Ken Davenport - Opinions from a Broadway Producer

The NY City Council is getting into the ticket turf fight.

A blog reader and POG who I also refer to as "the other Ken" tipped me off to a City Council meeting that happened on Friday to discuss, "the unavailability of tickets for entertainment venues for people in New York."

The Council's concern is when a much-in-demand event like Book of Mormon, Hugh Jackman, Barry Manilow at Radio City (ok, maybe I'm the only one that would pay broker prices for ol' Barry eyes), it usually sells out instantly . . . and then, of course, the tickets pop up at the StubHubs, as well as all the online secondary market sellers on the world wide interweb.  And there are a lot of them . . . just look at this google search result for Book of Mormon tickets.

As you can read in this article-ette about the meeting, the Council is considering a bill "to force large venues to make 15 percent of total tickets available at a physical box office and limit sales to four tickets per person per day."

And that would be like punishing a kid who didn't eat his lunch because a bully stole it from him.

This isn't the fault of the consumer who wants to buy six tickets for his family.  This isn't the fault of the venue owners or Producers (although we could release some of our house seats, as I wrote about here).   This is the fault of the de-regulated secondary market, the bigger boys with the even bigger ad-words budgets, and the ease by which those guys can create businesses and resell purchased tickets.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an enemy of the secondary market.  I'm a fan of what (the good ones) have done.  They offer a service to a select clientele, and they're able to get more than top dollar for providing that service (if only we could do that, there wouldn't be a need for them).  But that internet and the laws have made access to that business so easy, that anyone with a credit card and a website can be a "ticket broker" and start buying and selling and pi$$ing off customers.

So Council members, be careful who you punish when coming up with a response to this crisis.  Don't pull a Spitzer, who got so upset with facility fees that he forced a resolution that did nothing to help the consumer, and ended up just penalizing the Producer, while allowing the venue owners to do as they wished.  And they've all had to practically build another theater to house all the cast they've made from facility fees over the last decade (you can read about my Spitzer-anger here).

And if you want an opinion on this from a Producer before you craft your bill, you can contact me here.

 

(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 

- Seminar alert: Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19.  RSVP TODAY!  Only 3 spots left!

- Win 2 tickets to see Christine Pedi in Miss Abigails Guide!  Enter here!

 

Broadway Grosses* w/e 10/30/2011

The following are the Broadway Grosses from the week ending October 30, 2011:

Show Name	GrossGross	TotalAttn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
ANYTHING GOES	$751,386	7,457	90.85%	$100.76
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$713,713	8,742	76.90%	$81.64
CHICAGO	$533,300	6,669	77.19%	$79.97
CHINGLISH	$309,550	6,261	72.67%	$49.44
FOLLIES	$845,689	8,311	64.45%	$101.76
GODSPELL	$264,916	5,147	87.53%	$51.47
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING	$895,500	9,763	85.70%	$91.72
HUGH JACKMAN, BACK ON BROADWAY	$1,210,974	8,849	94.06%	$136.85
JERSEY BOYS	$956,800	9,165	93.29%	$104.40
MAMMA MIA!	$848,721	9,964	83.14%	$85.18
MAN AND BOY	$282,979	4,509	77.42%	$62.76
MARY POPPINS	$637,776	8,889	61.83%	$71.75
MEMPHIS	$637,715	8,553	72.73%	$74.56
OTHER DESERT CITIES	$426,707	6,019	98.87%	$70.89
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT	$719,758	9,033	66.85%	$79.68
RELATIVELY SPEAKING	$741,903	8,423	97.85%	$88.08
ROCK OF AGES	$355,261	4,037	86.56%	$88.00
SEMINAR	$143,850	2,004	83.08%	$71.78
SISTER ACT	$645,348	9,201	77.03%	$70.14
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$1,370,573	12,952	83.89%	$105.82
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$647,101	8,427	69.35%	$76.79
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,351,169	8,752	102.63%	$154.38
THE LION KING	$1,537,920	13,410	99.96%	$114.68
THE MOUNTAINTOP	$712,760	7,371	86.51%	$96.70
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$827,073	10,665	82.55%	$77.55
VENUS IN FUR	$248,512	4,091	78.67%	$60.75
WAR HORSE	$982,363	8,553	100.01%	$114.86
WICKED	$1,629,545	14,327	99.00%	$113.74
TOTAL	$21,228,859	229,544	83.95%	$88.43

*Broadway Grosses provided courtesy of The Broadway League.

