4 Things that Broadway and The Royal Wedding have in common.

Oh the royals, the royals, everybody is talking about the royals.  Regardless of how stained with scandal the crown has been over the past decade, the wedding of Prince William and the future Princess Kate is still one of the most anticipated events of the last twenty years.  Since Billy sprouted whiskers, everyone has been wondering when he’d take a bride.

And the time has finally come.

As I’ve been watching the preparations, I couldn’t help but notice how the big day and Broadway have a blimey lot in common!

Here are four similarities:

1.  Everyone loves an underdog.

Kate’s a modern day Cinderella; a commoner plucked from obscurity who will soon wear a crown.  It’s the fantasy of just about every girl in the world (or at least the ones in my office), which is why it makes for such a wonderful story.  Broadway loves when the hard-working, unheard-of hero gets his or her due, whether that’s Annie or Jean Valjean or the kids on the Chorus Line.  Why?  Because if it can happen to them, maybe, just maybe, it can happen to us, too.  (The ladies in my office have already turned their sights to Harry.)

2. Everyone loves a spectacle.

The dress, the church, the flowers . . . or in other words . . . the costumes, the sets, the props!  Theatergoers and wedding guests alike have got a thing for the biggest and most beautiful.  As Spider-Man has proven, if you build it BIG, they will come.

3.  Not everyone can get in.

It’s got limited seating and, therefore, is exclusive, which makes it that much more exciting.  Just tonight I walked by the Book of Mormon and watched as 50 people in the cancellation line got turned away.  Just watching them wait . . . made me want to see it again.

4.  Everyone will want a t-shirt.

People like to commemorate memorable experiences, whether it’s a show or a wedding, with . . . stuff.  It reminds them of the fun they had, and it shows off that fun to their friends.  Take a look at some of the . . . stuff . . . you can get to celebrate the wedding.  Now take a look at some of the stuff you can get to celebrate Wicked.

Historical events are theatrical realism. What draws people to them is the same thing that draws people to the theater.  We’d do well to create shows that have some of the same elements as these unforgettable moments in our history.

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Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.

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