CURTAIN CALL!

In the last two weeks, two incredibly popular shows have posted closing notices.  Interestingly, both musicals have a similar storyline- offering hope amid troulbing circumstances.

The Color Purple, a soaring reengineering of the dramatic movie, will play it's final performance February 24.  The producers have added celebrity casting to lure theatregoers into the final weeks.

June 1 will see the end of an era.  Rent, the musical that energized young people, gave rise to the "Renthead" phenomenon, and made starts of it's original cast, will see the curtain close for the final time.

These musicals embody what is best about theatre- the emotional involvement of the audience and the idea that, no matter how bleak things look, every person can stand tall and have HOPE.  The musicals will live on in official traveling and local productions all over the world.

Fort Myers will have a chance to see Rent after it closes on Broadway here at the Hall on April 10. Only 99,360 minutes until it arrives! 

While Congress holds hearings and ESPN goes into outrage overload, the revelation that a number of R&B performers may have used steriods has been received with a collective shrug. Performing on stage is extremely physical and the use of these drugs could potentially help an artist give a better show. The New York Times has its take as well: Physical stature is a part of the "brand."

All in all, no one seems to care. Only in baseball has the outrage reached such levels that an independent investigator is appointed, a scathing report is issued, players are villified, and ultimately hours upon hours of radio/television talk is created. And there's the rub....

Baseball must be sitting back and (secretly) enjoying all the attention that is being focused on the industry- especially when their sport is in the off season. What else could generate this amount of baseball talk with the Super Bowl only weeks away and the NBA and NHL in peak season? What else could provide "new" news for the 24/7 machine that is the self proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports?" Manufactured hype- ALL OF IT.

As the old saw goes: No publicity is bad publicity. As long as they spell my name right.

While Congress holds hearings and ESPN goes into outrage overload, the revelation that a number of R&B performers may have used steriods has been received with a collective shrug.  Performing on stage is extremely physical and the use of these drugs could potentially help an artist give a better show. The New York Times has its take as well: Physical stature is a part of the "brand."

All in all, no one seems to care.  Only in baseball has the outrage reached such levels that an independent investigator is appointed, a scathing report is issued, players are villified, and ultimately hours upon hours of radio/television talk is created.  And there's the rub....

Baseball must be sitting back and (secretly) enjoying all the attention that is being focused on the industry- especially when their sport is in the off season.  What else could generate this amount of baseball talk with the Super Bowl only weeks away and the NBA and NHL in peak season?  What else could provide "new" news for the 24/7 machine that is the self proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports?"  Manufactured hype- ALL OF IT.

As the old saw goes: No publicity is bad publicity.  As long as they spell my name right. 

The Johnny Depp movie Sweeney Todd opened to rave reviews.  Tim Burton was an inspired choice to bring this "concept musical" to the big screen.  Another movie musical- as we've discussed in this space before, movies and musicals go hand in hand.  The grosses have been good, but not "boffo."

As is the case with Steven Sondheim's Broadway productions, commercial success has been elusive while the critical acclaim has been universal.  The Broadway revivals of both Company and Sweeney Todd failed to recoup their initial investments.

Broadway insiders are watching the ticket sales of the touring production of Sweeney Todd  (currently in Miami at the Carnival Center) to see if the movie has the Chicago effect (increased interest and ticket sales), or the Rent effect (no discernible affect on ticket sales).

No matter what happens with the ticket sales, one of Broadway's unsung lyricists/composers will have his profile raised considerably.

Often times blogs devolve into pointless squabbling, name calling and personal attacks.  We're trying to be different here.

Another example? Here the good news that can come from a blog.

I hope Santa was good to everyone!

GREAT NEWS!  "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson will begin production on "The Hobbit" in 2009. 

I must admit, I have been a HUGE JRR Tolkein fan since high school.  After receiveing The Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy as a Christmas gift one year, I was blown away by the creativity and incredible detail that went into creating an epic world, history and all. I've read these books over and over again, knowing what happens, but still entralled by the depth of the characters, trying to match the character or situation with the real life circumstance that Tolkein used as inspiration devouring everything I could get my hands on relating to his Middle Earth writings.

So it was with some trepidation that I went to see The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December of 2001.  No movie could match my imagination of how Frodo or Gandalf or Aragorn should look or sound; the sights and sounds of The Shire and Rivendell set in my mind for all those years; all three movies shot at once, something was bound to be overlooked. I was prepared to be disappointed.

Much to my surprise, Peter Jackson could not have handled it better. Certainly not perfect, but Jackson presented Middle Earth and all its denizens in a fantastic way.  Each installment got better and better, in my opinion, culminating with the 2005 Academy Award for Best Picture for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

I'm very pleased to hear that Peter Jackson will bring that same hand to The Hobbit. Good Luck, Peter- we'll be watching.

Maybe The Silmarillion is next?

The smash Broadway success Mary Poppins is headed to the road.  After recouping it's initial investment last week (a milestone only 20% of Broadway shows accomplish), the show is going global.

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, two of the most powerful names in the Broadway, announced a North American tour, a British tour, and Australian production and agreements with Denmark, Hungary and Sweden.

The North American tour tentatively opens in Chicago in March 2009.  As they continue to layer in cities for the tour stops, we are right there advocating for a Fort Myers engagement.  Realistically, we're probably looking at a play in the 2009/2010 or 2010/2011 season.

Having seen the Mary Poppins on Broadway, I can personally attest that it is a big, splashy, traditional Broadway musical that everyone will enjoy.   The technical effects are outstanding and the singing and dancing are wonderful.  I'm looking forward to a great run here in Fort Myers.

