Nine People’s Favorite Thing

[title of show] is a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical.  It explores the difficulties of creating art in a commercial world.

In the show, composer Jeff Bowen and book writer Hunter Bell chronicle the creation of their musical, its entrance into the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival, its 2006 Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre, and its 2008 Broadway run at the Lyceum Theatre.  During each production of [title of show], the musical was updated to include event from the previous run.

The [title of show] Show
After the Off-Broadway run, Hunter and Jeff announced that [title of show] was going to Broadway on YouTube.  Through a 14 episode web series, the cast documented their quest to bring [title of show] to Broadway.  The series allowed fans to follow the story of the musical from the Vineyard to the Lyceum, introducing transmedia narrative to the theater.  Check out the Pilot Episode below.

The [title of show] Show follows the same format as the musical; the theme song Hunter and Jeff compose in the first episode appears at the beginning of the second episode.  The series also exposes the back stage conversations of the filming process.  Episode 3 begins with footage captured when the camera was left on at the end of the second Episode 2.  In another episode, the cast discusses what to do for following episode.  The first episode is reenacted in the Broadway incarnation of the musical.

Nine People’s Favorite Thing
[title of show] also reached out to fans on YouTube to collaborate on a music video.  600 fans were each assigned one word from a song in the show and took a picture illustrating the lyric.  Watch the video below to see the final video!

[title of show] has very committed fans that helped to spread the word about the The [title of show] Show and the Broadway transfer.  Popular shows like Wicked have dedicated fans that collaborate on message boards and write fan fiction.  Could you see Wicked elaborating on the back-story of The Wizard of Oz through digital media?  What other productions could use transmedia narrative?

Broadway, Prepare Ye for 2011

Ken Davenport’s production of Godspell is using an engagement strategy that has never been seen on Broadway.  The musical, which began previews last month, has borrowed tactics from other industries to bring theatrical marketing and public relations into 2011.

My Godspell Rewards Card

My Godspell Rewards Card

Prepare Ye
Many Broadway productions offer customers the opportunity to enter a lottery a few hours before curtain; this policy allows the lucky winners to purchase cheap tickets.  Godspell, a 1971 Stephen Schwartz musical, conveniently plays in the theater next to the composer’s megahit, Wicked.  The preshow lottery for Godspell follows Wicked’s lotto to capture customers that are already in the mood to see a Stephen Schwartz musical.

With the Godspell lottery, Ken Davenport is introducing the lotto rewards card.  If you try the lottery 10 times, you get an exclusive t-shirt.  Godspell is also the first show to hold a post-show lotto where attendees can win a backstage tour.

We Beseech Thee
Most Broadway productions deploy street teams to market shows to the line of tourists at the TKTS booth.  Instead, Godspell produced a street performance in Times Square a couple of days after the show began previews.  Check out the smart mob in the video below.

All Good Gifts
Godspell is also the first Broadway show to provide a special offer on Foursquare.  When I checked in, I was able to pick up some Godspell tattoos.  Similarly, the show’s official website encourages fans to engage with the production.  The cast page allows you to easily friend cast members on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

In addition, Godpsell has produced web and mobile tools for fans, including icons, wallpapers, and a ringtone.  The musical also has a vlog on Broadway.com, which you can read about in one of my previous posts.

By My Side
During the show, the audience is seated in the round.  The orchestra is spread throughout the house and the cast makes constant use of the aisles, creating an engaging atmosphere.  The production heightens this connection by bringing audience members onstage to participate in charades and Pictionary.  The cast even invites the entire audience to join them onstage for a taste of wine (grape juice) at intermission.

The musical has been updated with the Macarena, the Electric Slide, the Chicken Dance, and references to Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, and Lindsay Lohan.  Still, it is the engagement tactics that make this 1971 musical accessible to a 2011 audience.

Would any of these factors encourage you to buy a ticket?

