Ken Davenport - Opinions from a Broadway Producer

The right to vote . . . restored! Kind of.

Last week, a compromise was reached between the Tony Awards and the critical press after almost a year of a very public and tense standoff.

Here's what happened:

On July 14, 2009, the Tonys sent all the reviewers on the "First Night Press List" (those who are invited to see shows on opening night or before) a letter saying that their Tony voter status had been revoked.  An excerpt from the letter stated the following reasons for the change:

Please note that this change in no way affects your inclusion on the First Night Press List. As you know, a committee of Broadway press agents develops and administers the First Night Press List, and it does not fall under the purview of Tony Award Productions, The Broadway League, or the American Theatre Wing.

In making this decision, the Tony Management Committee took into account that members of the First Night Press List will of course continue to have the opportunity to express their critical opinions in reviews and other coverage of the theatre season. In addition, the Management Committee took into consideration the fact that certain publications and individual critics have historically pursued a policy of abstaining from voting on entertainment awards in general, to avoid any possible conflicts of interest in fulfilling their primary responsibilities as journalists."

Ok. Makes sense.  If the Tony Awards don't control the list, you can see why they might be concerned about who is able to cast a ballot.  Can you imagine a co-op board allowing someone to vote for a building amendment if they didn't have a say in who was living in the building?  

But, you can without a doubt see the side of the critics who jumped up and down concerned about the lack of the critical voice in the block of voters.  

All in all, about 100 people's privileges were revoked.  And a lot of those 100 people were very vocal about their displeasure.  

Last week, the Tonys listened.

It was announced on March 25, 2010, less than two months before voting begins, that members of the Drama Critics' Circle, a group that has been around since 1935, a group that has membership guidelines, structure, meetings, executive leadership and their own awards, will be allowed to cast a vote for the Tony Awards.

While this will still leave several of those first nighters without a vote, I think this was a wonderful compromise that allows the Tonys to establish more of a structure to the body of voters, while ensuring that this body is made up of the most diverse group of contributors to our unique world.  

Critics have a place in this world.  And they should have a vote.  I'm now thankful that they do.  
 

Oh, by the way, I would have linked to the Variety article about this subject . . . but they've put their stories behind a e-wall now.  I wonder how that's gonna work out for them. Here's a Theatermania article instead.  

To read more about the Drama Critics' Circle, click here.

Surprise, surprise! A show recoups sans star!

Here's something that you probably didn't expect to hear (I know I didn't) . . .

Next to Normal recouped its investment.

Crushing current conventional Broadway wisdom, this non-spectacle, non-star-driven musical about a woman suffering from bipolar disorder fought through a steady rain of a season and made it into profit.  Oh, and it did it in a pretty timely fashion (the recoupment was announced exactly one year from the show's first preview).  

Super kudos to everyone involved in this production who fought the biggest of uphill battles getting into the black.

How did they do it?

IMHO, there are three reasons why N2N recouped:

1.  A killer score

I've said it before but I'll say it again, when the root word of musical is 'music,' there's a lot riding on that score.  Normal's score is so fantastic and fresh, it took down the mighty Elton John and won a Tony.  Nothing spreads word of mouth faster than great tunes.  

2. A "committed" team of Producers and Creatives.

Does anyone remember that in addition to trying out at the NYMF in '05 under the title Feeling Electric, the show came into New York to soft response at Second Stage, then left New York for DC, then came back to NY?  That's like showing up at a party underdressed, leaving, and coming back a few hours later in a new outfit like nothing happened.  But something did happen, alright.  The team worked their tails off.  It took faith and a giant set of grapes to do what they did.  

3.  A low capitalization and even lower running costs.

A Broadway musical for $4 million bucks, even with all that development?  That's the way to do it.  To tell its intimate story, N2N didn't need a chandelier and a helicopter.  More importantly, everyone on the team obviously knew that this one wasn't going to be easy, so they structured it to make economic sense given the material, and now everyone is making a lot more dollars and cents.
 

The recoupment of Normal on Broadway in this environment is a major event.  It demonstrates that smart material and smart producing can yield positive results, despite what we think is our audience's appetite.