Led Zeppelin's first reunited appearance since their 1995 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is Monday. 

Contrary to many of their contemporaries (The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, etc), Zeppelin has not gone on a "farewell tour" since disbanding in 1980, prefering to go their separate solo ways and eschew the big money associated with a tour.  Mixed reactions from the band members themselves leave most in our industry wondering when the reunion and farewell tour will come.

I think it's likely that within the next three years THE must have ticket will be a Led Zeppelin reunion show!

Those who know me have heard me utter the phrase "nothing beats the live entertainment experience" a million times.  I am a true believer (some would say fantatic...) of that LIVE entertainment experience.

As I read this seeming obituary about an organization I worked closely with in one of my former positions, I was struck by the second paragraph:

Mine was the first generation that rejected theater for movies and music.

The implications of that for all of us connected to the theater business are staggering. I knew Jeff during my time in Buffalo and know he is on the lower end of the Baby Boomer generation.  Frankly, he is correct. As the society has splintered and fragmented- the flight to the suburbs, the rise of television, the explosion of the internet- we have lost those communal experiences that personally connect us to one another.

Will this trend continue?  I happen to think the current teen generation will be the generation to stem the tide.  They have been born into a society that has TV, e-mail at home, work form home (telecommute), long distance learning- they almost never have to speak to another person live.  This generation is yearning for that personal experience- look at the popularity of Hannah Montana concerts and Disney's High School Musical events.  The LIVE entertainment experience will rise again!

Until that time, my Quixotic quest continues ... 

A recent trend in the concert industry has been the increase in popularity of tribute bands.  For many of us, the words "tribute band" evoke horrible memories of smelly bars and a group sounding like Saturday Night Live's Marty and Bobbi-Mohan Culp (c'mon you remember...)- more comedy than concert- and wouldn't compel us buy a ticket.

That is definitely changing. 

Last night at the Hall we presented The Australian Pink Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band that has been touring the US for a few years now. My one word description of the show- WOW! Amazing lights, incredible sound, and fantastic energy.  Although I'm a little young to remember the original Pink Floyd shows and was only a casual fan at best, I must admit to being impressed!  This was not your mother's tribute band.

Patrons leaving the show RAVED about it last night.  Many of people who remember attending Pink Floyd shows in the 70's and 80's said it was so close to their memories that they were shocked at how perfect it was.

Last night has definitely made me rethink my opinion of SOME tribute bands. With that much money, time and effort invested into a show, it's almost as good as being there the first time.

Broadways Producers and Staghands have reached a tentative agreement.

With the holiday season upon us, it is good to have them back.

Broadway Producers and Stagehands adjourned after an all night negotiating session.  Progress is being made and the grandstanding is noticeably absent.

Best case scenario the strike is settled tomorrow morning and shows resume by the end of the week.  At $2 million a day in lost revenue for NYC, EVERYONE is rooting for a settlement.

I know your question: How do you guarantee tickets for your favorite performer when all the brokers are snapping up tickets as soon as they go on sale and avoid being shut out as in the last post?

Here at the Mann Hall, we've implemented programs to ensure our stakeholders have the best possible chance to get their tickets- and it's all about exclusive access:

• Become a Broadway subscriber- our Broadway subscribers get BOTH an order form (in August) and an e-mail notification (throughout the season) of ALL shows that will appear at the Hall.  Subscribers have the FIRST opportunity to purchase tickets and generally have a week prior to the public on-sale to purchase tickets
• Join our newly established Concert Club- for $50 a year, you are guaranteed to receive an e-mail notification of each show PRIOR to the public on-sale.  Think of it as a fan club for the Barbara B Mann Hall.  You can purchase EXCELLENT seats at face value- buy just one show per year through the Concert Club instead of a broker and you'll more than save the $50 cost. 
• Encourage your employer to partner with us in our affinity group prgram- we've partnered with numerous companies in the region (Chico's, Embarq, City of Fort Myers, etc.) to offer monthly e-mails including advance notification of upcomng events. 

We work diligently to ensure that our stakeholders have access to the very best for every event at the Hall: performers, seat locations, prices, etc.  WE ARE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S PERFORMING ARTS HALL!  Take advantage of it...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

As the entire entertainment industry continues to struggle with the rapid technological advancements, this article gives interesting insight into where and how tickets are sold.

As has every other theatre manager, I have been in a similar position (in my case, at the same building in Buffalo the article speaks about). Behind the bluster and finger-pointing in the article, the main issue is to make sure real fans have access to tickets.

Here in Fort Myers we employ ALL of the measures discussed in the article, from Will Call pickup to premium pricing to simply holding as many seats as there are patrons in line for the on-sale.  Tickets for everything (sports, concerts, trade shows) are the epitome of the free market in the internet era- price is dictated by demand.We've even implemented programs (one new, one old) here for a foolproof way to ensure you get seats to a show here in Fort Myers.

I'll explain these options for you in the next post...

Broadway Producers and Stagehands Local 1 will resume talks this weekend.  What I found interesting were the "undisclosed place and time" of the talks.  That particular phrase actually has made me much more optimistic about a relatively quick (before mid-December) settlement.

Why the secrecy, you ask?  EGO! Since both sides presented their "best and final offers,"  there has been a lot of public posturing and vitriol bandied about (all tactics, by the way...).  But, in order to reach an agreement, there has to be compromise.  After the rhetoric, neither side wants to lose face by giving an inch, so talks in private allow both parties to move some and not consider it "defeat."

Hopefully the bright lights of Broadway will be lit again soon!