PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE Ken Davenport, Broadway Producer, Off-Broadway, Theater

Time Out becomes a tabloid.

In his Time Out New York theater blog, Editor and Reviewer David Cote wrote the following in an article about New World Stages:

Something strange is happening at New World Stages, the five-year-old theater complex on West 50th Street:  you can actually see worthwhile shows there.  Not so long ago, we'd associate the former Hell's Kitchen cineplex with gimmicky tourist trash (Naked Boys Singing, My First Time, etc.).  

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking I'm ticked off that Cote called my show "trash."

Well, I'm not angry.  I'm confused.

I'm confused, because I don't understand how an editor of a prominent publication can make a derogatory statement about a show that he has never seen.

That's right, my readers, David Cote has never seen My First Time (or Naked Boys Singing for that matter), yet he feels it's appropriate to comment on the quality of the work.

I'm sure you can understand my confusion.

Making insulting and demeaning comments about a show that you have never seen is simply irresponsible journalism.

Now, Adam Feldman, Time Out's other main theatre writer, well, he can call the show anything he wants, and he has!  See, Adam actually saw My First Time.  He didn't like it, and you've never heard me make a peep.  Why?  Because not liking My First Time is his right, and it's his responsibility as a theatrical reviewer to let people know what he thinks.     

But how the editor of the theater section can make snarky comments with no firsthand knowledge of the product is shocking to me.  It's not journalism. It's tabloidism:  making bold and exaggerated statements to give your rag personality (and I can call it a rag, because I was a subscriber and an advertiser).  

And we wonder why people aren't listening to reviewers anymore.

Oh, and for the record, when I read David's blog, I had my press agent reach out to David and invite him to see the show.  Perhaps once he got in to see it, he'd like it?  Or perhaps he wouldn't, and he'd cut it up even more (which would then be his right, and the risk that I'd be taking). 

He said he was too busy.  

Three reasons why Glee is great.

There is no question that Glee is great for Broadway.  Here are three reasons why I love it:

1.  IT PUTS BROADWAY PEEPS TO WORK

The transition from theater to television is a lot more difficult now than it was in the early days of both industries.  Look at how many great Broadway actors are out there that you haven't seen headlining in movies and piloting pilots.

And then along comes a show like Glee, and the casting directors can't get enough from our pool: Lea Michele, Matt Morrison, Jonathan Groff, John Lloyd Young, Debra Monk and more.  

The longer it runs, the more our folks will get a chance to lend their talents and their pipes to that program.  And then they'll hopefully come back to Broadway and bring some fans with them.  

2.  IT PUTS SHOWTUNES NEXT TO POP TUNES

"Where Is Love," "Tonight," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat," are just a few of the showtunes featured on Glee, and these classics are smacked right up next to songs like "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Rehab," and "Single Ladies."  

The line between pop and showtunes is being blurred.  

Who knows, maybe we'll go back to the days when major rock bands like, oh, I don't know, The Beatles, sang showtunes when looking to make a big splash on television.

3.  IT PUTS SINGING INTO STORIES

So often I hear people say, "I just don't get musicals.  People start singing.  What the?  People just don't do that!"

For the most part, Glee chose the Jersey Boys model (or Altar Boyz model, for that matter) where the musical numbers are actual performances and not "sung scenes."  Still, having a show like Glee helps audiences get used to the fact that music can be incorporated seamlessly into entertainment.
 

The movie musical has helped Broadway significantly over the past decade, with shows like Hairspray, Chicago, Phantom and Rent ALL adding years to their runs (and millions to their box offices) thanks to their movie counterparts.

Broadway now seems to be making its way into television, in a subtler way, but in a way nonetheless.

Let's hope shows like Glee continue to merge the two mediums.

Meet my interns! And we're looking for more.

I've got a great group of interns this season, and I thought they all deserved a shout-out.

So here is the DTE Fall Semester Class of '09.

Matt Fried

Matt came to New York straight out of college in 2006 to be an actor, and quickly found out that he wanted to write and produce. Since then, he's written scripts for ABC/TV and produces his own talk show, The Matt Fried Hour. Working at Davenport has been an invaluable experience for Matt. 

