HKELD- Live from Las Vegas!
20-11-12
The editor of HKELD is writing this blog LIVE from Las Vegas! How exciting is that? (Sure it got published after my return... But so what?)
Las Vegas is one of the booming cities in the US for theatre and all things performance. Of course, despite being on vacation I took part of my vacation to go see a show. And yes, I critiqued it in my head... You can't really turn that stuff off. Everywhere you looked in Las Vegas there were signs and specials for all kinds of shows. And despite it being a Wednesday at 7pm, the house was packed at almost every show!!!
And my tickets were CHEAP! I couldn't believe it. I payed less than 250HKD to see a Broadway Caliber production of Jersey Boys. And my seats were fantastic. (No partial views... Great comfort....)
I started thinking about how Vegas became a Mecca for musicals and how perhaps HK could learn a few things from Lady Luck.
Style over Substance
You won't see Shakespeare or Hedda Gabler performed on the Strip. People are too wasted to pay attention to plot details. They just want shows with flash bang and fun! I have to give Vegas a lot of credit for being able to pack the house any night of the week. And they do it by making the shows fun and enjoyable to repeat watchers. Just because a show is heavy on the "spectacle" doesn't make it a less valid form of theatre. It just makes it more expensive to produce. Glitter and pyro aint cheap. And you know what? Fun sells.
Short and Sweet
90% of shows on the Strip are 90 minutes or less without intermissions. Part of this is because people have shorter attention spans then they used to. They also want to encourage people to go out after the show for dinner or continue having fun at a club. Many shows on the strip have partnerships with restaurants. Dinner and a show together. I wish Hong Kong would start doing this as I think there is a huge market for it.
Accessible and fun for all ages entertainment
Despite being called Sin City, there were tons of shows available to take the kiddies to. Children's Theatre is the largest grossing sector of the market in 2011. You would be silly not to take advantage of parents looking for a fun and accessible entertainment for the kids. You can see with the success of Kidsfest in Hong Kong that there is a huge market here as well.
Chic and Female Friendly Adult entertainment
On the flip side there is also a ton of adult entertainment in Vegas that isn't sleazy but chic and stylish! Girls were packing the house for Peepshow at the Planet Hollywood. I work with local HK burlesque troupe The Vixens and I can tell you 60% of the audience is female. Boys aren't the only ones who enjoy a good stripper. I consider it an artform.
Affordable prices
We saw a Broadway caliber show for 30 dollars US. Translate that into HK dollars and that is roughly 200HKD. It had pyro, dancing, live musicians, singing, all of it. By making ticket prices affordable and selling last minute empties at a discount, Vegas always packs the house and makes sure that the actors have a receptive audience to perform to. I can't count the number of time I have gone to a show in HK with a half empty house due to huge ticket prices. Maybe last minute flash sales is something to think about!
Money saving devices
I could see money savers at all of the Vegas productions to keep costs down. No programs, they just hung headshots in the lobby. Paperless ticketing options. Keeping the house to half lights at intermission. Small house bands. Doubling the actors. Using the theatres as alternative venues for other things such as concerts or weddings. All money savers as artistic choices.
Of course, this can not be done alone by the artists in town. The tourism board is going to have to actively support local artists and visitors in HK much like Vegas and other cities support the arts.
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