BroadwayCon - A convention for Broadway fans- Page 3

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 12:29pm

I went to Leakycon this past year. If it's like that, there will be panel discussion, workshops, performances, sales booths, and autograph sessions. Leakycon was insanely crowded and cost the same as this does - but it was well worth it. At Leakycon there were often four, five or six things happening at any given time and you needed to decide which you wanted to go to. Leakycon has a big YA element and there was some major authors there - Scott Westerfeld, Laurie Halse Anderson, Holly Black, Maureen Johnson, Lev Grossman, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell and Jon Green (there might have been a couple more I'm forgetting). There were Youtube stars there to lead panels, as well as just stuff led by fans. If Broadwaycon is anything like this, the price is not at all outrageous for what they provide.

I would love to know WHO they plan to get as that can make a big difference in deciding to go, but there will DEFINITELY be plenty to do if it's anything like Leakycon.

[rjm516]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 12:33pm

If they lined up really interesting panels and people in the biz (creatives, actors) to talk or perform or whatever, I would absolutely go (the price is akin to other professional conferences I've been to), BUT there is no way I'm going to commit to flying to NYC in January. Just nope.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 1:13pm

At the prices they're charging, I expect the following panels:

Patti LuPone & Glenn Close: What's Good For London May Not Be Good For New York

Andrew Lloyd Webber: How To Steal From Classical Music And Have The Longest Running Show On Broadway

Catherine Zeta-Jones: Tony Awards Performances. Should One Listen To The Director Or DIY And Look Like You Know What You're Doing?

Steven Sondheim: The Sondheim Dungeon and What Angela Lansbury Really Saw

James Barbour: Public Relations 101

Michael Riedel: Why Didn't Ethel Merman Win A Tony For Gypsy?

Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel: How Laverne & Shirley Influenced Wicked

Seth Rudetsky: Deconstructing Einstein On The Beach

Chita Rivera: I Am Not Rita

Elaine Paige: Judi Dench Was My Margo Channing

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 2:04pm

On the surface, I think it's a great idea. The logistics would be incredible, of course. Now, if it turned out that it would cost $125 per day, then I'd prolly pass on it.

[BroadwayFan1231]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 2:35pm

"I feel like the Flea Market is already a sort of BroadwayCon" -- WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY THAT! Except 100% of the proceeds go to charity...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 2:38pm

Now, if it turned out that it would cost $125 per day, then I'd prolly pass on it.

Well, for one day, yes: http://www.broadwaycon.com/tickets/

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 3:57pm

Does anyone else get a distinct flop-sweat vibe from this?

Updated On: 2/3/15 at 03:57 PM

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 4:17pm

Does the flea market include all the activities jasonf described? In my experience,a proper convention of this nature contains less than 50% market floor space. Everything else should be panels and interactives.

But I do have to wonder about price. It appears they're going for the "about as much as a Broadway show" ballpark instead of "as much as the average fan convention," and that will cut the target audience. If they figured in autograph pricing, I wouldn't like that since I don't care for autographs. Then stars? Probably not anyone actually performing or potentially performing at that time since it's on a weekend.

It's a great idea, but they're better off acting to capture market and deliver above expectations on price than risk the other way around.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 4:23pm

This will be a lot less chaotic than the Flea Market, I'd think. But my only con experience is going to the second-ever X-Files convention, so... that was a while ago.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 4:36pm

It doesn't seem to me that most posters here have been to proper fan conventions before, but I haven't been to the flea market, so I wondered. I've been to CC, AX, Wordstock, Chicon7, several state or regional gaming/fandom conventions, and the general execution is very similar. Not all of them have cosplay, and while there's always a market, that's not the biggest reason to go (well, I do know some people only love the shopping, but still). If the biggest things about the flea market are sales and autographs, there's absolutely no reason to go through the trouble of putting together an indoor one at great expense outside tourist season... Hope they get more information out before tickets open. (And announcing this early isn't abnormal at all.)

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 5:55pm

At Leakycon it was all priced together. You only spent money on food and if you wanted merchandise in the market area. All the panels, autograph sessions, performances etc. were bundled into the one flat fee. The lines for the autographs were insane though - we didn't bother with any of those, but we did get to talk to some of the authors by approaching them before/after panels.

It is off-season, which I assume will turn some people away. I live close enough to NY that it would take a pretty big storm to keep me from getting into the city for this.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 5:59pm

Goth, I like this side of you. You gave me a genuine chuckle.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 6:17pm

@jasonf
You're right, some badge prices do bundle; I did get an autograph at one of the conventions I visited (but only because the artist was also doing sketches). However, that convention was like $100 for two days. LeakyCon looks like a more regional (roving) fan convention with around 3000-ish participants, and I see the 2013 prices were $140 for 4 days? I expect BroadwayCon is probably aiming for a smaller market along those lines, but those prices are still a mystery. I guess as a tourist with other experience, I just can't get over comparing this new convention against other ones, as opposed to a premium Broadway 2.5-hour show ticket. And the irony there is that it's the tourists who are most likely to buy the full-price/premium tickets without discounts in the first place.

