Ken Davenport - Opinions from a Broadway Producer

What we can learn from the life of Steve Jobs.

I don't know if Steve Jobs ever even went to a Broadway show, but I do think he was one of the greatest Producers who ever lived.  

He built things the world didn't even know it needed.  And he did it in a showman style that would have made even David Merrick proud.

He had a few hits early in his career and then a few flops.  But that didn't keep him from doing what he loved day in and day out . . . which led him to even bigger hits later on.

I never got to meet him (he has always been the person I would choose to have dinner with if I could pick anyone in the world).  But I was told that he had to personally approved my iPhone commercial, and man, when I heard that, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.  I didn't even care if the thing ever aired.  I just remember thinking, "I hope I did him proud."  (If you ever run into me, ask me to tell you the story of how he apparently didn't like how I held my iPhone . . .  so duh, I changed my grip.)  

Visionary, genius, innovator, etc.  These are all worlds that are tossed around when describing him, but none of them do him justice.

I think we should just retire the name Steve, and instead use it as a synonym for all those words combined.

He made the world a better place.  

And more importantly . . . he inspired people to want to make the world an even better place.

He was just so . . . Steve.

Rest peacefully in 'the cloud', Mr. Jobs.  

 

(Got a comment?  I love 'em, so comment below!  Email subscribers, click here, then scroll down, to say what's on your mind!) 

----------------

FUN STUFF 

- 7 Days to Godspell!  Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.

- Spend an hour with me at Godspell tech!  Click here for info on how!

- Tune up your marketing materials at my new seminar!  Learn more here!

- Win 2 tickets to see The Blue Flower at Second Stage Off Broadway!  Click here!

Is Cirque sucking up Broadway sales?

Patti LuPone should play Annie Oakley some day, because the woman is the 'straightest shooter' I've ever seen.

When something's buggin' her, whether it's a photographer in a theater, or a circus in Broadway's backyard, she's going to tell you, and everyone around you, exactly what she thinks.  

This week, Patti had this to say about Cirque du Soleil and their new tenancy at Radio City Music Hall:

Cirque du Soleil – it's the big, bad brother now. Cirque du Soleil taking a five-year lease on Radio City Music Hall is going to suck Broadway dry. ... If you don't know a particular playwright or a particular play and you're facing a huge ticket price, what are you going to do? You're going to go with what you know, and more people know Cirque de – the tourists come and people know Cirque du Soleil. They really are, I think, ridiculous now. Go back to Montreal.

Yipes.  I bet there are a lot of sad clowns out there right now, packing their trunks with . . . like 100 other clowns.

Patti isn't the only one that's pi$$ed about Cirque and their new show, Zarkana.  Broadway Producers up and down the street have been buzzing all summer about the dollars that the show is sucking off the street.  It's major competition, and Radio City has nothing but seats to sell.  Unlike something like The Book of Mormon, whose tight ticket can actually increase demand for other shows, a show like Zarkana in that monster of a theater just diffuses the weekly grosses a bit more.  

And the big complaint I've heard this summer is about TDF allowing Zarkana to sell its seats at the TKTS booth.  If it wasn't there?  No doubt, those dollars would go to Broadway shows.  

Do I agree with Patti?

Nah.  New York is about the best of everything . . . baseball teams (sorry Sox), bagels, and yeah, entertainment.  And if people want to produce a show, any show, then let them, and the people will decide what runs and what doesn't.  It's Broadway Darwinism.  

While I may not like that Cirque has set up shop a few blocks from Broadway, I have two options:  1, be a sad clown about it (and no one likes a sad clown) or 2, use that competition to inspire me to be better at what I do.  

Besides, is anyone else starting to fee like the sheen is wearing off of Cirque?  Interestingly enough, I recommend their shows in Vegas like they are my mom's chocolate chip cookies . . . but I never suggest someone see a Cirque show outside of Sin City.  And I've never seen one myself.  

So fear not Patti . . . let them franchise . . . and we'll work harder at being original.

(By the way, you know that word I used up there .  . with the $$ instead of Ss . . . I've decide to replace that word in my vocab with . . . Pattied.  Because she has become such an advocate for Broadway, I think it's only fitting.  For example, "Ugh. I'm so pattied there was no Broadway on Broadway this year."  Ok?  Let's try it.  Now you!)

