You can’t come to my reading? I’ll bring my reading to you.

I got in a great convo with a theater lover/great business guy the other day about the pros and cons of taping theatrical performances.

We spent most of our time talking about delivering finished Broadway productions to cinemas around the country like The Met and The National Theatre’s programs.

But then we got into other applications.

One of the questions that I get the most from Producers/Writers/Actors is . . . how can I get a Producer to come to my reading?

Well, what if . . . what if . . . we streamed readings online?

One of the biggest reasons I don’t go to readings is that they take too much time out of the workday, especially when you factor in getting to/from.

But if the readings were streamed, I could get a taste of the material, without leaving my desk.

Usually I’m not an advocate of trying to use a 2D taped version of a show to sell a 3D live version of a show.  But, since the elements of a reading usually don’t sell a show well anyway (fluroescent lights, rehearsal rooms, music stands, etc.), we might not lose that much in the presentation.  And since we might get so many more “attendees”, we might end up with a net positive.  Lose a little, gain a lot.

A streamed reading could also be a great way to generate investor interest from around the country, rather than just relying on the investors who are within a 45 mile radius of Manhattan.

Those are the pluses . . .

The downside?  More Producers could stay home.  Watching a reading by yourself is not like being in an audience surrounded by other people laughing, applauding, etc.

Honestly, I’m not sure about this approach. And we’d have to get some union assistance in allowing it.

But you know me, I’m all about giving it a shot.

Because unless we continue to try new ways to market our material at all stages of its development, our market will will eventually shrivel up to nothing.

What do you think?  Would you like to see a reading online?

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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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