the worldly, cultured residents and visitors of Naples, FL, many of whom are regular theatre-goers in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Currently entering its tenth year, the company produces in a 200 seat house with a staff of 1. Start date: August 26, 2013.

Reporting to the Producing Artistic Director, the Development Associate will be responsible for

Evaluating the organization’s current and future financial needs.
Creating and managing the research, design and implementation of a fundraising plan for public and private sector donors to Gulfshore Playhouse, and updating it yearly.
Strategizing, organizing and executing our two major fundraising events in association with the Producing Artistic Director and the respective Fundraising Committees.
Reporting to foundations or large donors on specific projects.
Maintaining active database files and organizing strategies within the Board and Staff with relation to the patrons and current and potential donors in the files.
Research potential sponsors, donors and unique fundraising opportunities
Understanding donor desires and values and working towards improving Gulfshore’s ability to effectively respond to those needs and values.

The ideal candidate is a strong, team-spirited self-starter who is excited to join a tireless, rapidly-growing professional regional theatre. Candidates should be friendly, excellent with staff, visiting actors and patrons alike, and possess excellent organizational skills. The Playhouse values hard work, kindness, generosity, passion, and grace-under-pressure. Employee will be expected to work extended hours on occasion when necessary to meet goals. Weekend and evening hours are required including attendance at Opening Nights, special events, and/or meetings that may happen outside normal hours.

Qualifications:
Three to Five years experience in the field required
Experience working in not-for-profit organizational context
Strong organizational, interpersonal and planning skills
Strong written and verbal communications skills
Experience with managing information systems and marketing databases preferred
Familiarity with Theatre and/or Performing Arts preferred

To Apply: Please send cover letter, resume, and a list of references to jobs@gulfshoreplayhouse.org. Background checks will be performed on all applicants.

POSITION: Press Intern

DESCRIPTION: The Metropolitan Opera seeks a press intern for Summer 2013. The internship is unpaid and the intern must receive school credit for the internship. Schedule is flexible with an ideal commitment of 2-3 days a week during the summer.

This is an educational opportunity to experience firsthand the [...]]]> WHO: The Metropolitan Opera

POSITION: Press Intern

DESCRIPTION: The Metropolitan Opera seeks a press intern for Summer 2013. The internship is unpaid and the intern must receive school credit for the internship. Schedule is flexible with an ideal commitment of 2-3 days a week during the summer.

This is an educational opportunity to experience firsthand the workings of the press department at a large performing arts organization. The intern will work on projects related to publicity efforts for the Met’s 2013-14 season, as well as various researching, reporting, and organizational tasks.

Excellent attention to detail and an interest in opera or classical music are preferred.

To Apply: Please send resume and cover to press@metopera.org and make sure to include information on summer availability.

On this rainy spring day, we’re going to give away tickets to a deliciously dark musical . . . Murder Ballad!

Murder Ballad was a surprise hit earlier this season at Manhattan Theatre Club’s newly re-opened Off Broadway underground space, and now [...]]]> Happy spring Sunday, Producer’s Perspective readers!

On this rainy spring day, we’re going to give away tickets to a deliciously dark musical . . . Murder Ballad!

Murder Ballad was a surprise hit earlier this season at Manhattan Theatre Club’s newly re-opened Off Broadway underground space, and now it’s back downtown at the Union Square Theatre for an uber cool commercial run.

It’s got a “killer” cast (get it?  Murder Ballad?  Killer?  I made a “punny”) – Will Swenson, Caissie Levy, John Ellison Conlee, Rebecca Naomi Jones.  And they’ve modified the Union Square Theatre to make the show “environmental.”

Environmental shows seem to be all the rage these days, with Sleep No More, and more recently, Here Lies Love and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 amongst others.

What is it about environmental productions?  Is it a generational thing?  Has the modern theater reached an age where our audiences (or our creators) are bored with seeing the same shows in such similar spaces that they’ve busted down the fourth wall and created fifth and sixth walls?  Is it even neater if it doesn’t take place in a theater?  Can any show be environmental?

While I encourage your comments on all those questions, it’s the last one that is the subject of this Giveaway.  Pick a show, any show, and set it in an environment specific to the production (ex. Little Shop of Horrors in a Flower Shop) and I’ll pick one winner . . . and that winner will get two tickets to Murder Ballad!

Good luck!  Happy Murder!

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)

_ _

FUN STUFF:

- Play our Tony Pool and you can win an iPad.  Click here to enter and win!

- Only 49 performances of Macbeth remain!  Get tix.