Next To Normal The Musical: Broadway's First Successful Digital Communication Campaign

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Next to Normal the Musical:

Broadways First Successful Digital Communication Campaign
Rebecca Prowler
Columbia University, M.S. Strategic Communication
November 28, 2016
Portfolio Project Fall 2016
Rebecca Prowler
Next to Normal, the Musical
FINAL GRADE: AFinal Comments
Rebecca, below is the consolidated feedback on your Portfolio project case study paper.
The review board members were unanimous regarding the depth and breadth of your
research, and therefore your understanding of the company, situation and campaign.
Review board members wrote:
!! Great paper! If Rebecca applied for a job at my company and included this case
study with her CV, I would be inclined to hire her.
!! This is an excellent case study! Youve done a great deal of research, covered
all of the bases, and pulled everything together into a quite compelling narrative.
Kudos.
!! Im very impressed with how well Rebecca obtained access to her primary
sources particularly since she did not have many of these relationships before
the start of this project! She thought through and utilized an impressive network
to get access to producers, the agencies, and industry experts, and I know it was
difficult, so well done!
!! The research showed great digging and insights.
Similarly, the review board was in agreement with respect the writing and overall
organization of the paper:
!! Your paper was really well written, very clear and easy to read. The
organization of ideas was nicely done, and flowed easily.
!! Your writing style is quite easy to follow. And the logical flow of your case study
is quite engaging.
!! I really liked the Assessment section; it contained some good personal
evaluation.
Overall, excellent work this semester, Rebecca. I really enjoyed working with you as you
diligently developed a quite successful project. Best of luck in what we all expect will be
a very promising career!
Prowler
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Next to Normal the musical came to Broadway in March 2009 and had several
communication problems to overcome, as well as a distinctive target audience to reach.1 The
campaign succeeded at conquering these challenges and reaching its audiences through risky, but
ultimately successful outreach. This outreach included the first ever Twitter campaign for a
Broadway show, which achieved the communications objective of generating awareness about
Next to Normal.2 Traditional marketing, led by Serino Coyne, and digital communication,
spearheaded by Situation Interactive, achieved the business objective of recouping the initial
investment through strong ticket sales; Next to Normal turned a profit within a year.3
BACKGROUND
Next to Normal is a contemporary rock musical set in a present-day, nondescript
suburban town; it tells the story of a matriarch dealing with mental health issues and how the rest
of her family copes.4 The show touches on mental illness, drug use, attempted suicide, marital
disputes, grief, and modern psychotherapy issues.5 The cast consists of 7 characters: mother
Diana, father Dan, daughter Natalie, son Gabe, Natalies classmate Henry, and two doctors, Dr.
Madden and Dr. Fine.6 Director Michael Greif said Next to Normal has the feel of an
independent film in that its a very plain and accurate depiction of some [people] living in a
really charged and difficult environment.7
Next to Normal was created by composer Tom Kitt and librettist/lyricist Brian Yorkey.8
Kitt and Yorkey began working on the musical, at that time a ten-minute sketch called Feeling
Electric, in 1998 as Columbia College students.9 Its first major production was at the New York
Musical Theatre Festival in 2005.10 Next to Normal went through more workshop iterations and
premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in 2008,11 moved to Arena Stage in
Washington, D.C. for additional revamping from late 2008 to early 2009,12 and finally
transferred to Broadway in March 2009.13 Next to Normal ran on Broadway until January 2011
and closed after 21 previews and 733 performances, which is a long run for an original, nontraditional Broadway musical that has such difficult subject matter.14
Next to Normals Broadway production received favorable reviews.15 It was nominated
for 11 Tony Awards and won three (Best Score [Music and/or Lyrics], Best Performance by a
Leading Actress in a Musical, and Best Orchestrations) in a year when Billy Elliot swept many
categories, including Best Musical.16 More impressively, Next to Normal won the 2010 Pulitzer
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Prize for Drama; only 10 musicals have ever been awarded the Prize out of 82 total winners.17
THE COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEM
Next to Normals communications problem involves some of the typical issues that
Broadway musicals encounter, as well as some unique to this production. Tickets to Broadway
musicals averaged $88.77 in 2009,18 with Next to Normals ticket prices ranging from $36.50 to
$201.50.19 On the higher end, a night out for two is over $400, and on the lower end, $73, nearly
five times the cost of two movie tickets in 2009.20 As such, proving value to theatregoers for
such an expensive purchase is a large problem to conquer.
Next to Normal had the added challenge of selling audience members on a brand new
story that did not have a pre-existing brand.21 Tourists, defined by The Broadway League as
those that live outside of New York City and its suburbs, made up 67 percent of musical
attendees during the 2008-2009 Broadway season.22 (Exhibit A) These audiences are responsible
for keeping internationally recognized shows like Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and The Lion
King on the boards for years or even decades,23 but may not come to New York City to see that
seasons lesser-known but well-reviewed show.
Next to Normal also had a difficult story to market to a wide audience. David Stone, the
shows lead producer said, To write an original musical not based on any existing source
material is daunting. To write a musical with this subject matter was terrifying, if not insane.24
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Environment
Musical theatre has been making its way back into the consciousness of American
