Ken Davenport - Opinions from a Broadway Producer

Broadway Stagehands Talk Back

I recently discovered a website (thanks to another tip from one of my loyal readers) that allows Broadway stagehands to voice their opinions about issues facing them.  It's called a "member's website" . . . a kind of social networking for stagehands. 

It's another example that proves that  online water coolers are the future of the proliferation of ideas.

Check it out at  www.BroadwayLocalOne.com and click on the "Stagehands Talk Back"  section to read all about their thoughts on the Broadway Strike, the WGA strike, their leaders, the producers, and much, much more. 

I read it for hours.

You Know You're A Brand When . . .

. . . Parking Lot Attendants do your marketing for you.

Look at this piece of "outdoor advertising" I found at a lot on 49th St.

If I was Larry Page or Sergey Brin (the lucky-brilliant-ducks that came up with Google), I would take the above as a sign (pun intended) that I had satisfied my mission statement.

What's Grosser Than Gross?

Not knowing what your industry's grosses are.

At the first meeting of the Off-Broadway Brainstormers,, founded by the Executive Director of New World Stages,  Beverley D. Mac Keen (who is one of the most foreword thinkers I know), a proposal was made by now president of the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers, George Forbes, to collect grosses from all currently running Off-Broadway shows, in an effort to truly understand our own economic impact.

It was one of those very simple proposals that made perfect sense.  How can we formulate budgets, contemplate theater sizes, etc. without knowing what our market bears.  Right?

Well, believe it or not, this idea met (and still meets) with resistance from some of my fellow producers.

The League and The Brainstormers came up with a great policy to address some very valid concerns:

- We made agreements with the ticketing companies so grosses would be sent directly to the League so no additional work would be required on behalf of the production.

- The grosses would be sent to one person at the League, and only three high-ranking individuals would have access to the show's individual data, and would sign confidentiality agreements never to share the information.

- No show's individual grosses would ever be released to any party.

- The aggregated data would also never be released unless a committee at the League approved of its use.

Despite all of these efforts to keep the data confidential and to install safeguards so that it was only used for the good of the industry, many producers still refused to allow their grosses to be reported.

Most simply say that they don't want their grosses getting out to their competition.  I kind of understand this, but, uhhhh, remember the confidentiality agreements and the fact that only 3 people can access the data???  And that we're not releasing an individual show's data, but only looking at the combined results?

Oh, and this is my favorite part . . . do these producers remember that these numbers are sent to unions every week?  ATPAM has a sliding scale compensation that is based on gross so they have to send them the numbers.  Most likely their show has an SSDC director on a royalty pool, which means that union is getting their information (and the director and the director's agent, and his assistant, etc.).  If there was "competition", wouldn't the unions be the competition more than The League?  Add the advertising agencies (which we already know leak like the Titanic), box office personnel, managers, etc. to the list of people that already get grosses, and you've got more people who know your business than a public company!

I mean, really, are three more people who sign confidentiality agreements and work for the League going to all of a sudden open up your show to attention from the National Enquirer?  (If only!)

Sorry, but no one, other than the people trying to figure out how to solve the Off-Broadway problem, cares that much.

Sharing your grosses publicly (like Broadway shows do in Variety) is up for debate, and I'm not sure where I stand on that just yet, but sharing numbers in a private, protected environment for study and analysis is not only smart, it's essential.  And just like your mom told you, it's just plain selfish not to share.

What are people afraid of?  That we might see some low numbers?  Guess what, with all the Off-Broadway shows that come and go, I think we have a clue that you're not doing so well.

And besides, we learn from the bad ones.  It's just like learning to ride a bike.  You learn more when you fall off than you do when you don't.

So why do some of these very smart people choose not to opt-in to this program?  Look, I'm a control freak.  As an Off-Broadway producer, I'm not in control very often.  I think that most producers are just like me.  And they are refusing to release their numbers (even though they are released other ways), because it is one of the few things that they can control. 

If any Producers out there are struggling with this issue, let me know.  I see a therapist once a week to help me get over it and would be happy to give you a recommendation.  The industry will be better off as a result.

P.S.  What do you think of Broadway shows publicly sharing numbers in Variety?  I've turned my comments on, so comment away if you'd like (yes, even you Mom).

