BroadwayCon 2016 - Experience reports!- Page 5

[LaciePi]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 9:55am

Anthony just drank 1 glass of pinot noir, but he said between that and the lack of sleep, he was starting to feel the alcohol.  Although he acted less inhibited, he also admitted he was exaggerating his drunkeness.  

Day 2 was an enjoyable day for me, too, despite the cancellation of 2 events related to the weather.   The Party Line made up for it.  It moved me to sit in a room and listen to 2000 young people and cosplayers singalong at the top of their lungs to show tunes.   Try telling all these kids with smiles on their faces, some that have seen/met their idols live, that "they have been ripped-off."  

[JM226]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 10:12am

except that some people have been ripped off. its all personal opinion and perspective. for those who shelled out over six hundred dollars with the expectation of being treated like they are actually woth that amount. look at the advertising and promotional materials -- there are certain benefits and perks they offered. and couldn't deliver on. 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 10:24am

Well, it's still near-impossible for me to get off Staten Island, so looks like I paid for a General Pass that only worked on one day. It's definitely not BroadwayCon's fault, but I am extremely upset. Effing Jonas. I hope they'll consider, given the weather disaster, giving me a partial refund.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 11:24am

https://twitter.com/bwaycon/status/691293732113510402 

"VIP Passholders, check you emails!" For those stuck due to weather, I'd keep an eye on their inclement weather policy. Hopefully refunds are possible if you're still stuck today.

 

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 12:13pm

Wow. Initially I was disappointed I wouldn't be able to make this (nor, honestly, could I afford it) but it sounds like all-in-all it was a blessing in disguise. 

Admittedly, when I was a youngin, in/just out of college, this would have thrilled me. Had I been able to save up, I know I wouldn't have felt ripped out nor would I care about the money aspect. If things were unorganized or whatever, I'd have powered through with a smile because omg I'm about to not only see so many I admire in person but I'm going to get to learn from them and hear about their process etc. I think a lot of us are/were like that. 

Now, however, I'm fully grown and the poor business practice aspect of this seems hard to ignore. I'm glad they have a lot of people who will be able to overlook the problems, but it feels like such a disservice for this to be happening. How many people for how many years were itching for something like this - a weekend with fellow theatre nerds immersing yourself in all things theatre, seeing so many big names, living in an all-theatre all-hours world for just a weekend? Especially seeing so many conventions for other things, I'll admit numerous times I was green with envy wishing there was something like this for my biggest passion. But not like this. 

I was disappointed with the content, which is why I didn't work harder to get there tbh. I know Hamilton is the hot thing right now (and I think it's amazing, don't get me wrong), I know Rent was so important to all of us, but I was underwhelmed with most of the content beyond that. I don't want to go to a Broadway Convention at long last only to see Broadway today mostly represented. I want to go and celebrate all of Broadway - onstage, behind the stage, creators, reviewers, its past, its present, its future. I'm not a fan of R&H (shun me, I know, lol) but how are they not represented at all here? How is there like, one Sondheim event? Where are all the legends? It seems like the Rent panel is the closest thing and I'm sorry but Broadway didn't start with the premiere of Rent. Where's the representation beyond that? 

Maybe I'm just old now, lol, but I wanted so much more. I'm saddened further to hear that, for as expensive as it was, they are not bending over backwards to insure the best possible experience, especially for VIPs. Melissa has run LeakyCon, a huge huge event with so many more people than BroadwayCon - for yeeeears. It really feels like there's no excuse here. It's poor business, and feels like they're taking advantage of us, especially having the market cornered on this kind of thing. 

I really hope that they learn from this and improve next year, and this doesn't become an annual thing that continues to disappoint. Such a shame. 

 

 

"

 

[LaciePi]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 12:15pm

I am looking at the VIP benefits.  Which ones didn't you get?  "Preferred MainStage seating?"  3 autographs?   Meet and Greet?  No poster?  No program book in a swag bag?