popular culture.25 In 2003, Chicago won the Academy Award for Best Picture (along with five
other wins),26 the 2009 FOX television show Glee enjoyed great popularity,27 and there has been
renewed interest in live made-for-TV musicals like Grease and The Sound of Music.28
One large trend on Broadway during the past couple of decades has been the proliferation
of jukebox musicals, or those that use previously released popular songs to tell a story.29
Mamma Mia! came to Broadway in 1999 and drew huge crowds,30 which led to a slew of
followers such as Movin Out, Rock of Ages, and American Idiot.31 Since the start of the new
millennium, there has been at least one jukebox musical produced on Broadway each year.32
A related movement involves the lack of original musicals on Broadway. Adaptations are
less precarious investments for producers because audiences are more willing to take the risk on
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an expensive theatre ticket if they know what theyre getting.33 During the 2008-2009 season in
which Next to Normal opened, 11 other musicals also opened on Broadway.34 Of those 11, just
three were completely original. Three were revivals, or shows that have been on Broadway
before, one was a jukebox musical, and four were based on movies, even if the music was new.35
Additional trends on Broadway include the popularity of stunt casting, or the casting of
a popular actor or actress in a show that may not otherwise be a big moneymaker in order to
drive ticket sales,36 and a decrease in the power of critics reviews due to the rise of the internet
and social media outlets, which give every theatregoer the ability to share their commentary on
shows theyve seen.37
Several popular social media platforms entered maturity around 2009 and changed the
way brands and organizations communicated with their audiences. MySpace was in the midst of
its renaissance and was the most popular website on the internet by mid-2006, even surpassing
Google.38 Also in 2006, Facebook opened up membership to anyone over age 13 with an email
address.39 Social media use began shifting in 2009, however, as Facebook overtook MySpace as
the most visited social media website in the United States.40 Twitter was created in 2006 as well,
but it didnt truly take off until 2009. In 2008, about 300,000 tweets were tweeted; in 2009, that
number grew by 1,400 percent to about 35 million per day.41 At the same time, the business
world also took to Twitter; the companys Vice President of Communications claimed that 20
percent of tweets referenced a product or brand in 2010.42
However, the theatre industry was very slow to latch onto this digital revolution. Even as
Next to Normal returned to New York in early 2009, there were few shows with Facebook pages,
very little direct marketing online, and no sponsored ads.43 Early on, all that was known in the
Broadway advertising industry was the fact that word-of-mouth reviews are key, and
encouraging viral marketing, as it was considered in 2008, was the focus for most Broadway
shows.44 Digital was not a vital focus for most Broadway shows simply based on the
demographics of their audiences. In 2008-2009, The Broadway League reports that 59.8 percent
of musical attendees were aged 35 or older.45 These older audiences were less likely to be using
the internet to seek out theatregoing options when compared to their younger counterparts.46
Audiences
Millions of people go to Broadway shows; in 2008-2009, there were 12.15 million
Broadway tickets sold.47 Broadway audiences were well-educated and had high incomes. As of
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2008-2009, 73 percent of Broadway theatregoers over age 25 had completed college48 and
audiences report an annual household income of $195,700.49
According to The Broadway League, 77 percent of domestic tourists and 49 percent of
international tourists rated Broadway as a very important reason to visit New York City during
the 2010-2011 season.50 As such, 63 percent of Broadway tickets were purchased by tourists.51
These tourists were often coming to New York City with a plan of which shows theyd like to
see, and shows like Next to Normal were not on their radar because of a lack of word-of-mouth
reviews and funding for worldwide advertising.52 According to Erin Soler, a Patron Service
Representative at the TKTS booth in Times Square, visitors to New York City preferred safe
options like Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Chicago, or a Disney show.53 These shows were
low-risk and sure to be entertaining, even for those not fluent in English.54
In addition, these tourists were much more likely to attend musicals than plays. In 20082009, The Broadway League reports that domestic and international tourists made up 67 percent
of musical audiences, compared to just 42.3 percent of play audiences.55 (Exhibit A)
Motivating factors behind a ticket purchase are vital and extensive research is devoted to
studying purchase behavior of Broadway musical theatregoers. In 2008-2009, 47.3 percent of
audiences decided to see a musical due to a personal recommendation, by far the strongest
reported influential factor in show selection.56 The second most motivating factor was like the
music, at 32.8 percent, so its important that outreach includes a preview of the songs to
expect.57 (Exhibit B) Thirty-nine percent of ticket purchases were made online in 2008-2009, and
online purchases were the number one method for New York City residents, tri-state area
suburban residents, domestic visitors, and international visitors.58 (Exhibit C) However, tourists
were more likely to make their ticket purchase a week or less in advance of the performance,
compared to New York metro area residents that would purchase further in advance.59 This gave
locals more time to decide what show to see. (Exhibit D)
Competition and Barriers
A barrier to achieving the business objective is the fact that few Broadway shows turn a
profit. Only about 20 to 25 percent of Broadway productions recoup their initial investment.60
Original musicals are an even riskier investment because, as discussed earlier, they dont have
built-in brand recognition.61
Next to Normal, in particular, had a steeper uphill battle than most. It wasn't an easy
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musical to sell in terms of straightforward entertainment, said Jessica Dacchille, Assistant

