1. Stop Taking Cues From Movies.
The era of flashy movie musicals is over. The Great Gatsby closed us out, we’re done. La La Land is adorable but it’s not fantastical. We don’t want so much glitz and glamour in a movie because it’s just not in the zeitgeist now.
2. Instead, Take Cues From The Internet.
If you’ve never attended a Metropolitan Opera livecast, it’s a pretty great time. Sitting in a dark theatre with a bunch of opera fans, applauding at the same time as the New York audience is applauding… this is what technological dreams are made of. You can see an opera in the chicest opera house in the world wherever you live. It’s perfect.
3. Strike a Balance Between Modern and Classic.
We all know that pretentious art or dance troupe that must do an updated (or “reimagined”) version of everything. No classics, no standard fare. It’s a good way to look edgy, hip and aware. It probably draws a lot of donations from folks hoping to look like they’re “with it.” But this is a terrible strategy when it comes to drawing in newcomers to the art form.
4. Loosen The Grip On Merch.
If you visit a show put on by Broadway Across America, you can’t escape how much merchandise is for sale at every stop. There’s pillows, sweatshirts, knickknacks or every sort and sometimes even luxury goods. It’s capitalism at work. Merch is tastefully tucked away when you go to the opera. Whenever there is a gift shop, it’s usually tucked away inside the building. It’s easy to miss it coming out. They’re trying to be classy, God bless them.
5. Beg Regularly, And You Won’t Have To Cry Out.
NPR’s annual pledge drives are pretty famous by now. You know you’re going to get that call, and you know they’re going to recite all the stats about how important public radio is to the community and the world. You feel bad, you give money. It’s over.
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