Writers, composers and lyricists spend years and years working on a project without any guarantee it will ever be produced and be seen by an audience. In fact, the odds are overwhelmingly against a new musical reaching Broadway. So how does the five-time Tony-Award®-winning producer Barry Weissler find a hit? “I only do what speaks to me, what I think would be meaningful and then I go about doing it. Most of the time I am correct,” says Weissler. “It is not what is the trend, it’s what feels right to me and what I want to say to the public.”
The first step to get a show on its feet is to get it into a workshop production. The creative team gets to see the show up and running and potential producers and investors are invited to see the results. Workshops only give a rough idea of what a full production will be like, but they must look good enough to inspire people to invest large amounts of money and lay their reputations on the line. “Years ago when I began, I suppose we went to hundreds of investors and took little money, then we went to fewer people and had smaller partnerships. Plus, we work with other people now who have an end use in the investment, like film studios,” says Weissler.
Once the money is raised, the audition process starts. As a producer of CHICAGO, who would Weissler like to see perform in the show? “Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones,” says Weissler. The cast needs to be assembled, and once the best and brightest are in place, the rehearsals begin.
The director introduces the creative team during the rehearsal process and everyone gets a glimpse of the designs for sets, costumes and advertising. As opening night draws closer, rehearsals move into an actual Broadway theatre where sets, costumes, lighting and orchestra are all brought together. Technical and full dress rehearsals take place and the last dress rehearsal often includes an audience of invited friends and relatives.
Next in the process are the previews. Producers usually present four to six weeks of Broadway previews where shows will undergo revisions and fine tuning. So how is the world of producing changing? According to Weissler, it’s not. “We are in a flesh and bone industry, it is the same all of the time. Nothing is different now. It’s about telling a story,” says Weissler.
Then it’s opening night, the performance everyone has been waiting for - the show has made it! Red carpet arrivals, backstage visits and pre-curtain jitters lead up to the official opening night as the producers and a mostly invited audience open the show. So the show has made it to Broadway, but how it stays there is a whole other story.
And what is Weissler’s advice to someone wanting to get their show to Broadway? “Get an idea and follow it through.”
By: Allison Thomas
