Megan O'Keefe’s Post

We love seeing this research being commissioned by the wonderful folx over at No Guarantees! Making sure that we know how to reach and speak to Millennial and Gen Z theater-goers is such a necessary piece of the puzzle to building a more expansive, inclusive, and sustainable future model for theater everywhere. A couple of points we found particularly interesting: 1. Gen Z and Millennials lack an awareness of the titles currently on Broadway. While this isn't the largest surprise, what was particularly shocking was that "In total, young people were more aware of shows that never existed than some of the most celebrated, award-winning productions, like Kimberly* Akimbo and Hadestown." 2. It is inspiring to hear that “85% agree, ‘Live entertainment is a place for me to unplug and tune into IRL’ and 83% say a big benefit of live events is socializing with friends…” Live events is still known to all as a useful community building tool, even to the next generation. We come away curious to know Gen Z and Millennials perspective on theater as a larger market in addition to Broadway. Do young people know more about touring productions in their areas? Regional theater? Community? What are the productions they are aware of at all, if any? Theater has an ability to specifically address the feelings of isolation and loneliness reported about in our youth population through creative expression and community. On top of that, the next generation of theater-makers are going to be culture definers, something with economic and market-defining potential. The most important question for us at Spectra is: how can we best meet them in the spaces that they occupy as digital natives?

I have to admit to you, I was more surprised than almost anyone I know... Last week I came out of dinner to find I was named to the Broadway Women's Fund 2024 Women to Watch on Broadway list. Primarily for my work creating live Broadway experiences for digital audiences. I'm deeply honored, as their premise is to make visible a more diverse pipeline of humans to invest in. I also think it's a really neat time to have made this list - we've seen a nearly 300% increase in inquiries about theatrical livestreams over last year and it's still Q1! There's definitely more discussion around this in our industry, the market reports show big growth on live streaming YoY and there's even a Newsweek opinion piece on the idea today (I'll drop the link in the comments). After eleven years creating theatrical live broadcasts and streams, over three years creatively planning and budgeting Broadway livestream proposals and this past year taking every opportunity I could get to talk to theatre owners, licensing house CEOs, General Managers, Union and Guild members, Producers, Artistic Directors, Agents - all the folks live streaming will impact - here are the takeaways I hope you have as this discussion continues: 🏋🏽♀️ Live streaming theatre and theatrical events is possible (and profitable!) 🥇 Opening up access to a digital adaptation of the magical feeling we get in the theatre DOES translate to more/new in-person seats sold 💡 Simulcasts of commercial Broadway shows are wildly complicated, for some very good reasons that protect all the artists involved in a Broadway show and their IP. I personally think standardizing that protection for a new medium is going to be the key here and support for that is one of the primary things we're building for 🎯 There's an incredible amount of information and guidance in the data that *live* digital experiences yield - and heads up, the audience informing that data look an awful lot like the folks we are trying to get into IRL theatres around the country. It's going to be an exciting year ahead and I'm awfully proud to be forging new pathways along with the other women on this list!

Cheers to embracing 2024 with optimism for Broadway's future! Our latest article from Situation President and Founder Damian Bazadona explores the path ahead in 2024, addressing 6 key questions about success and challenges. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dU7ezk7f

This is a show that should have run forever, IMHO. But I love and respect that they took this huge risk and then openly discussed what they learned in the process of running Here Lies Love on Broadway. (And if you haven't seen it yet, get there before it closes November 26!) "“When we started this journey to bring this bold and original work to Broadway, we asked ourselves: ‘Can anyone produce on Broadway in a new way? Is there a new path forward? What does the template look like? Will audiences want something radically new? Who will those audiences be?’ “We have learned a great deal about the answers to those questions. Yes, new ways can work. Artistic excellence can be achieved. But the reality is, succeeding on Broadway means not only producing excellent work with artistic merit — it also means creating the audience for it. And how much time it takes to find and grow new audiences is out of sync with the tight timeframes for audience-building and awareness." #Broadway #HereLiesLove #newmodels #learning

BIPOC THEATER NEWS: "...[the Broadway industry] has been slow to recover from Covid-19: Admissions totaling 12.3 million for the 2022-23 were nearly 17% lower than the record-breaking pre-pandemic levels of the 2018-19 season. The good news: Broadway audiences were more diverse than ever last season, with 29% of attendees identifying themselves as Black, Indigenous or People of Color. The figure compares with 26% in the 2018-19 season." https://lnkd.in/eF_j-bz4 + 3 feature stories in the Fall 2023 issue of 'American Theatre' magazine: "Changes Come Fast, Change Comes Slow": How a cohort of artistic directors of color, recently hired at major U.S. theatres, have confronted unforeseen upheavals. https://lnkd.in/dk53_vrd "Theatres No Longer Bound to the Stage": How 6 BIPOC theatres have embraced new mediums and built new audiences. https://lnkd.in/ezU4Vy5C "A Harlem Renaissance": How theatres in the historic NYC neighborhood are stepping up their game with artists and audiences. https://lnkd.in/eDhbgJJh

