An AWKWARD moment you want to avoid.
Picture this . . .
It was about 10 years ago now. I was still a pretty newbie Producer and I found myself at a pretty big meeting with a ton of industry vets.
The meeting hadn’t started yet (which, by the way, is prime networking time – so make a note – get to meetings early for the schmooze-fest). I saddled up next to a couple of VIPs for some small/shop talk and to try and establish some rapport for potential future partnerships.
Before I could even say a thing, one of the VIPs said, “Hey Ken. Did you see the review in the Times this morning for SHOW-THAT-JUST-OPENED?”
Gulp.
I totally forgot that about the opening. And I hadn’t gotten a newspaper since the late 1990s, and argggh, I forgot to check the Times website for the review!
What am I going to say? Do I say I saw it? Then he may want to know what I thought about it? Do I say I didn’t see it? Then I look like I’m not in “the know.”
It was an anxious moment. I ended up telling him the truth. I hadn’t seen the review. Then, our convo was interrupted by another young Producer who jumped in with a, “I saw the review! Can you believe that Brantley said . . . ” and the two of them started a conversation as I sat silently by . . . unable to contribute . . . with only a blueberry muffin to keep me company.
I vowed to never have that feeling again.
And that’s when I came up with the idea for the website, DidHeLikeIt.com, which is now an APP!
DidHeLikeIt tells you with one quick glance what the New York Times thought of a show, without having to read the review, the moment the review comes out! You’ll be the first to know, so you’ll never NOT be in the know again. A quick thumbs up, on-the-fence, or sticking-out-his-tongue tells you the verdict.
And now, for only .99 for the app, you’ll also get free push notifications telling you when the review for the latest Broadway show is up . . . and with one click, you’ll know if the review is good/not-so-good/or so-so (this feature comes in super handy at opening night parties, let me tell you).
It’s just 99 cents. Less that a coke. Less than a bottle of water. That’s a small price to pay for preventing one of those awkward moments.
(And news flash, we’re about to increase the price of the app so now’s the time to grab it before it almost doubles in price. Yep, $1.99 is on the way.)
If you’re an Android user, that app is still in development, so sign up for the newsletter here and the reviews will be emailed to you as soon as they’re up. (In addition the the Times, we also give you a round up of all the major reviews – see a sample here.)
It’s September, which means the Broadway season is about to start in earnest, so this is the perfect time to make sure you’re ready for that water cooler talk and juicy gossip.
And if you’ve got a show up for a Times review this season . . . I hope he likes it!
P.S. When you get the DidHeLikeIt app, if for any reason you don’t like it, email me. I’ll send you two bucks. That’s a 200% guarantee. 🙂
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.