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 12:44pm

Honestly the only thing I can compare this to is Elsie fest -something else we tried this year.

 

both were amazing for some people.

both had people who hated it.

both made people understand that maybe they aren't suited for cons/festivals.

 

at least we are trying.

[Seperite]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 12:48pm

Broadway con was...exceedingly strange

 

On the positive side, I experienced none of the problems others here have described about getting into rooms, etc. Perhaps that's because I was there on Blizzard night, when there were fewer people in attendance (although there easily looked to be several thousand people there.) Regardless, access to the rooms was not a problem.

 

But boy, what a weird event. Totally not what I was expecting.

 

If the average age of attendees was over 14, I'd be surprised. There were SO MANY teeny-bopper types, and, other than their parents, virtually no adults. As a 30-something (and avid theater goer) I usually am one of the younger people in the room when I go to Broadway. Here, though, I felt like an old man crashing a kids' slumber party. Totally not what I expected.

 

This is of course, a good thing -- the passion for theater, and the ubiquitous knowledge of all things Broadway (so many kids singing along to every word of every song that was played) is a fantastic sign. There's always the fear that Broadway audiences are too old, and that the price of a ticket is too high to get the next generation actively involved. But any such concerns would be dispelled by a night at the Hilton, where thousands upon thousands of tweens, teens, and twenty-somethings belted out one showtune after another in unison.

 

But it's just not what I expected. The website doesn't make it seem as if the event were marketed to kids. The word "Broadway" doesn't connote images of screaming teens the way that the word "Bieber" does. So how in the world did they find all of these kids (and how did they afford the $95 - $600 it cost to attend the event??)

 

Perhaps I was just projecting, but it certainly seemed to me that I wasn't the only adult who felt uncomfortable there. There was a good number of grown-ups -- including several many decades older than I -- who seemed to be baffled as to why the crowd differed so markedly from what you'd see at a Wednesday matinee at MTC.

 

But clearly, the organizers knew who was coming, as their events were geared to young fanboys/girls. The Saturday night, 8:00 PM event on the mainstage featured some theater stalwarts (Anthony Rapp, Michael Riedel, others) sitting on couches on stage, sipping wine, and making phone calls -- yes, phone calls -- on their cells to various Broadway luminaries (Audra, Idina, Harvey Fierstein, Betty Buckley, Norm Lewis, etc.) When the celebrity would answer the phone, the onstage personalities stuck a microphone to the speaker of their cell, and engaged in 3 or 4 minutes of idle chitchat about nothing. (Host: "Hi! Where are you now! How's the snow! I'm here with 3,000 people!" Celeb: "Hi guys!! Love you all! Thanks for coming to Broadwaycon!!" A big screen would display a stock headshot of whoever it was the host was talking to. As soon as the face was shown, the audience would erupt into boisterous cheers. It was really...bizarre, boring, banal, idol-worship...the sort of thing that people who watch TMZ and obsess over photos of celebrities getting into their cars would love, but completely boring for everyone else. I lasted about 30 or 40 minutes, waiting for something more interesting to happen, and when I realized it wouldn't, I got out of there. It was really odd stuff.

 

Another room featured a TV playing the film version of Mamma Mia, with commentators doing tongue-in-cheek, Mystery Science Theater 3000 commentary (that's the way he described it) of the film, interspersed with trivia. Mmm, ok. Not many blue-haired ladies there, either.

 

And yet another couple of events had kids (patrons at the Con, not professional actors) jumping on stage and singing along to Broadway soundtracks, or dancing along to clips from old Tony performances. The sort of thing that might make a parent proud, but just makes everyone else squirm.