Long Runners on Broadway vs. Long Runners Off-Broadway

The top three longest running Broadway shows according to Playbill.com are:

Phantom of the Opera                 8279 performances and counting.
Cats                                          7485 performances
Les Misérables                           6680 performances

 

The top three longest running Off-Broadway shows are:

The Fantasticks                          17,162 performances
Perfect Crime                              8,421 performances and counting.
Blue Man Group: Tubes               8,406 performances and counting.

Hmmm.  Interesting.  The #3 long runner Off-Broadway has performed more shows than the #1 marathoner on Broadway. 

Let's keep going and look at the top ten long runners.

The combined number of performances for the top ten long runners on Broadway is 57,764 performances with four shows still going.

The combined number of performances for the top ten long runners Off-Broadway is approximately 65,145 performances with six shows still going.

I say "approximately" because if you'll notice in that Playbill article, the data from the Off-Broadway shows is almost a year older than the Broadway shows.  Oh, and they stopped counting Forbidden Broadway in 1987.   Um, that's right, 1987.  2 years BEFORE  The Awesome 80s Prom even takes place.  Oh, and they also decided not to include Tony 'n Tina's since 2004.  So I made some educated assumptions to get to the total.

What's the takeaway here?

Surprise, surprise, it's good news for Off-Broadway!

Off-Broadway hits have a greater stamina than Broadway hits.  Once you break on through to the other side (penetrate the tourist market), you'll just run and run and run, and not even The Phantom of the Opera will catch up.  That's right, I'm betting another $100 that both Perfect Crime and Blue Man Group run longer than The Masked Man.  And that no Broadway show ever catches The Fantasticks.

Oh, and you know what else these numbers teach us?

That the Off-Broadway community has got to come together more to aggregate their data.  How can we say what we are . . . without knowing what we are?  More on a specific example of this problem in the Off-Broadway community tomorrow.

More Breaking News About Elaine's Hair!

My apologies to one of my faithful readers who emailed me about my post congratulating Theater Talk for standing up to Elaine Stritch's demand for payment of her hair expenses.

It turns out that Theater Talk isn't the only one who refused to pay for Elaine's hair.

Here's the scoop:

In 2002, Elaine appeared at  The Drama League Awards.  She requested payment of her hair bill in advance.  They refused.

So, WDED?  (What did Elaine do?)

She protested the "frugality" of the show by showing up in curlers!  

Pictures below provided by my anonymous tipster:

 

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Trivia Time: Who Has Produced the Most Broadway Shows In The Last 20 Years?

Cameron Macintosh?  Disney?  The Weisslers?

Nope.

The Roundabout.

They've produced more Broadway shows than anyone.  More in one SEASON that most producers produce over two decades.

And they are a non-profit.  Coincidence?  Or evidence that a different economic model is what is needed to be a prolific producer.

Off-Broadway Shows Are Like Rowboats . . .

Ok, it's time to announce the answer to the Off-Broadway 

 rowboat riddle!

Unfortunately there were no winners to my $100 challenge.   A couple came close, but here's a longer version of what I was going for.

The analogy actually starts like this:

Broadway shows are like giant steamships, kind of like the Titanic. They are so big, so cumbersome and require so much energy to get going, that once you actually get them in the water . . . there's not much you can do to veer them from their destination. 

They are either going to hit the iceberg, or they won't. 

Off-Broadway shows are more like rowboats.  You can turn them a lot quicker and with a lot less effort.  One quick row of an oar and you're headed in a new direction. 

Unfortunately, they also sink a lot faster.  (In fact, 89% of all commercial Off-Broadway shows close within 6 months).

Here are a couple of my favorite entries from some of the readers out there:

- "Off-Broadway is like a rowboat.  You only get somewhere after working hard to move yourself."

- "Off-Broadway is like a rowboat.  The more people you have rowing in the same direction, the faster and farther you go."

Thanks, guys.  And for being a runner up, I'm giving both of you iTunes gift cards!  Keep your eye on your inbox.

And I suggest you get this song with your first purchase.

Booya! Elaine Got Called Out!

Someone finally stood up to Elaine Stritch and her expense antics.  Read about it in The Post 

 here.

I laughed out loud when I read this today, because it brought back a lot of memories.  

