Ken Davenport - Opinions from a Broadway Producer

This blog is for all the nervous parents of theater majors out there . . .

. . . and here's a spoiler . . . I didn't write it.

The blog was emailed to me by about three people . . . and I have a rule, whenever three or more people give me the same comment about anything, a show, a restaurant, or even a friend, I take heed.  

Before I get to that blog . . . 

There's a Dean of Drama at a university who makes a speech on orientation day for incoming freshmen and their jittery parents, who are afraid their children will end up waiting tables for the rest of their lives instead of taking the road more followed and becoming a doctor or . . . ick . . . a lawyer . . . or something just as "safe".  

The Dean gives it to them straight . . . and tells them how a very small percentage of their graduates actually end up working in the theater.  Just when half of the parents are about to demand tuition refunds, he goes on to read some of the other gigs that they got instead.  Some were politicians, salesmen, and some, even, were lawyers.

The blog that I didn't write, but am linking to below is called 10 Ways Being A Theatre Major Prepared Me for Success . . . and it reminded me of that very smart Dean.

A lot of people out there think that theater training is a joke.

Well, I got news for those ignorant folks.  We live in the biggest theater of them all, and we are just players.

Sure, we theater majors may not be able to perform surgery . . . be we can still get straight to your heart.

Read the blog here.

 

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Holiday Greetings from The Producer's Perspective

On behalf of myself, as well as my entire staff . . . Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to each and every one of you.

A donation will be made on behalf of the readers of this blog to TDF, who works hard to give the gift of theater to so many who wouldn't ordinarily have the chance.

So, what did you ask Santa for this year?  

Or put it this way . . . if you could ask for one thing . . . theater related . . . what would it be?  Hugh Jackman tickets?  Ben Brantley's home address?  The new Godspell cast recording?  ;-)

If I had to pick one theater thing to ask Santa for this year it would be . . . 

An increase in domestic tourism in the 2012 year, because when tourism is up in our lovely city, our grosses go up as well, and when grosses go up, our recoupment rate goes up, and when our recoupment rate goes up, then more investor money flows in, and when more investor money goes in, Producers can afford to take more risk, like on new writers and unknown talents, and  . . . well you get the picture.

What would you ask Santa for?

 

(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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- VOTE for Producer of the Year!  Click here!

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Wanna intern at my office this Spring/Summer?

Winter officially starts this Thursday, but here at DTE we're thinking about Spring and Summer already.

If you're a reader of this blog or are a follower of mine on Twitter, then you know that we've got a lot of fun stuff going on here in my office, from Godspell to Be A Broadway Star to a tour of Miss Abigail's Guide to a couple of new not-yet-public musicals, and maybe, just maybe, even a revival of A Few Good Men.

And there's always new stuff popping up every day . . . and every time I get some crazy idea in the shower.

It's that time of the year when we start looking for great interns to assist us in all areas from management to marketing to online marketing for our Spring (starting right after the holidays) and our Summer semesters.

And after that, who knows.  One of the stats that I'm most proud of is that we've offered full time positions to over 10 of our previous interns.  

If you're interested or know someone that is, click here for info.

 

(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 2 tickets to see Follies!  Click here to enter.

- Seminar Alert:  How to master email marketing for your show or theater.  Click here for info!

Top 10 Holiday Gifts for the Producer in your life.

Happy Holidays PPers!  

In case you haven't checked a calendar recently, there are only 13 days until C day and only 8 until the first day of Hanukkah.  If you're still shopping for the Producer or Theater Pro in your life, here are 10 suggestions of things that I love that I'm sure that special someone in your life will love too.  

Or if you're that Producer or Theatre Pro, here are 10 toys (in no specific order) that I'd be asking for. :-)

1.  A Course from The Commercial Theater Institute

Not too many places teach commercial theater producing.  CTI is one of the few.  In addition to their intensive weekend and 14 week programs, CTI also has terrific half-day and full day seminars.  

2.  Telecharge Gift Card

One thing everyone can agree on: theater tickets are pricey.  Another thing we can all agree on: there is so much a Producer can learn from seeing shows.  So get a Telecharge Gift Card and let your Producer pick what they want to see.

3.  A Subscription to Entrepreneur Magazine

Broadway Producers are small businessmen and women.  So why not see what other businessmen and women are doing to get their startups off the ground?  I get more tips and tricks from Entrepreneur than any other publication out there.

4.  The Be A Broadway Star Board Game

Yep, I created and developed this game.  But even if I didn't, it would be on this list.  I think it's one of the best gifts for all Broadway lovers out there.  

5.  Kindle

Reading scripts while looking for a show to produce is like panning for gold.  You gotta sift through a ton before you find a nugget.  And those scripts are heavy!  Do what I do, read 'em on a Kindle or an iPad, and you can take 100 with you wherever you go.  