Account Executive for Situation Interactive. Aaron Coleman, the lead copywriter for the digital
campaign put it more bluntly: Who wants to see a Broadway musical about a bipolar mother on
pills talking to her dead son?62
Next to Normal was also competing for the entertainment dollars of its audiences. On
Broadway, the rock musicals63 American Idiot, Hair, Rock of Ages, and Bloody Bloody Andrew
Jackson had runs that overlapped with Next to Normal.64 The marketing team also identified an
overlap with traditional playgoers,65 but did not find other forms of entertainment outside of
theatre to be competitors.66
Although Next to Normal opened during the tail end of the recession, which the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reports as lasting from December 2007 to June 2009,67 Broadway as a
whole was not impacted. This was possible because many Americans canceled plans to vacation
abroad and took less expensive trips within the United States instead.68 Moreover, Broadway
audiences had higher household incomes than a majority of the country and likely werent as
affected by the recession.69 Not only did Broadway weather the recession, but gross grosses have
risen or remained steady each season since 2001-2002, which was affected by 9/11.70
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Generating awareness around a brand in order to drive sales is not a new concept. Many
luxury and contemporary luxury brands use storytelling to showcase a lifestyle to aspire to as
opposed to a direct sales pitch.
One brand that does this especially well is Kate Spade New Yorks #Missadventure
campaign. The campaign centers around humorous two- to four-minute-long episodes starring
well-known celebrities like Anna Kendrick and Zosia Mamet.71 #Missadventure began during
the 2014 holiday season and continues today; videos are posted on YouTube, promoted on Kate
Spades social media channels, and visuals are even incorporated into print ads.72
The actresses are decked out in Kate Spade apparel, carrying Kate Spade handbags, and
using Kate Spade accessories.73 Earlier episodes did allow viewers to click on a product in the
videos to shop, but theres no mention of product names and no blatant attempt to sell.74 Its
marketing disguised as entertainment thats available in quick snippets that are perfect for
todays busy woman, according to Mary Beech, Kate Spades Chief Marketing Officer. "We
know that short, bite-sized content appeals to our customer who is frequently on the go."75 Users
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engaged with and shared the video because of the content; they wanted to see what happened
next on the show.76 Kate Spade succeeded in telling the story of the brand through fast, easyto-digest content and without specifically mentioning the brand at all.77 The campaign also
placed the product in front of consumers where theyre likely to be influenced to buy.78
Next to Normals campaign used a similar digital-based, storytelling-focused strategy to
achieve its communication and business objectives.
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
Objectives
Next to Normals business objective was to sell tickets to the show and make enough
money to pay back the shows investors,79 who had put $4 million into mounting the Broadway
production.80 The ultimate objective was to turn a profit and have the show grow into a known
entity so that it could continue to make money through national tours, international productions,
and licensing long after the Broadway production had shuttered.81
In order to have a successful run and recoup the producers investments, Next to
Normals communication objective was to communicate the emotional storyline and richness of
the characters to audiences.82 The creative team believed that because Next to Normal isnt the
typical Broadway subject matter, even if you dont like Broadway musicals, youll still like
this.83 They needed to reach new audiences (beyond those that typically saw Broadway shows)
and thought that driving awareness about this unique, modern story would eventually lead to
purchases.84 Ticket sales were a consideration, but the overarching goal for both the traditional
and digital outreach was education and awareness.85 Selling tickets was seen as an
incremental benefit to the campaign that wasnt expected to have a direct ROI, said Dacchille.86
Target Audiences
Producers knew they would struggle to find large enough audiences for Next to Normal to
meet its business objectives and have a successful Broadway run.87 But, they also knew that
there is an audience for the unusual, theyre just harder to find.88 Most tourists coming to New
York City to see a Broadway show werent aware of Next to Normal because it lacked
widespread brand recognition.89 It was risky not to target the huge swath of tourists that make up
the majority of Broadway musical attendees, but the Next to Normal team believed their target
audience existed elsewhere.90 Barbara Whitman, one of the shows producers said, we knew
Next to Normal wouldnt run for ten years, but there is a certain audience, and that audience is
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rabid. By focusing their energies on this smaller but more willing contingent, Next to Normal
also saved advertising dollars. This decreased weekly running costs, which allowed the show to
stay open for longer and increased the potential for recoupment.91
Part of that rabid audience stems from the previous productions Off-Broadway and in
Washington, D.C.92 Initial outreach was to these fans, who had a large impact on Next to
Normals strong word-of-mouth reviews.93 As highlighted earlier, personal recommendations are
an extremely influential motivating factor for purchasing theatre tickets.94
Just like most rock musicals, Next to Normal was targeting a young audience, mostly
those under age 35.95 The younger generation is more interested in a modern, contemporary
show than their older counterparts.96 For example, Anli Kelly-Durham, a twenty-two-year-old
theatregoer wants to see shows that challenge her and dont require a suspension of belief like
classic musicals. She lists Next to Normal as one of her favorites.97
The subject matter of Next to Normal is more like that of a play than a musical, so
marketing and communication targeted traditional play audiences.98 A majority of play audiences
live in the New York metro area, so outreach focused on this region.99
Finally, a smaller target was those affected by mental health issues.100 Next to Normals
themes spoke to many touched by mental illness and had the potential to educate an even larger
audience about its impacts.101
Tactics
Next to Normal had a fully integrated advertising campaign in print, TV, digital and
radio.102 The rollout tactics were rare compared to most Broadway advertising campaigns.103 As
a money saving method and to encourage word-of-mouth discussion, advertising for Broadway
usually works in ripples: first beginning in the theatre district, then Manhattan, then New York
City, then 20 miles from New York City, then 40 miles, 60 miles, etc.104 They also begin with
advertising on New York City subways and buses, then move to regional rails like the Long
Island Railroad and New Jersey Transit as the show continues to do well, then continue to
broaden with Amtrak and area airports.105 In Next to Normals case, Stone and his co-producers
decided to blanket advertising across the New York metro area at the start in order to reach their
intended target audience of playgoers.106 This initial investment was larger than most Broadway
campaigns, but ultimately kept the weekly advertising budget low.107
For visual outlets, the music and cast were central to the strategy, especially Alice Ripley.
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(Exhibit E) Alice is provocative as a performer, from an advertising standpoint, said Sean

