So . . . How much did Macbeth recoup anyway?
I talk to a lot of potential Broadway Investors . . . and one of the biggest fears I hear about Broadway investing is the myth that every show is a hit or a flop . . . a bullseye or a wild arrow that falls far from the target . . . a millionaire maker, or a big old zero.
Well, contrary to popular belief, Broadway, unlike Freshman English, is not pass/fail.
There are varying degrees of success in our industry, just as there are in any industry. And, if the returns for every single show were public, we’d see that absolute wipeouts . . . shows that return 0% . . . are just as rare as shows that return 500%. And, I’m still wagering as I did in this post about a Broadway Index Fund, that if we put all those returns together, Broadway would have a positive ROI overall.
Whose fault is it that the world thinks we’re a pass/fail biz?
Ours.
Shows only announce when they recoup. So what do we expect people to think?
That’s why I’m going to announce exactly how much my Broadway production of Alan Cumming in Macbeth recouped . . . tomorrow.
But before I reveal the cold hard numbers, I want you to guess how much we recouped. Comment below on where you think we ended up: 25%, 75%, 47%, 98% . . . or somewhere in between? (Since we never announced we recouped, you can bet that the answer is somewhere between 0% and 100%.)
And before you guess, let me say that I’m not proud of that fact that we didn’t get to the finish line. And it’s hard to even type these words, knowing that I’m about to admit a loss (and I got my investors approval before writing this blog, FYI). But I think it’s important for the industry to start sharing these kinds of numbers . . . so that’s why I’m going to share mine, warts and all . . . tomorrow.
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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.
