Broadway and Beyond

Broadway grosses week ending 1-16-2011, Opaque ticket pricing...

The grosses for the week ending 1/16/2011 have been reported. As usual, the big dogs are attracting large audiences willing to pay top dollar to see their shows.  The top grossing shows also had the top Revenue per Seat this week. Next to Normal closed on a high with a high gross, high capacity and high RPS.  Sad to see that great show leave the Broadway landscape. There are a number of shows that have a 20-25% gap between their APA and RPS.  The industry is weary of discounting too steeply and rightfully so. However, a smart organization will be able to find a way to sell their excess inventory at a price that will move the inventory and increase their revenue.  It may decrease their average ticket price in the end but who cares if you increase your RPS.  The trick is to find an opaque manner in which to discount the tickets so the average theatergoer does not discover that there are significant discounts to be had.  The goal in the end is to sell all the seats at the highest price possible.  if too many people know that there are cheap seat available, they may not be willing to pay full price. Hopefully in the near future, I will have an opaque solution for the industry to start to use to move these tickets.  Stay tuned....

Show Name	Gross	%Cap	Avg Paid Admission	Revenue Per Seat
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$1,258,330	100.09%	$108.57	$108.66
WICKED	$1,540,868	98.31%	$108.30	$106.47
THE LION KING	$1,334,354	83.59%	$118.99	$99.46
JERSEY BOYS	$974,615	87.18%	$113.79	$99.21
NEXT TO NORMAL	$552,653	96.41%	$92.82	$89.48
DRIVING MISS DAISY	$524,894	77.55%	$105.23	$81.61
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$936,316	78.80%	$97.78	$77.05
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$851,643	88.67%	$84.49	$74.92
LOMBARDI	$404,096	78.43%	$81.52	$63.94
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES	$528,621	74.22%	$84.23	$62.51
MEMPHIS	$729,246	78.10%	$79.40	$62.01
RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES ON BROADWAY	$681,640	71.20%	$82.64	$58.84
MAMMA MIA!	$695,507	74.37%	$78.03	$58.04
CHICAGO	$492,842	75.15%	$75.90	$57.04
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$723,216	78.21%	$71.57	$55.98
MARY POPPINS	$758,117	71.63%	$73.62	$52.73
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	$282,607	94.66%	$50.43	$47.74
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$456,566	62.81%	$74.85	$47.01
AMERICAN IDIOT	$619,525	68.18%	$66.46	$45.31
TIME STANDS STILL	$363,619	59.42%	$70.89	$42.12
COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT	$187,617	69.61%	$57.39	$39.95

 

Broadway grosses January 3-9, 2010

Grosses are in for last week ending 1-9-2011. As you'll note some stellar sales by some shows in maximizing their revenue even with a lower attendance.  The big dogs, Wicked, Lion King, Jersey Boys, Merchant etc, continue to perform well along with a few shows that closed last week, In the Heights and A Little Night Music, Next to Normal all selling strong. Interestingly, Spiderman had 100% capacity yet only took in $1.59MM, well below their gross potential. Perhaps the NYC Consumer Advocate had some influence on their pricing?....

Notable in this chart are American Idiot, The Addams Family and Mary Poppins for maintaining a high capacity and gross and keeping their APA and RPS in the 'reasonable' category. 

Show Name	Gross	Capacity	%Cap	Avg Paid Admission	Revenue Per Seat
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE	$1,114,050	8,064	102.49%	$134.79	$138.15
THE LION KING	$1,550,640	13,416	95.36%	$121.21	$115.58
WICKED	$1,588,456	14,472	100.00%	$109.76	$109.76
JERSEY BOYS	$1,068,423	9,824	97.86%	$111.13	$108.76
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$1,588,514	15,440	100.02%	$102.86	$102.88
IN THE HEIGHTS	$1,083,254	10,752	100.78%	$99.97	$100.75
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC	$737,852	7,448	98.89%	$100.18	$99.07
RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES ON BROADWAY	$960,485	11,584	95.50%	$86.82	$82.91
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$931,502	11,368	96.78%	$84.67	$81.94
DRIVING MISS DAISY	$522,006	6,432	79.28%	$102.37	$81.16
ROCK OF AGES	$628,628	7,976	97.10%	$81.17	$78.81
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$938,010	12,152	86.36%	$89.39	$77.19
NEXT TO NORMAL	$452,936	6,176	101.28%	$72.41	$73.34
MEMPHIS	$827,364	11,760	85.97%	$81.84	$70.35
AMERICAN IDIOT	$952,123	13,672	80.24%	$86.79	$69.64
MAMMA MIA!	$802,972	11,984	79.29%	$84.51	$67.00
CHICAGO	$548,562	8,640	77.59%	$81.83	$63.49
MARY POPPINS	$910,430	14,376	84.15%	$75.25	$63.33
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES	$529,448	8,456	75.88%	$82.52	$62.61
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$808,761	12,920	78.87%	$79.37	$62.60
LOMBARDI	$329,843	6,320	76.30%	$68.40	$52.19
COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT	$217,312	4,696	75.87%	$60.99	$46.28
TIME STANDS STILL	$344,036	7,553	64.99%	$70.08	$45.55
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	$269,557	5,920	89.38%	$50.95	$45.53
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$423,658	9,712	65.51%	$66.59	$43.62
LA BETE	$335,673	8,056	67.59%	$61.65	$41.67
A FREE MAN OF COLOR	$286,415	8,344	65.74%	$52.22	$34.33

 

Broadway Grosses week ending 12-26-2010 Blizzard adjusted

Last weeks Broadway grosses were higher by 4.5% than the week previous even with the blizzard.  Overall attendance was only up .3% from the previous week.  Clearly the blizzard was a deterrent for some people to attend shows.  That did not stop Wicked from breaking its own record for highest gross in one week.  The average ticket price for all of Broadway was up to $91.63 from $86.28 week earlier.  However, this number may change slightly as Spiderman's real gross is reported.  The current number does not include Spidey's refunds. The average revenue per seat on Broadway for the past week was $75.73.