Pomposello, the Creative Director at Serino Coyne.108 Radio is also still extremely important for
Broadway advertising because it reaches the high-income suburb crowd who listen during their
commutes.109 In Next to Normals case, radio ads focused on introducing the characters and
highlighting the score. The music is one of the shows strengths and also a key reason why
audiences decide to attend a particular musical.110
One of the main objectives for Broadway marketing campaigns is to encourage word-ofmouth reviews.111 Stone dipped into the shows reserve during the first few weeks of previews
for free tickets that went to people who might create word-of-mouth excitement.112
Next to Normals creative team had a strong desire to be the first to do something in the
industry113 and decided to further encourage word-of-mouth buzz with a Twitter campaign.114
Twitter was new and growing at the time and had never been used for Broadway
communications.115 The decision to focus digital outreach on Twitter was in order to reach a
new, young audience that may not closely follow Broadway, but would respond to this modern
show.116 The creative team wanted to go straight to where this audience already existed, and
Twitter was a strong choice.117 In 2009, 33 percent of American adults aged 18-29 had used
Twitter, compared to 22 percent in the 30-49 age range.118
Messaging
Stone told The New York Times that the marketing plan emphasized the musicals
emotional punch.119 It also focused around what they believed would be a breakout
performance by Alice Ripley as the mother, Diana, said Stone. Her image was featured in print
ads and she was central in the commercials.120 The artwork incorporated an actual phrase of
musical notes from the show as well as visuals from the set design, which represents the show
fully and accurately, said director Michael Greif.121
The marketing team echoes this messaging. Representatives from Serino Coyne and
Situation Interactive both reiterated the desire to focus on the emotional story in order to get
audiences invested in it.122 Pomposello recalls the communication goal to focus on Alice
Ripleys Diana, but also to highlight every character separately because they were each relatable
to different targets.123 Post-opening, after reviews of the show had come in, advertising also
made use of the rave reviews in their marketing outreach. (Exhibit F) Despite the focus on wordof-mouth assessments, critic reviews are still an influential factor for show selection.124
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Messaging also focused on the fact that this is a contemporary show about contemporary
people dealing with contemporary issues, and the use of Twitter, a contemporary platform, as
the main method of communication outreach truly drove this point home. 125 Twitter was an
excellent platform for Broadway because each like or retweet was a small personal
recommendation, which is also a key motivating factor for audiences to select a show to see.126
The Twitter campaign was conceived as a digital performance, or a version of the show
adapted specifically for Twitter. (Exhibit G) The Twitter performance was written by
copywriter Aaron Coleman and librettist Brian Yorkey; Coleman estimates that he wrote about
70 percent and Yorkey adjusted 30 percent to align more with the characters.127 He lived with
these characters for many years and Id been reading the script for two weeks, said Coleman.128
This serialization of the story was a strong idea because its short and sweet messaging was easily
digestible on mobile platforms while keeping audiences interested in coming back for more.129
Original ideas included having a different Twitter account for each character so they
could talk to each other, but this idea was ultimately not executed.130 The team ultimately
decided to break the story down into four weeks with about a dozen tweets per day.131 An added
challenge was fitting each tweet into the 140 character count that Twitter requires.132
Messaging specifically not used was a call to buy tickets or merchandise. Instead, the
creative team let the campaign speak for itself, which fostered discussions about the cathartic
subject matter and created a community of devotees.133 The role of communication was to
create the feeling of security with a ticket purchase. By familiarizing audiences with the music,
storyline, and characters, audiences became comfortable and the amount of risk was lessened.
The Twitter performance was engaging for both new and previous fans because it included
actual lines from the show, but also gave multiple characters views on one situation and showed
what characters are thinking in moments that arent portrayed on stage. It deepened the experience of
the show and added nuance to the characters.134 The performance maintained its authenticity with
tweets [posted] during the time of day that the characters would actually be tweeting, whether
12 noon or 4AM.135 Also challenging to navigate around was the decision not to mention that Gabe,
one of the characters, was dead during the show so that the entire plot wasnt spoiled.136 For
example, at one point Dan tweets, he has to remind Diana that Gabe isnt here for his party.137
When the Twitter performance concluded on June 7, 2009, the day of the Tony Awards,
the account opened up to regular tweets.138 The cast began speaking with fans and answering
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their questions. Kitt and Yorkey even collaborated with fans to create a new song for the show139
and encouraged viewers to post videos of themselves performing songs from Next to Normal.140
The Purchase Decision
Next to Normals campaign made strong use of the consumer decision funnel concept. By
showing up in a users social media feed each day, awareness and consideration were simple to
achieve.141 Concentrating on digital marketing was a strong choice because of the shift to online
ticketing.142 Because Next to Normal was the only show communicating online, they hijacked the
consideration phase from other musicals. Next to Normal entered a buyers mind at the moment
when theyre most likely to buy: while online.143
The campaign also took a page from the new circular consumer decision journey because
it wasnt just speaking at customers, but encouraging two-way communication through Twitter
interaction.144 Also ideal is that a high percentage of purchasers had a positive experience with
the brand and entered the loyal phase,145 which leads to positive word-of-mouth reviews.146
There was a strong after-sales experience because audience members could return to Twitter
after seeing the show and engage even more.147
RESULTS
Next to Normal was successful at reaching its communication objective, which in turn led
to achieving its business objective. Situation Interactive measured the success of the Twitter
