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Archive for May, 2008

Online Video So Mainstream, Even Mickey Mouse Likes It!

Well, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure how Mickey feels about online videos, but the guy who runs the biz side of Disney World is giving them a whirl …

NPR did a great piece on Michael Eisner (CEO of Disney)’s year-old broadband production company, Vuguru. Vuguru produces “low-budget, quick-and-dirty Web series” using online video.

The company is producing Foreign Body, its third Web series, which is serving as a promotional tool for Robin Cook’s novel of the same name.   Fifty 2-minute videos will be made in all, and one video is released each day for viewers to download for free.   At the end of the online series, the characters’ stories continue in the novel that fans will have to buy.

May 28th, 2008 by Sheryl Ramer | Tags: In the News, Video | 2 Comments »

Where the WWWomen Are

A few weeks ago, my friend Yvonne, who is in her early 30’s, invited both friends and family to a party. Her mother-in-law was particularly excited to attend because Yvonne’s college friend, Dave Gilbert, was a fellow party-er.  Gilbert, Yvonne’s mother-in-law had recently discovered, had designed her favorite computer game.  (Gilbert is owner of Wadget Eye Games .)

This cute coincidence is illustrative of a larger trend.

The game Yvonne’s mother-in-law loved is a “casual game,” which are those computer games that are not shoot ‘em ups or epic games, but simple games with simple rules — think Tetris and Bejeweled.

According to a report by the Casual Games Association, 200 million people play casual games online. Women account for 51% of this large pie (according to one report , this number is 76%.) Women also make up 74% of people who pay for games. And people over the age of 35 account for 62% of all gamers.

Casual games: designed by young men, played by their moms.

May 23rd, 2008 by Sheryl Ramer | Tags: Random Stuff | 3 Comments »

How to Make Your Sister Love New York

My sister and her husband made their first visit to New York last week. (They live in Los Angeles, where I’m from.) Naturally, we wanted to show them a kling-klang-king of a good time. We also had theatre-type commitments almost every night of her visit. (Yeah, I know, sucks to be us.)

Luckily they love theatre and were very good sports about devoting most of their evenings to our professional preoccupation. Also, luckily, all the things we saw were truly wonderful. (Phew! It would’ve been awful to make out-of-towners sit through a bunch of stinkeroos.)

First, we took them to Almost an Evening, for what happened to be F. Murray Abraham’s final performance. The cast and crew were also kind enough to include them in the champagne toast that followed. Let me tell you, there’s something supremely satisfying about introducing your family to an Academy Award winner, who also happens to be extremely charming and funny. That’s just cool!

On Tuesday, we were over at the Cherry Lane Theatre (which we love) to see a workshop performance of one of the company’s Mentor Project plays. Do you know about Mentor Project? It’s Artistic Director Angelina Fiordellisi’s ten-year-old program that matches emerging playwrights with masters of the craft. Over the course of a single season, three established artists are each paired with a mentee to work on one play. Each work is given a staged reading and a workshop presentation in CLT’s Studio space. Past mentors have included Tony Kushner, Alfred Uhry, Jules Feiffer, Wendy Wasserstein, Theresa Rebeck and Lynn Nottage.

We saw a performance of Jailbait by Deidre O’Connor, directed by Suzanne Agins and mentored by Michael Weller. I had seen the reading and liked it very much, and I’m thrilled to tell you we were all truly impressed by what we saw on the stage last week. O’Connor’s dialogue is pitch perfect and her characters are deftly and lovingly drawn. It’s the kind of smart, honest theatre that you know is being made in New York, in little theatres, in basements, in rehearsal studios and studio apartments, but that rarely gets noticed amidst the hullaballoo.

Our next outing rocketed us from the humble to defiantly lavaloovanal: We took in a performance of Boeing Boeing. I ponied up the bucks for 7th row seats on the aisle–hey, you only take your sister to a boffo B’way show once in a while, right? Anyway, the show is, on its merits, pretty pukey. It’s a Sizzlin’ Sixties Sexcapade that definitely shows its years, BUT the production values are so high, the cast is so polished, and–most importantly–is so obviously having the time of their lives that it just doesn’t matter. I mean it, the joy radiating from the stage is palpable. The post-curtain/pre-bow samba–which has exactly nothing to do with the plot–is clearly there just to let this group of goof balls burn off a little excess joy before punching out for the night. It’s fun, it’s cwaaazy, it’s as one review has it: a nutball comedy. Go for the laffs.