I love the movie Little Shop of Horrors! From the music and comedy, to the special effects and great actors, it's been a classic favorite of mine. Imagine my excitement when I found out it was coming to NYC as an off-Broadway show!! I giddily went to the Westside Theatre website and saw that the show is playing upstairs. Ok, there's likely an elevator, right? When I saw the word "Accessibility" in the navigation menu, I thought, "How proactive and wonderful!" And then I read this (my reactions are in parenthesis)... "Access into Building - The Lobby and Box Office are accessible from the street via a ramp and automated door into the building. (AMAZING!) Access into Theatre - The Upstairs Theatre is located on the second floor and is not wheelchair accessible. There is no elevator. There are 21 steps up to the theatre entrance and restrooms. There are nine steps to reach the seating area in the house (at rows F and G). There are two steps in the aisle at every row. When late seating is possible, there is an additional flight of stairs consisting of eighteen steps to reach the rear entrance to the theatre, and five steps to reach the seating area. (Say what?! I get that they may have added the number of steps here so that someone thinking, "I can handle a few steps" would understand just how inaccessible this theatre is, but this just rubbed in my face the idea that I'm more than NOT welcome in this space!) Restrooms - Restrooms are located on the second floor (21 steps) adjacent to the theatre entrance. The women’s restroom is fully accessible (accessible to who??). The men’s restroom is partially accessible (Maybe they only partially pee??). There is a unisex accessible restroom located on the first floor (Back down the 21 steps you go!). Restrooms are open for patrons one hour prior to performances." I won't even get into the inaccessibility of the first floor, which only further confused and angered me, but yeah you can likely say there are no physically disabled actors in this show... #NDEAM #inaccessible #inclusionmatters #findyourbeautiful

🎭 You are cordially invited to join me in the Broadway spotlight!🌟 Broadway became one of the first streets in the U.S. to be lit with electric lights. That's where the nickname "The Great White Way" comes from---the millions of lights on theater marquees that lit up the night sky. I am PROUD to be a veteran Broadway performer. It is, hands down, the most captivating, dynamic and transformative space I've ever worked in. But it's not just about watching the show—it's about becoming part of it. 🎭 Imagine stepping into a room as one person and emerging as another, transformed, empowered, and invigorated. That's the odyssey I promise, the journey you'll embark on when you experience my keynote, The Broadway Blueprint™: Building Belonging. This photo? It's me in a moment of pure joy, a snapshot of the energy I bring to every stage. You'll laugh, you might even tear up, but most importantly, you'll participate. Every keynote is a duet with my audience, a shared dance where each step teaches, each movement inspires. With me, learning is not a spectator sport. It's a collaborative art. 🌟 You won't just walk out of the room; you'll stride out, emboldened by new insights, humming the tune of newfound knowledge, ready to choreograph your path to success. Because just like a Broadway show, you'll leave carrying a piece of the story with you, a story that is now yours to tell. Are you ready to join me on this transformative journey? Let's make your next event not just informative, but transformative. Shall we dance? #BroadwayKeynote #TransformationalSpeaking #WendeeLeeCurtis #AudienceEngagement #ParticipatoryKeynote #PersonalGrowth #CommunityThroughConnection #BroadwayBlueprint

I tell the companies I advise to think about their commercialization strategy like a broadway show. First, you may start off broadway, small theater. You drum up demand! You get some headlines! People start buzzing about you…Or, maybe you first launch in a mid-market - like   Chicago versus NYC. Your pathways to market are not always obvious. Some may be scary. But always remember – there are many paths that can take you to where you want to go.

Where are all my "Grown-Up Theater Kids"? I want to talk to you... Please comment, and tell me your FIRST and FAVORITE plays or musicals you did when you were a kid! I have some ideas for exciting new things we can do with Artly Working and would love to get your thoughts. This article pops into my mind from time to time. I think it touches on why we do what we do, and why there is a market for bringing theater and improv training into the workplace. It focuses mostly on the way performing can affect the way you present yourself to the world – so true, but there is also so much more! Grown-up theater kids know how to... - Create a sense of belonging - Shine the spotlight on their peers - Dig deeper into the "why" behind what people do - Tap dance, occasionally Anyway, comment below and we'll get the conversation started!

The pandemic has measurably disrupted the way we gather and celebrate the arts and theatre. As costs of living escalates, we now must also contend with this effect on audiences behaviour. I’m struck that theatre is an artform that continues to evolve since the Ancient Greeks. It continues to adapt and incorporates new technologies, while also responding to societal changes. Yet, what does emerging from the endemic mean for creators and companies? How does the theatre rebuild or remain relevant to audiences? If looking ahead to 2030, how have the artists, the stories, the business models and spaces supporting theatre evolved?