Show Name	Gross	%Cap	Avg Paid Admission	Revenue Per Seat
WICKED	$2,153,110	100.00%	$148.78	$148.78
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE	$1,099,420	102.59%	$132.89	$136.34
THE LION KING	$1,823,766	97.91%	$138.85	$135.94
ELF	$1,572,836	91.57%	$134.02	$122.72
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$944,138	100.00%	$122.30	$122.30
JERSEY BOYS	$1,156,942	92.28%	$127.61	$117.77
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$1,011,143	90.95%	$111.77	$101.65
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$1,100,286	86.36%	$104.85	$90.54
FELA!	$614,835	93.15%	$91.55	$85.28
MAMMA MIA!	$866,804	87.58%	$94.38	$82.66
DRIVING MISS DAISY	$452,435	71.98%	$111.68	$80.39
MARY POPPINS	$1,149,159	89.74%	$89.08	$79.94
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$1,028,037	79.95%	$99.52	$79.57
THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW	$535,387	71.60%	$101.25	$72.50
PROMISES, PROMISES	$977,274	72.25%	$96.78	$69.93
CHICAGO	$512,065	76.75%	$88.26	$67.73
MEMPHIS	$782,329	70.66%	$94.14	$66.52
WEST SIDE STORY	$871,951	73.29%	$87.63	$64.23
IN THE HEIGHTS	$685,832	77.78%	$82.01	$63.79
RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES ON BROADWAY	$706,360	67.48%	$90.36	$60.98
BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON	$501,179	84.41%	$72.06	$60.82
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC	$452,784	69.58%	$87.38	$60.79
DONNY & MARIE: A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS	$481,812	60.27%	$97.73	$58.90
ROCK OF AGES	$438,042	65.03%	$84.45	$54.92
TIME STANDS STILL	$117,962	73.45%	$74.42	$54.66
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES	$373,855	50.98%	$99.11	$50.53
NEXT TO NORMAL	$312,046	79.60%	$63.48	$50.53
AMERICAN IDIOT	$539,810	56.06%	$80.50	$45.12
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$370,872	51.48%	$84.77	$43.64
LOMBARDI	$228,582	59.15%	$61.15	$36.17
BRIEF ENCOUNTER	$244,500	61.33%	$56.83	$34.86
COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT	$155,816	46.34%	$71.61	$33.18
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	$162,716	63.36%	$49.58	$31.41
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN	$241,849	48.40%	$64.39	$31.17
LA BETE	$184,011	40.84%	$63.91	$26.10
A FREE MAN OF COLOR	$143,850	43.62%	$39.52	$17.24

 

Statistics: Broadway Grosses for week of 12-13-2010 to 12-19-2010 and revenue differential

One may be the loneliest number that you'll ever know, but not when you are thinking about maximizing your revenue.

The grosses for Broadway week ending 12-19-2010 are in. This week I've added a column  showing the percent differential between Average Paid Admission and Revenue per Seat to illustrate how shows are succeeding with their pricing.  The ideal differential has a value of 1, where the APA and RPS are the same. A higher differential shows that a show is priced incorrectly as it reflects a low capacity. However, you may argue that the pricing is not the issue with the low capacity of a show as the show itself is not appealing to the largest number of Broadway theatergoers (tourists).  I disagree. When someone is online at the TKTS booth, they, most often, have not yet decided which show they plan to see and price is often a major factor in the decision they make. So pricing is important to those consumers. It would be interesting to see a show price itself at near its RPS average over several weeks and then put a large number of tickets onsale at the TKTS booth and see what the results were. As you can see from some of the grosses over the past few weeks, some shows would not hurt their bottom line were they to do so.

What do you think?

 

Show Name	Gross	% Cap	Avg Paid Admission	Revenue per Seat	Differential
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE	$645,015	102.56%	$136.48	$139.98	0.98
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$1,036,133	98.92%	$90.45	$89.48	1.01
WICKED	$1,631,743	97.94%	$115.12	$112.75	1.02
ELF	$1,464,913	96.30%	$133.53	$128.59	1.04
JERSEY BOYS	$1,133,645	95.71%	$120.56	$115.40	1.04
THE LION KING	$1,571,953	94.61%	$123.84	$117.17	1.06
FELA!	$613,717	93.60%	$79.57	$74.48	1.07
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$978,780	88.75%	$97.01	$86.10	1.13
NEXT TO NORMAL	$308,859	85.75%	$58.32	$50.01	1.17
PROMISES, PROMISES	$1,117,422	83.46%	$95.79	$79.95	1.20
DRIVING MISS DAISY	$595,313	80.10%	$115.55	$92.55	1.25
THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW	$637,669	80.07%	$94.36	$75.55	1.25
BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON	$419,303	79.62%	$63.91	$50.89	1.26
DONNY & MARIE: A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS	$1,047,740	78.06%	$117.20	$91.49	1.28
IN THE HEIGHTS	$608,332	77.23%	$73.26	$56.58	1.29
MARY POPPINS	$914,985	75.16%	$84.68	$63.65	1.33
MEMPHIS	$795,212	73.71%	$91.74	$67.62	1.36
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$761,245	73.31%	$80.37	$58.92	1.36
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC	$438,142	72.07%	$81.62	$58.83	1.39
RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES ON BROADWAY	$676,048	71.36%	$81.79	$58.36	1.40
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$912,688	70.54%	$106.47	$75.11	1.42
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	$71,928	69.90%	$34.76	$24.30	1.43
MAMMA MIA!	$713,888	68.40%	$87.09	$59.57	1.46
WEST SIDE STORY	$751,136	67.93%	$81.45	$55.33	1.47
ROCK OF AGES	$478,936	67.24%	$89.30	$60.05	1.49
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES	$453,873	61.75%	$86.92	$53.67	1.62
BRIEF ENCOUNTER	$278,911	60.60%	$57.41	$34.79	1.65
CHICAGO	$431,498	60.47%	$82.58	$49.94	1.65
LOMBARDI	$238,737	59.95%	$63.01	$37.77	1.67
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN	$269,357	54.73%	$63.42	$34.71	1.83
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$445,007	53.04%	$86.39	$45.82	1.89
TIME STANDS STILL	$325,677	51.52%	$73.24	$37.73	1.94
A FREE MAN OF COLOR	$214,439	50.97%	$50.42	$25.70	1.96
COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT	$147,620	48.53%	$64.77	$31.44	2.06
AMERICAN IDIOT	$489,532	47.36%	$75.60	$35.81	2.11
LA BETE	$232,383	42.45%	$67.95	$28.85	2.36

Broadway Grosses for Dec. 6-12, 2010 and Revenue per seat for The Phantom of the Opera

Broadway Grosses Dec. 6-12, 2010 sorted by Revenue per seat

The Broadway grosses are in for last week and are listed below, once again with the revenue per seat column being the source of the sorting of the list.