campaign with followers, engagements such as retweets and replies, and media buzz.148 Since
this was early in Twitters existence, sophisticated metrics and analytics programs didnt exist,
so the marketing team relied on crude numbers, including physically counting retweets.149
One week into the Twitter performance, @n2nbroadway had 30,000 followers.150 By the
end of the campaign on June 7th, 2009, the day of the Tony Awards, the account had 145,000
followers.151 The number of followers continued to grow, to over 1 million after 16 months, as
much as larger brands like Southwest Air.152 These followers were not just passive; they engaged
with the campaign. Coleman, the lead copywriter, recalls tweets about the struggle of living with
mental illness and the replies in return, agreeing and sympathizing.153
The awareness of Next to Normal eventually moved beyond Twitter and the theatre
community. The campaign garnered numerous press mentions, both in the Broadway press and
beyond,154 including a feature in the technology section of The New York Times.155 (Exhibit H)
When these key performance indicators are considered, the campaign was a success. It
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achieved the communication objective of widening awareness and educating people about the
shows emotional story, beautiful music, and rich characters. Next to Normals success with
Twitter had an effect on the industry (although the impact of changing technology cannot be
understated). The campaign led to a shift in digital marketing for theatre;156 Twitter is now an
integral part of every Broadway musicals communications plan.157 According to Jennie
Mamary, a community manager at Situation Interactive, Twitter is the main way we engage
with fans it adds [a] personal experience to the brand and creates a connection with fans.158
Because of the successful communication and marketing campaigns, the show succeeded
at reaching younger, New York metro area audiences and sold enough tickets to make money
back for its investors.159 In fact, Next to Normal recouped its initial investment after just a year of
performances on Broadway.160 The success of Next to Normal had even more of an impact on the
theatre industry than just its use of Twitter; it arguably paved the way for more bold and quirky
shows to make their way to Broadway.161 Next to Normal proved what Stone and his coproducers had believed: that there is an audience for unusual things, they can just be more
challenging to find.162 Ira Pittelman, one of the lead producers of the musicals Spring Awakening
and American Idiot told The New York Times:
When financial triumph arrives for a musical like Next to Normal that is so different
than the usual Broadway fare, I think it becomes inspiring for a lot of us to take more
risks in our shows storytelling and music.163
The show and its communication campaign also earned formal accolades. Next to Normal
won three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize164 and the cast album reached the top 10 on
iTunes and Amazon.com.165 The Twitter campaign itself won 2 OMMA Awards in 2009 and was
nominated for a 2010 Webby Award.166 The Twitter campaign is recognized across the
Broadway industry as one of the most successful digital activations to date; Jeremy Kraus, the
account supervisor at Situation Interactive said every [producer] comes to us and wants us to
make the next Next to Normal Twitter campaign.167
ASSESSMENT
Next to Normals communication campaign was described as unique by all involved.
Kraus even described it as lightning in a bottle because so many ideal pieces came together to
create a successful campaign.168
For example, Twitter came into the digital marketing consciousness at just the right time:
as Next to Normal came to Broadway. The campaign generated press buzz not just because of its
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distinctive strategy, but simply for existing. When the media wanted to discuss how Twitter was
impacting digital marketing, the Next to Normal Twitter performance was a strong example.
Additionally, the characters in Next to Normal spoke like they belonged on social
media169 with snappy one-liners and lyrics that already sound like tweets. The lyric Valium is
my favorite color,170 for example, already sounds like a tweet. The campaign made sense and
wasnt struggling to be something it wasnt. Nevertheless, additional messaging with a focus on
winning awards could have had additional impact on ticket sales. If Next to Normal had won the
Tony Award for Best Musical, it may have made reaching the business objective even easier.
The targeted outreach was successful at convincing new audiences to see the show. The
digital marketing campaign spoke to young audiences on the platforms where they already
congregated.171 By introducing the story and characters ahead of time, the campaign succeeded
at minimizing the amount of risk required to make the ticket purchase. The decision to focus
traditional advertising solely on the New York metro area172 worked very well because the
outreach directly targeted the areas most likely to respond to the messaging and money wasnt
wasted elsewhere. However, more audiences could have been reached through additional tactics,
such as focusing advertising on higher-income, well-educated city centers and suburbs in other
United States metro areas whose residents are likely to travel to New York to see a Broadway
show.173 (Exhibit I)
Producer David Stone was also a large part of the success. Not only did Stone continue to
support Next to Normal through its many rewrites, but he was smart with how he budgeted the
show and used its grosses.174 Stone was also daring. He was on board with using Twitter, a
completely unproven medium, and stuck with the performance strategy even as its popularity
increased.175 Most producers would struggle to maintain that messaging decision [to not discuss
ticketing and discounts] after gaining one million followers, but Stone understood the goal.176
Although this was a rare campaign with many fortunate variables, there is much to be
learned. Taking calculated risks, such as targeting a smaller but more relevant audience or taking
a chance on a new medium could lead to unimagined success. Its important to find a strategy
and message that works for the product and be nimble enough to make relevant changes, but not
waver from the original messaging. The Next to Normal campaign demonstrates the importance
of knowing when to follow trends and when to break the mold. I never in my wildest dreams
imagined this, said Kraus.
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APPENDIX
Exhibit A
Source: The Demographics of Broadway Audiences, 2008-2009, page 17
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Exhibit B
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Exhibit C
15
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Exhibit D

