I had been impressed into the job by Leland Heyward and Irene Selznick, two of Broadway’s most prestigious producers. I had previously shown little interest in that organization. I imagined it to be an Old Fogeys Establishment. And, to be honest with you, I imagined they considered me a lucky twerp. But Leland and Irene picked me precisely because I was an outlier.
4 comments:
Broadway producing has always been a big deal in the investing world solely because of the interaction that the investors have in the processes. It is upsetting to see that the broadway investors of this time are removing that element and just see it as a business venture. The involvement of an investor should be so much more than just cutting the checks. I couldn't agree with this article more. Anybody has the ability to come up with an idea that could add to the production process and with this involvement, the creative team will only be more motivated to produce a better product. I think the best way to describe a producer is not an investor but someone that is supporting a project that they true believe in. They should care about the outcome and wants to take part in the steps to get there. I still have hope, that in the future, producers of broadway shows will see this as more than just an investment and will participate in the creation of the art.
The article references the success of Hamilton in passing, and I do wonder how that show will affect future producers or investors. Hamilton very different from any revival show, and maybe that will create more interested creative producers who want to be involved in a similar project. At the same time, it’s earning a ton of money, which might draw in producers who are mostly interested in potential profits. It is unfortunate that producers are increasingly more interested in the investment than the art. It seems like a disconnect from the casts, crews, and creative teams, who (hopefully) pursue theatre because that’s their passion and with realistic expectations about earning potential. There is nothing wrong with for profit theatre, but, as the article states, that can mean being stuck with risk averse revivals.
I feel like so often producing is the mystical world that a select few get to be a part of. Some of that statement is true. It is a small field by nature since through supply and demand there can only be so many producers. I like that I keep seeing more and more articles giving us a peek inside this industry. Producing is an extremely important role in theatre and one that often gets a bad reputation (possibly rightfully so sometimes). However, I was talking to a friend recently about how I have considered trying to break into this profession. There is a great responsibility that comes with formulating a season and how it all fits together. This responsibility is a little bit different with commercial Broadway theatre since you are not creating one season, instead a career. I’ve always been interested in gambling, not for the sake of winning or losing but learning how to play the game. I’d love to learn just what makes this game of producing tick.
I have never produced or invested in a Broadway show, for many reasons, but I am sure it is not the easiest job that is out there. That being said, I agree with this article that commercial theater needs more than investors; they need producers. I say this because I get the sense that the investors only care about making a profit off of the production. Where as the producer is focused on the work that is being produced, and telling the story to the audience. To be completely honest, I am so over all of the revivals of classic musicals that have been happing. Like, do we really need to see Cats again? What I truly think audiences want is new fresh and exciting work. As we know, this is more of a risk on the dollars end of the world, but I really do think the risk will pay off.
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