The most popular posts of the month: October.

Bye-bye October, 2011!  Take your freaky box office stifling snow storm with you.

Now let's see what kept you warm during this weirdly cool month:

• The most read post of the month:  Taxi!  Take me to Broadway!
  
  
• The most commented on post of the month:  What's the one thing you would change about Broadway?

And . . .

• The comment of the month is from "Caskey" and was in response to  My best advice for people who want to start producing.  Caskey said . . . "I am wrapping up producing my web series and I made tons of mistakes, but for every mistake, I learned about five more things. Now, preparing to do a second season will be so much easier. I wouldn't know what I know if I hadn't tried in the first place.

See you next month!

The Sunday Giveaway: 2 Tickets to Miss Abigail's Guide with Christine Pedi

This week, we're giving away 2 tickets to one of my own shows, Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage, which recently celebrated it's one year anniversary Off-Broadway, and welcomed a brand-new Miss A to the red dress.  

We had a blast with Eve "Jan Brady" Plumb, and Joyce DeWitt can knock on my door anytime, but now Forbidden Broadway star Ms. Christine "I can impersonate anybody" Pedi will be the one dispensing advice and laughs on the stage of Sofia's.  

Want to come see Christine?  Here's how:

Miss Abigail gives lots of quippy advice during her show.  I want you to pretend that you are the Miss Abigail of the theater.  What's the one piece of advice you'd give to someone who asked you how to make it in the biz?

The doctor is in.  And it's you!

Go! 

 

(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 

- Seminar alert: Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19

Who won the tickets to The Queen of the Mist?

Whew, another good week of funny entries . . . but this week's winner of our Queen of the Mist contest is Becca, who merged current events with a musical title and came up with . . .

The Book of Moammar

Sometimes the simplest works best.  :-)

Becca, click here to get your tix.

Thanks for the entries (to read them all click here) and we'll see you for tomorrow's Giveaway!

 

(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 

- Win tickets to Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical on Broadway!  Click here!

- Seminar alert: Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19

What's the one thing you would change about Broadway?

Yesterday's "Robot Vomit" poll got me in a pollin' mood.  So, I had Intern Emily and a few of her friends hit Times Square, armed with a clipboard and a question.  

This one was more general.  Emily et al asked 100 theatergoers in Times Square, "If you could change one thing about the theater . . . what would it be?"

We told the pollee, that they could answer anything except "lower ticket prices."  (I think it would have been a pretty boring set of responses without that restriction, don't you?)

I've decided to post all of the answers below, because I just find them so fascinating (since many of the people we spoke to were on the TKTS line, we also removed "shorter line" from the responses received).  

When looking at free form response polls like this, I always look at the similar answers that pop up more than once.  Those are the ones that tell you something.  So keep your eye open for that while you read.

Oh, and I'm giving it away a little, but I'll tell you that my biggest surprise from this list?  How many people said there was "nothing" they would change.  Makes you feel good, doesn't it?

Alright, enough of the warm-fuzzies . . . on to the data.  Here is what a bunch of theatergoers would change about Broadway if they could:

