A Kickstart to Broadway?

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 4:49pm

Can Kickstarter start a show to Broadway?





OH, JOHNNY Kickstarter Updated On: 8/22/12 at 04:49 PM

[Playbilly]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 4:54pm

On, brother. They can't even get Yanks on Broadway.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 5:02pm

I’m obsessed with the $5,000 pledge: Tickets to Opening Night, etc, tickets to the Tonys and the Tony after-party for when they win Best Musical. A bit confident, aren’t we?

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 5:08pm

How can they guarantee a Kickstarter backer 4 tickets to the Tonys? I mean, since they downsized the venue aren't tickets pretty scarce?

Oh and how exactly does 45k get you to Broadway? Am I missing something?

[Starship]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 6:15pm

To @Bettyboy72 - He didn't say 45k was getting them to Broadway. He said, and I quote, "The plan is to use the Kickstarter money as the front money to get a Broadway production rolling. The first step will be to hire a general manager and a lawyer. Then we will create a creative team, director, choreographer, set designer, costumes, etc. With that team in place a production budget can be created. Then an investment vehicle can be developed and fund raising for a Broadway show can begin."

The money from the Kickstarter campaign is simply is to get going on the production. He even states that even if they raise their 45k goal, they might not be able to raise enough for a Broadway production: "This is a long, risky road and there is no guarantee Broadway funding can be accomplished, but OH, JOHNNY is a great musical and it deserves a Kickstart."

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 6:27pm

So basically using Kickstarter to pay your living expenses before getting actual financial backing?

[dexter3]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 6:31pm

The songs on the video are actually kind of cute...

:)

That said...I doubt it's going anywhere.

[Starship]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 6:34pm

Yeah! I thought so too, dexter. Even if the show did make it to Broadway, I don't think...it would last long. At all. HOWEVER I DO think it would be fantastic touring for one or two nighters across the US. And it would be a fairly cheap production since it doesn't sound like a highly complex show. Maybe they should try sit downs in places where the show would be generally accepted?

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 7:47pm

Exactly right. Thanks for taking the time to look at the website to find out more.

Before a producer can produce any show, that is raise money, there are expenses. This money is to cover those expenses. Especially important is getting a general manager and creative team together to budget the show. Then comes the legal work.

The difficulty writers have is that script, lyrics and music in hand, you are asking a producer to put out several thousand dollars in front money, even to begin to the project.

If you also look more on Kickstarter, you will find that several theatre projects were very much oversubscribed. So that is always possible too.

Paul Streitz
co-writer, producer

[Starship]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:14pm

I wish you the best of luck with this project, ahamilton! Make sure you spread the word as frequent as you can, Kickstarter is really more about word of mouth than people just randomly deciding to give you money. Also make sure you add a FAQ section to your project page, answering questions that you think someone like you or me would ask before donating. Give people as much as you can!

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:20pm

Thanks.
The FAQ is a good idea. I am doing other things at the moment, but I will look at adding it later.
Remember you can get in on this for only $1. that is the minimum.
Now, Ijust have to find 45,000 people.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:25pm

From one Aaron Frankel student to another: best of luck with your project!

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:26pm

Sure I'm confident. If you go to Kickstarter and listen to my talk, I say that OH, JOHNNY is right up there with South Pacific, My Fair Lady, etc. We have done this musical for 5,000 people in total so we know how audiences react.

Take a look at some of the kickstarter projects. You will see that many had several people who put in very large amounts, so you have to rewqrd thm appropriately.

As for the Tony Award. Sure. Why not. If you don't have confidence in your work, you shouldn't be in this business.

Paul Streitz

[Starship]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:32pm

Just remember, you'll get more investors if you give your potential supporters more and more proof that will let them know that this is real. That this is happening and that you're putting everything into your project to make it a success. What's your plan for the future of the production? How will this money be spent? How much will be spent where? These questions would be great to answer.

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 7:21am

Thanks for the note. To clear up some points about Kickstarter. This is not an investment. There are no return of profits to any person contributing. There are thank you rewards. Kickstarter is a philanthropic platform where contributors can help artists/producers/inventors get funding.

The money will be used to hire a general manager, creative staff and lawyers to create the financial investment package to raise funds for a Broadway production.

paul streitz
co-writer/producer

[anmiller07]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 7:40am

Wow, a whole 5,000 people? That's about what....4 broadway audiences? 5 maybe? I think my biggest question is how can you be sure you will have 32 spare tickets to the Tony awards? You are clear that this is starter money, but what happens if the production goes nowhere (more likely than not)? Do I recieve nothing for $5,000 other than your emails and a post card?

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 8:08am

This is a Kickstarter effort to put together the front money for the production. With the exception of the postcard in appreciation, the rewards are dependent on getting a Broadway show mounted. There is no guarantee that this can be accomplished. If no Broadway show mounted, then obviously there is no cast CD, etc. Those who participate in Kickstarter are not passive on-lookers, or simply ticket buyers, but activists who want to see the type of artistic works they like art/tech/performers/theatre succeed and are willing to contribute to their success.

