Boy did I need something to distract me from CNN today. You?
When I need some misdirection from something that is causing me a lot of anxiety, I play “Fantasy Broadway.” I put myself in the hypothetical chair of a decision-maker on Broadway . . . a Producer, a Theater Owner, a Director or any kind of TheaterMaker . . . and then I put myself in a tough situation . . . and I ask myself, “What would I do?”
I’ve played this game for Tony Award campaigns (how would I convince voters to pick my show?), staffing questions (what designers do I think are best for this project?), and more.
Here’s what I toyed with today:
One of the things I am grateful for is that I didn’t have any shows running on Broadway when the covid-curtain came down. (The four musicals that I have teed up- Broadway Vacation, Joy, The Neil Diamond Musical and Harmony- were just about to go into the workshop phase.) So I asked myself, “If I did have a show running on Broadway, what would I do to keep that show top of mind before our return?”
I came up with a bunch of stuff, but here’s the one I liked the most.
I’d put it on sale.
“But how, Ken? If you don’t know when Broadway is coming back, how would you know when to put the show back on sale?”
Let me be more specific.
I’d put ONE performance on sale. And that performance wouldn’t have an exact date attached. But it would be a guaranteed ticket to the VERY FIRST PERFORMANCE back. 🙂
See, at a time when so many things are unknown (including who will be our next President – although that seems to be relatively clear to everyone except ONE person), there is one certainty in my book . . .
When we’re given the “all clear” and Broadway reopens again? The very first time a curtain is raised on a show is going to be one of the most magical nights in the theater . . . EVER.
Just imagine for a moment . . .you’re sitting in the audience of your favorite musical. The house lights go out . . . the orchestra strikes up . . . the curtain rises and an actor appears. And then she sings . . .
I mean, people are going to go ballistic!!!!
It’s going to be historic. And fans are going to want to be a part of that incredible, sob-inducing, standing-ovation-that-may-last-an-hour, moment. They’re going to want to be a part of it so badly, that they’d buy a ticket for it now. Even without knowing exactly when it is!
Don’t you think?
And if you don’t think . . . tell me below why. And then YOU PLAY THE GAME! Come up with your own way that you’d keep your audience talking about your show while Broadway is shutdown and put it in the comments!
And then you can go back to watching CNN.
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Marketing is going to change in the post-pandemic world. That’s why we have a marketing panel at the TheaterMakers Summit, which starts in just SEVEN DAYS! Get your ticket here and see some of the 100 (!) speakers we have ready to help you in your theatrical pursuits. Click here and join us now.
I’d give anything to have Broadway up and running again.
Wait. Hold the cell phone.
I forgot the #1 lesson about making wishes like that. You have to be veeeeeery specific.
Take #2.
I’d give anything to have a healthy Broadway up and running again. And by healthy, I mean safe from Covid. And strong at the box office.
And we can’t come back, and I predict we won’t come back, until we have both. (For my actual, to-the-day prediction of when Broadway will return, click here.)
Which takes me today’s blog . . .
Even though I’d consider giving up a toe to have audiences in our theaters again, I’m kinda glad I don’t have anything running this week.
Because this week would have been a @#$%-show at the box office.
Here are three reasons why.
And what would have made it worse? Everyone is predicting a count that goes on past election day, which would have paralyzed our audience’s mind and their desire to purchase tickets.
There are few blessings in the midst of this Broadway shut down. But every morning I tried to find at least one. Today’s is that I’m actually glad I don’t have any shows running this week.
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The good news is that when the election is over, the tension is released, and we start to focus on what we need to focus on again. And in this case, that’s making theater in our new world. There’s only 12 days until The TheaterMakers Summit, when 100 of Broadway’s Best will talk about how we can do just that. Will you be a part of that conversation? Click here.
TheaterMakers wear lots of hats.
Unfortunately, our favorite hat has to stay hung up in the closet right now, until this Covid nonsense is under control.
So for many, that means a pivot to one of their other chapeaux. (Even we’re pivoting to producing online events as I mentioned here and here.)
Whenever we’ve needed an extra set of hands over the past few months, we’ve turned to TheaterMakers with a side hustle.
Because we want them working. Because we need to make sure their side hustle doesn’t become their primary hustle. Because we want them . . . no . . . we need them to make theater when this is over.
And because I have the best, most entrepreneurial and generous readers on the blog-osphere, we thought you might want to hire them too, if you found yourself needing an extra set of hands.
That’s why I put together this TheaterMaker Side Hustle directory. In it you’ll find Actors, Writers, Investors, etc. who all want to keep working in and supporting the theater . . . and who will be more inclined to do so if they can keep on keeping on during this pandemic.
They are real estate agents, Etsy crafters, coaches, marketers, composers, video editors, tarot card readers, and just about everything you could need.
And they are terrific (we’ve hired several already).
Click here if you need someone or just want to browse. And if you ever need anyone for anything . . . or know someone who does, tell them to hire a TheaterMaker.
Check out the TheaterMaker Side Hustle Directory here.