As the  former Associate Company Manager for the Broadway production of Livent's Show Boat, I can tell you that a lot of these exact same bills crossed my desk every week.  If Elaine went outside of the hotel room where she lived, we got charged for hair, limo, massages, the works.

My favorite Elaine memory was the day I got a letter from her with a receipt for close to $200 from Orso, at least six months after she left the show.  There was a note attached.  "Dear Steve," (she called me Steve, don't ask me why), "Garth  and I were supposed to have dinner this week, but he canceled his trip.  So . . . he told me to have dinner on him.  Here's the bill."

The real funny part?  We were instructed to pay it.  Maybe that's one of the reasons the company that produced some of the  grandest productions of its time went bankrupt. 

You gotta love Elaine.  Talented and ballsy. 

Maybe she should give up acting and produce, with mad skills like that.  I'd like to see what she would do if someone submitted hair bills to her.

And good for Michael Riedel of The Post (and of  Theater Talk) for slipping this tidbit to Page 6 on the other side of his office.

Christmas Card Clutter

Mailboxes are worse than the entertainment pages of the New York Times this time of year.

With all of the Christmas cards that everyone receives, how do you compete for the receiver's attention?   Is your card really going to make an impression?  And in today's green-times, is it really worth a slice of a Sequoia to send a card in such a cluttered environment? 

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for the time people take to remember me, but sending Christmas cards is like taking out an ABC in the New York Times.  People just keep doing it without realizing it isn't as effective as it may have been.

OK, I'll try and take my Scrooge hat off now and be a bit more constructive.  Let's say you feel compelled to send cards to your clients, friends or family.  Here are a few quick ideas on how to get your cards through the CCC (Christmas Card Clutter):

 

1.  Be First

Make sure your card arrives before everyone else's.  The day after Thanksgiving.  Or, if you really want to make an impression?  Send it in July.

2.  Be Last

Embrace your procrastination and use it to your advantage.  Send your card right after people are clearing off their mantles so it arrives in their mailbox in January, at the same time as their December credit card bills.

3.  Make It Personal

Speaks for itself.  Photos, letters (yes, even form letters), etc.  Cards usually wrap up a year, so take a moment to remind the recipient about a very positive experience you shared at some point during the year. 

4.  Make It Your Own With a Custom Design

Send fewer letters and make a bigger impression for the same money with a custom design that says what is unique about your company.  If you're a vendor, send a card that has your company's name or logo on the FRONT of the card.  Think about how cards are displayed on desks or mantles.  It's never with the signature on the outside.  With the right design, Christmas cards can be mini-billboards.

Can't afford a designer and don't know how to work Photoshop?  Do it old school and make your cards like a 2nd grader.  They'll stand out big time.

5.   Put Something In The Card

Include a coupon.  10% off the client's first service in the New Year.   A coupon for a free hug.  Whatever.  But something that adds value to the card (and can be tracked).

6.  Don't Send a Card

Send something else.  Again, spend a little more money on less people and make it count.  And make it something that doesn't get tossed out after the New Year, but that will sit on a desk, constantly reminding that person of you.

Or send a one dollar bill in a plain white envelope and with a post-it note attached that says, "We have trouble picking out cards for our diverse client list.  Here's a dollar.  Feel free to buy a card that suits you best.  Or buy a hot dog."

I realize that people are shaking their head at me right now because I'm breaking down a time-honored tradition of spreading joy into a marketing strategy.  Shake away, but here's the thing: everything we do in life is a form of marketing.  If you get a new hair cut or buy a new suit, you're redesigning your brand's image.  If you send text messages or mass emails to friends, you're engaging in direct response.  Christmas cards are just another form of marketing in our own lives.

And my point is that if you're going to do it (like any form of advertising), do it effectively. 

Personally, I'd rather my vendors and casual acquaintances save the paper and the postage and make a $1 donation to a favorite

 charity.

Do you have any ideas on how to break through the CCC?  Or have you received any great CCs that got your attention?  Email me and I'll post the

 best.

 

New Businesses Are Like Children . . .

Children grow very quickly in the first few years of life. 

And then, eventually, that growth slows down.

New businesses (and new shows) . . . are the same.

It's easy to get them to grow during the first few years (or months if you're talking about a show).  The hard part is to continue that growth, long after puberty is over.

Because otherwise, they just get old and die.