Stop the Rumors

Today we go back to my favorite new musical with most of the drama behind the scenes. Yes we are talking about Spider-Man. Rumors are spinning out of control and people are dying to guess what is going on. Yesterday the producers announced that the previews would be delayed. They also reported that they had capitalized the show.

Last weekend in my producing class we talked about Capitalization and Weekly Net and we specifically talked about the estimated cost of Spider-Man. These high school students asked why you would ever move forward with a project that has little to no change of recouping. I said, “Exactly. Everyone is asking that question.”

If there is anything we have learned from superstars with problems is that you want to get ahead of the rumors. Maybe the producing team likes the rumors to keep us all talking about their show. But each time the rumors turn in to a dooms-day scenario for the show they have to come out and talk to the press. So why not come up with a solid plan. Announce it. Then if something changes announce the new plan. The press is dying to know what is happening with this show. So let them. But step up and control the conversation as much as you can. Build the brand of a strong show that will wow. Instead of this rumor mill situation for the show that is getting to be known as the “show that never will make it.”

Musicians have been “Locked Out”

It has been reported by the New York Times blog and Playbill.com that the Off-Broadway production of Tony ‘N Tina’s Wedding has stopped using live musicians and moved to recorded music while breaking the musicians' union’s contract with the company. This will be something to watch. So far only local 802, the musicians' union, is making statements. The production has recently changed producers. The agreement with the musicians' union, however, says that they will employee union musicians until 2011, even if the production changes producers. When the musicians returned to work, they were locked out and replaced by recorded music.

The unions have constantly increased their costs and have won some major battles in work rules. This led to the Broadway stage hands strike in 2007 and the 2003 Broadway musicians' union strike.

I am all for paying equal wages and having fair work rules, but it is really out of hand and makes it hard to put up good productions by the shear cost of having union stage hands and union musicians. I won’t go into great detail just yet about the strikes, but I think it is something I will discuss later. On this incident I think the producers should have not locked out the musicians because of the standing contract, but right now we are only hearing the side of the union.

HAIR

We are now four days away from the National Equality March. Broadway is taking a huge interest in this march, and it is exciting for our industry to get so involved. Broadway raises millions of dollars every year for everything from AIDS to Animal Rights. Now they are getting involved in the fight for equal rights. The producers of the Tony Winner musical HAIR are taking the biggest involvement in letting their cast have the day off so they can go to Washington. It is estimated that it will cost them between $100,000 and $150,000 to close on Sunday, October 11th.

As you have seen in my videos of Sutton Foster, they are not the only ones getting involved. Producer David Stone, Audra McDonald, Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as some Broadway casts, have raised money to send over 20 buses from New York City to Washington D.C.

The producers of HAIR are not only taking a risk, but they are also making head lines in all the major industry papers, including a great article last week in the New York Times.

I think it was a very smart move for the show about taking a stand for what’s right to show their own commitment to that idea by canceling their show, even though it means a loss for them. I think in the end it will more than make up for it in the press. I know I personally will see it the next time I am in NYC.

Top of the list!

Okay, in truth it’s just a list of business and theatrical blogs put together by Ken Davenport , but right now I am at the top of that list. I am pretty sure he just puts new people at the top of the list, so I plan on riding this high for as long as it lasts. Ken’s blog is a pretty big deal in the producing world, and I have been trying to get more traffic to my blog. My numbers go up and down, depending on what I write and where I post it.

Ken just asked that I add him to my blog role, which I did. The test will be to see if traffic picks up. In the first month of the blog I averaged 113 hits per week, and now I average 139 per week. My goal is to have it reach around 300 per week in one year.

We will see if I can keep this up and if people are still interested. Writing a blog is NOT as easy as I thought it was going to be. Fist off, you have to have enough things to write about, which is why I have Ask My Friends Wednesdays so that I can take one day off, but even then I have to line people up and make sure there is good content for them to write about. Then I have to make sure I write the night before so that I can send it off to Clayton, my godsend who edits these blogs. Go back to the first week, and you can see why I need someone to edit. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and hope you all enjoy reading them. I have gotten some really nice notes about the blog and hope to keep it up.

That said, I love writing the blog and encourage others to do the same. Some of my friends have better ideas and things to talk about, and I try to get them to write a blog. Pick a topic and just go. If you do start a blog, let me know and let’s compare how we do it, and who knows...maybe I can put you on my blog role.

Closing? Not with a reputation like that.

Avenue Q closed last evening on Broadway, but at that performance the producers announced that they would move the show to off-Broadway at New World Stage.

Genius!

The show is losing attendance and cannot make the nut it needs to run on Broadway. But it is a more off-Broadway show anyway, and after 6 years and recouping, it has such a reputation that it can move to off-Broadway. Variety reported it is the first Broadway show to transfer to off-Broadway.

I personally think this is a great move. They have the sets, costumes, and puppets and have recouped the cost, so why not keep it running! My hats are off to the producers, and may they have a long run off-Broadway.

Off-Broadway

Recently when producers talk about Off-Broadway they say it’s dead. That you can’t make money with the costs of unions and marketing with such small house counts. Shows like Glory Days that probably should be Off-Broadway figure there is a less risk in a Broadway house because you get more exposure and almost the same risks.

Well, recently producers like Ken Davenport have been working to fix the reputation of Off-Broadway. Last week there was an article in the New York Times that I thought was worth sharing.

So your homework for today is to read this article and tell me what you think about Off-Broadway.

Project Fringe 10 - Part 4 7.17.09

We are really making progress with Project Fringe. I have a partner in producing this show. His name is Clayton Smith. I have worked with Clayton briefly in producing a reading of one of his plays. Clayton is a bright young grad student in Chicago. He has written for this blog, and it is #2 in the top-ranked pages of the blog. Clayton will be heavily involved in the creative aspects of script formation. He will also play a key role in fundraising and marketing.

Speaking of the creative part, I am down to three ideas, though only two of them are fully formed. I want to get a director involved to help choose the piece. There is a local, young director who has assisted on a lot around town and directed a lot of readings and smaller productions. Next season will mark his directing debut of a main stage at a regional theatre in D.C. I won’t reveal his name yet, but he seems interested, and I will let you know once we move forward.

So a partner is attached, and a director and script are getting closer. Now to work on a marketing plan and budget with my partner Clayton. Stay tuned to see who will be playing the “director” in this adventure and what script will make the final cut.

Tony Time!

It is time for the Tony’s. Last night I was having dinner with a good friend and he reminded me of one of my goals when I was in college. It was to have a Tony by now or be working for a producer that would be up for a Tony. Sadly, I haven’t done either. But that is okay. I set high goals for myself. My goals sometime seem unreachable but I say why not try.

By setting high goals I was managing the backstage of the Fabulous Fox Theatre before I graduated college. I got into the 14 week Commercial Theatre Institute and learned from some of the best Producers on Broadway and I even have a very small part in a future Broadway show. Not too bad for only being 27. Yes, I would like to have accomplished more but I feel good about where I have been and where I am going. I am very happy at the Shakespeare Theatre and hope to further my career more there in the next couple of years.

My new goal is to have a Tony by 2017. Seems so far away. Wish me luck!

P.S. Watch the Tony Awards Sunday Night!