Marie Gossman

Marie Gossman is excited to be part of Davenport Theatrical. She is a native of Pensacola, FL and a graduate of the University of West Florida. She is a recent addition to the Big Apple and immediately fell in love with the world of theater. She is now pursuing a career in company management and possibly production. Other interests include seeing the world, new experiences, and winning games of Boggle.  

Emily McGill

Emily McGill has a long-standing passion for performing arts.  When her brother's first Broadway show closed, Emily shifted focus from performing to producing.  Fox Theatricals, (...Charlie Brown; ...Millie; Caroline, or Change; Legally Blonde) provided her introduction to producing, and she has been hooked since.  Co-founder of M/E Theatricals with Nick Eilerman, M/E looks to produce commercially viable theater while cultivating new artists and audiences.

Will Norris

Will hails from Griffin, Georgia and recently from Valdosta State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre.  While in school, he assisted with public relations and management for the VSU Theatre season and Peach State Summer Theatre, the university’s resident professional theatre.  Will has written for the Peach State Summer Theatre newsletter, “The Peach Buzz” and contributed to BackStage.  

Danielle Sacks

Danielle is currently pursuing a BFA in Drama at Playwrights Horizons, NYU. Her acting credits have included As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Song’s for a New World, Vote!, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. She also sings in The Point and Swing Big Band. She is very excited to be working with Davenport Enterprises and learning all parts of producing theater!

If you're interested in being a part of the Winter/Spring Semester Class of '10, here's the scoop:

We are seeking interns in all areas of our office:  General Management, Marketing and Group Sales, Internet Marketing and Design, and Company Management.

The upcoming Winter/Spring internships will be from January through April, 2010.

You must be willing to commit to at least 20 hours a week (weekdays and weekends are available). A $500 stipend is paid upon successful completion of the internship program.

If you're interested, please send a resume and cover letter to my assistant, Melissa Heller, who may not have gotten a shout-out here, but certainly gets shouted AT every day:  melissa@davenporttheatrical.com.

What and who is an impresario?

Merrick, Mackintosh, Drabinsky . . .

All of these producers have been called impresarios during their careers (Drabinsky has been called a few other names most recently).

But what exactly is an "impresario?"

Thanks to one of my favorite readers, Laura M., for sending me this article that appeared in a Minneapolis paper with some great quotes about what impresarios do.  (BTW, Minneapolis is one of the greatest non-big-city theater towns in the country.  I'd even take it over my hometown of Boston and over LA.  NYC, Chicago and then Minneapolis, IMHO.)

Now that you know what an impresario is, you have to ask yourself if you really want to be one?

Thanks to Tom Ray of Woodbridge, VA.

This week's Entertainment Weekly rag, uh, sorry, I mean mag, had the following letter to the editor:

More theater reviews, please!  I enjoyed this issue but I want - need - more!
 
    - Tom Ray, Woodbridge, VA

Thanks for speaking out, Tom. And thanks for reminding a major media outlet that there are Broadway theater lovers all over the country who are looking for more theater representation in what they read.

With the numbers of mega-stars stepping their star-studded shoes on Broadway stages these days (Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Scarlett Johannson, Will Ferrell, etc.), we have a chance to break into more mainstream publications.

Let's hope EW and everyone else listens to folks like Tom . . . and folks like you.

In fact, why don't we show Tom some support?

Write to Entertainment Weekly at ew_letters@ew.com or snail mail 'em at Entertainment Weekly, 135 West 50th St., New York, NY  10020.

Tell 'em you want more theater.

I'm serious.  Click it.  Tell 'em you agree with Tom. 

It'll take 30 seconds tops.  

And tell 'em Ken sent you.  :-)  

Oh, and Tom, if you read this, drop me a note. I tried to look you up in the 2009 version of the phone book (aka facebook) but came up empty.  I'd love for you to be my guest at one of my shows the next time you are in town.  We need more and more folks like you.

The 50 Most Powerful People on Broadway

Patrick Lee, a fellow blogger and member of the ITBA, as well as the guy in NYC who sees more theater than anyone I know, published a byline this AM on BroadwaySpace titled, "The 50 Most Powerful People on Broadway."

Fun!

