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I'm Devoting my Summer to Data Science.

6/18/2018

Tableau representation of median ticket price versus capacity in an interactive scatterplot, categorized by volume of appeal per show. Study by Jimmy Steinmetz, citation below.

One of the biggest challenges in producing theater on any scale is to fill a house with people paying the "right" price. Producers want to maximize revenue. Audiences want to be entertained for a price that keeps the entertainment enjoyable.

Over the summer, I aim on developing the skillset to determine the perfect price point for shows so that houses are at 100% capacity with audiences that are paying prices they are most comfortable with. Revenue is maximized, producers can make more shows, actors + creative team have more jobs, and the industry grows!

R output for model predictions of Broadway gross versus actual total weekly Broadway grosses since 2004. Study by Boneysteel et al., citation below.

Financial services already use these technologies. So do airlines, hotels, Facebook, Google, and Amazon. Let's use data science in Broadway!

I am most enthused by Kevin R. Williams's study from Yale: "Dynamic Airline Pricing and Seat Availability." Similarly Ian Boneysteele, Konstantine Buhler, James Kernochan, Mike Mester, and Soren Sudhof study at Stanford: "Forecasting Broadway Show Gross Revenue."

Wish me luck as I begin this next stage of my journey!

References:

Boneysteele I., Buhler K., Kernochan, J., Mester M., Sudhof S. (2016). Forecasting Broadway Show Gross Revenue. [online] Stanford School of Business. Available at http://zoo.cs.yale.edu/classes/cs458/lectures/old/Broadway/Final%20report%20vF.pdf [Accessed 18 Jun. 2018].

Steinmetz, J. (2016). Exploring Broadway Data in Tableau | InterWorks. [online] InterWorks. Available at: https://interworks.com/blog/jsteinmetz/2016/08/03/exploring-broadway-data-tableau/ [Accessed 18 Jun. 2018].

Williams, K. R. (2017). Dynamic airline pricing and seat availability. Yale School of Management; Yale University - Cowles Foundation

June + July Update

6/17/2018

IN SUMMARY:

I attended the TONY awards!
I also attended the post TONY gala (mentioned in vogue) and whole bunch of after-parties, including the one described as “the party you didn’t get invited to” by the New York Times.
It was an incredibly fun and wild experience! I’m encouraged by the joy and positivity that surrounds the culmination of the Broadway season.

Christopher Erlendson and I are revising Magic the Play with full efforts.
Every 3 weeks, we present the revised content to a knowledgeable and discerning audience which helps us make better creative decisions. (If you want to attend one of these intimate workshops, drop me a line.)
As lead producer of Magic the Play, I’ve hired Aaron Pratt and Erin Wagner-Brooks from Good People Management Group to general manage the company

I’ve also hired Lee Feldshon as attorney for the company.
Aaron and Erin from GPMG and Lee are the best at what they do. Their involvement with Magic is encouraging! (If you are excited by this and want to get involved in the producing side of this show, let me know.)

Some Lovers – the new musical which I’m working under Cody Lassen for – by Burt Bacharach (Promises Promises) and Steven Sater (Spring Awakening) opened to an enthusiastic audience in Glens Falls at the Adirondack Theater Festival.
Directed by Josh Rhodes (Brightstar) Some Lovers blends time, love, and regrets shadowed by the ghosts of our past in a soaring and poetic musical that tugs at your heart. I’m excited to see where the show goes next!
Jung & Crazy, a new comedy which Robert Keller and I co-wrote had an industry staged reading late May! Directed by Christopher Erlendson, the reading was an overall success with some great feedback and interest!
In fact, Jung & Crazy is having another presentation in LA later this month! Let's hope the show resonated with the people who can move it forward

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Cold Reading Series at the Artist Co-Op. 7:30PM Tuesday July 11th. FB event here.
I’ll be seeing the Play that Goes Wrong with a whole bunch of friends at 7:00PM on July 3rd! Want to join? Tickets will be about $40. If yes, drop me a line.

Congratulations Kelly on graduating with your Masters degree in Flute Performance from Manhattan School of Music!

I'm Devoting my Summer to Data Science.

June + July Update

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