Show Name Gross TotalAttn %Cap Avg Paid Admission Revenue Per Seat THE MERCHANT OF VENICE $1,074,410 8,273 102.59% $129.87 $133.24 JERSEY BOYS $1,249,427 9,638 98.11% $129.64 $127.18 THE LION KING $1,575,589 13,122 97.81% $120.07 $117.44 ELF $1,302,310 10,816 94.94% $120.41 $114.32 DRIVING MISS DAISY $732,896 6,003 93.33% $122.09 $113.95 WICKED $1,645,313 14,211 98.20% $115.78 $113.69 DONNY & MARIE: A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS $881,925 7,207 88.11% $122.37 $107.81 SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK $911,682 9,595 99.43% $95.02 $94.47 BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL $1,066,328 10,787 94.89% $98.85 $93.80 PROMISES, PROMISES $1,239,949 12,383 88.60% $100.13 $88.72 THE ADDAMS FAMILY $1,014,185 9,453 77.79% $107.29 $83.46 MEMPHIS $972,959 9,904 84.22% $98.24 $82.73 A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC $519,928 5,721 76.81% $90.88 $69.81 THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW $583,281 5,961 70.63% $97.85 $69.11 FELA! $567,267 7,270 88.23% $78.03 $68.84 MARY POPPINS $982,645 11,684 81.27% $84.10 $68.35 MAMMA MIA! $817,276 9,490 79.19% $86.12 $68.20 LA CAGE AUX FOLLES $562,152 6,215 73.50% $90.45 $66.48 THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS $454,251 6,996 97.17% $64.93 $63.09 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET $611,869 6,729 69.29% $90.93 $63.00 ROCK OF AGES $502,042 5,433 68.12% $92.41 $62.94 THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA $755,601 9,128 70.65% $82.78 $58.48 RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES ON BROADWAY $648,528 7,939 68.53% $81.69 $55.98 WEST SIDE STORY $757,353 9,582 70.58% $79.04 $55.79 CHICAGO $446,401 5,533 64.04% $80.68 $51.67 IN THE HEIGHTS $515,094 7,743 72.01% $66.52 $47.91 LOMBARDI $290,552 4,438 70.22% $65.47 $45.97 NEXT TO NORMAL $283,836 4,682 75.81% $60.62 $45.96 BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON $367,783 5,543 67.27% $66.35 $44.63 WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN $320,315 4,604 59.33% $69.57 $41.28 TIME STANDS STILL $339,551 4,248 49.21% $79.93 $39.34 BRIEF ENCOUNTER $300,383 4,835 60.32% $62.13 $37.47 AMERICAN IDIOT $482,459 7,087 51.84% $68.08 $35.29 A FREE MAN OF COLOR $278,172 4,859 58.23% $57.25 $33.34 THE PITMEN PAINTERS $172,345 3,839 73.83% $44.89 $33.14 COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT $153,081 2,294 48.85% $66.73 $32.60 LA BETE $253,079 3,770 46.80% $67.13 $31.41

You are probably wondering how could THE MERCHANT OF VENICE have a higher Revenue Per Seat than Average Paid Admission. As you may recall from last week's post about Broadway statistics, RPS is different from APA in that it is the amount of money made per seat available that week vs. the average amount collected per admission that week. It appears that the production of Merchant did two things last week to create such a high RPS. First, they sold more tickets than their capacity(standing room is not included in the seated capacity listings), since we are basing our calculations on capacity we derive I higher RPS than APA.  Second, they sold a large number of tickets above the top ticket price of $140. 

Overall Broadway shows are doing a good job of maximizing RPS as 10 shows had less than a 10% difference between their RPS and APA, granted they all had over 90% capacity.  It would be nice to be able to make a correlation to a shows success and the difference between RPS and APA however, it isn't that simple.  Some shows may have a lower differential due to high capacity but their pricing has been discounted to the point where they are not making much profit, if any at all.  Others may have a large differential and still be very profitable because they are selling enough tickets to gross above their costs.

A good example to explore the relationship between RPS and APA would be the Broadway show         THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which had a 29% difference between their APA and RPS last week and grossed $755,601. The show has been playing for almost 23 years and has grossed almost $800,000,000. When they started their APA and RPS were the same as they were sold out immediately after opening for weeks on end. (There were no premium seat prices back then)  In 1988 they had an APA of just under $42, a decade later in January of 1998, their APA was about $54 and their RPS was $49 (ticket prices had risen).  A decade later, January 2008, their APA was $62 and their RPS $49. Last week their APA was $$82 and their RPS was $58 (ticket prices have risen once again). All the while they have maintained a steady RPS. Their APA for the entire run has been just over $56. They clearly know what number they need to hit to be profitable and they have figured out how to sell the house accordingly.  It is not good enough to be a well-known, long running show to be successful and profitable, it requires smart ticket pricing and sales strategies to maximize revenue and maintain profitability.

Broadway Grosses Nov. 29 - Dec. 5, 2010 and why Revenue per seat matters

I am back with Broadway Grosses. But this time I have something different to say inspired by Jim Mcarthy from Goldstar. You will note an extra column below titled 'Revenue per seat'. This week, the list is sorted in descending order from the RPS column. RPS is the amount of money generated by each available seat in the theater for the week. It is different from Avg Paid Admission, which on its own is an OK measure of success.  However when you look at the difference between APA and RPS you can see why some shows cannot survive on Broadway and others are profitable.  

Example: A new musical comes to Broadway and has a running cost of $625,000 per week (including minimum royalties.)  It is in a theater that has 1060 seats with a weekly capacity of 8500. What does the show need to make per seat to break even? $73.52 (Divide the weekly cost by the number of seats to derive this number)  So anything above that number would be profit for the production that week.  Let's say the show does 80% capacity one week (which would put it in the top 12 of this past week in % capacity) at an average ticket price of $90.  Seems like they would be making money that week right? Unfortunately the show would have a loss that week of $13,000.  So APA is not always a good way to measure your success on a weekly basis.  More important is to know what your RPS at various % levels is and find a way to make those numbers.

From this chart, which shows do you think are making money and which are losing?