A Broad Way of Embracing Video

Over the past few years, many theater websites have concentrated on improving media content.  Broadway.com, a ticketing and news website for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, produces a variety of video series to engage visitors.  This company derives revenue from high service fees for tickets, as well as hotel and restaurant packages.  Although competing ticketing websites have discounted prices and lower service fees, Broadway.com differentiates itself with unique media content.

Backstage Access
Currently, Broadway.com produces four video blogs that give fans backstage access to Broadway performers.  The ticketing company has created a successful formula in giving video cameras to supporting actors in current Broadway musicals.  These vlogs draw fans to Broadway.com and encourage visitors to spend more time on the website.

Broadway.com has produced vlogs for musicals like Next to Normal, The Addams Family, and Wicked.  Now, the website is hosting its highest volume of vlogs with Priscilla Queen of the Desert, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Sister Act, and Godspell.

These videos allow fans to ask the cast questions and learn about hidden talents and preshow warm-ups.  The more honest vlogs tend to gather a greater following.  For example, Jackie Hoffman’s hysterical vlog for The Addams Family often berated her own critically panned show and the vlog was extended.

Word of Mouth
About four years ago, Broadway.com replaced its critics with average theater attendees.  Word of Mouth is a video series that records the reviews of a demographically diverse group of theatergoers throughout each season.  In less than four minutes, you can get an authentic critique from a lawyer, an army captain, and a teenager.  This content is especially useful for Broadway.com consumers, since the majority of ticket buyers are middle-aged women.  Check out this Word of Mouth video for the recent revival of Master Class:

Even though Word of Mouth reviews are overwhelmingly positive, Broadway.com does not censor negative reviews.  This video series is a tool that assists customers with very expensive decisions.

These unique video series engage and educate consumers, increasing traffic on Broadway.com.  What kind of video content have you seen that encourages you to spend more time on a website?

How to Increase Revenue Without Really Trying

This past Saturday, a freak snowstorm hit New York.  Sold out shows, like King Lear and The Lyons, immediately alerted Twitter followers that rush tickets would be available.  Once the curtain rises, unsold seats become deadwood and revenue is lost forever.  Traditionally, theaters have used Twitter to advertise ticket offers during snowstorms.  While recent productions still use this platform to facilitate the distribution of tickets, theaters are doing a much better job of engaging followers.

We’re in the Money
Last year, The Pee-wee Herman Show proved the financial value of social media efforts on Broadway.  Two months prior to its first preview, The Pee-wee Herman Show had 750,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter.  The producers of the show opened presale to these followers, amounting for a huge advance of $1.5 million.  Next to Normal can also claim revenue as a result of an innovative social media campaign.

Nowadays
For its 15th Anniversary on Broadway, the revival of Chicago is engaging followers on Twitter and Facebook.  The production posted clues for a scavenger hunt on these platforms.  15 fans won tickets to the show by following the clues to secret locations in Times Square.  Chicago also invited fans to submit YouTube videos for Cellblock Idol, a contest of fans performing their favorite songs from the show.  Despite the recent surge in activity, this production is no stranger to social media.

Last year, Chicago offered free admission to Facebook fans that recruited ten friends to “like” Chicago The Musical.  Personal recommendations are the greatest influencer for the ticket purchases of Broadway musicals.  Chicago’s efforts are well founded and more musicals are getting in on the act.

How to Succeed on Facebook

How to Succeed on Facebook

How to Succeed
The Broadway revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying has cultivated a responsive fan base through Facebook.  Before the musical began previews, How to Succeed hosted five days of giveaways.  One photo contest asked fans to post their picture wearing Daniel Radcliffe’s blue bowtie.  These contests engage fans while gaining high visibility for the production.

Some of these campaigns have proven results before the production even begins performances.  Have you seen a campaign or a contest that has sparked serious interest from fans?

