Is there a Producer Doctor in the house?
We’ve all heard the expression, “Show Doctor”, right? You know, that Director or Writer who joins a troubled production out-of-town, or in previews, with the goal of providing the creative changes necessary to save a sinking show.
You ever wonder why some shows don’t have Producer doctors? Imagine . . . six months after a show opens, a show is struggling. Why not bring in a hired producing gun; an outsider with objectivity to shake up the team . . . fire some people, change marketing strategy, etc. There’s no guarantee that a new CEO will take a company in a new direction, but it’s worth a shot, no?
Honestly, this probably won’t ever happen on independently produced shows. But I can name quite a few shows produced by some big corps that could have used the medicine of some of our industry’s veteran producers.
But ego gets in the way . . . and honestly, a Broadway show can be as hard to turn as the Titanic. They are so big and bulky, that when you are heading for an iceberg, it’s hard to avoid it.
Which is why we need to look into a different way to build them.
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FUN STUFF
– 31 Days to Godspell! Read the day-by-day account of producing Godspell on Broadway here.
– The next Get Your Show Off The Ground seminar is on 9/17. Only 2 spots left. Register today!
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.