 

(Got a comment?  I love 'em, so comment below!  Email subscribers, click here, then scroll down, to say what's on your mind!) 

----------------

FUN STUFF 

- 15 Days to Godspell!  Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.

- Enter The Sunday Giveaway!  Win 2 Tickets to Traces Off-Broadway. Click here!

 

What I learned from a Mall or Four ways to keep your audience at your theater.

If you run a theater anywhere in the world, your goal should not only be to get your audience to your theater, it should also be to keep your audience at your theater.

The longer they hang around, the more they think of it as a place of respite and entertainment, and the many more tickets they will purchase.  Expand the brand and they will buy.

I call it "Mall theory:"  creating a destination where people want to hang out . . . and eventually they'll spend money, because you'll be able to reinforce your message more often, and educate your consumers on all that you have to offer. For you Sondheim lovers, I also call it, "Spreading pitch on the stairs," so your audiences get stuck.  (Name the show!)

While a theater or a theater complex will never have the traffic of the Mall of America, there are a number of very small and inexpensive perks that a theater can provide to keep consumers coming back, and maybe, sticking around.  Here are Four Ways To Keep Your Audiences At Your Theater.

1.  Free Wifi

With more and more devices that need Wifi (like the iPad) for their full functionality, a free Wifi spot is like an oasis in the desert.  I'll plop myself for hours in a comfortable spot just to have that access, and I'm sure your audience will, too.  Add Free Wifi to all your common areas, and put signs for it everywhere.  You'll have people stopping by sooner than you think (there's no coincidence that Starbucks just traded out their pay Wifi service for free service for all).  Once your WiFi-ers are online, make them sign up for your mailing list in order to access the web.

2.  Live Music

People love live music and it doesn't take much to get an up-and-coming singer/songwriter to play a few tunes in your lobby or wherever people may congregate.  Or better . . . use your theater itself (which is probably dark during the day) for free lunchtime concerts for local artists.  I know a bunch of folks who'd do it for tips or for the credit (it's the coffee house or subway tunnel approach).  

3.  Food/Drinks

Speaking of coffee, do you offer free coffee at non-peak times?  I'm not saying you have to have the best Columbian beans brewing for every passerby, but some basic free coffee is an incredible pull.  There is a Cub Scout group on I-95 that uses this bait and catches a lot of fish.  They put a huge "STAY AWAKE!  FREE COFFEE AT NEXT REST STOP!" sign on the highway, and get thousands of people pulling over.  They do have free coffee . . . and a bunch of other bake sale items for sale.  I bought a rice krispie treat.  And I don't even drink coffee. Beyond coffee, strike a deal with a local deli or sandwich shop to get a few sandwiches on consignment.  How many times have you gone to the mall just for the food court, and ended up buying something while you're there?  We need food and drink in order to survive.  Unfortunately, the same isn't true for theater.  So, put what we need in your place, and you'll get more people coming by.  

4.  Lectures

People love to learn.  This is especially true of theater audiences (according to League statistics, 73% of the Broadway audience has college degrees, and 36% has graduate degrees).  So get some people to give free talks and lectures about a variety of subjects.  Have a Broadway Producer come and chat about what it's like to Produce on Broadway (I'd do it).  Have a local painter come and talk about how she gets her inspiration for her paintings.  Or have an investment banker come and talk about how to navigate the choppy market (the subjects don't have to be about the arts - they just have to be about the audience).  By providing these free mini continuing-ed courses, you'll be giving something of great value to your audience, which should engender a reciprocal give-back to you, in the form of a ticket purchase or a donation.

Audiences are like children.  You want them playing in your own backyard so you can keep an eye on them, make sure they aren't being influenced by others, and . . . tell them what to do.

How do you keep your audiences at your theater?
 

5 MORE Takeaways from the Get Your Show Off The Ground Seminar.

Last Saturday, another great group of super passionate producers, writers, artists and more woke up early and spent the day with me and the other entrepreneurial artists who signed up for my Get Your Show Off The Ground Seminar. 

We had a blast.

We heard about all sorts of projects at various stages of development.  We talked about finding and signing collaborators, how to wear multiple hats on multiple projects, and yes, you guessed it, we talked about how to raise all those important funds.  And everyone walked away with a to-do list that they were psyched to check off.  