The Hidden Cost of Your iPod

Mike Daisey in The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

Mike Daisey in The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

Last Saturday, I saw The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at the Public Theater.  As an intern at the Public, I have worked on the show for the past two months, but I never expected to have such a cathartic experience in the theater.  In The Agony and the Ecstasy, monologist Mike Daisey explains his obsession with Apple products.  Mike also recounts his investigationinto the way in which his beloved products are actually manufactured.

Obsession

From personal computers to laptops and from cell phones to smart phones, technology has become ubiquitous in our culture.  Personal electronic devices are how we connect with one another.  As Mike argues in his monologue, we cannot opt out of our culture.  However, there is a great hidden cost in consumer electronics.

Foxconn

The devices we depend on every day are not made in the United States.  Apple and other major corporations subcontract the manufacturing of their products to the Foxconn Technology Group in Shenzhen, China.  Last year, this Taiwanese owned factory employed 430,000 workers and produced 52% of the world’s electronics.  Unfortunately, this means that our personal electronics are not made in a humane fashion.

Working Conditions

Last year, Mike Daisey showed up at the gates of Foxconn to interview workers after their lengthy shifts.  Although the Chinese workday is officially eight hours long, Mike found that 12-hour shifts were more common.  In fact, a 28-year-old man died of exhaustion after a 34-hour shift.  Perhaps more disturbing are the many 14, 13, and 12 year olds that Mike interviewed.

Although the recent stream of Foxconn suicides received press coverage, consistent medical injuries remain unacknowledged.  Machinery and chemicals on the assembly line have maimed many workers, but Foxconn refuses to provide proper medical attention.  These workers are fired if their injuries slow their pace.  Similarly, employees are blacklisted if they attempt to collect payment for overtime.

Journalists have remained relatively mute on these issues.

Solutions

In The Agony and the Ecstasy, Mike Daisey argues that corporations should export their values along with their manufacturing deals.  There is little awareness about the conditions in which our electronics are made.  Mike’s show certainly educated me on the serious ethical questions we should ask when buying new products.

The changes Mike suggests in his monologue have nothing to do with wages.  Instead, he proposes a change of ethics.  If Foxconn management cared about its workers, employees could rotate tasks on the assembly line.  This would decrease the damaging effects of repetitive movement and exposure to chemicals.

Why haven’t any journalists interviewed these Foxconn workers?  Do you think the Western world is ignorant of the inhumane working conditions in Shenzhen?  Should Apple hold Foxconn accountable for the circumstances in which its products are manufactured?

Foxconn

Foxconn

Please note that many of these facts and figures were originally presented in The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs by Mike Daisey.  However, there are numerous injuries that I have not included in this post.  For more information, please visit China Labor Watch and Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior for more information.

Curtain Up on Twitter

One of my favorite musicals is Next to Normal, a rock musical about a mother dealing with grief and bipolar disorder.  I saw the show 10 times between its Off-Broadway run and its Broadway transfer.  After a 2005 run at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, a revised version opened to mixed reviews at Second Stage Theatre in 2008.  Producer David Stone decided to use the traditional out-of-town tryout to rework the show, focusing the material on the family rather than modern medical practices.  After a tryout at Arena Stage, the musical opened on Broadway in 2009, receiving positive reviews, a couple of Tony Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize.

Next to Normal at Second Stage Theatre

Despite critical success, Next to Normal is a hard sell to mainstream audiences.  A few weeks after opening, book writer Brian Yorkey began tweeting in the voices of his characters on the Next to Normal Twitter account.  The innovative month long Twitter adaptation of Next to Normal earned over 115,000 followers for @n2nbroadway.  The adaptation ended on the morning of the Tony Awards, allowing fans to see the cast perform on the evening’s telecast.

Four months later, Next to Normal beat out Coca-Cola, Sprint, HBO and Star Trek for the Online Media, Marketing and Advertising Award for Online Creativity.  Moreover, the Twitter campaign had a correlation with a rise in ticket sales.  During the run of the Twitter adaptation, attendance rose by 27% and weekly grosses rose by $137,000.  Although the 11 Tony nominations probably played a significant role in show’s ascent, many followers tweeted that they bought tickets due to the Twitter performance.