• Nothing!
• Make ordinary people stars (don't use celebs).
• More dancing shows
• Nothing
• More matinees for people here just for one week
• Nothing
• More discounts
• Getting a wrist band/anything that will allow you not to stand in line the day of getting tix at TKTS (Note from Ken - this is kind of brilliant)
• Nothing
• What does Partial View really mean?
• Dinner before the show including with your ticket price
• Nothing
• More original Stories
• Nothing
• Revival of Les Miz (bring it back!)
• Easier way to get tickets
• It's perfect!
• More leg room
• More intimate/smaller theaters
• Nothing, love it all!
• Comfortable seating
• Start selling TKTS tickets earlier in the day
• Big theaters
• Free cocktails
• More matinees
• More locations to get discount tickets
• Make an app for discounts
• Put Producers names to promote them (Note from Ken - I swear I had nothing to do with this one - but we did tell this person about this blog I wrote).
• Coupons
• Open the doors to the theater earlier
• More floor seating
• More discounts
• Nothing!
• More "Big" shows with dancing
• Easier way to get discounts
• Comfy seats
• Deal = buy one ticket get one free
• More coupons
• No intermissions
• Book TKTS tix online so you don't have to wait outside
• Nothing, it's great!
• Buy tickets on your phone
• Open doors at TKTS earlier
• More room in seats at the theater!
• More legroom
• Better parking
• Larger ladies rooms at theaters
• Less musicals (take out the corniness)
• Nothing
• Nada
• Seats while waiting in line for handicapped
• Nothing!
• More ways to get tickets online
• I wished people dressed up more to see the show (have dress code)
• Cocktails!
• Put more discounts online!
• Nothing!
• Better theater etiquette
• More hearing aids at the theaters

 What about you?  If you could change one thing . . . just one thing about Broadway . . . and you can't say, "cheaper tickets," what would you change???  Comment away!

 

(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 

- Win tickets to Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist!  Click here!

- Seminar alert:  Tune Up Your Marketing Materials - 10/29  &  Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19

 

Sure you know what a QR code is. But do our buyers?

Recognize that squiggly little square to the right, which has sometimes been referred to as "robot vomit"?  Its technical name is QR code, or "Quick Response" code.  It's a fancy, densely filled bar code, capable of holding more info that older scannable symbols.

And they are all the rage.

Ok, well, that's not exactly true.  They are more the rage in other countries, actually, and are slowly coming to life in this country (which reminds me of SMS marketing, which was also more of a marketing phenomenon and never took hold here).  

But they are everywhere.

The question is . . . should they be?  

We went into Times Square and polled 100 Theatergoers at the TKTS booth and asked them three questions:

1. Do you know what a QR code is?
2. Have you ever used one?
3. Have you ever used one for a show or anything theater-related?

The answers?

80% of those polled did not know what a QR code was.

Of the 20% that did know what a QR code was, only 35% had actually used one.

And . . .

Drum roll, please . . .

ZERO of the theatergoers polled had ever used one for a show or anything theater-related.

Probably not that shocking if you thought about it for a moment.

So does this mean you shouldn't have QR codes on your advertising materials?  Not necessarily, because I do think it's important to keep pace with other industries.  It does mean, however, that you shouldn't put a lot of time and resources behind coming up with the fanciest of all e-destinations for your QR users (of which there will be most likely zero) to land.  

In fact, our use of the QR code on Godspell wasn't ever designed for the user of the code.  It was designed as a visual marketing tool for the show.  By incorporating "cutting-edge" image of robot-vomit technology on our display ads, we're able to subtly imply that our classic revival that was written 40 years ago is up-to-date, and cutting-edge on its own.  

Believe me, I'm the biggest advocate of new technology I know . . . but because of that I have to be even more careful about falling in love with the coolest new tech toy on the block and you should too.

Just because you love it, doesn't mean your customers do. 

In fact, you are all tech guys/dolls, right?  Let's take a poll right here.  How many of you have used a QR code?

 

(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 

- Win tickets to Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist!  Click here!

- Seminar alert:  Tune Up Your Marketing Materials - 10/29  &  Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19

"Trust me! This show is the next (insert major success story here)!"

I have produced exactly one movie, so far, but I still get lots of movie pitches and screenplays.  I don't mind them, actually, because I'm sure I will stick my toe in the water again soon when the right project comes along.  

But writing about Paranormal Activity yesterday reminded me of one of those pitches I just got a few days ago for an indie-horror movie.

"You into movies, Ken?  Because I've got one for you."

"Oh yeah?  What is it?  What's it about?"

"I'm telling you.  This is the next Paranormal Activity!"

And that's when, believe it or not, I checked out.

