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This is a massive win for Broadway. This is the first new musical to recoup since the pandemic that wasn't around before the pandemic . . . which means I don't think it got "save our stages" $ to restart. So, how did & Juliet do it? From the outside, I see three reasons. 1) It's not just a great show, it's a great FUN show, which is what audiences want to see. 2) They get a family audience, so the average order is probably closer to 3 than 2. Sure, fun date night, but the teens love it, too. 3) The music. Duh. OH and a bonus . . . which may be the most important. 4) It had a $17mm capitalization. In the sea of capitalizations over $20mm, they kept theirs down. The degree of difficulty for recouping a Broadway show is higher than ever. Super props to the great producing by #MaxMartin, #TimHeadington, #TheresaSteelePage, #JennyPetersson, Martin Dodd, and Eva Price. Let's hope this starts a trend! https://lnkd.in/eSXvfd-2

While I may have an acting degree, I've never been a huge musical person. That being said, I knew exactly what I was in for when I watched Mean Girls yesterday. Unfortunately, based on the number of groans that accompanied each song, I could tell a lot of audience members felt swindled. As a marketer, I'm torn... On one hand, from a business perspective, the marketing team made a bold move that paid off. They knew movie musicals don't typically bring in the numbers so they honed in on "remake" energy and won over the box office. A clever marketing tactic, right? 🤷♀️ I'm not so sure. Is leaving your audience in the dark good marketing? Is it good for your brand image and customer loyalty to suggest people are purchasing one thing when they're actually purchasing another? Not to mention the vanity metrics! 🙄 A lot of people either don't like musicals or don't think they translate well to film, and yet these box office numbers now suggest the opposite. How will these metrics impact decision-making going forward? Personally, I cringed at the Mean Girls marketing because it felt disingenuous. If you won't cater to the average consumer, at least own it! Own that your product might not be for everyone – own that it might be more niche. Like Brian Chesky said, "Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like." In the end, I recognize that Paramount isn't going to lose patrons after this. So long as they keep churning out movies, they'll fill seats. But I think smaller companies should avoid following in their marketing footsteps – most of us can't afford to disappoint through deception. 💔 If you work in marketing or saw the movie, I'd love to hear your thoughts! #MeanGirls #Marketing

In this episode of "Joan Deserves a Musical," I'm wringing my hands over the word "faith" and how it applies to my movie idea. #JoanDeservesAMusical #Faith #Film #JoanOfArc

How Hollywood Glamour Is Reviving the Endangered Broadway Play George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Denzel Washington and Mia Farrow are coming to Broadway, where some producers see plays with stars as safer bets than musicals. The pay on Broadway is not Hollywood-high, but it’s not bad — in commercial productions, stars are often given a negotiated base salary plus a percentage either of the box office or of any profit. As with everything on Broadway, finances play a role. The money risked by investors on plays is much lower than on musicals, which tend to have bigger casts, more elaborate sets, and, of course, musicians, and which have become increasingly expensive to produce. A new musical these days often costs more than $20 million to bring to Broadway — “Boop!” a new musical based on Betty Boop that is opening next spring, is being capitalized for up to $26 million. Plays generally cost less than half as much — the “Romeo and Juliet” revival is being capitalized for up to $7 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Of course, the potential upside is also lower. A successful play might return 30 percent to investors; the musical juggernauts (which are few and far between) can return many times that by sustaining long runs in large theaters and spinning off tours. (Of the 24 new Broadway musicals that opened over the last two seasons, only one, “& Juliet,” has become profitable thus far. Two others, “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders,” have plausible paths to profitability, but it is too soon to know for sure.) Broadway had been on a remarkable upward trajectory in the years preceding the pandemic, but then tumbled; during the 2023-24 season, total attendance was still 17 percent lower than it had been the last full season before the pandemic.

The next TRU Community Gathering on Zoom: DO ALL THESE MUSICALS BELONG ON BROADWAY? Friday 6/28/24, at 5:00pm ET In the room: FRANKIE DAILY, new works director of NAMT (National Association for Musical Theater); and PETER FILICHIA, former New York-based theater critic for The Star-Ledger, writer and historian of the American musical theater. In 2023-24 season 15 new musicals opened on Broadway, the highest number since the 2016-17 season. Assumptions about what constitutes a Broadway musical have changed over the decades and the financial challenges of off-Broadway have lured some smaller shows into the commercial spotlight. Nevertheless, some musicals have found a level of success without the Broadway stamp of approval. Are there realistic criteria for success other than being a Broadway blockbuster? To make a reservation for this free event, go to the link: https://lnkd.in/e3pBWZN2

The last sentence needs to be amplified: Actors and stage managers are worth it. Actors and stage managers are worth it. Actors and stage managers are worth it. 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

If you're attending one of our performances of 'Shrek the Musical' this week, here's everything you need to know... Check out my blog post https://wix.to/katCnIK

The magic of musical films is undergoing a breathtaking renaissance, captivating audiences globally with a blend of narrative genius and melodious enchantment 🎶 From the innovative storytelling of Hamilton to the emotional resonance of The Greatest Showman, this new wave is not just entertainment - it's a cultural phenomenon. With offerings that span across a rich diversity of themes and musical genres, today's musicals are rewriting the script on what it means to tell stories through song and dance 🌟 Whether it's the celebration of cultural narratives in In the Heights or the creative prowess of high-profile talents, the reawakening of musical films is a testament to their timeless appeal and the boundless possibilities they hold for storytelling. Isn't it time we all tuned in? 🎥🎵 www.cityvarsity.co.za #MusicalRenaissance #StorytellingEvolution #CinemaMagic

🤔 Get to know Adam P.! A selection of quick-fire questions to learn more about our Account Director Adam, covering a wide range of his interests such as Star Wars, Musicals, Theme Parks and much more... Be sure to comment and let him know if you disagree with any of his takes!

Movie musicals are having a moment, but don't call them that. Wonka, Color Purple, and even Leo are all movie musicals this holiday season. However, we don't dare call them that because test audiences might get turned off by all the singing. It begs the question, why keep making movie musicals if we're afraid to tell audiences they are? Without the disclosure, audiences may assume their favorite movies are being remade, leading to internet vitriol or shock when they find singing and dancing. Perhaps it's time for Hollywood to lean into this rebirth of a high-grossing and beloved genre of film and get more intentional with research and test audiences. What magic will they pull to convince us that Wicked is just a regular movie? #MovieMusicals #Hollywood #FilmIndustry #MediaAndEntertainment #warnerbros #research #entertainmentresearch