[lostboinmd2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 6:37pm

January is actually a good time, because Broadway struggles the most in January and this could attract a lot of tourists.

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 7:03pm

Yeah, I wouldn't compare it to a show ticket - you're talking 48 hours of convention vs. 2.5 hours of entertainment. I mean, it's certainly not for everyone - but if you don't mind the huge crowds and screaming fan girls, it should be fun.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 7:10pm

Well, $125-150 for a single day at BroadwayCon, and the programming hours don't run 24-hour days, either. But it's true that it'd be closer to $125-150 for around 12 hours rather than the 2.5 hours.

What's really making this a hard sell at this point in time is the amorphous structure, especially for those who have never been to a fan convention before; I would totally reserve badges and a shared hotel room a year ahead of time for certain other conventions without knowing anything about the schedule or guest list.


Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/albinokid/status/562758752978604034

Updated On: 2/3/15 at 07:10 PM

[veronicamae]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 7:39pm

What type of interactives are we talking about?

Will we get to try the Wicked cherry picker?

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 8:08pm

Convention/conference/expo interactives (not a formal term but I like it ) will vary by industry. Examples are workshops, panels with Q&As, prize contests (trivia, art, etc.), scavenger hunts, games, so on. Cosplay is certainly a staple at certain fan conventions, but I'm not really seeing that for this one. For this Broadway convention, I would expect activities involving singing, dancing, writing, acting, and panels/Q&As especially. Maybe mock auditions? Besides the tourists-vs-natives audiences, the other two possible audiences are theatre-fan and industry-goer.
Anthony Rapp interview on Playbill about starting this

Updated On: 2/3/15 at 08:08 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 8:51pm

The prices are pretty much in line with the other big "cons". As long as it seems worth it, I'll check it out.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 9:13pm

"What type of interactives are we talking about?

Will we get to try the Wicked cherry picker?"

That is a brilliant idea. I'm sure the logistics would be complicated and there would be all kinds of safety concerns and waivers but I'm sure there'd be long lines. They could either play the last few bars on the sound system or hoist you up and let you do your own "signature riff."

[delongpre]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 10:32pm

When I first read about this I thought it was an awesome idea. It probably COULD be. But....

I went to Comic Con once and was overwhelmed by the crowds. If you don't get there early, bring lots of cash, and shove through crowds to get into limited room panel discussions, you won't get your entry money's worth. In other words, you need to be a diehard fanatic or teen with no qualms about shoving old theater-loving ladies like me out of the way.

I enjoy the flea market. Being ON THE STREET is essential New York. Ten feet off Broadway. Under the marquees. Having events in front of the actual theaters has meaning. Grabbing a slice and then walking some more.

What I really don't like about any of this is the charging of so much money for autographs, even in the name of charity. I think it's obnoxious.

What would be AMAZING would be to offer mini-concerts rather than panel discussions. For example, the show that was cancelled at 54 Below on snow night, the music of Kitt/Yorkey, could be held here with the cast of If/Then. Maybe even 15 minute shows with various actors....have a theme.....Wicked Women.....Miserables Men. It needs to focus on what people love about Broadway and that is the actual TALENT, not the autograph.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 10:35pm

delongpre, have you been to the Flea Market in recent years? It has pretty much consisted of teenagers shoving old ladies out of the way (and by old I mean me, I'm 24 and I felt ancient compared to half that crowd).

[Marianne2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 10:42pm

They could offer concerts and panel discussions. They need to have a variety and not just 1 kind of thing. And since this has never been done before, we have no idea how the autograph sessions will go. And it sounded like they aren't charging extra for those. If you don't like it, don't participate in that aspect.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 11:07pm

A word of advice: Keep Rosie O'Donnell as far away from this as possible.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 11:14pm

delongpre, under no circumstance can a Broadway convention EVER compete with SDCC or NYCC in the crowded department. Ever. I don't think there's anything to worry about there, though whoever is running this event should have security personnel on hand.

I also think autograph/photo prices should be separate, but for charity when separate is fine with me (they should sell convention souvenirs too).

Anyway, here are some comparisons against other fan conventions, whether volunteer-based or commercial (Star Trek is definitely commercial).

San Diego Comic-Con International (2015)
Thurs, Fri, Sat = $50 each day
Sunday = $35
2014 attendance over 130,000

New York Comic Con (2014)
$65 = 3-day *Sold out in minutes, thanks to scalpers
2014 attendance ~151,000

Gen Con (2015)
$80 = (pre-registration) 4-day
2014 attendance over 56,000

Worldcon (Sasquan in 2015)
$210 = 5-day
2014 attendance ~8,000 in UK

PAX Prime (2014)
$110 = 4-day *Sold out in 6 hours, thanks to scalpers
2014 attendance unknown, 2011 was ~70,000

Dragon Con (2015)
$95 = (pre-registration) 4-day
2014 attendance ~63,000

Star Trek (official, Las Vegas) 2015
$40 = Saturday night gala
$199 = Thursday dinner party
$199 = Captain's chair Friday party
2014 attendance unknown, expected over 15,000

I didn't pay close attention to autograph/other benefits in ticket prices. Some may include food, for example (like the Star Trek one).