Patrick spoke to a bunch of Bway insiders, in order to determine who really is pulling the curtain on The Great White Way.

Click here to read the article.  It's fascinating!

The old theater mags, like TheaterWeek and InTheater, used to publish lists like these annually.  They were my favorite columns of the year.  It was always fun seeing who had the juice.

But you know what's even more fun?  

Taking a look at the list one year later, and seeing just who rose in the ranks, who fell, who appeared, and who disappeared completely.

Maybe we can get Patrick to do it again next year.

Theater things that don't make sense: Vol. 7

What do these things have in common?

Airplane tickets, train tickets, movie tickets, metrocards, car rentals, dvd player rentals, iPods, candy, and good ol' fashioned Coca-Cola?

Give up?

These are all things that can be purchased through self-serve machines.

Where are theater tickets?  Oh, well, they're back in 1985.  

ATMs (Automated ticket machines), where you can buy a ticket, print your ticket, upgrade your ticket, buy a CD, enter contest, and more, should be in every theater lobby and every tourist center in the city.  

I could go into a long explanation of why this makes sense . . . but you all know it makes sense.  Everyone knows it makes sense. Even the people that fight against it know that it makes sense deep down in places they don't admit exist.

They save money. They provide a better consumer experience.  And they'll be here eventually.  So why wait?  

Why can't the theater industry actually be first at something . . . just once.

Is actor absenteeism at Broadway shows affecting our audience's attitudes? A study tells all.

This past August, Michael Riedel wrote an article in the Post (in his usual smartly-snarky style), about a plague of absenteeism at West Side Story.

I've been concerned about absenteeism for some time, mostly because of its macro effects on our audience.  As theater tickets get more pricey, and the economy gets more dicey, audiences are bound to be disappointed if they aren't getting what they pay for, right?

Right?

The truth is, I didn't know if I was right.

So I decided to find out.  

I called up my friend, Joseph Craig, formerly of Nielsen, and now out on his own at ERM (Entertainment Research and Marketing).  Audience research is what Joseph does, day and night, for movies, theater, video games, and more. I call him Dr. Stats.  He's not allowed to talk about the clients that he's represented for obvious reasons, but I happen to know a bunch of the producers that use him.  Let me tell you, some of the shows that he has worked on are so big, you'd wonder why they'd even need research (answer - there is always something to learn).

I told Joseph my concerns and commissioned his company to do a study.

Below is what I believe is the first ever published study on The Effects of Absenteeism On The Broadway Audience.

For the study, ERM did mostly live interviews as well as some internet surveys with "regular theatergoers" both in and out of the tri-state.  

I would say that I'm proud to present this survey, but the truth is I'm not. 

Why?  Well, because, unfortunately, I was right.  It is having an effect.

Here is the Executive Summary from the study, which begins with some general and very useful information on how these "regulars" choose shows to see, and ends with something scary.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overall Response

• In general, respondents are consumers of live entertainment who picked up the habit by “being taken to the theater by a spouse, date or parent”.  All try to see the “newest and most buzzed about shows” as early as possible in the run. However, a very high 86% still try to catch up on shows they missed and see them generally within the first two years of the run.

• As far as preferences go, the majority (63%) prefer to see musicals followed by 23% who have no preference over plays or musicals while 14% consider themselves devoted exclusively to plays.

• Interestingly, 67% of those surveyed keep a “list” of shows they haven’t seen and actively look for deals on tickets to these shows.

• It is important to note that almost all of those surveyed are willing to pay full price for shows they really want to see.

• A very high 78% of respondents had seen at least one performance of a show that featured an understudy substituting for a regularly scheduled performer usually in a leading role.  Most feel they “heard” the most common reason for an absent performer was an illness or injury that sidelined the usual cast member.  Almost all (91%) believe that a missing performer is out for legitimate reasons.

• The newest shows tied with the shows that have been running for over 5 years as the shows with the most missing performers (non-star driven).

• With a few notable exceptions, most feel that stars are more apt to appear on a regular basis in their leading roles.

• The majority of theatergoers (51%) feel the problem has gotten worse over the last 5 years.  Most (66%) feel that “younger” or the “less experienced” Broadway performers are more apt to “call in sick” than those with a “career” in the theater.