Next to Normal at the Booth Theatre

After the Twitter adaptation ended, Next to Normal cast members reached out to Twitter followers for an extended question and answer session.  Also, leading actress Alice Ripley engaged fans with fun YouTube videos.  Writers Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey worked with Twitter followers to compose a new song for the musical, which debuted at the 92YTribeca.

A strong social media presence certainly helped the show maintain high grosses after the Tony Awards.  Next to Normal exceeded expectations with a run just shy of two years.  It also recouped its $4 million investment, a rare feat for a Broadway show.  Numerous international productions and a North American tour followed.
No other Broadway production has utilized Twitter to such great results.  While shows are getting better at engaging followers through contests, there has not been another play or musical that has captured an online audience in the way that Next to Normal has.  Do you think another show could be adapted for Twitter?  Would a similar campaign work a second time around?

Blogging “Day By Day”

Producer Ken Davenport has become the most prevalent online voice in the theater.  His entrepreneurial spirit has led to several impressive projects across channels and mediums.  Ken’s Broadway revival of Godspell, which is set to begin performances in eight days, has developed the strongest social media campaign I’ve seen in the performing arts industry.

Ken Davenport

Ken Davenport from The Producer's Perspective

As a Producer

Davenport Theatrical Enterprises is currently producing the Broadway productions of Godspell and Chinglish.  Off-Broadway, Ken is represented by Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage and The Awesome 80s Prom.  While these plays require a great deal of attention, Ken has found the time to produce a series of intriguing projects.

On the Internet

Over the past four years, Ken has blogged on The Producer’s Perspective.  He posts thoughts on current events, industry issues, and past marketing practices on a daily basis.  Ken also suggests successful strategies from other industries that theater producers might implement.  Provocative posts and contests encourage subscribers to comment frequently.  Every year, Ken publishes his posts, making them available for purchase.

In addition to Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, Davenport Theatrical maintains three industry websites.  BroadwaySpace.com is a networking site that includes a message board and encourages users to post photos and videos.  Ken developed and produced the first theater board game, Be A Broadway Star, through BroadwaySpace.

BestofOffBroadway.com is a resource for Off-Broadway shows, discounts, group tickets, and reviews.  Featuring entertaining caricatures of New York Times critic Ben Brantley, DidHeLikeIt.com is a comprehensive guide to Broadway and Off-Broadway reviews by major critics.

Going Mobile

In the past year, Ken Davenport has expanded his enterprises to mobile technology.  He produced an iPhone application for his blog.  Another application by Davenport Media Enterprises is At The Booth, an app that compiles the prices of shows available at the TKTS booth every day.

Godspell

Ken’s Broadway revival of Godspell begins previews in eight days.  Following his inventive marketing and production ideas, Ken announced that this would be the first community produced musical, meaning that individuals could invest a minimum of $1,000 in the show.  Typically, investments are reserved for a select group with much larger means.

Godspell

Godspell from Godspell.com

Furthermore, Ken created a blog for Godspell, Day By Day: The Producer’s Perspective.  92 days ago, Ken began posting daily accounts of production, ranging from marketing meetings to technical rehearsals.  Most recently, he launched My Godspell Memory, a platform for sharing 20-second videos.  Anyone can upload a video describing his or her memories of this beloved musical.

I wonder how these unique social media tactics have influenced ticket sales.  Ken has cultivated a community of Internet savvy theater fans that are very likely to purchase tickets to Godspell.  The traffic on Ken’s sites is of particular interest to performing arts organizations and other commercial producers.  Few in the industry have embraced social media like Ken.  If he decides to share his observations, other producers may be encouraged to devote more resources to the online communities.

Do you think that these social media platforms will significantly impact ticket sales?  Would members of Ken’s online community see Godspell anyway?