So when everyone is telling you that your show won't work, you should remind them that a trend is a trend . . . until one show changes it.  

And that show might as well be yours.

You can read all about the recoupment in Patrick Healy's New York Times article here.

Broadway Grosses w/e 3/28/10

Show Name	GrossGross	TotalAttn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE	$489,726	6,216	72.55%	$78.78
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC	$831,584	7,004	94.04%	$118.73
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE	$909,167	8,729	101.12%	$104.15
ALL ABOUT ME	$216,425	3,426	40.94%	$63.17
AMERICAN IDIOT	$568,483	6,564	15.36%	$86.61
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$1,196,092	11,302	99.42%	$105.83
CHICAGO	$567,195	7,502	86.83%	$75.61
COME FLY AWAY	$627,481	10,422	82.09%	$60.21
FELA!	$509,804	6,841	83.02%	$74.52
GOD OF CARNAGE	$316,934	4,896	56.77%	$64.73
HAIR	$468,340	7,286	64.50%	$64.28
IN THE HEIGHTS	$669,223	9,044	84.11%	$74.00
JERSEY BOYS	$1,043,861	9,459	96.28%	$110.36
LEND ME A TENOR	$278,255	5,072	72.53%	$54.86
LOOPED	$176,622	4,059	55.39%	$43.51
MAMMA MIA!	$865,702	11,520	96.13%	$75.15
MARY POPPINS	$886,146	12,536	87.20%	$70.69
MEMPHIS	$553,047	8,643	73.49%	$63.99
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$310,248	5,502	60.22%	$56.39
NEXT FALL	$181,904	3,025	64.20%	$60.13
NEXT TO NORMAL	$303,705	4,974	80.54%	$61.06
PROMISES, PROMISES	$190,790	1,747	100.00%	$109.21
RACE	$347,459	4,605	54.41%	$75.45
RED	$262,357	5,637	87.64%	$46.54
ROCK OF AGES	$581,454	7,493	93.94%	$77.60
SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM	$316,002	5,612	79.85%	$56.31
SOUTH PACIFIC	$541,568	6,520	78.29%	$83.06
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$1,302,707	11,487	94.53%	$113.41
THE LION KING	$1,357,896	13,291	99.07%	$102.17
THE MIRACLE WORKER	$196,960	3,851	62.35%	$51.15
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$867,611	11,334	87.72%	$76.55
TIME STANDS STILL	$295,862	4,256	93.54%	$69.52
WEST SIDE STORY	$943,520	11,546	85.05%	$81.72
WICKED	$1,565,719	14,472	100.00%	$108.19
TOTAL	$20,739,845	255,873	78.92%	$76.99

One way I annoy everyone around me.

I can drive a person crazy.  I can drive a person mad.  (That's my belated Happy Bday tribute to Mr. S, BTW).  

Here's how:

When I fall in love with a song, I listen to it over and over and over. For example, if you came by my office last week pre 10 AM or post 6 PM, you would have heard Michael Buble's "Just Haven't Met You Yet" 3 or 4 times in a row, easy (I mean, you can't NOT be in a great mood after listening to that tune).  A few weeks ago it was "Til I Hear You Sing" from Love Never Dies.  Before that it was the American Idiot video of "21 Guns".  

And when I say over and over and over, I mean over and over and over until people start throwing things at me.  

But come on, you do it too, right?  

There's just something about music that gets under your skin, and into your soul . . . so much that you want to sing along, right?

Here's my question:

When you fall in love with a movie, how many times do you watch it in a row?  Do you ever put in on a loop and watch it consecutively like I do with my favorite albums?  What about a book?  How many times have you read your favorite book?  2?  3?  Maybe?  Ok, ok, yes, a movie and a book require more of a commitment than listening to a 3-5 minute song.  But what about a great article?  Or a short story?  Or a sitcom?  

How many other forms of entertainment do you experience repeatedly like music?

None.

My point is that if you're writing a musical and your music sucks . . . so does your show (Ironically, the music can be great, and your show can still blow.)

Give us great music, and we'll gorge like me with a bottomless basket of chips and salsa at Chili's.

Which brings me to a second way that I annoy people . . .  