Show Name	GrossGross	%Cap	Avg Paid Admission	Revenue per seat
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE	$1,085,310	102.50%	$131.30	$134.59
JERSEY BOYS	$1,237,955	95.42%	$132.06	$126.01
THE LION KING	$1,529,019	95.64%	$119.17	$113.97
DRIVING MISS DAISY	$699,239	88.77%	$122.46	$108.71
WICKED	$1,566,919	94.47%	$114.62	$108.27
ELF	$1,175,130	84.57%	$121.98	$103.15
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$919,457	98.22%	$97.11	$95.38
BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL	$1,037,838	91.78%	$99.47	$91.29
PROMISES, PROMISES	$1,154,614	81.12%	$101.84	$82.61
MEMPHIS	$936,362	83.55%	$95.29	$79.62
THE ADDAMS FAMILY	$937,133	69.40%	$111.11	$77.12
THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW	$572,951	66.43%	$102.18	$67.89
MAMMA MIA!	$777,759	74.17%	$87.50	$64.90
MARY POPPINS	$911,483	74.87%	$84.68	$63.40
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC	$468,108	68.30%	$92.02	$62.85
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES	$530,382	67.86%	$92.43	$62.72
FELA!	$506,223	80.84%	$76.00	$61.43
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET	$582,367	65.16%	$92.03	$59.96
ROCK OF AGES	$476,229	64.09%	$93.16	$59.71
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$690,663	65.30%	$81.86	$53.46
CHICAGO	$457,936	65.38%	$81.06	$53.00
RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES ON BROADWAY	$598,381	60.05%	$86.02	$51.66
WEST SIDE STORY	$697,675	63.21%	$81.30	$51.39
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN	$390,465	65.21%	$77.17	$50.32
BRIEF ENCOUNTER	$378,764	76.46%	$61.80	$47.25
IN THE HEIGHTS	$496,380	67.22%	$68.68	$46.17
LOMBARDI	$273,956	66.74%	$64.95	$43.35
TIME STANDS STILL	$339,572	49.79%	$79.01	$39.34
THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS	$282,465	77.79%	$50.43	$39.23
BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON	$315,796	58.80%	$65.18	$38.32
NEXT TO NORMAL	$234,199	67.26%	$56.38	$37.92
A FREE MAN OF COLOR	$261,283	51.97%	$60.26	$31.31
AMERICAN IDIOT	$424,812	43.31%	$71.73	$31.07
THE PITMEN PAINTERS	$154,367	65.08%	$45.62	$29.69
COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT	$128,644	47.15%	$58.10	$27.39
LA BETE	$216,038	40.38%	$66.41	$26.82

Spiderman - Turn Off the Dark 1st preview Twitter - Facebook roundup

Spiderman - Turn Off the Dark had its first preview last night. This highly anticipated new musical created a lot of buzz on Twitter, Facebook and Google last night in response to the first performance.  The volume of activity was high with STOTD and Spiderman On Broadway being top searches on Google last evening.  

Overall the reactions have been positive as first audience members who have posted comments are usually uberfans.  Interesting to note that several people comment that the negative feedback made them want to attend the show even more. 

Lots of tech issues and story-telling kinks to work out before the show opens in January. Only time will tell if this mega-musical will be a hit or a flop.

There is a lot of debate as to whether it is fair to post reviews of shows in previews. The preview period is an opportunity for the cast and creative team to work on the material with a live audience.  The rub is that audience, at least a portion of them, are paying for their tickets and have a right to share their opinions. In today's hyper-connected world it is impossible to avoid an interested ticket buyer if they want to look for opinions on the internet. So the stakes are higher than they used to be and shows have more pressure on them to get it right before they start playing to an audience. What's interesting to me is that buzz, both negative and positive, spreads faster and farther than ever before and because it is so easy to share your opinion on the internet, it seems like people are doing it more frequently.

 

And now here are many of the Tweets and Facebook posts re: @SpideyOnBway:

TWEETS:

gochrisgo Spiderman musical has some amazing moments, costumes and flights. There were about five stops in the action at tonight's first preview.

BroadwayJack  From what I hear, @SpideyOnBway seems to be HORRIBLE.

RebeccaPierceUS Just got back from @SpideyOnBway AMAZING!!! The sets AMAZING! Cast was brilliant! I'm going back to see it again as soon as I can! :)

rafareyesNYC Congratulations @SpideyOnBway on your first preview!! You did great! Once it's ready, this show is going to rock the city!!

ReggieMantleIII A fun, fantastic, and unforgettable time. Thanks for everything! @SpideyOnBway @reevecarney@pagepatrick

broadwayboyaz @abroadwaycritic @spideyonbway Is Spiderman the new Les Miz running at neatly 4 hours? oy.

adriennew530 what?! @spideyonbway was 3hrs 44min?! how long is it supposed to be?! still excited to see it, but perhaps no liquids before hand. haha

alexbirnie Isnt it a little unethical of him to comment? RT @NewYorkTheater: Theater critic Mark Shenton at preview of @spideyonbway and was not kind

BroadwayHats I don't care what everyone says.... I still really really really want to see @SpideyOnBway!!!!

NewYorkTheater British theater critic Mark Shenton was at first preview of @spideyonbway and was not kind: "nothing you've not seen in Cirque du Soleil"

Bwayforteens I wish @Spideyonbway had a student rush or lottery. I realy enjoyed it and would love to go back, but its really expensive. Its worth it tho

JasonBSchmidt Epic. RT @BroadwayGirlNYC: RT @jordanc: First @SpideyOnBway preview clocked in at 3 hours and 44 minutes! #theatre #theater

BwayNews To be honest, I hated the idea of @SpideyOnBway. I'm not gonna lie, now I want to see it. I'm intrigued, prove me wrong Spidey!

danielgeneNYC: One of my favorite part of Act II was U2's song "Vertigo" conveniently placed in a club scene. Haha @SpideyOnBway

danielgeneNYC I definitely wanna see @SpideyOnBwayagain!!! I'll give the show a few weeks to work out all the kinks though

sometimeskelly It's official: @SpideyOnBway is longer than Elaine Stritch's number in Night Music.

laurenzee Despite all its difficulties tonight, I still really want to see @SpideyOnBway. I'm so curious...

abroadwaycritic 3:45 mins @SpideyonBway - minus 20 mins late, 40 mins intermission, plus five stops (25 min maybe?) - total running time: 2 hrs 20 mins (?)