 

The last event of the night on the mainstage was a concert by Krysta Rodriguez, who really impressed me (Her performances in Spring Awakening and First Date were nothing to write home about, in my opinion, but she was electric and excellent and completely wowed the crowd last night.) A concert by a Broadway star is the sort of thing you'd expect at a Broadway convention, so kudos to the planners for that. But the theme of the performance was songs from Smash, a TV show I (and, I imagine, the vast majority of Broadway patrons) have never seen, and don't particularly care about. Hearing Rodriguez sing and seeing her perform was great; listening to exposition in the intervals about why this or that song was or was not included in Smash, and why, was, again...weird. We are here to celebrate Broadway, not a TV show that ran for 17 episodes four years ago.

 

So, again...a strange experience through and through. I am all for any kind of event that expands the reach of Broadway and makes it more accessible to kids. But that's not the way the event was marketed, and the pricing certainly didn't suggest that it would be a kiddie-fest, either. There is so much that can be done at a fan festival for theater -- workshops, performances, lectures, Q&A's with people behind the creative process (writers, directors, actors, etc.), and on and on -- and there should have been more of that, particularly on a day when, as it turned out, the theaters were all closed and casts who might otherwise have been busy could have been booked last minute. Sing-alongs and snarky commentary on bad movies have their place, I suppose, but I didn't feel that this was the place for it.

 

 

[KCW]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:07pm

From what I hear of the event I feel as if this had the potential, but it was not used. There should not been lotteries for autographs, it should have been lines. There should have been more vendors, and less modern based panels. I want to see them make a comeback next year (if there is a next year) and have this be a lot better, because it could be a great thing. I did not attend because I was nervous, and as it turns out nervous for good reason, but perhaps if they can get their stuff together and then I may be in attendance.

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:11pm

According to their site, there will be a next year, again in the winter. http://www.mischiefmanagement.com/

 

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:11pm

gah - double post. apologies. 

Updated On: 1/24/16 at 01:11 PM

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:21pm

I don't think general (weekend) pass holders who couldn't get there because of the roads being bad or even closed should hold their breath for a refund. Though I wonder how many people actually couldn't make it there because of the weather - many must have been at the hotel or staying in town for them to still have high attendance last night. 

 

 

 

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:25pm

I thought Saturday seemed a bit more organized. Was happy to see poles lined up to control the line madness. Anthony seemed to be having so much fun. I must have bumped into 4 times yesterday and he was asking everyone "Are you having a good time?" I would have loved to have seen more performances. The museum was cool-really nice to see original RENT costumes donated by the cast, Bob Fosses' Directors chair and sets for Hamilton. I thought the whole pass thing was confusing, Day, General, VIP, Explorer...left at 9am to drive home. Would I go again next year? You bet! Maybe we can get the OBC of RENT to sing?

Thank you to all the volunteers!!!

Jimbo

[LaciePi]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:29pm

I was able to attend adult panels, so I am not sure where you went.  I had panels on production assistants, cast recording, songwriting, and stage management.  Ted Chapin was on 2 of my panels (isn't he related to the R&H organization?).  The creative team behind the King & I, including Bartlett Sher, talked about costume and set design.  Lisa Kron talked about the Fun Home book.  The Fiddler cast talked about their Jewish heritage.  Lonny Price talked about how he got his start.  

There were panels I was disappointed I couldn't make like the full-house producers panel, choreographers, directing, and critics/awards (Peter Filichia was there).

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 1:46pm

A lot of the "adult" things that I think we all craved were just impossible. Yea, the talent was available because shows were dark - but they (rightfully) wanted to be home and safe.

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 2:48pm

Thank you so much for posting the videos of the RENT Reunion on YouTube. xxoo

[Vectorbabe]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 2:52pm

Seperite,

I came to this thread from a post on All That Chat. I was prepared to write a long message.

But you have said EVERYTHING I could have said.

Well done!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 3:00pm

In all fairness to last night's events, they were last minute backup plans. They easily could have given up and sent everyone away until today.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 4:20pm

Just some ideas. About the autograph raffle system, I think a combination of raffle and lines could be fine. While Rapp's explanation that the raffle was used to "maximize YOUR (the fans' ) time," if anyone wants to risk standing in a long line for that, that should be their choice. Maybe raffle winners would get first pick, get a separate line, and any extras can opt to wait if they want (within whatever necessary cut-off).

