Jeffrey Seller, four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, says that the outlook finally feels ripe and ready for fans and actors to congregate and celebrate theater.
Though the crippling pandemic that made life uneasy and challenging for nearly three years, “we who make our living in live entertainment are back, and happy,” he said.
Seller, the producer of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” blockbuster, is in town to formally announce the launch of single ticket sales starting tomorrow (July 21) in Honolulu, in an unprecedented eight-week residency at Blaisdell Concert Hall.
Speaking by phone from his Halekulani Hotel room earlier today (July 20), Seller is hosting a press conference this afternoon at Blaisdell, interviewing two of the musical’s stars, Morgan Anita Wood (Angelica Schuyler) and DeAundré Woods (Alexander Hamilton) for the local media.
He said the “Hamilton” run, from Dec. 7 to Jan. 29, 2023, reflects a commitment to enable show-hungry islanders to see the iconic show and be “in the room where it happens,” to quote a moment in the show.
“It’s a big commitment, but we are doing what Hawaii deserves –a long stop to share our show with the many folks in Hawaii,” said Seller. “Honolulu has a million people and is the 11th largest city (of the U.S.) and our show is special, the kind that comes around only once a decade, like a ‘Lion King’ and a ‘Wicked.’”
“The pandemic was horrendous for all of us,” said Seller. “We who make our living in live entertainment were in a coma for 18 months, and that included everyone, from stage hands, to office crews, costumers to artisans who make all that stuff. But the Federal government came through for us in live entertainment, to keep live entertainment alive.”
The return, last September, was a little bumpy, with second-outbreaks of COVID 19, “and our new normal still includes a couple of COVID cases very day. But we’re prepared in New York, and now all our shows are jammed, with full houses, and the business is coming back in all the cities we play across the country,” said Seller.
“I believe we all want to congregate, get together in live entertainment, and see a show, to laugh, clap together. It’s been so gratifying.”
Seller said that social distancing never was tried in the theater realm, “and there was no strong evidence that it would work. Masks were mandatory till the end of June, with Broadway adopting the optional policy last July 1, “which seems to be operating smoothly, like the airline policy.”
The casualty of the pandemic is that no one is permitted (other than authorized cast and staff) backstage anymore. Fans waiting at the stage door now are greeted by some cast heading home, autographing, Playbills like the old days, some dodging the practice.
“Outside, things are a little bit more normal,” he added.
“Everybody has to handle themselves in these unique times, in the life of the Earth,” said Seller. “There’s panic in all four corners of the Earth, and from Europe to the West Coast, there have been the largest heat wave.”
Seller has logged an impressive career in the past 21 years. Now an independent producer, he was partnering with Hawaii native Kevin McCollum, in producing such properties as “Rent,” “Avenue Q,” and “In the Heights,” musicals that have earned Tony Awards. In the process, he befriended Jonathan Larson, the composer and book writer for “Rent,” a musical that earned four Tonys (Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1996). Their collaboration in 2003 on “Avenue Q” resulted in three Tonys, for Best Musical, Book and Score in 2004.
When staging “Rent,” he felt that tickets should be accessible for the young, and less affluent theater-goer, so he introduced “rush” tickets for the rock musical about Bohemian life in New York, with $20 tickets available for youths, sold through a lottery, for the first two rows of the Nederland Theater.
So when “Hamilton” came along, producer Seller and composer-performer Miranda wanted to rewrite the book on rush seats with Miranda pushing a $10 ticket (one Hamilton bill) in 2015, with flocks of 2,000 vying for 35 lottery seats at the reduced cost at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
“Those were bedrock moments for me,” said Seller, because “everyone should get a ticket regardless of economic standing.”
So what and who comes first, the show or the producer?
“My decision to do a show is simply consequential,” he said. “I do a show when I have to. In my career, it’s all about the pleasure of nurturing and fortifying and cheerleading a product that hits me on a visceral, emotional level.”
Like, it’s got to be inspirational, perhaps innovative, with something to say about life.
“Hamilton” fit the bill, because like its predecessor, “In the Heights,
it featured hip-hop that spoke a new language to a new audience, and focused on language and rhythms of folks not commonly the centerpiece of a Broadway show, like Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics. Consequently, Seller is happily the show’s best salesman-seller, a hearty supporter of the needs and deeds of the show, and perhaps is the kind of booster shots every show needs. A caring, charismatic and committed producer.
So what and who comes first, the show or the producer?
“My decision to do a show is simply consequential,” he said. “I do a show when I have to. In my career, it’s all about the pleasure of nurturing and fortifying and cheerleading a product that hits me on a visceral, emotional level.”
Like, it’s got to be inspirational, perhaps innovative, with someone with something to say about life. In short: there’s no manual on producing a show.
He said he’ll know when to shut down “Hamilton.” “When it stops making money, we’ll close. When expenses are larger than income, it’s end of the business, like a restaurant.”
Seller has a project ahead he can’t mention yet, but his next production will be a new musical, “Only Gold,” with a score by Kate Nash and Andy Blankenbuehler ( from “Hamilton”) will direct; “It’s a dance musical, and a real passion project for Andy and myself,” he said.
Broadway, like any business, is all about making money.
“It’s all about capitalism, with supply and demand driving it, but in recent years, bots and computer programs have been able buy tickets quickly, and resold at (scalping) prices,” said Seller. …
Broadway grosses, for weekend ending July 17
As “Hamilton” tickets go on sale in Hawaii this week, it’s good to note that the show is the No. 2 grossing show last week on Broadway, with a tally of $2,255 million, with “The Music Man” still at No, 1, with $3.062 million; and No. 3 was “The Lion King,: with $2.130 million.”
The numbers are for the week ending July 17, courtesy The Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz…