BroadwayGirlNYC "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark" made it to the first preview curtain call!!! Everyone survived!! ;-) Congrats, seriously, @SpideyOnBway.

bowerallison Is @spideyonbway seriously still going tonight? This audience is gonna need water, food and sleeping bags soon!

jasminehare All this tweeting about @SpideyonBway makes me want to see it so much! I legit hope it's still playing in May.

JuanRod82 All these negative comments about @SpideyonBway just make me want to see the show more. @Raychiller needs to start planning our trip to NYC

nyKatie13who else wants to see @Spideyonbway ? all your hands should be raised right now...

hollisst @BroadwayGirlNYC @SpideyOnBway All this tweeting finally got to me & I bought a tix for Wed night! Can't wait! LOL!

 
BroadwayGirlNYC Current top google hits: "spiderman on broadway," "spiderman broadway," & "spiderman the musical"! Congrats on first preview, @SpideyOnBway.

 
jonplee Tonight was the first night of previews at @SpideyOnBway. Tweets during intermission were extremely positive. Kind of excited to see it now.

 
BroadwaySpotted We were just talking about @Spideyonbway and saying if the show runs perfectly the day we go, we're gonna feel jipped lol.

 
havemycake @SpideyOnBway got performers stuck in the air already? lmao. This is what tech is for people! I'm still seeing it though.

 
_NatalieA  All these tweets tonight actually are making me want to see @SpideyOnBway more than I did before, tech issues and all.

 
CalebH2010 Must. See. @SpideyOnBway

prossel @smilenwaven Oh baby, those men get my blood pumping! This girl is saving her pennies for a trip to NYC to see @SpideyOnBway

barbsdiaz Hoy estrena @SpideyOnBway hay que ir a verla a NY!!!

 
luna_tsuki @SpideyOnBway 1st preview!!!, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

 
DisFreakBrent Even though a t-shirt at @spideyonbway is $40 I cant lie I want one who wants to pick me up a medium I'll pay you back :)

 
From the prolific danielgeneNYC (in reverse cronological order)

• One more thing from SPIDER-MAN. I was walking into the theatre behind Bernard Telsey, and someone came up to him and said "Let's talk Carrie
• Agreed...but the potential of this show is amazing! RT @nyindieguy #Spiderman: definitely needs work in the 6 weeks until it opens.
• One of my favorite part of Act II was U2's song "Vertigo" conveniently placed in a club scene. Haha
• I definitely wanna see @SpideyOnBway again!!! I'll give the show a few weeks to work out all the kinks though
• There were a lot more villains in the 2nd act RT @jordanc@danielgeneNYC Wow! There's about 10 to show in the 2nd act then! 
• RT @ps_dutch @danielgeneNYC is it live music or recorded?
• It's mostly live music but there are some prerecorded drum loops.
• @SpideyOnBway curtain call!
• Back from the hold at @SpideyOnBway
• Audience getting anxious...someone in the audience just asked for a refund...eek!
• Fifth hold of @SpideyOnBway (first in Act II)
• After a 40 minute intermission Act II is now starting at @SpideyOnBway!
• Stage manager at @SpideyOnBway says they are holding intermission to "fix a few things." I'm patiently waiting and excited for Act II
• I'm in the balcony. I think the front row of the flying circle would be best RT @GratuitousV Are you in orch or mezz
• Getting ready for Act II to begin. A new set piece just flew in but the stage manager announced it will still be a few minutes.
• As of intermission there has only been one villain featured. RT @jordanc @danielgeneNYC How much are the different villains featured?
• They are good...neither me has blown me away...yet. RT @GratuitousV @danielgeneNYC @Corellianjedi2 How are Reeve & Jennifer?
• They started right before 7. RT @JoseSPiano @danielgeneNYCDid they start on time at 6:30?
• Longest hold was abt 5 mins. I haven't seen Ms. T yet. RT @JoseSPiano @danielgeneNYC How long have the holds bn? Is Ms. Taymor wlkng arnd?
• One of the best parts of Act I is an aerial battle with SPIDERMAN and a villain only a few feet above the audience. My heart was racing
• Music sounds very much like U2, but in a good way. It's rock driven and epic.
• The sets are incredible at @SpideyOnBway. There's a lot of comic book type stuff and some really cool forced perspective
• Aaaand...intermission at @SpideyOnBway
• Forth hold at @SpideyonBway
• Only during holds ;-) RT @NewYorkTheater @danielgeneNYCAre you tweeting from your seat at @SpideyonBway?
• Third hold at @SpideyOnBway
• And we're back!!
• About 30 min was first hold...35 min was second hold. RT @DailyActor @danielgeneNYC Wow... Tech problems? How far into the 1st act?
• Second hold at @SpideyOnBway
• First hold of the evening at @SpideyOnBway
• RT @rafareyesNYC Spiderman came out to say hi apparently ;D and his mom is helping him to dress up @SpideyOnBway
• A guy dressed up as Batman is riding around on a bike outside of @SpideyOnBway.
• I hear Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are here too RT @KristinLitz @danielgeneNYC sean hayes is going too! tell him i said hi =]
• A guy dressed up as Batman is riding around on a bike outside of @SpideyOnBway.
• The line to enter the Foxwoods I backed up to 8th Avenue.http://twitpic.com/3b625y

adeceve I still don't know about this Spiderman musical. No, wait - let me rephrase: I think it's going to be awful.http://ph.ly/bdH

eddo_Spiderman the musical sounds like the best idea ever! Shame it's turning out to be balls.

tweetbeaver Robin says she's excited for The Spiderman Musical. Howard says all of the reviews so far have said it's terrible

 
damagedself Oooo... a Spiderman musical? Not sure if i'll pay to see it but it sounds interesting!

Chanda6574 Spider-Man musical in web of delays

 
Kaseyjls Enjoyed Spiderman musical but need to work out the flow of the story. Hope they get the stunts working. Don't recommend balcony seating.

FACEBOOK POSTS to Spiderman Fan Page

Daniel Horton I heard it was a wreck. The NY Times reported that it had to stop FIVE times during the performance. I still want to see the show, but I think I'll just wait until all the kinks are worked out.