While it's impossible to recreate the energy of the room in a blog, I thought I'd do what I did after the last seminar, and post five simple takeaways that resonated with the group, that will hopefully resonate with you.

• Creating experiential entertainment has never been more important than it is today.
• The nicer the theater you put your show in, the higher the expectations from your audience and the press, will be.
• Your agents and your lawyers work for you.  You do not work for them.
• Developing scripts can be like sick children.  And if your kid isn't getting better, don't stick with your one doctor.  Take him/her to the best doctor you can afford.
• Just because your show doesn't belong on Broadway, doesn't mean it doesn't belong.

There was a ton of other great stuff that came out of the seminar, and so much of it came from the participants themselves!  These seminars have turned into great collaborative think tanks of some of the most exciting and emerging theatrical minds I've seen.  Thanks for being so awesome, guys.

If you'd like to participate in one of my seminars, sign up today by clicking here. The next seminar will be on Saturday, November 13th. (The timing is ideal for all of you post-festival peeps curious about what to do AFTER the festival.)  FYI, I've modified the structure a bit to make the seminar more efficient, but that also means that there are only 12 spots available.  These spots will go fast, so register today.  

Click here for more info and we'll see you there!

Let the truth spark your original story.

Creating original works, whether they are screenplays, sonnets or shows, is incredibly difficult.  This is one of the reasons why 64% of the productions on Broadway over the last 30 years have been adaptations (Another reason?  People want them more than you think).  

Often I get what I think are great ideas for new productions.  Maybe I've imagined a setting or a storyline that I think would translate well to the stage.

But then what?  Either I have to put my fingers to the keyboard and crank the sucker out, or I have to commission a writer to take my idea and spin it into gold.

Once you get going, the writing comes easier.  An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and one at rest . . . well, you know the physics.

But how do you start a totally original idea that is entirely made up?

Start with something that isn't made up.

I always look for some specific kernel of truth to inspire me or my writers to start the story.  If I'm working on a show that takes place in a small town in New Jersey, I'll find a small town in New Jersey, take a Zip Car across the bridge and spend a day there, soaking up the specifics about that town.  If I'm working on a show that is about a duck hunter, you can bet I'm going to track down an actual duck hunter and hang out with him or her for a day or two.  If I'm doing a show about medieval times, you can bet I'm going to go back in time and . . . ok, maybe I'll read about the middle ages instead.

Some people call this research. I call it The Story Spark Plug.  

Just a little bit of truth . . . just a little bit of non-fiction . . . can beget the best original stories around.

Need an example?  

Sunday night Mark Boal won the Academy Award for Best ORIGINAL Screenplay for his movie, The Hurt Locker, which is about a United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War.

Before writing the movie, Mark was a freelance journalist who was embedded with a bomb squad.  

Huh.  I wonder where he first heard the phrase, "the hurt locker."

Homework isn't just for kids.

When we were in school, most of us did our homework.

Why?

Because someone said we had to.  So we did it.  Pretty simple. 

Maybe you knew your homework would factor into your grade, which would factor into what college you went to, and so on . . . but basically, you did it because someone told you to do it, and gave you a day when it was due.

Every day I hear people talk about how they haven't finished writing a script, or how they haven't finished editing their film, or a stand-up routine, or a song, and so on.  

And I wonder . . . if that script, or film or stand-up routine was homework . . . would they have finished it?

I'd bet yes.

And when so much of success is just finishing what you're working on, or executing that great idea that you've been kicking around for years, there has got to be a way to create a systematic approach to help you do just that.

That's why I'm an advocating an Adult Homework System . . . or AHS.

Here's how it works:

• Find yourself a friend, a teacher, a shrink, or even a random person online.
• Describe what you want to accomplish (complete a script, a song, or whatever).
• Make that person give you your homework with a due date.
• Do it in the allotted time.
• Rinse and repeat.

Make sense?  

I'd bet you finish what you're working on a lot faster (and probably with even better results).  (There's probably an idea for a great social networking website here, where people sign up to be "teachers" or "students" and are randomly assigned to one another, and the teachers help the students' dreams come true.)

It's hard to motivate yourself.  That's why the educational system exists (and why it costs so much freakin' money).  

And there is nothing wrong with asking for a little help to keep you on track.

Because homework isn't just for kids.

It's for students.

And life is about learning every single day. 

It's raining customers...hallelujah.