Exhibit E
Next to Normal TV Commercial: Meet the Family
Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=j-ng5fgrzvU
16
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Exhibit F
17
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Source: http://david-barrineau.com/print/#/next-to-normal-print
18
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Exhibit G
Next to Normal Twitter Performance
Source: https://scribd.com/document/330673046/Next-to-Normal-Twitter-Performance
Exhibit H
Its Broadway Gone Viral, With a Musical Meted Out on Twitter
Source: http://nytimes.com/2009/08/17/technology/internet/17normal.html
19
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Exhibit I
20
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SOURCES CITED
Primary
Email Interview with Anli Kelly-Durham, theatregoer. Conducted November 7, 2016.
Email Interview with Erin Soler, TKTS Patron Service Representative. Conducted November 9,
2016.
Email Interview with Jennie Mamary, Community Manager at Situation Interactive. Conducted
November 9, 2016.
Email Interview with Jessica Dacchille, former Assistant Account Executive at Situation
Interactive. Conducted October 25, 2016.
Email Interview with Patrick Catullo, Next to Normal Producer. Conducted November 8, 2016.
In Person Interview with Jeremy Kraus, former Account Supervisor at Situation Interactive.
Conducted November 3, 2016.
Phone Interview with Aaron Coleman, former Senior Copywriter at Situation Interactive.
Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman, Next to Normal Producer. Conducted November 1,
2016.
Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello, former Creative Director at Serino Coyne. Conducted
November 2, 2016.
Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo, former Interactive Director at Situation Interactive.
Secondary
Amanda Lenhart and Susannah Fox, Twitter and Status Updating, Fall 2009, Pew Research
Center 2009, http://pewinternet.org/2009/02/12/twitter-and-status-updating (accessed November
1, 2016).
Andrew Adam Newman, Its Broadway Gone Viral, With a Musical Meted Out via Twitter,
New York Times 2009, http://nytimes.com/2009/08/17/technology/internet/17normal.html
(accessed November 1, 2016).
Anna Maria Virzi, When Mad Avenue Meets Broadway: A Twitter Story, Clickz.com 2010,
https://clickz.com/when-mad-avenue-meets-broadway-a-twitter-story/54651 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Prowler
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Average paid admission at Broadway shows in New York from 2007 to 2016, by category (in
U.S. dollars), Theatre & Broadway in the U.S. Statista Dossier (2016): 8.
Average ticket price at North American movie theaters from 2001 to 2015 (in U.S. dollars),
Statista, https://statista.com/statistics/187091/average-ticket-price-at-north-american-movietheaters-since-2001 (accessed November 17, 2016).
Ben Steverman, Investing in a Broadway Show Is a Fun Way to Lose a Lot of Money,
Bloomberg 2015, http://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-03/investing-in-a-broadwayshow-is-a-fun-way-to-lose-a-lot-of-money (accessed November 1, 2016).
Broadway Grosses MAMMA MIA! Broadway World
http://broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=MAMMA-MIA-&allall=on (accessed on
November 1, 2016).
Broadway Season Statistics, BroadwayLeague.com,
https://broadwayleague.com/research/statistics-broadway-nyc (accessed November 1, 2016).
Chloe Albanesius, More Americans Go To Facebook than MySpace, PC Mag 2009,
http://pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2348822,00.asp (accessed November 1, 2016).
Claudine Beaumont, Twitter users send 50 million tweets per day, Telegraph 2010,
http://telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7297541/Twitter-users-send-50-million-tweets-perday.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
David Court, Dave Elzinga, Susan Mulder, and Ole Jorgen Vetvik, The Consumer Decision
Journey, McKinsey Quarterly 2009, http://mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/digital-luxuryexperience-keeping-up-with-changing-customers (accessed November 1, 2016)
David Kamp, The Glee Generation, New York Times June 11, 2010,
http://nytimes.com/2010/06/13/fashion/13Cultural.html (accessed November 25, 2016).
David Stone, Producer David Stone Looks Back on the Extraordinary Journey of Next to
Normal, Broadway.com 2011, http://broadway.com/buzz/154885/producer-david-stone-looksback-on-the-extraordinary-journey-of-next-to-normal/ (accessed November 1, 2016).
Elizabeth Weiss, To Flip a Flop, New Yorker 2014,
http://newyorker.com/business/currency/to-flip-a-flop (accessed November 1, 2016).
Facebook Expansion Enables More People to Connect with Friends in a Trusted Environment,
Facebook Newsroom 2006, https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2006/09/facebook-expansionenables-more-people-to-connect-with-friends-in-a-trusted-environment (accessed November 1,
2016).
Prowler
23
Five Reasons Its Time For Another Episode of Serialized Storytelling, A Plus March 17,
2015, http://aplus.com/a/five-reasons-it-s-time-for-another-episode-of-serialized-storytellingsxsw (accessed November 25, 2016).
Gordon Cox, Tourists Take Broadway: Out-of-Towners Bought Two-Thirds of All 2012-13
Tickets, Variety 2014, http://variety.com/2014/legit/news/tourists-take-broadway-out-oftowners-bought-two-thirds-of-all-2012-13-tickets-1201044053 (accessed November 1, 2016).
Gregory Schmidt, Broadways Marketing Turns Interactive, New York Times 2008,
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/26/business/media/26adco.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
Internet use by age group worldwide as of November 2014, Statista 2014,
https://statista.com/statistics/272365/age-distribution-of-internet-users-worldwide (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Josh Getlin, The Ballad of Kitt & Yorkey, Columbia Magazine 2011,
http://magazine.columbia.edu/features/fall-2010/ballad-kitt-yorkey (accessed November 1,
2016).
Jukebox Musicals, Broadway Musical Home,
http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/jukebox.htm (accessed November 1, 2016).
Kate Spade New York, #missadventure episode 1: the waiting game, starring anna kendrick,
YouTube 2014, https://youtube.com/watch?v=rPhHTP2q-VQ (accessed November 1, 2016).
Ken Davenport, Some Startling New Statistics on Broadway Musical Adaptations vs. Original
Shows, The Producers Perspective 2014,
https://theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2014/05/some-startling-new-statistics-onbroadway-musical-adaptations-vs-original-shows.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
