What if there were no reviews?

How would you market your show?

This blog was inspired by a Producer of a soon-to-open show in New York City.  When I asked what the advertising strategy was, he said, "Well, we're doing X,Y & Z, and then we open next week, the reviews will come out, and, well, we'll see what happens!"

Are you designing your marketing plans around your Opening Night, hoping for a rave from The Times that will sell you out, so that you can sell out and retire on your rambo-sized royalty checks?

Big mistake.

Here's my advice:  run your show like there are no reviews. 

When coming up with your marketing strategy, imagine that the newspapers and magazines and didhelikeit.coms have been destroyed.  Imagine that there is no holding out for a big boost when the papers say that your play is the next best thing since sliced Cats.

Imagine that you'd have to rely solely on the strength of your product and what the people say about it.

You can't control the reviews.  So don't count on them.

And run without them.