Ken Davenport - Opinions from a Broadway Producer

The show I want to see this week is . . .

Seven simple words made me want to see this week's SIWTS.

The show?

The Olivier-nominated Love Song by John Kolvenback, which just started performances at 59E59.

The seven words?

"I am not connected with this production."

Those seven words came in an email from a reader who felt he had to recommend Love Song to me just because he saw it and loved it.  

He praised it up and down and then typed those seven words.

"I am not connected with this production."

He had no affiliation with it whatsoever.  He had nothing to gain by sitting down and writing me an email recommending that I schlep up there to see it.  He wasn't a press agent getting paid.  He wasn't the mother of the playwright.  He was just a Malcolm Gladwell-like maven who wanted more people to experience what he did.

Unbiased third-party referrals are the best way to get anyone to see your show.  

How do you get them?

1 - Create good sh*t

2 - Give your audience the tools they need to spread the word fast and furiously.

Do that, and you can forget about the seven words . . . because your grosses will be in the seven figures. 

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The show I want to see this week is . . .

. . . in Brooklyn (!). 

Usually it's hard to get a Producer to go below 42nd street so why in the name of Williamsburg would I want to go to Brooklyn to see a show?  

And just how did I hear about this show in a borough far, far away?  

They emailed me a pitch.

The show that I want to see this week is . . . 

Insectinside, from the flying theatrical players at Grounded Ariel . . . in Park Slope.  

I get a lot of emails every week about shows, so what made Insectinside, "an original full length piece that weaves storytelling, aerial, and dance within a fully realized theatrical arc", stick out?

The first sentence of the email wasn't a "Hi, how are you?  How are things?  I've got a great new . . . "  It was . . .

Dear Ken,

I am a friend of FRIEND OF MINE and he forwarded your information to me because he feels that you would be excited to know about our new show, Insectinside.

Simple, old-fashion referral salesmanship that'll work 9 times out of 10, as long as that name you use means something to the recepient.  

Then the pitch went on to mention how their performers were veterans of Cirque, Pilobolus and The Met. 

But that wasn't the what sold me on getting on the subway.

What did it was that the Artistic Director of the show . . . didn't want me to take the subway.

The end of the invite included a paragraph offering me free tickets, a glass of wine, VIP seating, and . . . wait for it . . . complimentary car service to/from.

Fancy, right?

The AD was smart enough to take my biggest excuse for NOT seeing the show away from me.

And beyond that, they made me feel all important-like, for only $50 or so, and at the same time, they made themselves look all important-like by offering something to me that has a higher value than it actually costs.  It made me think, "These guys respect and value their work enough to spend money on getting people to see it.  This must be important."  I'm sure I wasn't the only person to get this offer, but it sure made me feel that way.  

When composing a pitch to producers, investors, or even your parents . . . the best thing you can do first is put yourself in the place of the person getting that pitch. Ask yourself, "What's the biggest objection they are going to have?"  

And then do whatever it takes to turn it around on 'em and make that objection the exact reason why they'll want to do whatever you want them to do.  

 

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The show I want to see this week is . . .

This week's Show I Wanna See got my attention with a commercial.

But this wasn't your traditional commercial.

The production costs were zero.  The media buy was zero.  And it paid no residuals to the two performers.

In fact, it wasn't even on TV.

This commercial was a YouTube video.

Just the other day, a friend of mine forwarded me the video below of internet phenoms Sam Tsui and Nick Pitera singing a cover of "For Good" from Broadway's version of The Green Monster, Wicked.  

As you'll hear below when you watch the video, it's a beautifully sung and unique rendition of a beautifully written song.

And the vid has 2 million plus views.  

And despite the fact that the official Broadway production of Wicked had nothing to do with the creation or distribution of this video, the official Broadway production benefited because this "commercial" made me want to see that show.

Oh, and I've seen Wicked before.  

Social media may be hard to monetize, because it doesn't respond like any other media out there in the world.

Because it isn't any other media out there in the world.  

It works best when it isn't driven by the brand . . . but rather by the brand ambassadors.  So your job as a Producer isn't to make viral videos that inspire 2 million plus views.  Your job is to create uber strong brand ambassadors that will do it for you.

Enjoy!

 

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The show I want to see this week is . . .

There is a major show that's about to start previews this week, that frankly, doesn't seem to have the amount of advertising out there that some of the others debuting this Spring do.

I've seen some outdoor pop up recently, but I haven't gotten an email blast, or seen banner ads or flyer-guys for this one. 

Why?

Probably because this show doesn't have to do heavy pre-opening advertising. . . because it's at Lincoln Center, and the first chunk of this run is going to be mostly filled up with subscribers.  It's nice to be a successful non-profit.

But I still know I want to go.

The show I want to see this week is . . .

War Horse.

And you know what's weird?  I've seen it already.

It's rare that a show can get an audience back to see it again.  Especially at $125 a pop.

It's especially rare for that show to be a play.  How many plays have you wanted to see again?

So what was it about the experience I had at The National Theater that makes me want to see War Horse again?

Sure, it was the spectacle of the "puppets" (which I think is the wrong word for what is on that stage), and the imaginative staging . . .

But what really got me was . . .

I cried.

Somewhere, right now, my step-brother wants to punch me in the arm for being a sissy, but I couldn't help it.  The show reached deep inside and pulled the strings on my emotions like I was the puppet . . . and the next thing you know, I could have watered a small garden with what was coming out of my eyeballs.

Luckily, for my macho-ego, I wasn't alone.  Just about the entire orchestra had sniffly noses and leaky eyes at the end of the performance I saw.

And these tears aren't like the tears one feels at the end of relationship, or after the loss of a family member. These tears are cathartically enjoyable.  You've surrendered to the story.  And it feels good.

So good, that you're willing to go back . . . and cry all over again.