Ken Davenport, The Definition of a Jukebox Musical, The Producers Perspective 2008,
https://theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2008/01/the-definition.html (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Kimberly Kaye, Broadway.com at 10: The 10 Biggest Broadway Trends of the Decade,
Broadway.com, http://broadway.com/buzz/152360/broadwaycom-at-10-the-10-biggestbroadway-trends-of-the-decade (accessed November 1, 2016).
Lauren Johnson, Zosia Mamet, Ali Wong and Sarah Jones Make Amusingly Odd Trip for Kate
Spade New York, AdWeek 2016, http://adweek.com/news/technology/these-female-comediansmake-amusingly-odd-trio-kate-spade-new-yorks-new-ad-173367 (accessed November 1, 2016).
Laurence Maslon, Broadway & The Rock Score, PBS.org,
http://pbs.org/wnet/broadway/essays/broadway-the-rock-score (accessed November 1, 2016).
Prowler
24
Louis Charbonneau, What Recession? Broadway ignores economic downturn, Reuters 2009,
http://reuters.com/article/us-broadway-idUSTRE54D5S120090514 (accessed November 1,
2016).
Matthew Gilbert, Why are live TV musicals taking off? Boston Globe 2016,
https://bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2016/02/01/why-are-live-musicals-takingoff/A3py4n1Spd0gOAU3wXIqCJ/story.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
Nellie Andreeva, Full Series Rankings For The 2009-10 Broadcast Season, Deadline 2010,
http://deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season-44277
Next to Normal, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadway-production/next-tonormal-483136 (accessed November 1, 2016).
Next to Normal, Lortel Archives, http://lortel.org/Archives/Production/4658 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Next to Normal, Music Theatre International, http://mtishows.com/next-to-normal (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Next to Normal, StageGrade,
https://web.archive.org/web/20100227012503/http://stagegrade.com/productions/161 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Next to Normal - Awards, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadwayproduction/next-to-normal-483136#awards (accessed November 1, 2016).
Next to Normal Musical, Telecharge,
https://web.archive.org/web/20090629185336/http://telecharge.com/BehindTheCurtain.aspx?
prodid=7295&mode=moreShowInfo (accessed November 1, 2016).
Next to Normal: The Road to Broadway. In American Theatre Wing's Working in the Theatre.
November 2009.
Next to Normal on Broadway, Next to Normal MashUp, YouTube 2010,
https://youtube.com/watch?v=n7n7mc86JtE (accessed November 1, 2016).
Patrick Healy, Broadways Unlikely Hit Gives Hope to the Bold, New York Times 2010,
http://nytimes.com/2010/03/29/theater/29normal.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
Pete Cashmore, MySpace, Americas Number One, Mashable 2006,
http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/#e1o16WUBikq5 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Prowler
25
Sarah Walsh, 4 Things to Learn From Kate Spade and Lofts Branded Video Content, PR
Couture, http://prcouture.com/2016/08/kate-spade-loft-mini-series-advertising (accessed
November 1, 2016).
Search Past Winners 2009, Tony Awards, http://tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?year=2009
The Broadway League, Age Ranges for Playgoers vs. Musicalgoers, The Demographics of the
Broadway Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009): 24.
The Broadway League, Annual Household Income, The Demographics of the Broadway
Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009): 32.
The Broadway League, Audience Spending, Broadways Economic Contribution to New York
City 2010-2011 (May 2012): 9-10.
The Broadway League, Broadway Tickets Sold, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience
2008-2009 (September 2009): 4.
The Broadway League, Date of Ticket Purchase, The Demographics of the Broadway
The Broadway League, Highest Level of Education Completed by Broadway Theatregoers
(Over Age 25), The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009):
29.
The Broadway League, Executive Summary, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience
2008-2009 (September 2009): 6.
The Broadway League, Geographic Composition of the Audience by Type of Show, The
Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009): 17.
The Broadway League, Influential Factors for Show Selection- Musicals, The Demographics
of the Broadway Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009): 42.
The Broadway League, Method of Ticket Purchase, The Demographics of the Broadway
The Broadway League, Place of Residence, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience
2008-2009 (September 2009): 11.
The Pulitzer Prizes Drama, Pulitzer.org, http://pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/218
The Recession of 2007-2009, BLS Spotlight on Statistics (February 2012): 1
Prowler
26
Tim Nudd, Ad of the Day: Anna Kendrick Makes Something Out of Nothing in Kate Spades
Holiday Ad, AdWeek 2014, http://adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-annakendrick-makes-something-out-nothing-kate-spades-holiday-ad-161438 (accessed November 1,
2016).
Tom Kitt, Whos Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I, Genius.com http://genius.com/Tomkitt-whos-crazy-my-psychopharmacologist-and-i-lyrics (accessed November 1, 2016).
Vanity Fair Studios, Misbehaving With the Stars of Kate Spade New Yorks Campaign, Season
2, Vanity Fair 2016, http://vanityfair.com/style/2016/03/misbehaving-with-the-stars-of-katespade-new-yorks-campaign-season-2 (accessed November 1, 2016).
Vault Seasons, Playbill, http://playbill.com/seasons (accessed November 1, 2016).
Vault Seasons Opened During the Season: 2008-2009, Playbill,
http://playbill.com/seasons?year=2008 (accessed November 1, 2016).
SOURCES CONSULTED
Drew Hodges, On Broadway: From Rent to Revolution (New York: Rizzoli, 2016).
Elizabeth L. Wollman, The Theatre Will Rock: A History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to
Hedwig (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006).
Jack Viertel, The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built (New
York: Sarah Crichton Books, 2016).
Joanne Scheff Bernstein, Standing Room Only: Marketing Insights for Engaging Performing
Arts Audiences, 2nd ed. (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).
John Pareles, Broadway Rocks. Get Over It, New York Times 2010,
http://nytimes.com/2010/05/16/theater/theaterspecial/16rock.html (accessed November 1, 2016)
ENDNOTES
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman, Next to Normal Producer. Conducted November 1,
2016.
In Person Interview with Jeremy Kraus, former Account Supervisor at Situation Interactive.
3
4