Finally, we walked over to the Atlantic Theater Company for a preview of Conor McPerson’s Port Authority, which opened last night. Expertly acted by Brian D’Arcy James, John Gallagher and the incomparable Jim Norton under the direction of Henry Wishcamper, Port Authority grabbed me in the first thirty seconds and never let go. Read Brantley’s review here. It’s a series of monologues by three Irishmen, one young, one middle aged, one old. Each tells the story of a love that never was, a victim of passivity, fear or simple bad timing. It’s haunting and wrenching, mesmerizing and strips the theatrical experience to its bones. It’s essential, and I mean that literally, for certainly the first drama resided in the stories we told around the fire, our faces gilded by its glow and the night wrapped tight around us. That’s how Port Authority feels: intimate and painful and achingly human.

Anywhoo, my sister and her husband were thoroughly charmed by all of last week’s theatrical hocus pocus. Their enthusiasm reminded us just how fortunate we are to see so much shockingly great theater every single blessed day of the week! (In case we were starting to take it for granted.)

May 22nd, 2008 by Laurie Connor | Tags: In the News, Random Stuff | 1 Comment »

Tonys boost Broadway Sales

It doesn’t take a Rocket-Science Marketer to know that a Tony nom helps with ticket sales. Read this article from Gordon Cox at Variety:

The beneficiary of 13 nods, “In the Heights” ($650,504) was one of the production that saw sales climb by six figures. Fellow tuner nominees “Cry-Baby” ($347,297) and “Passing Strange” ($256,680) stepped up by $80,000 and $50,000, respectively, while the bump for “Xanadu” ($228,658) was a more modest $10,000.

Largest uptick of the week was registered by last year’s Tony winner, “Spring Awakening” ($562,435), which woke up with $150,000 more than it did the prior frame. Other six-figure leaps were reported at revival contender “Macbeth” ($618,354), “Legally Blonde” ($588,736), and “Avenue Q” ($319,509).

“Monty Python’s Spamalot” ($614,070) and “Rent” ($525,230) both came close to rising by $100,000 each.

Total cume rose by $1.6 million to $20.3 million for 35 shows reporting, or about $21.3 million including the $967,000 estimates for “Young Frankenstein.”

Slowdowns were few and far between, with two high-profile revival nominees, “Gypsy” ($835,697) and “South Pacific” ($704,978) slipping by about $20,000 each. The recently recouped “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” ($651,472) slid by around $30,000 in the wake of a strong sesh propelled by the recent return of star Terrence Howard.

May 21st, 2008 by Jim Glaub | Tags: In the News | No Comments »

Time Out Magazine: The Joke's on Us

time-out-cover.jpg

A friend of mine really, really likes Sex and the City and is devouring all reading material about the upcoming movie. She was uber-excited to see those fabulous 4 on the cover of this week’s Time Out …

Even though there was duct tape over the actresses’ mouths, and a pink banner draped across the magazine’s front cover that screamed,

“NO SEX! Enough already. We love ‘em, but it’s just too much.”

Nope, my friend was undeterred. I observed her as she opened up the magazine and skimmed the table of contents for the Sex and the City article, but did not see the article listed.

Then she skimmed the entire magazine.

Then she looked carefully at each and every page of the entire magazine.

Finally, she found one lonely little poll, which asked readers if they were truly tired of Sex and the City.

Time Out had performed a marketing coup: The absence of an article made a potential reader look closely at each and every page of the magazine.

Too bad it wasn’t the April 1st issue …

May 19th, 2008 by Sheryl Ramer | Tags: Random Stuff | No Comments »

Avenue Q Four Years Later

I saw Avenue Q back in 2004 for the first time with the original cast and then again in 2005 with all original members with the exception of Barrett Foa as Princeton. Both times I saw it I was amazed. I really love this show. What I feel Avenue Q has that other shows do not is heart. It really has heart. Although it is pretty vulgar at times and politically incorrect (which I love) it has an excellent message and you feel good after seeing it. Other shows may be stronger and everyone show leaves you with certain feelings, I feel that Avenue Q is different.

I saw Avenue Q for the third time on Friday. Although there is one member of the original cast (Jennifer Barnhart) all of the others are now replacements. I have observed that shows lose a lot of spark when the original cast departs. I have seen this in shows such as Wicked and The Producers. I took my sister, who has not seen a Broadway show since Cats in the 1980’s. I felt that the show is easy to digest, funny and light. I personally was worried that I would not feel as strongly for the show because I would not be seeing the original cast.

I was WRONG! I felt like I was watching the show for the first time. The entire cast was excellent. Howie Michael Smith played Princeton and Rod in his Broadway debut and Sarah Stiles (who will be Joanne in the upcoming Broadway Musical Vanities) played Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. I am still so happy to have seen the show again. I will say that it is probably one of my favorites. I did notice that they changed some of the staging and lyrics (specifically in “There is Life Outside Your Apartment”). The show is still so much fun, it’s not only topical, its real, people can relate to the characters and the theme of trying to find what they are supposed to do in life. If you have failed to see Avenue Q in the past I would recommend seeing it because you can not walk away from it smiling and the show is as strong as ever.