Believe me, I understand the importance of framing, and giving your potential buyer something familiar to sink his/her teeth into . . . but that's not what this person was doing.  This person was baiting me with financial success.  Ok, I sorta get that too . . . but it wasn't what I asked.  And if you think I got into this business for financial success, you've been riding on the crazy train for a little too long.  Sure, Producers hope for financial success (usually so we can produce riskier stuff in the future), but it's not why we do it.

And more importantly, and this is the point of this blog . . . do you know how many people have approached me with . . . "I have the next Stomp!  I have the next Blue Man Group!  I have the next Book of Mormon, Les Miserables . . . even . . . I have the next Altar Boyz!"

You know what all those shows, and any of Broadway's biggest hits, have in common?

They are all unique.

So stop trying to be someone else's show, and just try to be your own.  

(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 

- Win tickets to Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist!  Click here!

- Seminar alert:  Tune Up Your Marketing Materials - 10/29  &  Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19

 

Why people will always go to a theater.

There's a chill in the air and a Ricky's "Pop-Up" Costume Shop on my block . . . so that can only mean one thing.

Halloween is almost here.

Along with the usual slutty nurses, and snack-sized Kit-Kats, Halloween also brings us a slew of scary movies at the cineplex.

This season, we've got a sequel that's scaring up some serious business . . . Paranormal Activity 3 . . . which shattered a record last week with its $54 million opening.

Why did this one do so well?

That's the question that was asked of Don Harris, Paramount's President of Distribution.  Don had a lot to say about sequels, reviews, and more.

But it was his final response that reminded me why all those who talk about the "death" of theater are just plain wrong.  

Ultimately, it gets back to why there's still a theatrical business, why people still go to the movies.  We want to laugh in a group, we want to be scared in a group, people like to cry in a group in the dark where nobody can see them crying. It's all the reason movie theaters exist and this genre has always been front and center.

Obviously, Don's talking about his industry of course, and not ours . . . but all the above is a primary reason why people go to our theater as well.  

We just have to work harder to make sure we don't lose any more of our audience to Don.

Because that, would be horrifying to us all. 

 

(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 

- Win tickets to Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist!  Click here!

- Seminar alert:  Tune Up Your Marketing Materials - 10/29  &  Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19

 

The era of impatience is upon us.

I walked into a Chipotle yesterday, saw a line about 10 deep, mumbled an expletive that would've miffed my mom, and walked out.

I'm an impatient person.  Always have been and always will be.

But as I turned the corned on my way to McDonalds, I couldn't help but think . . . am I more impatient than I was a decade ago?  Or two decades ago?

The answer is a burrito-sized yes.

Sure, I'm busier than I was a decade ago, and two decades ago I wasn't living in the city, and we all know that New York injects you with impatience upon arrival.

But still . . . and I don't think it's only me.

I think we're living in The Impatience Era.

The last twenty years have given us so much technology that so many things are available instantly . . . and at our fingertips.  News, television shows, and yes, even burritos, all seem to be "on demand."  

So, when things aren't available instantly, the modern-day consumer, like a spoiled brat, gets frustrated . . . and may choose to go elsewhere . . . like McDonalds.

This is going to ripple through the theater very shortly, so we better start taking precautions.

What can we do to reduce the lines at the TKTS booth in Times Square?  What about the lines for ticket pick-up at the box office (when oh when will we just get ATM-style pick-up and purchase kiosks)?  How about how long it takes to buy a ticket online?  (Amazon.com answers their customer's impatience with "1-Click Ordering" - can't we do the same?)

Of course, the best way to get a customer to not care about how long it takes to get your product is to create such an in-demand burrito show, that they'll literally wait a year to experience it (Phantom, in its hey-day, or BOM, today).  

But those shows are rare . . .  and for the rest of the market, it's important that we come up with an impatience antidote, because while our audience won't go to McDonalds instead of seeing a show . . . they could just stay home and watch another type of show on their TV, computer, Netflix, Xbox, iPad, iPhone . . . and whatever will be invented tomorrow. 

What about you?  Are you more impatient today than you were?  

 

(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 

- Win tickets to Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist!  Click here!

- Seminar alert:  Tune Up Your Marketing Materials - 10/29  &  Get Your Show Off The Ground - 11/19