• When they saw the replacement notice in the Playbill, most (76%) were worried about how it would effect their overall enjoyment of “an expensive evening out” and openly shared with their companion(s) a level of concern about the performance.  Among those who brought guests, about a  fifth of those surveyed felt like they had to apologize or promise their companion another theater experience if this was “not up to snuff”.

• About a quarter was excited to see what another performer could do when given a chance and was “pleased and happy” with the performance, or “it felt like they were always a part of the production”, and ultimately came away with good things to say about the show and never gave it another thought. Also on a positive note, some felt like they were given an opportunity to see “the future of Broadway performers” when a particularly talented performer “knocked it out of the ballpark”.

• Having said that, the majority (73%) came away frustrated by their experience. They generally felt like they were given a performer who was “under rehearsed” or “struggled to keep up”, or “lacked chemistry” with other performers, or “would never usually be cast in this role”.  Consequently, it had an effect on the overall show. Most felt “cheated” or felt in the case of long runs that “the Producers don’t care about what is going on with their shows”.  

• Generally, this lead to negative word of mouth on the show. Most quotes stated that they would tell their “inner circle” that “it was not worth full price” or “you should see another show instead” or even in some cases lament how “Broadway producers just care about getting my money and forget about how all this affects my overall enjoyment of a show”.

• An alarming trend we noticed is consumers are starting to be more cautious and aware of shows that have a reputation for absenteeism among leading performers.  The fallout is a more conscientious consumer who is becoming more careful with how much money is being “set aside” for attending a Broadway show.

There you have it.  In blog and white.  Empirical evidence that absenteeism is damaging the future of Broadway. 

And why wouldn't it?

That slip of paper in a Playbill says you're not getting the Director's original vision.

Imagine if you went to a famous steak restaurant and they said the beef was coming from a different butcher this week?

Imagine if you went to Six Flags, and Kingda Ka or any of the big roller coasters weren't running?

You'd be disappointed, right?  You'd think twice about going back, wouldn't you?  

Without a doubt, we have a problem.

I'm not saying the problem is with undisciplined actors, or too-difficult choreography, or anything, actually. This isn't about pointing fingers.

This is about trying to find a solution.  Actors Equity and the Producers (especially since we're the ones being blamed) should come together and find out exactly what the issues are.  Is it getting worse?  Is part of the problem how we inform our audiences about absences?  Do we not have enough understudy rehearsals?  

We need to find out the answers.  Now that we know how our audience feels, we've got to find a way to educate them and change their perception, before they change their habits.

Because no Principal ever calls out of a movie or a video game.

We lost a dreamer.

On the last day of September, we lost a real Broadway gentleman. 

Mr. Sonny Everett, one of the Producers of Avenue Q, Drowsy Chaperone, In the Heights and a whole bunch more, passed away, way too prematurely.

As you can read here, Sonny always dreamed of being a Broadway Producer, and he never gave up on it.  It took him awhile to get his name on a marquee, but he did it . . . and then he did it again, and again, demonstrating that it's never too late to go after what you love.

I first met Sonny when he cold called me a couple of years ago.  "I've heard you like to do things a little differently," he said.  "I'd like to meet you."

And we met.  And in two minutes I realized that I was talking to one of the classiest guys around.

We'll miss you, Sonny. 

I'm not on their List yet, but at least I'm on their website!

I was asked to write a byline for Forbes that was published this week.  It's about how I believe one of the greatest challenges for entrepreneurs is finding time to continue creating once their business has gotten off the ground.

This challenge is an especially tough one for theater producers because launching a product is only the beginning.  Getting it to run, and run, and run, takes time and energy, which prevents you from creating new product.

Forbes wanted some of my tips on how to make sure you focus on the important stuff. 

Read the article here.

When Forbes asked me to write the article, I told them I didn't want to be paid...I just wanted the personal emails of all the people on their Big List.  Investor jackpot, right?  What's a 15 million dollar musical to someone worth a billion bucks!?!

For some reason, they refused to give me the emails.

That's too bad for those Big Listers, because I'd add some bucks to those billions!  Come on, Christy Walton, you Wal-Mart heiress, you.  Wanna have some fun on Broadway?