 

I saw complaints about communication across social media, especially about missing emails. There are three ways to address that: portal account, phone text, and secondary email. A portal account places the onus on the participant to check periodically for important messages, while texting is a good backup these days. The cheapest method is to just require a secondary email address and add that to the blast list.

 

There really wasn't a huge list of VIP benefits, as LaciePi noted, so maybe "VIP experience" is a misnomer compared to the other pass levels. The expectations should have been limited to that list. Maybe an "all access" pass tier would have been better.

 

I also would have participated in the "adult" panels instead of many of the other entertainment bits, and like Marianne2 says, a lot was cooked up just because of the storm and cancellations. The energetic "Broadway entertainment" events took over social media for buzz because, let's face it, the producing 101 panel isn't interesting for a lot of people, I imagine. But those activities were there.

 

I'm still a little disappointed that a mandatory "theatre etiquette" session wasn't part of this, especially since so many of the attendees are young and growing up in a completely connected, post-RENT world. They could have given out nicely printed pamphlets with interviews and quotes from favorite performers, perhaps.

Updated On: 1/24/16 at 04:20 PM

[rwlevin]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 5:01pm

Pootie2 said: "I also would have participated in the "adult" panels instead of many of the other entertainment bits, and like Marianne2 says, a lot was cooked up just because of the storm and cancellations. The energetic "Broadway entertainment" events took over social media for buzz because, let's face it, the producing 101 panel isn't interesting for a lot of people, I imagine."

Except producing 101 was so popular they tried to move it to a bigger room and when they couldn't kept the doors open so everyone outside could hear what was going on. I can say I went to the con exactly for that kind of backstage panel.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 5:39pm

rwlevin said: "Except producing 101 was so popular they tried to move it to a bigger room and when they couldn't kept the doors open so everyone outside could hear what was going on. I can say I went to the con exactly for that kind of backstage panel."

 

That's great!

 

There was an estimated 5000-6000 participants this year (quite a wide range, though), and the next convention is being planned. (source)

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 6:08pm

I hope the producers take the feedback seriously. This can be a wonderful thing. 

I will sound terrible but to me Broadway isn't the fandom and the irritating tweens (yes, they are irritating to me-if you've ever been stuck around them in a theatre or in a line and you have to listen to their insufferable know-it-all-ness and dramatics.) Broadway has always been about the work produced and the actors involved. I don't get wrapped in the hype and hysteria. 

Personally, there was nothing about the Con that spoke to anything that makes Broadway legendary. While Hamilton is a phenom and it's brilliant, let's talk to Lin in 20 years after time, distance and retrospection has had an opportunity. Right now its all madness. I'm glad they were there to represent but the con shouldn't have blown there wad on the first night. 

As far as RENT, please Jesus, can these folks take a moment away. These children have been dragged out. They've all been interviewed, the stories told, the books written, the reunion tours, the group tours, the movie. At this point, its actually sadder they all keep showing up and the majority have never amounted to much after. You notice the most visible working actor after RENT wasn't there. This didn't need to be done. RENT was groundbreaking but theres not much more to examine. 

There are many more musicals, from the 70s, 80s, and 90s that could have benefitted from a reunion of the actors that live in NYC. 

There are many fascinating stories to be told and they really missed some opportunities. The cell phone calls were belabored and ridiculous. 

Honestly, there were no true legends there-they weren't even scheduled so lets not blame the blizzard. 

I also agree with several others who said at a Con autograph and photo lines just need to happen. I think Rapp was trying to spare some D-listers some shame and give them some people, but at a Con you can't think that way. Anthony Rapp will always have a line and Jenn Collela won't. Just like at a regular con, Elvira will have hundreds in line and a schlocky horror actor will have no one. Keep lesser known stars to an hour and give people like Rapp a larger block. 

