In the chill of January, the flashing lights in the lobby signaled
the start of Broadway Grand Rapids' production of “RAIN: A Beatles
Tribute,” herding a full-house crowd at the DeVos Performance Hall to
their seats.
Standing in the open area, Eric Messing gleefully looked on,
intermittently interacting with the theatergoers and privately
celebrating the success of the show in a increasingly downtrodden
entertainment economy. And the audience loved it – yeah, yeah, yeah.
If
it were only that easy for all the shows offered by Broadway Grand
Rapids. West Michigan can be “a little bit unpredictable” in its
tastes, says Messing, the organization's executive director.
“We had “Avenue Q” here in September, and it really stretched this
community in seeing what they were comfortable seeing. It went into a
comfort zone that disrupted a lot of people," Messing says. "But it won
a Tony Award for Best Musical over 'Wicked,' which is one of the most
popular musicals of all time. Now, that is an important piece of
theater that West Michigan deserved to see.”
Last year's “Sweeny Todd” also ruffled the feathers of a few in the
audience, while some veteran subscribers refused to leave their seats
during intermission because they were so enthralled by the cast's
ability to sing, act and play each piece of music themselves.
“These shows fit the mission of our organization – bringing in new,
younger patrons and exposing them to this form of art. It made some of
our subscribers little bit upset. But this organization isn't scared of
doing that.”
A Balancing Act
It takes a bit of fortitude to
balance sure-fire winners like "RAIN" with the likes of "Avenue Q."
Season ticket holders are the lifeblood of the organization, Messing
says, because they to commit themselves in advance to see every
performance. So he has to exhibit some sensitivity to community
interest, as well as deal with practical details such as when a show is
available.
He relies on subscriber polls to discern what the clientèle would
most like to see, and then negotiates with Broadway producers to get
the best price on each show. “It's a puzzle. Working with the DeVos'
schedule – which is a high demand venue – I match the shows available
to us with the schedule of the tour,” Messing says.
But after all of the analytic work is completed, he deals with
intangibles -- bringing shows with artistic merit for performances that
he feels warrant the community's attention.
Entertainment Engine
BGR
is leaving more than an artistic footprint. Annually, the organization
brings an estimated $4 million economic impact to the downtown area.
“While in Grand Rapids, the cast and crew – up to 50 people – stay
in our hotels and are enjoying our city and going out," Messing says. "
Our own patrons are dining at establishments before the show, paying
for parking, and then have a cocktail afterwards. We're a huge
entertainment engine for this city. We bring a diverse professional
artistic impact with a pretty significant financial contribution.” The
BGR itself employs Messing and a staff of six for its productions,
along with help from a slew of interns and volunteers.
Continuing to grow the subscriber base while netting more economic
sustainability is tricky. Naturally, the star power of some shows
bring slightly more patrons to the venue. Yet, many of the shows that
have the potential to sell out the theater are not yet available to
GR's Broadway house.
“'Jersey Boys' is unavailable to us right now because it's still
doing multiple weeks in major markets like Chicago, but it's an amazing
show that we would love to add into a season – that's in the works,"
Messing says.
Adjustments to Trends
Aside from scheduling,
there are two other economic forces that are affecting the selection of
shows that BGR can host. Many more shows closed in fall and winter on
Broadway than normal due to lack of audiences, and some producers have
opted to tour their shows out of Michigan because of this state's
economic woes.
"It's
a new element we are working against – justifying how important it is
for West Michigan to be able to have these shows,” Messing says. His
organization has responded by reorganizing its 2009-10 season and
compressing its schedule.
Citing New York City's ability to provide Broadway shows that
attract audiences, BGR aims to bring performances to the major
metropolitan area that otherwise might end up in East Lansing's Wharton
Center or Kalamazoo.
“High School Musical,” which will debut as the first show in the
upcoming season Aug. 18-23, hits the family-friendly niche that is
money in the bank for West Michigan. A fusion of kid-friendly spectacle
and adult humor that Messing assures will soar over children's heads,
“High School Musical” is a perfect fit – and a show he hopes will sell
as well as “RAIN.”
“To be able to see a Broadway show right here, it doesn't get any
better than that," Messing says. "Looking back at our season, we
provided a diverse artistic product throughout the season that appealed
to all audiences. So I guess we don't play the one niche market – we
look at the community as a whole and try to provide products that the
entire community can enjoy.”
Keleigh Wolf has written for Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids
Family Magazine, and The Grand Rapids Business Journal since 2007. In
2008, a book of her poetry was published. She currently leads the art
coverage for REVUE Magazine and freelances for Rapid Growth Media.
Photos:
Eric Messing at DeVos Performance HallPhotographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Brian Kelly is commercial photographer, filmmaker and Rapid Growth's managing photographer. You can follow his photography adventures
here on his blog or on
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