We’re lucky.
 
We know there’s a market for what we do.  
 
We know there are thousands upon thousands of people that want to see the theater every single day.
 
It’s literally pouring audience members.
 
Your job as a Producer and Marketer is to collect as much of that rain as possible.  
 
Think of every marketing initiative you execute like putting out a pot whose purpose is to catch the rain as it comes falling down.  
 
The great P&Ms put out all different sizes and shapes of pots every day.  Some they pay for (big media buys), others they make on their own (press and publicity).
 
The day you don’t is the day your own personal drought will set in.  

5 Takeaways from the Get Your Show Off The Ground Seminar.

This past Saturday, a bunch of super-passionate peeps of all different types, from producers to writers to producer/writers, etc., joined me for my Get Your Show Off The Ground Seminar.

We had a great time, and I have to thank all of my participants for their creativity, ingenuity and their desire to do what we all do.  There were some great (and I mean really great) projects that came from the minds of these folks.  And I think we did a great job incubating them all.

We talked about finding investors, getting rights, the pros and cons of festivals, the benefits of a lawyer, determining your hourly value, and much much more.  

To give you a sample, here are five quickie-takeaways from the seminar:

1. You are what you say you are.
2. People don't invest in projects, they invest in people.
3. Birth your baby.
4. Diversify your producing programming.
5. Never wait.

If you missed out on this seminar, don't worry, I have just scheduled my next seminar for Saturday, June 19th.  That date may seem far off, but it's coming sooner than you think, and because of how quickly my last seminar sold out, I strongly urge you to reserve now (I picked a June date specifically for those of you planning Fringe or NYMF style productions this summer/fall.  Your shows should be heating up at that time.)  

For more details on the seminar and to book your spot today, visit my Seminar page here.  (There are also some testimonials from some of this past week's participants, so you can learn what they thought directly from them!)

Thanks again to everyone that participated this past Saturday!  I expect great things from all of you, so go get 'em.

For the rest of you out there looking to get your show off the ground, I'll see you at the next seminar!

Get Your Show Off The Ground
Saturday, June 19th
10 AM - 6 PM

Book today by visiting here.

What do great Chefs and great Producers have in common?

Successful chefs and successful Producers have one thing in common.  

In the old days, I'd say that they both wore big hats.

Nowadays, it's as simple as this:

They both have to have great taste.  

There are all different kinds of chefs in the world.  Some chefs cook to their own taste, ignoring those that they're serving.  They may not be very "successful," but they may be fulfilled nonetheless.  

Some chefs cook only the way their diners enjoy, at times serving dishes that they wouldn't eat themselves in order to guarantee their survival and their "success."  

As a Producer, you have to decide what type of chef you're going to be.  Do you want to force-feed people a menu that suits only your own taste buds?  Do you want to serve the lowest-common denominator dishes, but serve a ton of it?

Or do you want to be one of the masters, who can find the balance between the two?  

Do you want to be the kind that both satisfies and challenges both yours and your customers' taste buds?

If you can pull that off, you can wear whatever kind of hat you want.

Advice from an Expert: Vol. XVI. My Mom.

I spoke to a recent college grad the other day who was debating the question that we're all faced with as we start our professional lives:  "What do I want to do with my life?"

I remember asking myself the same question when I was a few years out of school, because I was bouncing around from job to job and just didn't feel like I found my niche.  I acted, I stage managed, I worked for an agent . . . nothing seemed to fit.

So, I did what recent college grads do.  I called Mommy.

I told Momma Davenport that I was thinking of quitting my job because it didn't feel right.  Then I started feeling guilty for having tried so many things, and asked her when she thought I'd figure out what I wanted to do?

Mom said, "Hey, think of it this way.  With every job you have, you may not be figuring out what you want to do, but at least you're figuring out what you don't want to do."

She was right.  And to use an analogy that my instructor for my Princeton Review SAT course would be proud of . . .

Life is like the SATs.  If you don't the answer right away, eliminate the wrong ones, and the choice will be easier.

-----

The 2nd Annual Producers Perspective Social is TONIGHT, and it's SOLD OUT!

Free drink!  Door prizes include show tickets, merch, a 6-month subscription to PerformerTrack Webware, and a Kindle!

Click here for details.(please note, due to overwhelming demand the Social will now at be Hurley's Saloon)