Brent Terrien Geez all the people who complain it was stopped 5 times get over it it's a preview things are still being worked on get over it. I have heard good & bad but have high hopes for the show still. Also for those of us not in the area I hope the merchandise goes on sale online soon I really want a poster & tee shirt. :

Rebecca Pierce Brent I was there...didn't mind the stops...part of WHY I wanted to be there! I loved the 'reality' behind the scenes! AMAZING sets and costumes...I will go back to see the 'polished' version...:)

The Broadway Critic  Guest Blog Post: Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark - 1st preview thoughts on The Broadway Critic

1st Preview of “Spiderman: Turn off the Dark” | The Broadway Critic

broadwaycritic.wordpress.com

Since I wasn’t able to check out the first preview of “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark”, I had a guest writer, Sean O’Conner, write up his experience on the, already infamous, first preview. Keep in mind, it’s a first preview and many thing will change before opening on January 11th, 2011.

DC Cathro Like, wow...

Rebecca Pierce Thanks for posting this! In my rush to get to the show I forgot to set my DVR! :) The show was fantastic!

Lori Diomede is it good for children? My son is 5 and lovessss spiderman

Rebecca Pierce Lori, I saw a bunch of kids there last night...but if your son 'frightens' easily I'm not sure...some of the effects are pretty 'big'...I didn't hear any kids crying though! :)

Adrian Merkel wow wow wow ..can t wait to see that SHOW

Amy Richardson Bertin I sure hope the show comes to Memphis Tn so we can see it.My 7 year old loves Spider-Man

Catherine Fiehn Bravo! Spidey reached the top of the web! Julie does it again! Visuals and music are great, loved the "golden web" and we are going to hear high school students across the country singing these songs. However, I would like to feel more "U2" energy that is present in most of their past works. Would perhaps like to see a solo guitarist playing pre-curtain. Or several spot lighted during the show with Spidey's crawling the side wall webs. Would like to have more laugher, emotion and plot, there where a few steamy scenes that had great energy but I want to see more! I feel the plot needs a twist as we are all too familiar with the story line after several movies. Except, I kind of wanted to see that famous upside down kiss from the movie! I thought it would be cool if they took the crawling spiders gobo effect and had it come out slowly over the audience! I feel the cast is still a bit concerned with blocking and technique still then again they are flying about in a big tangled web! And yes, Miss "guinea pig lady" a preview is a dress rehearsal with a live audience Once they get everything down, it's going to be the new higher rung and I can't wait to see it again and take the kids! PS after seeing the 60 minutes clip I think what the score needs is a bit of Bonos vocals somewhere. He has such a distinctive voice and without it his music is missing something. Reeve was great don't get me wrong but I would love to get a hold of the CD with Bono singing it.

Jason Geller This is the "Avatar" of Broadway shows! Big dreams cost big money and there are sometimes delays, but in the end, it shows. "Bulling by Numbers", "Rise Above" and the main one they use in the commercial are very memorable songs. Look for Natalie Mendoza. She is awesome! VERY clever sets! Visually mind blowing. Great dancing and action. One kick ass dream sequence. I can not imagine taking a child to this and them not liking it. Their jaws will be open the whole time. Green Goblin is great too. He plays a green piano.

Jason Geller Show was great! My wife and I loved it. This was a preview and it was the very 1st one. The line went down to 8th ave. It will definitely get tighter by opening night in Jan. Plot will feel better as they iron out the wrinkles and pauses. AND Yes, the music will grow on you for sure! See it. Kids and adults will have a blast!

Steven Biscotti BTW, the merchandise you have is awesome. I got everything.

Ilana Keller IMHO (if anyone cares for it!) - Technically and visually, it's amazing. Stunning, even, at times. I'm confident rigging issues will be ironed out. I wasn't blown away by the music, but it did its job. Listening to it a few more times could definitely change my mind. The plot didn't impress me. I hope they tighten all around and clarify at points. The first act especially seemed a little disjointed and choppy. But did I walk away happy? Yup. :-D

 

The stops didn't bother me. I may be the odd one out, but as a quasi-techie, I love seeing the inner workings of a show, especially one this ambitious. And hey, it's previews, and I felt I saw a preview. If I wanted perfection, I know a preview (especially one this early) wouldn't be for me. Instead, we saw history. That's fine by me. I look forward to seeing what changes are made in the future. Kudos to everyone involved.

Steven Biscotti That's an excellent review. I totally agree with you about seeing "the inner-workings" of a show. It was a real treat to finally see and hear the show. I already have tx for 12/28th

Rebecca Pierce Ilana! I pretty much agree with you! I think the songs will grow on us over time! Kudos is right!!!

Jason Geller Steven, please comment again after you see the show again in a month. Very interested to hearing the differences!

Jason Geller Have you ever seen an early preview like this before and then later after they tightened everything up? I think I gotta do what you're gonna do and see this after a month or so later.

 

Steven Biscotti Reeve Carney and Patrick Page. Congrats to Reeve who was AMAZING and Mr. Page - a true professional & entertainer. During one of the stops in ACT 1 - he continued his Goblin performace and serenaded the audience. Hilarious.

Steven Biscotti Had one of the best night of my life, courtesy your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Truly loved the whole entire production. I will admit, that if you are looking to view the show warts and all - then see it immediatley as they work out the kinks. The show DID stop but, it was a really magical experience watching everything come together.

John Murray I'm told they spent 60 million on this show. After seeing it, I can only imagine that not much of the 60 million went into the writing of the script or that nobody was honest enough with the people in charge to say to them "Hey... plot actually matters."

 

You can have all of the costumes, special effects, flashy sets and great performances... but without a good story, none of this matters.

Before I rant... I have to say; Great casting and Great performances.
Rant (and I VERY rarely do this):
This show doesn't know what it is.
Is it about Comic book characters or cartoon caricatures?
Is it about Peter Parker or about four unknown, weird kids that pop up every time the crew needs to arrange the complex set behind the curtain.
Is the villain the Green Goblin or the Spider lady?
They spent a great deal of time developing a very entertaining villain only to kill him off quickly before the first act begins.

They introduce four kids that ramble on and on about who or what they think Spiderman should be... Why? I can understand that they needed a device to keep us occupied while they made their set changes, but this was completely distracting. It just cheapened the Spiderman Myth by force-feeding the idea that all of this is coming from these four idiots having a little brainstorming session.

And then... We never find out what happens to these four idiots because the acid trip induced Spider Ladies prance onto the stage and proclaim "We are going to take over the story now. "There were about 7 interruptions during the show including a woman who screamed because she felt she had paid for a preview and not a dress-rehearsal. I have to agree. I expect a generous amount of pauses and re-sets during a dress-rehearsal, but not during a preview. A preview should be about seeing what works, and getting audience reaction, not about seeing IF it works. I hope they re-write this baby before January because right now, the tail is wagging the dog.The sets, effects and costumes should serve the story, not the other way around. Don't kill off your bad guy until the end. Especially a really good bad guy. He was funny, and fun to watch. Get rid of the spider-lady. It makes no sense having her there. And the dream sequences... please. For 60 million dollars can someone tell a story that doesn't have a dream sequence? Ditch the four goons and find a better device for keeping the audience occupied while waiting for the set change. Okay... rant over.