5 Reasons why we shouldn't have gotten rid of Special Theatrical Event this season.

Immediately following last year's Tony Awards, the Admin Committee decided to strike the "Special Theatrical Event" Tony from the list of trophies that it would hand out in the future.

The Special Event kudos was created following the bizarre Best Musical win in 2000 for Susan Stroman's dance piece, Contact, which lacked an original score and a live orchestra (and was even billed as a "dance play").

I wrote about my disappointment over the demise of this category when it happened.  Now, almost a season later, I've come up with five more reasons why the Special Event should have stuck around.

Those five reasons are:

1.  Wishful Drinking

2.  Burn The Floor

3.  All About Me

4.  Come Fly Away

5.  Sondheim on Sondheim

(And could Fela! have lobbied for Special Event, rather than try and go up against Addams Family or American Idiot?  It would have lost the lobby, but it would have been interesting.)

While I understand the theory of cutting the category, I'm not sure I understand why it couldn't continue on an "as needed" basis.  Surely there was enough "specialness" this year to warrant at least three nominations and one trophy.  Otherwise, is it really fair for Wishful Drinking to have to compete against Enron for a nomination for Best Play?  And what about the reverse?  If Come Fly Away pulls a Contact and gets nominated for Best Musical (despite using Frank Sinatra vocals and being primarily a dance piece), another more conventional and maybe even original musical may get snubbed.  I know if I were a producer of a snubbed original, I'd be pretty peeved.  And this specific example could very well happen, as I hear Fly Away is fantastic.  I smell trouble, with a capital T and that stands for Tony.

If the Admin Committee does really want to do away with the category, there is another way to prevent the above nightmare from happening.  

Expand the number of nominees for Best Musical when needed, as I discussed here.

Awards are about celebrating our community's artistic achievement first, and about marketing second.  I'm not sure how setting this amount of artistry aside accomplishes either.

Will Broadway ever have an album at the top of the pop charts again?

Last week, the cast album of Love Never Dies hit Number 10 on the UK National Charts.

Yep, a musical was right up there with Lady Gaga and Rihanna and Michael Buble (who I saw in concert last Saturday, and who is destined to croon on a Broadway stage at some point in his career - hopefully before his "buble" pops).

First the West End boosts their attendance by 7.6%, and now they put an album in the Top 10!  

Over on this side of the pond, Broadway tunes, especially for new musicals with original music, never chart that high (the Hair revival recording got up to #63, but that was a revival.  I found one release that had Wicked at #187).  In fact, Billboard created a special chart for cast albums in 2006.  Why?  To quote Playbill.com, "The addition of the chart generates exposure for the genre which does not often chart on the Billboard 200."

Sad face.

Now granted, the Love Never Dies recording has got to be one of the most anticipated cast recordings in decades, with a super phantastic brand, and a composer who might as well be Lady Gaga, he's such a rock star to his fellow Brits.  

But still, I couldn't help but be a little jealous.

There was a time when Broadway tunes charted higher, or were covered by artists who could force them to the top of the charts.

Don't believe me?

Take this 10 Question Quiz and test your knowledge of Broadway chart toppers (I got an 80%).

When you're finished with the quiz, go back and look at the years of the hits in the questions.  Nothing past 1975.

We've lost our support from pop music.  It's no wonder we're losing audiences.

And it's no wonder why the West End is gaining on us.

What can we do?  Lobby the music industry?  Ask our composers to write with the charts in mind?  Make one of our musical theater composers a rock star, too?

Let's do it all and then some.  

Because re-establishing Broadway's place in the fabric of popular culture is one of the most powerful things we can do to grow our audience.

More on designing poster art for Broadway shows.

Late last week, the NY Times continued its fancy feature about the evolution of poster art with an in-depth analysis of how the Producers and Advertising Agency of the current revival of La Cage Aux Folles, led by our own 10 Question Responder, Drew Hodges, came to decide on their final logo.

Looking at the feature, you can see the wide variety of styles and looks they experimented with before they settled on what's on the marquee right now.

My question to you . . . Do you think they got it right?

Read the article, then watch the multimedia feature and listen to Drew's wise words.

Then post a comment on whether or not you think they nailed it.

