BroadwayGirlNYC: Chicago Fan Day a Huge Success

It was 9am on Sunday morning and a red carpet was set up on 49^th street just west of Broadway.  A giddy, well-bundled group of young adults arrived, squealing with delight when they realized they were the first to get to the Ambassador Theatre.  Despite the nearly-freezing temperatures and occasional brutal gusts of wind, they appeared more than happy to settle in for a 6-hour wait outside until the doors opened, at which point they'd get to run in and choose their own seats at Broadway's longest running revival, Chicago. 

This was no rush or lottery.  These folks already knew they had tickets to the show -- they were there early only to ensure that they'd get the best seats in the house.  And not long after they arrived, a line of other fans began to form behind them, eventually stretching around the corner and all the way up to 56^th street (over a quarter of a mile).

The occasion: FAN DAY on Broadway, on which the producers of Chicago gave away every single seat in the theatre for free.  The idea was to reward those people who had supported the show throughout its 15 years, and to show them reciprocal appreciation.  Not only was were the tickets free, but all of the fans in line got t-shirts to memorialize their attendance, along with plastic versions of the iconic Chicago bowler hats.  Midtown was a sea of black and red, with strains of Kander & Ebb playing through multiple speakers and headphones, as excitement grew.

True, no money was exchanged for the tickets to Chicago's Fan Day on Broadway.  But they're weren't given away willy-nilly, either.  They had to be earned - and the marketers of the show made sure those fans did some legwork.  No, not passing out fliers near the TKTS booth; this was all virtual legwork, done by the fans from their own computers and mobile devices.  Their tool?  Chicago's Facebook Fan Page.

The premise was simple.  Just get ten of your friends to "like" Chicago on Facebook.  Once that was done... your free ticket for Sunday's performance was guaranteed.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLY BRILLIANT IDEA.  The Ambassador theatre seats over 1100 people.  Multiply that by the 10 friends every fan had to bring to Facebook... that's 10,000 new additions to their fan page!!  Every one of those 10,000 people - by "liking" Chicago -- will now get every one of the updates posted by the Chicago team.  And by inviting fans specifically vetted for successfully using social media, Chicago also guaranteed that the experience of Fan Day would be spread like wildfire all over not only Facebook but also Twitter, FourSquare, Flickr and every other relevant website.  Of course, that means the reach will be far greater than just the fans already involved on the fan site.  (Incidentally, Chicago is currently nearing 20,000 Facebook fans - indicating they DOUBLED their initial base with this promotion.)

The current revival of Chicago is almost fifteen years old.  Leading into Sunday's performance, I had seen it five times over those years, and compared to the new & vibrant musicals I love, Chicago had begun to feel age, coming across as dated and slack.  The audiences who surrounded me when I came seemed to lean more and more towards international tourists who bought tickets due to name recognition, and more than once I saw the mezzanine practically empty.  The actors strained to bring 100% to their performances, lacking the reciprocity (see what I did there?!) of energy from the audience.  Even the few diehard fans who were invariably represented at each show couldn't rally the crowds enough to make the vibe feel fresh.  I'll admit I had resigned Chicago to a status as tired and stagnant, destined to play quietly for years without really inspiring real passion in today's rabid Broadway fans.  Well, BOY WAS I WRONG. 

On Sunday, January 30, Chicago was everything I'd thought it wasn't.  The party atmosphere that started on the streets outside just grew inside the theatre, with trivia contests and random drawings led by Julie James and Seth Rudetsky of Sirius XM On Broadway.  Producer Barry Weisler and director Walter Bobby made appearances.  Past stars including Chita Rivera, Lillias White, Vincent Pastore, Karen Ziemba and Ute Lemper sat amongst the fans in the audience, granting every photo and autograph request.  And when the overture began and the lights dimmed, you'd have thought a rock concert was beginning with all of the screaming that filled the theatre.

The cast was fantastic.  The music felt fresh and new.  The audience was on its feet repeatedly, going crazy at cast entrances, favorite numbers, even fabulous mid-song riffs and one-liners we'd all heard before but which seemed brand new on this day.   The cast was clearly buoyed by the audience enthusiasm, vamping and flirting and even throwing in inside jokes about Facebook.  They reveled in the ovations.  Their dances seemed effortless, their delighted smiles brilliant and honest, and their voices clear and strong.  The show seemed years younger -- NEW, even -- and I imagine that the momentum of Sunday will carry over into countless performances to come.

Surely, the nearly 15-year-old Broadway revival saw its most enthusiastic crowd in years on Sunday, January 30.  How perfect that it was the Ambassador theatre that hosted 1100 perfect Chicago ambassadors! It was Facebook Fan Day: an occasion created by Chicago's marketing team, ostensibly to celebrate and reward the people that love the show the most.  Why "ostensibly"?  Because while the fans certainly did have the time of their lives, it was the show itself that benefitted the most.