6.  A Joe Allen's Gift Certificate

You want be a Producer?  You gotta be ready to have a lot of lunches.  So, when eating mid-day, you might as well sit at a table amongst tables of other theater pros while they wine and dine .  . . and whine and dine.  Joe Allen's is one of the originals and one of my favs.  And, while you eat, you can pray that one of your show posters never ends up on the wall.  

7.  Professional Script Analysis

Being objective about your own writing is hard.  And getting friends and family to read your script doesn't always get you the most objective opinion.  Get the Producer or Author in your life professional script coverage to give them some tips on how they can tune up their script so they are ready for their big break.  For more info, click here. 

8.  A Starter Website

Every show, production office, actor, etc. needs a website.  They are the business card of the 21st century.  Get your loved one started with a domain name (read this blog as to why they need one now), simple website and more so they can make themselves look as professional as they are.  My favorite provider is Godaddy.com. 

9.  The Abominable Showman: The Biography of David Merrick

This book is a textbook of what to do, and what not to do in your career as a Producer.  If you love the theater, and the backstage stories of how it all happens, then this book is a must.  And if books are your Producer's thing, check out this list of my other recommended readings on the bottom right hand side of my blog.

10.  A "Contract Signing" Pen

I got my first "fine pen" as a gift a few years back, and I pull it out whenever I sign something I deem important.  It's my lucky pen.  And it just feels cool to write with.  What's great about this gift, is that a nice pen is usually not something anyone will buy for themselves.  This one is my favorite.  Get it engraved and it is that much cooler.  And here's to it bringing you and yours lots of good luck.

 

(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 

- Come to the 4th Annual Producer's Perspective Social THIS THURSDAY!  RSVP today.

- Win 2 tickets to see The Mountaintop!  Click here to enter.

 

A little reminder that "live" ain't dying anytime soon.

Every few months or so, someone rings the death knell for Broadway, and for theater in general.  Antiquated, archaic . . . and a few other "A" words are bandied about by those who think they know better.

I usually counter their arguments with a statement like, "Theater has been around for thousands of years, and it is the foundation of every major form of live entertainment.  We survived the invention of the radio, the invention of the television, and the invention of the internet . . . we're not going away anytime soon."

And I really do believe that.  We may face more and more challenges as we sally forth into the 21st century, but we'll be here.

I'd be telling a Pinocchio sized lie if I didn't admit that sometimes, late at night, when I'm all alone and it's dark because the marquees are all turned off, I do worry a bit about the future of the business that we all love so much.  I'm human.  We all have crises of faith sometimes, right?

Well, this weekend I got a little reminder from The Big Producer in the sky why we're all safe and sound, provided we continue to adapt and refuse to stay satisfied.

Stay with me now . . . 

This weekend I was sitting at a blackjack table at the Venetian in Las Vegas (waiting for the NTA conference to begin because Godspell was performing), watching my dealer shuffle up the cards, and deal out a hand to the three players.  I got 10.  

Before I asked for a hit from Kathy, my dealer who had been working at The V since it opened, I thought to myself . . . blackjack is a game that could be automated and computerized.  It could be done faster, and without chips, and without a dealer.

And it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun.

And that's why casinos have table games versus just rooms full of slots . . . because people crave the live experience where anything can happen (I spilled Coke on the felt) and they love sharing that experience with other people.

So as Pit Boss Gary came over to my spot and helped me sop up my seat, I smiled.  

Live isn't going anywhere, I thought.  No matter how much technology you throw at us.

And then Kathy dealt me another 10, for a 20, against her eventual bust and the entire table won.

And we all applauded.  

 

(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 

- Come to the 4th Annual Producer's Perspective Social on 12/15!  RSVP today.

- Seminar Alert:  How to Invest in a Broadway Show on 12/10!  Click here for info.

- Win two tickets to see Burning at The New Group.  Click here. 

A Special Black Friday Broadway Blog

It's 12:38 AM as I type.  We're 38 minutes into Black Friday, and I know a bunch of people at brick and mortar stores right this very second.  In the middle of dessert at the Thanksgiving dinner I attended, one of the diners disappeared.  "Where's so-and-so?" 

Three people responded so quickly and so in unison, they could have been the Shirelles from last season's Baby It's You.  

"Best Buy," they chorded.

That spark plugged a convo about $200 sixty inch TVs, a rare iPad discount, and lots of other BF deals stores are offering starting tomorrow today.  

Now, last year I spent a blog talking about my ideas for how Broadway could be more of a part of this major shopping day (and it's sister shopping day - Cyber Monday), which you can read here.  

This message isn't about that . . . it's simple call to all the theater folks out there that are shopping tomorrow today for their loved ones.  

Buy 'em theater tickets.

Pick something for them, of course . . . whether that's a subscription to MTC or your local touring house, or tickets to Jersey Boys, a Telecharge gift card, or even something you hate but you know they'd love.  

But buy 'em theater tickets.  

Because seeing something live beats seeing something on a TV any day of the week . . . I don't care how big it is.  

 

(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 

- Come to the 4th Annual Producer's Perspective Social on 12/15!  RSVP today.