Would you have chosen the same one?  Are you making that decision by what you like, or what you think the primary theatergoing demographic would like?  

Is it better than the original? (the image in this blog is the original.)

To read Drew's 10 Questions, click here.

To hear another Broadway logo designer give you a tour through his thoughts on Broadway branding, click here.

I found a great writer. Now what do I do?

Yesterday we talked about where you can go to find writers who will put your idea for a Broadway or Off-Broadway (or Off-Off Broadway) show on paper.

But once you find that writer (or writers), then what do you do?  Here are four tips on what to do with that writer once you find him or her.

1.  Think twice.

The first thing you should do before jumping into bed with a writer is to give it a second thought and get a third opinion.  You're marrying this writer.  Sure, you can always get divorced (see below), but that's just going to make things more difficult later on (and more expensive), and more importantly, it'll slow down the development of the piece.  You want to make sure that this writer is exactly what you are looking for. Don't compromise, especially if the idea for the show came from your head.  It'll drive you crazy to sign somebody up only to find out that he/she is not as passionate about the idea as you, or if they want to take it in a different direction than you do.  

2.  What's the deal?

Are you commissioning the writer?  In other words, are you paying him or her a fee to write your idea?  Upfront commission fees can range from a few hundred bucks to several thousand, depending on the reputation of your writer, and how badly they want to work on your project.  Commissions are especially common in the non-profit world, but creative commercial producers can and should use this tool as well. 

When you do commission a writer, make sure you protect your creative contributions as well.  Most playwrights are going to ask that they own the final product (unless you can pay a significant upfront fee), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get a piece of future income due to the writer(s) (and perhaps a credit as well) for being the creative impetus for the project.

Maybe you don't want to commission, but instead you want to collaborate, which will put you more into the creative mix. 

(Red Flag Alert:  When negotiating, be wary of writers who are only after high up-front advances or fees.  Sometimes this is a sign that they are not as interested in the project, and that they don't believe that they will see a lot of long-term royalties (which is why they want guaranteed income up front)).

There are a thousand different ways to get a writer on board, and I strongly recommend you speak to a lawyer or someone who has hired writers before to get an idea of what will work best for your unique situation.  At  the end of the day, you want a deal that works well for both parties.  

And don't just try and get the writer to sign on board for nothing.  Giving people a little money makes them feel better about working on a project, and also makes them more beholden to their boss (that's you!).

3.  Set deadlines.

Establish clear deadlines from day one for the development of the piece.  When is the first scene due?  When is the first Act due?  Completed script?  First reading?  Map out a developmental course, have the writer agree to it, and then make 'em stick to it.  Sure, you may have to adjust deadlines along the way, but having a mutually agreed upon plan will guarantee that more work gets done, and faster.

4.  If it's not working out, make a change.

If the script isn't coming together the way that you had envisioned it in that theater in your mind, then fire the writer, and move on.  Yes, it may cost you some bucks . . . but how much will it cost you in the long run if the idea that gets on stage isn't the one you wanted written?  Now add in the mental anguish and more you'll experience by working with someone for years when you don't see eye to eye.  Now that's expensive!  This is where theater producers need to be more like movie producers.  If the writer isn't working, then find another one.  Period.  You owe it to your idea.  If you don't make that change, you'll always wonder what if . . .

Finding and hiring a writer is hard.  It's one of the hardest things that a creative producer will ever have to do.  But it should be.  Because it's the most important thing a creative producer will ever have to do.  

It's like building your dream house. 

You can find the lot, and you can list all the features that you want . . . a big porch, a 3 car garage, a jacuzzi tub.  But it's up to someone else to build that house, make sure it's aesthetically pleasing, and make sure it doesn't fall down after a few months.