If you take a look at some the kickstarter projects, you will see that there were many backers who made large individual contributions. These are contributions because the backer thinks the project deserves a chance, not because the rewards are financially proportionate to the amount donated. It is like giving money to an opera company for a production and then being invited to their annual dinner. The reward is seeing something you like produced.

If you like the music of OH, JOHNNY, like the story and would like to see it produced, then become a contributor. It is sort of like theatre goers voting on whether a production should open on Broadway.

5,000 people is a little more than a workshop production for your friends. That is the point. We sold out the off-off-Broadway production, and sold out the thirteen off-Broadway productions (we distributed 2,000 33rpm vinyl discs as our promotion and ran out of money) and we sold out the high school production. So we know the show works. Again judge for yourself, listening to some songs from the score, which can be found of www.ohjohnnymusical.com.

Paul Streitz
co-writer/producer

[mamaleh]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 8:44am

Wow, I saw that show back in '79. The only thing I remember about it is an Asian character's singing a very cynical song, "Business As Usual." And the only reason I remember that song is that my incipient brother-in-law (then a law student), with whom hubby and I attended, kept repeating that clipped phrase, as it was sung in context, over and over after the show.

All best with your kickstarter program.

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 9:10am

YOU MUST ADMIT THAT THINGS LOOK BLEAK.
I HAVEN'T SLIT A THROAT ALL WEEK,
I HAVE AN IRON MAIDEN, BUT THERE'S NO ONE TO IMPALE.
OH, TO STICK A BAMBOO SPLINTER IN A FINGERNAIL.

THAT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL.
TORTURING AND SUCH
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
I LOVE IT MUCH TOO MUCH.
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
TICKLING THEIR FEET.
IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL,
THAT MAKES MY LIFE COMPLETE.

Well, it is nice to hear from someone that went to the 1979 Showcase production. Once in a while I do meet someone who saw it. And more than one person has said that they wake up for a few days not being able to get melody or lyrics out of their head.

You can find the song at www.ohjohnnymusical.com. As well as others from the show. Also, but naturally, I must promote the show, if you want to support the show you can help us at kickstarter. For $25 you will get a Broadway cast CD, if the show gets to Broadway.

Thanks for the wonderful note.
paul streitz
co-writer and producer

[perfectliar]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 11:48am

My thoughts exactly, anmiller07. People are going to give you money to get the ball rolling and possibly be rewarded sometime in the distant future IF the show ends up going to Broadway. And if it doesn't, you get nothing. You said you need to reward people appropriately for their donations, but if this doesn't actually go anywhere after the initial $45k then all of your backers just paid to be put on a mailing list. It just seems ridiculous.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 12:42pm

I think I'm getting an average of 10 Kickstarter requests a month these days. Clearly, I know too many starving artists.

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 1:26pm

What would you think would be an appropriate reward for someone who donated $25 to the project, or donated $5,000? Include, and when should it be given?

This is not for backers. That is, people who invest in a show with the hope that they will financially receive money. It is no more lie a donation to a regional theatre company or opera company. You approve of what they are doing, donate money and wish them well. Donations to Kickstarter are not a pro quid quo operation. The rewards are simply thank you's to the donors.

Paul Streitz
co-writer, producer

[perfectliar]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 12:06am

I'm not saying you have to give people who have donated small amounts anything... but that's the whole point of Kickstarter. They generally fund things that are concrete. If you have someone donate in the range where the reward is an invitation to the Tonys and you never make it to Broadway, let alone get nominated, they get nothing but spam email and a postcard. And if the project never gets past this phase of lawyers and getting the ball rolling, they have just thrown away lots and lots of money on something that never happened.

A better campaign, in general, would be to fund a production; an actual, concrete, production somewhere which you would then invite backers and investors and producers and such to. Then you invite donors to the production, give them programs, signed items from the cast, a shout-out in the Playbill, whatever. Or maybe you should try to finance a recording of the music to interest producers, and then give away downloads, CDS, etc. to the different levels.

But just asking people to give you thousands of dollars so that you can "get the ball rolling" is utterly ridiculous. There's no incentive, no guarantee. You're not mounting anything from this campaign, not producing anything of substance. Why should people give you money for that?

[Starship]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 12:38am

I could see this project being more successful if its goal was to first create a regional or touring production pre-Broadway. I could see that appealing to a lot of other people, too.

[ahamilton]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 6:25am

Fine. But where do you get the money? It certainly takes a million or two to launch such an effort.

I have shopped this show via letters, CDs, etc. to Broadway producers. No response. They tell me it is not Stomp, or Cats, or Jersey Boys, or whatever is currently a hit on Broadway. . No it isn't. It is South Pacific. It has never been a question of the audience appeal. It has been a question of getting those in a position to put the show up to do so, and that I have not been able to do.

Thanks for the kind words.
paul streitz
co-writer and producer