May 18th, 2008 by Mark Seeley | Tags: Random Stuff | No Comments »

THE PROGRAM: A Flashlight on Avant-Garde Darkness

As much as I love theater of all types, plenty of times I leave the show wondering what it all meant, if I got all I could out of it.  The more experimental the show, the more I am left wondering what, exactly, I was supposed to understand.  I often read the reviews after I see a play to see if my interpretation matches those of the critics.

… And now, there’s THE PROGRAM, which allows people like me to hear from a panel of critics, and even the playwrights, as an introduction to the show.

THE PROGRAM is Helen Shaw, David Cote, and Jeffrey Jones, “two reviewers and a playwright-cultural critic — who want the widest possible audience to feel welcome at the widest range of dramatically ambitious work,” according to the pamphlet I received at the panel discussion before God’s Ear last night.  The three travel to different theaters to introduce various shows and speak about what makes them special.

Jenny Schwartz, the playwright of God’s Ear, joined the panel discussion at the Vineyard Theatre, so the talk not only shed light on the important aspects of the play, but also provided insight into the creative process of playwrights.

The Program was a great intro to a great play, and I would definitely seek it out for plays I see in the future.

May 16th, 2008 by Sheryl Ramer | Tags: Random Stuff | No Comments »

I Smell a TONY…Please Hold

Cubby Bernstein…Theatre Mogul

May 14th, 2008 by Mark Seeley | Tags: Random Stuff, Video | No Comments »

Oh Tony!

Kerry Butler in Xanadu

Nominees for the 62nd Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards follow:

Best Play:
August: Osage County
Rock ‘n’ Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps

Best Musical:
Cry-Baby
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

Best Book of a Musical
Cry-Baby, Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan
In the Heights, Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing Strange, Stew
Xanadu, Douglas Carter Beane

Best Original Score
Cry-Baby, Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger
In The Heights, Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Little Mermaid, Music: Alan Menken and Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Passing Strange, Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald Lyrics: Stew

Best Revival of a Play
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereueses
Mabceth

Best Revival of a Musical
Grease
Gypsy
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Sunday in the Park With George

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park With George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O’Hara, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park With George

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play
Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Play
Sinead Cusack, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Robin De Jesús, In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical
de’Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Direction of a Play
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing

Best Direction of a Musical
Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In the Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Anthony Ward, Macbeth

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with George
Anna Louizos, In the Heights
Robin Wagner, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Costume Design of a Play
Gregory Gale, Cyrano de Bergerac
Rob Howell, Boeing-Boeing
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps

Best Costume Design of a Musical
David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Paul Tazewell, In the Heights
Catherine Zuber, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Howell Binkley, In the Heights
Donald Holder, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid

Best Sound Design of a Play
Simon Baker, Boeing-Boeing
Adam Cork, Macbeth
Ian Dickson, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, In the Heights
Sebastian Frost, Sunday in the Park with George
Scott Lehrer, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Stephen Sondheim

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Special Tony Award
Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981), in recognition of his historic contribution to American musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific.

For more information visit www.TonyAwards.com.

May 13th, 2008 by Jim Glaub | Tags: In the News | No Comments »

Ning.com: An Amazing Business Model

May’s issue of Fast Company had a great article about the genius of Ning.com’s business model. Ning.com allows people to create entire social networks (their own Facebook, MySpace, etc.) on any topic they wish, from Lost to theater to Brad Pitt to sewing to football to …

Well, you get the point.

One genius of Ning’s model is compound growth in membership spurred on by the owners of each individual social network.

This is how I explain it to myself: Ning is very similar to a mall, where each social network is like a store built around a common interest. The owner of the store is responsible for recruiting his or her own members — friends, family, even perfect strangers.  And each member may recruit others as well.

But not only that. The customers of one store may just decide to start their own — with a member of a Brad Pitt network starting an Angelina Jolie network.

The store owners build their own stores, serve their own customers, and lots and lots of people join “the mall” of Ning.

However, lots of people does not always equal a lot of money.

And that’s another genius of ning, for ning is following the path of what people have come to expect from Google, the leader of all things Internet advertising. The company is only doing targeted advertising, with a skiing network receiving ads about skiing. Also, Ning started with the advertising from the very beginning, which should prevent a backlash from their customer base.

The article did not mention Meetup.com in their list of companies with similar business models. Meetup is built on a similar idea, except instead of meeting only in cyberspace, the goal is for members to meet offline. Each of the groups are locally-based, with “store-owners” recruiting people with common interests to meet and pursue those interests in a traditional social atmosphere.

Perhaps that’s the subject of another blog …

May 12th, 2008 by Sheryl Ramer | Tags: Internet Marketing | No Comments »

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