Why produce one show in a season, when you can produce two?
As you all know, I’m big preacher of diversification in business, which is one of the reasons that, in addition to Godspell, a classic musical revival, I have just signed on to produce Chinglish, a brand new American play.
Chinglish, written by David Henry Hwang, and directed by Leigh Silverman, is coming straight from the Goodman Theatre in Chicago with a suitcase full of r-r-r-rave reviews in tow.
I describe Chinglish as a comedy about American-Chinese business relationships, in and out of the board room, and what gets lost in translation. (Give this a click to get an idea of what I’m talking about.)
Oh, and it’s very, very funny. Or as the Chinese would say . . . oh, who am I kidding, I can’t speak a drop of Chinese. Imagine me roaming the streets of Hong Kong talking about Broadway’s ticketing challenges, or how we can market to young people. Our languages are so different, they’d probably think I was talking about kitty cats that like to ride roller coasters.
And that’s Chinglish.
For those of you wondering the reasons I signed on?
– David Henry Hwang is one of the country’s best living playwrights.
– It’s about a very topical subject.
– It’s a topical subject hasn’t been written about on Broadway.
– Diversification (see above).
– It’s a comedy during a time when the country wants comedy.
– Did you see those reviews?
– I went to see it spent half my time watching the show, and half my time watch the reactions from the audience – and they had a blast.
Chinglish begins previews on October 11th. AMEX cardholders can get tickets here.
See you there. Or as the Chinese would say . . . oh forget it!
(Want a sneak peek? Watch the vid below. Email subscribers click here to see the Chinglish preview.)
(Got a comment? I love ’em, so comment below! Email subscribers, click here, then scroll down, to say what’s on your mind!)
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FUN STUFF
– 58 Days to Godspell! Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.
– Win Free Admission to Digital Marketing Boot Camp for Arts Marketers! A $795 value! Click here.
– The next Broadway Investing 101 seminar is Tuesday August 30th at 6:30 PM. Register here.
Podcasting
Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.