A con should feel immersive, not frantic and limited, as this one appears to. It seems like only one big thing was offered at a time. 

There definitely needs to be more accessible star power if you want a true con experience. 

The most entertaining part was the Playbill live feed. Quite honestly, I was unsure why they broadcast so much. I got better views and closer access from home. 

As for pricing. If someone is paying $650, they need to feel special. It's basic customer service. A VIP should have a green room, have access to private receptions and lounges, their own lines, free water or basic snacks. They shouldn't just be offered first dibs on autograph or photo choices (and not get them.) That's just really tacky. They also should have an on-site concierge who will immediately handle any problems (they have this with VIPs at concerts). 

Also, they don't have to run so late and just provide more quality and quantity until about 8pm. 

Finally, I think that for most Broadways fans, they can stage door for free and meet anyone they want, get their own photos on their own device, and that is part of their "nerd" experience. If you are going to create something that offers access, it better be special and different. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 6:49pm

Bettyboy72 said: "I hope the producers take the feedback seriously. This can be a wonderful thing. 

 

I will sound terrible but to me Broadway isn't the fandom and the irritating tweens (yes, they are irritating to me-if you've ever been stuck around them in a theatre or in a line and you have to listen to their insufferable know-it-all-ness and dramatics.) Broadway has always been about the work produced and the actors involved. I don't get wrapped in the hype and hysteria. "

 

I don't either, but clearly Mischief Management knows the nerdiness of their audience. I think some people who are unfamiliar with con culture might've been blindsided by this. (I haven't been to a con in this decade, but I've known enough people who have.) Part of the Broadway experience now IS made up of excitable teenagers, and I think Broadway is afraid of losing their future audience, so of course they're going to do something to entertain and validate them.

 

What I really liked were the panels that had little or nothing to do with a target median age of 15. I went to the social media marketing, insiders/outsiders, Les Miz, Fun Home, Rent, Hamilton (I didn't plan to but had nothing else to do at that slot), out-of-town tryout, and why didn't it work panels. Those were all great, MATURE, and serious when they had to be.

 

What I really didn't like was so little acknowledgement of any shows that opened before Rent. I wonder if Mischief Management was afraid of having no-shows to that, too. Though major respect to them for booking Sheldon Harnick, even though he ended up being snowed out.

 

When I first got there, I thought my worst nightmares had been realized and I'd have to spend three days stuck next to the personalities I always want to avoid in a rush line. Like, I don't care that once Lesli Margherita complimented your scrunchie. That's great for you, but I don't want to hear about it for hours on end. Luckily, I discovered that I didn't need to immerse myself in what annoys me the most. Because the panels are, well, the panels, you don't need to interact with anyone next to you to fully enjoy it. 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 7:23pm

I agree with everything you said, Lizzie.  I did a mix of informative and entertaining things and that was good for me.  I didn't end up really talking to many people either. You really need to make the experience what you want.  I have no problems with people getting preferred seating and other things if you paid more. But, the rest is up to you.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/24/16 at 7:31pm

Thanks! I'm glad that I had a friend there (who's also around the same age as me), and we met up for a few of the panels and performances. If I'd gone alone I might've felt even more out of place and annoyed, but I'm glad that wasn't the case.

 

I also meant to mention the marketplace -- it was very much aimed at young performers. Which was fine, but it meant I ended up not buying anything. I'm glad the Broadway Flea Market vibe was there, if only for people who can't make it to the Flea Market.

 

Much of the crowd felt like out-of-towners, and I mean that in neither a good nor bad way -- or maybe it's more good, unless you're a curmudgeon. Because there were a ton of kids there who this weekend who have no one to talk to about musical theatre at home. And they just had their love legitimized and validated. And that's a great thing, even if I wasn't one of them.

Updated On: 1/24/16 at 07:31 PM