Brisa?s producing experience spans the ?Boards? in NYC and she is a plethora of knowledge about producing, the biz and creating new musicals. Check it out!
BB: Can you give us a good definition/explanation of what a producer is/does?
Brisa: In a nutshell, a producer is the person or group of people who take a show from the page to the stage. In non-profit and regional theater, this job is done by an artistic director and an administrative staff who fund the project, put together a creative team, find a venue, and bring in a paying audience. On Broadway, this same work is done by the ?commercial producer? which means it's a for-profit venture but the tasks are the same: Raise money, hire a creative team, find a venue, and bring in a paying audience.
BB: How did you become a producer? And what has been your experience as a ?young? producer.
Brisa: I ran a regional musical theater company in Portland, OR where I got great experience producing big musicals. Although I loved doing musical theater in my hometown but eventually I got antsy. I decided to try my hand at producing on a larger scale and turned my focus to NYC. To be a successful young Broadway producer, it really comes down to who you know: you need colleagues with shows heading to Broadway and colleagues who have funding. For a ?people person? it's a great job ? you get to work with others who are as excited and passionate about theater as you are! I made a point to reach out to anyone who would talk to me as well as attended every networking event I could find. Broadway is a tight knit community and you have to carve out a place for yourself, be persistent, and pay your dues. I was also lucky to join forces with a co-producer and find other young producers to work with. There's now an unofficial network of us and we compare notes and collaborate on projects.
BB: If a person wants to become a ?Broadway? producer what do you suggest they do?
Brisa: To become a Broadway producer, the best advice I can give is: you have to ?pay to play.? It's nearly impossible to get first-hand experience as a Broadway producer without jumping in the deep end and becoming an associate producer or co-producer under experienced producers on a Broadway if that part of it deters you, you may want to reconsider this career. As a Broadway producer, you'll spend a lot of your time on the business side of theater. Those of us who have chosen this career love the business of Broadway as much as the art. Otherwise, I'd recommend taking classes at the Commercial Theatre Institute (they even have fundraising classes) as well as classes about understanding Broadway budgets and royalty pools. Learn everything you can about marketing too because once you have a show playing on Broadway, you'll be doing a lot of marketing to sell 8,000 tickets a week. And don't forget to see as many new musicals or plays as you can. Success as a producer comes down to taste. If you can pick the right shows, you're golden.
BB: Can you share with us your opinion on what makes a show head to Broadway versus off-Broadway etc. and/or starting in a regional market/tour and then moving to NYC.
Brisa: Years ago, shows used to be cheaper to produce and it was relatively easy for a single producer to pull together some funds and mount a show on Broadway. Now however, with Broadway budgets averaging $10,000,000+, it's a huge financial gamble to open on Broadway. Often, a show will start out of town to test the material and make sure it works with audiences as well as to generate buzz and investor interest. Off-Broadway has also changed significantly over the past many years. Again it comes down to cost. The New York non-profits are responsible for most of the off-Broadway shows you hear about because they have a fundraising model and a built-in subscriber audience ? both of which really help a show succeed. Commercial off-Broadway is getting harder and harder as costs of producing go
up, but number of seats (by off-Broadway definition) do not.
BB: Do you still have a day job (besides producing) and, if so, how do you balance a day job and producing and why is a day job necessary in your opinion.
Brisa: Every young Broadway producer I know still has a day job or another source of income to live on. As I say in my 8% article [www.makemusicals.com producing is not a viable day job. I'd actually compare it a little to gambling. You go into it because you love it and it's challenging and fun and relies on both strategy and luck but you don't expect to pay your rent from your winnings. Winning big becomes a bonus, not a requirement to keep a roof over your head.
BB: You have also founded the website Make Musicals, and the Running Deer Musical Lab, both of which help to promote the creation of new musicals. What was your inspiration for these projects?
I am extremely passionate about new musicals and the people who create them. Both Running Deer Musical Theatre Lab and Make Musicals were started to support the creation and development of new musicals. Running Deer Lab gives me the opportunity to work on shows that are in their infancy. We've worked on some wonderful new musicals and have gotten to know so many amazing artists. I started my MakeMusicals.com blog about the ?Art & Business of New Musicals? to share everything I'm learning as I work with brilliant writers and producers at every level of show business. I love getting to learn about so many wonderful new musicals that are being developed by my readers around the country.
BB: Can you share with us the basic steps ?from page to stage? that are used to create a thriving new musical?
Brisa: The answer to this question is... there is no one path for how a musical gets to the stage but whatever path you take, expect it to take many years. Some common steps are for writers to take their shows through years of self produced development, readings, workshops, and even productions ? doing rewrites along the way. If and when a major producer signs on at some point in this journey, the writers will do another round of readings, workshops and often a bound-for-Broadway out of town production. I'd recommend to writers that they look at the wide variety of ways that different shows have found success, watch for opportunities that are right for their show, and forge their own path.
BB: For new composers/lyricists/writers etc. what advice can you offer in creating a new musical.
Brisa: My makemusicals.com blog is dedicated to exactly this topic but if I had to offer just one piece of advice, write a good show. Don't go into it trying to pick a subject or style that fits in with current trends or guessing what today's audiences will like or what producers will find producible. Musicals can take a
decade to get to the stage and who knows what will be ?in? then. However, GOOD musicals will always be ?in.? And write a lot of shows. Writing a hit is no small feat but if you write several musicals, your odds only increase!
What is the producer?s perspective when they are pursuing the market on performing end (as far as auditions, trying to get cast in a Broadway musical, stars vs. no-names etc.)
Brisa: I'd advise actors to participate in as many new musical readings as possible for two reasons: first, you get to know the up and coming writers. If you get attached to a show at the beginning, you have a good shot of staying with it when it goes to Broadway. Second, I see a lot of new musical readings and it's common for me and my producing colleagues to remember performers we liked and call them in for other shows. It's all about visibility and keeping your talent on everybody's radar by showing up and doing the work.
BB: Lastly any other words of wisdom or anything I missed please feel free to write it here.
Brisa: My advice to anyone who wants to be involved in theater is to jump in and get involved. Don't wait for an invitation or a paying job ? insert yourself in your local theater scene, say yes as often as you can, and make yourself invaluable. Get paid in experience and be the person that everyone says, ?He/ she does great work and is wonderful to have around.? If you do that day in and day out, you may just find yourself on Broadway.