Broadway Grosses w/e 3/21/10

Show Name	GrossGross	TotalAttn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE	$539,372	6,974	81.40%	$77.34
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC	$840,312	7,024	94.31%	$119.63
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE	$896,520	8,677	100.52%	$103.32
ALL ABOUT ME	$197,935	5,615	67.10%	$35.25
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$1,207,973	11,226	98.75%	$107.60
CHICAGO	$612,180	7,542	87.29%	$81.17
COME FLY AWAY	$598,912	10,640	83.81%	$56.29
FELA!	$508,230	7,096	86.12%	$71.62
GOD OF CARNAGE	$361,951	5,890	68.30%	$61.45
HAIR	$586,760	7,937	70.26%	$73.93
IN THE HEIGHTS	$758,110	9,989	92.90%	$75.89
JERSEY BOYS	$1,055,904	9,627	97.99%	$109.68
LEND ME A TENOR	$287,396	4,665	66.71%	$61.61
LOOPED	$180,830	3,929	53.62%	$46.02
MAMMA MIA!	$830,279	11,148	93.02%	$74.48
MARY POPPINS	$970,415	13,731	95.51%	$70.67
MEMPHIS	$629,872	10,230	86.99%	$61.57
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$343,418	6,123	67.02%	$56.09
NEXT FALL	$166,259	2,908	61.71%	$57.17
NEXT TO NORMAL	$343,932	5,402	87.47%	$63.67
PRESENT LAUGHTER	$324,058	5,954	100.57%	$54.43
RACE	$340,366	4,573	54.03%	$74.43
RED	$214,856	4,912	87.28%	$43.74
ROCK OF AGES	$597,681	7,605	95.35%	$78.59
SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM	$169,004	2,574	85.46%	$65.66
SOUTH PACIFIC	$528,578	6,242	74.95%	$84.68
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$1,328,460	11,605	95.50%	$114.47
THE LION KING	$1,328,250	13,208	99.82%	$100.56
THE MIRACLE WORKER	$198,347	4,213	68.22%	$47.08
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$946,044	11,860	91.80%	$79.77
TIME STANDS STILL	$326,456	4,614	88.73%	$70.75
WEST SIDE STORY	$1,034,456	12,828	94.49%	$80.64
WICKED	$1,583,765	14,472	100.00%	$109.44
TOTAL	$20,836,876	261,033	84.15%	$74.81

How to find a great writer for your great idea.

If you're reading my blog, then I'll bet a union health payment that you don't have one single idea for a show.

I'd bet that you've got a "shit ton" of ideas for shows.  

(Sorry for the language, but I heard a guy use that expression at a Shell Station in Austin, and I just can't stop saying it).

So what do you do with your ST of ideas?  

If you don't consider yourself a writer, then you gotta find one, because leaving all those great ideas idle on a shelf is a sin.

But how do you find a writer for your play or musical (or television show or novel or whatever)?

Here are three fishing holes I visit when I've got an idea that I want executed:

1.  Agents

Almost all established writers are repped by one of just a few agencies.  And a lot of the younger, more promising writers get sucked up by the same agents very early in their career, regardless of whether they've had any success. Reach out to the literary agents in town, forge a relationship, and ask who they would recommend for a job.  If you do reach out to an agency, don't be surprised if you can't get a top agent on the phone.  Work the assistant.  Find out if they have writers that are looking for ideas, commissions, etc.  Take the assistant to lunch.  Come on, you can do it.  You're a producer.  Act like one. 

2.  Festivals

Festivals are like Whole Foods for Writers.  They've got everything.  Whether there are 10 plays, 100 plays, or 1000 plays in a festival, you can bet there are writers of all shapes, styles and interests.  Sample as many shows as you can, looking for someone who has the talent and the sensibility that you are looking for.  And hey, if they're working in a festival, I'd go double or nothing on that health payment that they are passionate and a hard worker.  And that's the kind of writer you want and need.

3.  Friends

Put yourself in a circle of artists that have similar sensibilities, and ask them for recommendations.  Not only will you get recommendations of talented individuals, but your friends and associates will be able to give you some insight into whether or not the two of you will get along.  You're going to be birthing a baby together . . . and if it was your idea, then that writer is acting like a surrogate . . . so you want to make sure you understand each other and can go through this difficult (and at times painful) process together.  

Great writers are hard to find.  And great writers that are also passionate about the same subjects you are passionate about are even harder to find.

But they are out there.    

Sometimes it just takes a 'shit ton' of work to find the 'write' one.

What do you do when you find that perfect writer?  Do you commission?  Do you collaborate?  

More on that tomorrow.