Rafael Macazaga whoa there, im traveling to ny (im from mexico) in january and i want to see this badly.... now you are making me reconsider this :S hope they fix it

Steven Biscotti No, everything should be fine by then. That is actually when I would recommend seeing the show. I sincerely hope you enjoy.

Jason Parry John....I have to agree with you on the writing being confused and not knowing what it wants to be. I've grown up with spiderman comics and even enjoyed the movies but this show just made no sense...I can't imagine what a non spiderman follower would think after watching it. I also agree about feeling like I was on an acid trip while watching it lol

Jason Geller Rafael, go see it! It was great!

Christine Murray Saw show tonight...well...a bit disappointed... they stopped the show 7 times..yup..people were actually yelling.."This Isn't a Dress Rehearsal"..I have to agree, if you charge people over $100.00 a ticket, you need to be more prepared or give people a break on price...plus the plot line was weak and a bit confusing...it needs work....sorry Guys....

Ilana Keller That's what previews are find -- find out what works (and what doesn't!)

Steven Biscotti ‎...and to see Mr. Patrick page entertain the audience during "I'll Take Manhattan." The improv was hilarious.

Jason Geller Yes! The Green Goblin improv on the green piano was great! That ain't gonna be there opening night. He was having fun with it. and BTW, this is what previews are all about. They got over a month to make it nice and tidy. And they will do it!

Corey Valestra 2nd act was better than the first- but overall it was a bit of a mess! I really wanted to love it! I hope they fix it and get it right by opening night...

Paul St.Austin Where do you recommend sitting? Orchestra, or Flying Circle?

Jason Parry Flying Circle was where I sat....great view and you get up close and personal with some of the performers

Jason Geller If you sit in the orchestra, sit in like row S. The flying circle balcony sits right above row T.

Corey Valestra Flying circle. Enjoy

Giacomo Santangelo So, almost FOUR HOURS after it started, it is finally over! The show will be good once they finish writing it. Not sure why Peter doesn't wear the costume for the last HOUR of the show, or even how the play ended. IF this show opens in January, it won't look ANYthing like this. After sitting through what amounts to a 4 Hour technical dress rehersal, one is left wondering, What must it have looked like last year, when it was originally suppose to open?

Jared Klein is there a finale to the show yet?

Giacomo Santangelo the show builds to a fizzle. (0_o)

Lynn Siegel Cammarota Thats to bad the previews looked great on TV????

Corey Valestra He's not in costume for the most part cause the director did not want a costumed spiderman singing

Caleb Hamilton How was the first preview

Jason Geller It was great!

Debbie Baham numberonefan. My son is so excited. Hope it comes close to home.

Donny Jackson The show is way, way, way, too technically difficult to tour. You'll have to come to it.

Danny Burns I HOPE to get to see this!!! Make it happen

The Broadway Critic 1st preview tonight! 3:45 mins at Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark - minus 20 mins late, 40 mins intermission, plus five stops (25 min maybe?) - total running time: 2 hrs 20 mins (?)

Ken Croteau Music on 60 Minutes segment sounded good. Can't wait to hear the cast recording when they finalize everything and if I'm lucky....see the show!

Steven Murphy Excited to hear all the reviews! Can't wait to see it!

Lewis E Woods OK!!!! I cant take it............ I over heard it isnt going to good.... Someone tell me this is a lie!! HAHAH I need to know, how is the opening night?

Zeeke I-Hoopz Griffin Man this is going to be off the hook! I need someone to go with!lol

Corey Valestra Attending the preview now.... Alot of mistakes and not very good... It's intermission now. Hope the 2nd part is better...

 

Articles and Blogs featuring last night's Preview

http://www.spin.com/articles/u2s-spider-man-stumbles-opening-night

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/11/29/2010-11-29_after_many_delays_spiderman_turn_off_the_dark_nets_first_broadway_preview_to_exc.htmlhttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/bugs_beset_spider_man_on_stage_NfctVtDnuFc5Lv0XNc8f0Jhttp://broadwaycritic.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/1st-preview-of-spiderman-turn-off-the-dark/

http://broadwaycritic.wordpress.com/

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/bugs_beset_spider_man_on_stage_NfctVtDnuFc5Lv0XNc8f0J

-- 

 

Delivery systems and how they can improve the theater business

I am a proud graduate of Dartmouth College and last evening I watched Bill Moyers' interview of the new President of the College Dr. Jim Yong Kim.  The topic was health care.  Dr. Kim spoke of how he believes we can improve health care delivery in our country and the world.  He suggested that the way to do so was to invest our time to thinking about delivery systems for health care.  In his experience, he has noticed that health care providers are not trained in delivery systems. Meaning they are not taught to understand the science behind delivering the care they provide.  He feels we are inconsistent in the way crucial information is passed from one care provider to another, often to the detriment of patients. Through understanding this science and utilizing the knowledge gained from analysis of these systems, Dr. Kim believes we can improve our health care system making it more efficient and cost effective.  He suggested that the health care industry would benefit from utilizing similar practices to companies like Toyota and Southwest Airlines who have developed sophisticated information delivery systems which make them market leaders.  It is a terrific interview and I highly recommend viewing it as well as keeping an eye n Dr. Kim's future accomplishments.

