How to improve Broadway

[artscallion]

Some people sit on their butts, discussing how Broadway could be better. And no, it's not BWW.
Some People

[NewYorkTheater]

More on the second annual TEDx Broadway conference, which included talks by George Takei, who at age 75 is soon to make his Broadway debut, and Randi Zuckerberg, who offered about 10 suggestions for harnessing technology to transcend the limitations of Broadway.
The Future Is Today. TEDx Broadway 2013

[JoeKv99]

George Takei and Randi Zuckerberg offering ways to improve Broadway? Any reason they didn't invite people who had actually succeeded on Broadway?

[Gothampc]

"Broadway, I don't think, has boldly gone where it needs to," said "Star Trek" actor George Takei, riffing off his old show's motto. "I have a sense that Broadway hasn't entered into the 21st century."

Do you mean they don't autotune singers who can't sing?

Live performance is very different from tv/movies. It doesn't need a bag of tricks to be effective.

I still remember hating the screen graphics in the Broderick H2S. It was like saying "Hey look over here, not at the performer."

Producers don't need any more reason to add another hundred bucks to the ticket price.

[FindingNamo]

^ thumbs up

[sally1112]

Singing...And another hundred bucks just got added to the ticket, and another hundred bucks...

[Gothampc]

Actually, I think Broadway producers should invest in Smello-vision. Think how wonderful it would be if you could smell the flowers in "The Secret Garden" or the bread baking in "The Baker's Wife" or the poppers in "Nunsense".

[finebydesign]

Outside of making ticket prices actually reasonable, why would ANYONE suggest they fix anything? Broadway is BOOMING. Producers are taking huge risks, look at Annie, Cinderella, Leap of Faith, Rebecca, Performers, Scandalous.

I love TEDTalks but this is out of left-field.

[newintown]

Annie is a risk?

[finebydesign]

Annie is a risk?, in my opinion it is. I can't see that show surviving until the Summer. They took a huge risk, it's a brand yes, but the Palace is a massive theatre and the competition for kid's shows is fierce.

[latitudex1]

These talks aren't about content. Nobody believes that there's a lack of good material available to stage.

These talks usually introduce new or innovative or fresh ideas from inside and outside the community about ticketing, logistics, marketing, logistics, and what not. Business-y stuff.

Last year's incarnation is available to view on YouTube.

[finebydesign]

Well Business-y stuff costs money. Like I said, why waste time fixing something that is not broken? It's not dying in any way.

[latitudex1]

It's not about fixing what's broken. It's about improving on what's already there. Coming from your point of view, Apple's shares wouldn't have fallen off a cliff even though people still keep buying iPads and iPhones.

Market researcher Joseph Craig explains the business standpoint better than I ever could at last year's TEDxBroadway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLllWy4lSco 

But it's not just about making more money or even spending more money. There were amazing talks and insights from teachers, a poet, social media experts, people of all stripes that discussed the impact of the art form and how we can get make sure it remains impactful. Thoughts on how we could bring diversity into audience. Ways to improve the audience's experience from the time they buy a ticket to the time they take their seats.

To put it simply, there is always room to improve.

[newintown]

I always find it interesting that people continue to invest in Broadway shows, despite the knowledge (or maybe ignoring it) that most investors will lose their money and the amount of loss they can write-off has diminished over time.

[suestorm]

i wish they would videotape performances and sell them. it would be a great source of revenue and then you could enjoy the show years into the future

[Mister Matt]

Nobody believes that there's a lack of good material available to stage.

A lot of embittered academics believe that and whine about it every season.

[JoeKv99]

Only if by "academics" you mean kids on the BWW board who have to bitch incessantly about their favorite art form.

[Taryn]

George Takei built up a social media fanbase with a very specific plan of steps to come to where he is today with some 3 million Facebook followers. He absolutely has things to say about how to build an audience.