How to Make Your Broadway Show More Unique in a Competitive Market

It’s no secret that the Broadway market is competitive. With long-running shows like The Lion King, Hamilton, and Wicked all competing for attention, it can be tough to make newer shows stand out. However, there are a few things you can do to make your Broadway show more unique and appealing to audiences. Let’s talk about ’em . . .

Put The Story Center Stage

One way to make your show more unique is to focus on the story. Don’t get lost in the spectacle of Broadway and forget what’s really important – the story itself. Make your story the main character.  Spectacles may get attention but it’s the stories that sell.   

Create A Unique Style

Another way to make your show more unique is to create a unique style. This could be anything from the set design, to the costumes, to the musical genre – look what Lin-Manuel Miranda did with In The Heights and then again with Hamilton. Find YOUR specific brand of narrative storytelling and use that.  It’s your own personal TheaterMaker DNA.  No one else tells a story like you do.  (And don’t try to be like someone else.)

Interaction is Next Gen

Another way to focus on the story is to make it more interactive. How can you involve the audience?  I believe that the fourth wall is falling down brick by brick.  What can you do to reach beyond that fourth wall and make the audience a part of your story or at least FEEL like they are part of your story.  

Embrace Technology

Technology can be a great way to make your show more unique. Projections, videos, apps, 3D printers. How can you use technology to ignite your audiences’ senses.  What can you do with tech that the audience hasn’t ever seen before?

Do @#$% Other People Don’t

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – or as I like to say “do @#$% other people don’t”. There are many ways to make your show more unique, so experiment! Just make sure that you stay true to your vision, your characters, and your storytelling.  

P.S. My team’s been working on a new and improved version of The TheaterMakers Studio site for the last 6 months, and it’s finally ready to debut. They just launched the new site and revamped TheaterMaker course on the 11th. What do you think?

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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.

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