Dr. Kim got me thinking about the theater business and how we could improve our delivery of crucial information amongst all members of a production.  In any given Broadway production the information seems to flow to and from the producers through the General Manager to and from the rest of the 'company' (see photo).  Because it is cost-prohibitive, most productions do not have in-house staff to handle the myriad tasks that must be accomplished to produce a play or musical.  Therefore, many different people are contracted to manage the various needs of a production.  The key departments are the creative staff, the production crew (stage crew, backstage crew, set builders, load-in crew), the cast, the advertising and marketing staff, the internet marketing staff, the PR staff, the theater owner and, the general management staff.  Communication between these departments is key to the efficient running of the company.  So where can we make changes and improve the flow of information?  I would suggest some of the following;

• Wherever possible, hire staff to fill key positions that are able to work on your production and your production alone.  Having key members of the production within the same office will allow for more efficient transfer of information.  
• Require the key creative decisions to be made in a timely manner to allow for the reverberating repercussions of those decisions to be completed in a cost efficient manner. (For example, in a musical choosing understudies for major roles early allows the costumes to be built simultaneously with the regular costumes and saves the production time and money.)
• As a show continues its run, analyze the recurring production costs, such as rehearsals, set maintenance, etc and weed out unnecessary time and costs.
• In the development phase of a production make decisions slowly but implement them rapidly. 
• Use technology to support, not replace people.  Focus on process and people first, then add information technology to support them.  This is a difficult one as we are very slow to utilize technology on Broadway and when we do it seems that we overspend on it. We should also use low-cost alternatives to expensive new technologies. (Spiderman's budget would prbably a lot lower that way.)
• The great thing about live theater is that all you need are actors, a stage and a great story to tell and people will be moved.  The current cost of tickets makes people feel that they need to be wowed by the production values for the money they are paying. I think we need to focus more on the storytelling and less on the production value.  (Now I'm not saying all shows should be Encores versions of musicals, just the thinking should be appropriate to the project.)
• Use computer software to help departments efficiently communicate their needs amongst each other.

There are many other ways to improve the systems on Broadway and within the theater industry.  please comment and add more that you think would make a difference.

Action-Reaction

Today's post is a motivational one. It's about action and reaction. Too many times I fond myself in a reactive mode, adjusting to the circumstances that have been put in front of me. Now this is great if you are skiing down a mogul filled slope, but in producing it can be a problem when you haven't thought through all the necessary steps involved in a process. The Broadway industry as a whole is also a reactive business. Due to the structure of the business, with individual entities managing and producing each show as it arrives on Broadway, there is not a coherent strategy to address issues that affect business as they arise. That is not to say that the Broadway League is not working hard to address the current issues hand-cuffing our industry and fostering more cooperation from all parties involved.

But what is my point. Broadway is trying to figure out how to deal with important issues, like ticket resellers and maximizing internet marketing, by adjusting its practices and methods. But where would the industry be if they had been pro-active instead of re-active? That is a question you must ask yourself daily. Or more precisely, what am I doing to put myself and my production in the best position moving forward?

I am currently negotiating to option a play and this very question is at the heart of the negotiations. It is one of my goals to set the stage for a fiscally responsible approach to budgeting this play. From my point of view, this starts with the option agreement and flows through every deal and agreement made going forward. To the best of my ability, I am attempting to avoid putting myself in a position to be reacting to my own early decisions, as there will be plenty of unexpected issues to deal with along the journey.

So how can you think forward? As one does in playing chess, you must think several moves ahead at all times. And as the game changes, so should your strategy and planning. But beginning with a sound, well thought out plan is a good start. Now I am not advising over-thinking the plan but having one based on some core principles you believe in will help guide each step.

Here's a simple and effective way to begin that can help you focus your goals. Take a piece of blank paper, draw two vertical lines from top to bottom to divide the paper into three sections. In column A write 'What do I want to do?', in column B write 'What do I want to be?' and in column C write 'What do I want to have?' Now answer these questions in broad strokes and then take the time to bullet point ways you can achieve those goals underneath. By example, in column B I wrote 'I want to be a great father' and underneath I wrote -make time to be with Henry, - read Henry stories, -support my wife in her efforts as a mother and appreciate her for them. While not a complete list, you get the idea. You can write answers to these questions about anything from your productions to your personal life. The answers will help guide you as you go forward.

Relevant Statistics-who goes to Broadway and why now IS a good time to invest

The Broadway League just sent out its annual report on the Demographics of The Broawdway Audience. It is a 65 page document with some great information. Here are some highlights:

• 65% of the ticket buyers were tourists
• International tourists bought 15% of tickets while domestic tourists bought 50% of all tickets
• Ages 35-64 comprised 50% of the audience members.
• 12% of the audience were under the age of 18 setting a record of 1.5M admissions
• 75% of the audience is caucasion and there is a steady trend in the past 5 years of that number decreasing slightly
• The average decision-maker (person who instigates the ticket purchase) is a 43 year old female who attends 5 Broadway shows a year, completed college and has an annual household income of 145K

Some interesting stats to ponder. What I find even more interesting is that in this economy ticket sales for shows are still robust. While the overall weekly take has declined recently because many shows have closed, the shows that are still open are still selling well. January and February are the cruelest months for Broadway but the industry is still holding on well. Take a look at the weekly Variety and you will see what I am talking about.

So why invest in theater at this point in time. Many people I speak with are either holding onto their cash or feeling the pinch and not investing in anything. Others, who held onto their stocks, can't sell at this point without taking a large loss of value and therefore are not liquid. But consider these facts: All My Sons, The Seagull, Speed the Plow and, You're Welcome America, A Final Night with George Bush all either made or will be making significant profits this season. So let's analyze a bit. If I had $100 and I kept it in the stock market from August until today, I would, on average, now have about $61 in stock equity. If I had invested the money in All My Sons, I would have gotten all the principal back by the middle of December and would at present have about $110 with more to come. So I take the $110 and invest it in Will Ferrel's show and at the end of March I should have about $123.75 in cash plus the final profits from AMS so let's say $130. So I would have 214% more money at the end of 7 months time. There have not been too many times in history when one could make such a comparison. The gap between the risk/reward for Broadway investments and the stock market is extraordinarily narrow. If ever there was a time to jump in the water, now is that time.

But what kind of investments make sense. It is my belief, in this market, based on buying habits of Broadway theater goers, the best investment is the limited run production of a play with marquee name stars. There are several reasons, the budgeting of these productions is tighter than large musicals, the limited run presents the ticket buyer with and urgency to get tickets before they are all gone or the show is no longer playing. The stars attract interest, and lastly and most important, the quality of the production will always speak for itself. The number one influencer of ticket buying is word of mouth, so if the show is great, people will tell their friends they must see it.

Of course there are other perks of investing in a Broadway show and they include attending the Opening Night performance and party, access to prime house seats for yourself, friends and family, and participation in the most exciting live theatrical experience in the world-Broadway. I recall and ad for casinos that had a tag line of , "Be a part of it all.' Well, I'd much rather be a part of theater than a casino, wouldn't you! So without being crass, if you or anyone you know wants to get involved or even learn more about who Broadway investing works, I am happy to help you out, just send me a comment.