- Win 2 Tickets to Kander & Ebb's The Visit!  Click here.

The Sunday GiveBACK.

In honor of the 10 year anniversary of this very tragic day in our country's history, I've decided to not have a Sunday Giveaway today.  Consider it a moment of promotional silence as we honor those lost a decade ago.

Instead of giving away today, I'll be making a donation to The Robin Hood 9/11 Relief Fund, a four star rated charity on CharityNavigator.org, which raises money to benefit victims' families and the rescue workers affected by the attacks made 10 years ago today.  

If you can give something to someone today, even if it's just an extra smile, please do. 

 

(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 

- 33 Days to Godspell!  Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.

- The next Get Your Show Off The Ground seminar is on 9/17.  Only 2 spots left.  Register today!

 

Let's swap . . . jobs.

I witnessed a heated . . . (clearing throat) . . . "discussion" recently between two industry pros who believed they were on opposite sides of the industry.  The "discussion"  . . . (cough, cough) . . . escalated into some sort of bizarre competition of who had it harder working on Broadway. 

"Well, I have to  . . . blah, blah, blah."

"Oh yeah?  Well, you don't even understand what I have to do when I  . . . blah, blah, blah."

It was pretty gross, actually.  And I wanted to slap both of these men on the hiney (because they were acting like babies) and say, "News flash - both of you are right - working in the theater ain't easy for anybody."

I did manage to restrain myself from spanking them . . . because, really, what good would that do except give Michael Riedel some fun stuff to write about on his new Twitter account?

Instead, I thought . . . what if Broadway had one of those swap jobs days?  

Where a Producer becomes a stagehand. A designer becomes a musician.  An actor becomes a box office treasurer.  And so on . . . and so on.

Maybe we'd realize that every job, no matter how good it may seen from the "other side," has its own set of challenges and obstacles in this business.

And then, if we had walked in each others shoes for a day or two, maybe we'd all have a better perspective for the next set of union negotiations, 

And maybe we'd prevent future (ahem!) "discussions" and realize that that we're all on the same side after all.

 

(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 

- 52 Days to Godspell!  Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.

- Enter to win a Silver Membership to NYMF! Click here.

- The next Broadway Investing 101 seminar is Tuesday, August 30th at 6:30 PM.  Register here.

What ever happened to show jackets?

When I first arrived in NYC in the early '90s, if you were in a Broadway show or worked on a Broadway show, you got/bought a show jacket - which was usually an old-fashioned varsity jacket with the show logo embroidered on the back.  

And if you didn't have one . . . you wanted one . . . badly.  Really badly.

Show Jacket envy was everywhere.  Getting a jacket was like getting an Equity card, or an agent . . . sometimes it was even more valuable than the paycheck.

It was a symbol that you had earned your stripes.

Somewhere around the turn of the millenium, they fell out of fashion.  Nowadays, it's rare to see someone sportin' a show jacket on the street or the subway.  So what happened to them?  Was it deemed too tacky to promote what you were doing so blatantly?   (Seems odd in the era of self-promotion through social media.)   Are they just not cool anymore?

I gotta tell you . . . I miss them . . . for two reasons:

1. All those jackets in the streets were little walking billboards that helped market shows . . . and Broadway.
2. Having a badge of honor like a jacket made actors and the like seem like they were part of an exclusive club. And whenever there is an exclusive club, other people want in.

So I want 'em back.  Whatta ya say we start a movement to put the show jacket back in style, ok?  

I'll wear mine if you wear yours.  

 

(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 

- 55 Days to Godspell!  Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.

- Win Free Admission to Digital Marketing Boot Camp for Arts Marketers!  A $795 value!  Click here.

- The next Broadway Investing 101 seminar is Tuesday, August 30th at 6:30 PM.  Register here.

 

I wanted a gift card that wasn't there.

At 2:17 AM this morning, I found myself roaming the aisles of a Rite-Aid near me.  I picked up my a few essentials . . . some Riptide Rush Gatorade, toothpaste, and a gift card for a friend's bday. 

It took me a good ten minutes to pick out which gift card I wanted to buy, because as you can see from this photo, there was quite the selection.  There were Amex gift cards, and Best Buy gift cards, and Macaroni Grill gift cards, and even iTunes gift cards.

There were literally three different displays of cards for buyers like me to choose from.

Except, of course, there were no Broadway gift cards.

Wah-wah.  

It'd be pretty nichey of us to get a Broadway gift card distributed in this network, but I believe that this sort of placement is essential.

We need Broadway to be a part of the consumer conversation.  We need to remind people it's an option. 

And, we definitely need it to be every single place where other entertainment options are available.

Because you know what gift card I ended up buying?

A gift card for movie tickets.

Wah-double-wah.

 

(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 

- 56 Days to Godspell!  Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.

- Win Free Admission to Digital Marketing Boot Camp for Arts Marketers!  A $795 value!  Click here.

- The next Broadway Investing 101 seminar is Tuesday August 30th at 6:30 PM.  Register here.