November 1, 2016).
Prowler
27
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
November 1, 2016).
6

November 1, 2016).
7
Next to Normal: The Road to Broadway, 19:30. In American Theatre Wing's Working in the
Theatre. November 2009.
8
Next to Normal, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadway-production/nextto-normal-483136 (accessed November 1, 2016).

9
2016).
10
2016).
11
Next to Normal, Lortel Archives, http://lortel.org/Archives/Production/4658 (accessed

November 1, 2016).
12
2016).
13

14

15
Next to Normal, StageGrade,

https://web.archive.org/web/20100227012503/http://stagegrade.com/productions/161 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
16
Search Past Winners 2009, Tony Awards,

http://tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?year=2009 (accessed November 1, 2016).
17
The Pulitzer Prizes Drama, Pulitzer.org, http://pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/218

18
Average paid admission at Broadway shows in New York from 2007 to 2016, by category (in
U.S. dollars), Theatre & Broadway in the U.S. Statista Dossier (2016): 8.
Prowler
28
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19
Next to Normal Musical, Telecharge,
https://web.archive.org/web/20090629185336/http://telecharge.com/BehindTheCurtain.aspx?
prodid=7295&mode=moreShowInfo (accessed November 1, 2016).
20
Average ticket price at North American movie theaters from 2001 to 2015 (in U.S. dollars),
Statista, https://statista.com/statistics/187091/average-ticket-price-at-north-american-movietheaters-since-2001 (accessed November 17, 2016).
21
Ken Davenport, Some Startling New Statistics on Broadway Musical Adaptations vs.
Original Shows, The Producers Perspective 2014,
22
23
Gordon Cox, Tourists Take Broadway: Out-of-Towners Bought Two-Thirds of All 2012-13
Tickets, Variety 2014, http://variety.com/2014/legit/news/tourists-take-broadway-out-oftowners-bought-two-thirds-of-all-2012-13-tickets-1201044053 (accessed November 1, 2016).
24
David Stone, Producer David Stone Looks Back on the Extraordinary Journey of Next to
Normal, Broadway.com 2011, http://broadway.com/buzz/154885/producer-david-stone-looksback-on-the-extraordinary-journey-of-next-to-normal/ (accessed November 1, 2016).
25
David Kamp, The Glee Generation, New York Times June 11, 2010,
http://nytimes.com/2010/06/13/fashion/13Cultural.html (accessed November 25, 2016).
26
Chicago Awards, Internet Movie Database, http://imdb.com/title/tt0299658/awards

27
Nellie Andreeva, Full Series Rankings For The 2009-10 Broadcast Season, Deadline 2010,
http://deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season-44277
28
Matthew Gilbert, Why are live TV musicals taking off? Boston Globe 2016,
https://bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2016/02/01/why-are-live-musicals-takingoff/A3py4n1Spd0gOAU3wXIqCJ/story.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
29
Ken Davenport, The Definition of a Jukebox Musical, The Producers Perspective 2008,
https://theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2008/01/the-definition.html (accessed
November 1, 2016).
30
Broadway Grosses MAMMA MIA! Broadway World

http://broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=MAMMA-MIA-&allall=on (accessed on
November 1, 2016)
Prowler
29
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31
Jukebox Musicals, Broadway Musical Home,
http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/jukebox.htm (accessed November 1, 2016).
32
33
34

35

36
Broadway.com, http://broadway.com/buzz/152360/broadwaycom-at-10-the-10-biggestbroadway-trends-of-the-decade (accessed November 1, 2016).
37
Broadway.com 2010, http://broadway.com/buzz/152360/broadwaycom-at-10-the-10-biggestbroadway-trends-of-the-decade (accessed November 1, 2016).
38
Pete Cashmore, MySpace, Americas Number One, Mashable 2006,

http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/#e1o16WUBikq5 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
39
Facebook Expansion Enables More People to Connect with Friends in a Trusted

Environment, Facebook Newsroom 2006, https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2006/09/facebookexpansion-enables-more-people-to-connect-with-friends-in-a-trusted-environment (accessed
November 1, 2016).
40
Chloe Albanesius, More Americans Go To Facebook than MySpace, PC Mag 2009,

http://pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2348822,00.asp (accessed November 1, 2016).
41
42
43
Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman
Prowler
30
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
44
Gregory Schmidt, Broadways Marketing Turns Interactive, New York Times 2008,
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/26/business/media/26adco.html (accessed November 1, 2016).
45
The Broadway League, Age Ranges for Playgoers vs. Musicalgoers, The Demographics of
the Broadway Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009): 24.
46
Internet use by age group worldwide as of November 2014, Statista 2014,

https://statista.com/statistics/272365/age-distribution-of-internet-users-worldwide (accessed
November 1, 2016).
47
The Broadway League, Broadway Tickets Sold, The Demographics of the Broadway
48
The Broadway League, Highest Level of Education Completed by Broadway Theatregoers

(Over Age 25), The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2008-2009 (September 2009):
29.
49
50
The Broadway League, Audience Spending, Broadways Economic Contribution to New

York City 2010-2011 (May 2012): 9-10.
51
The Broadway League, Executive Summary, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience
2008-2009 (September 2009): 6.
52
53
Email Interview with Erin Soler, TKTS Patron Service Representative. Conducted November
9, 2016.
54
Email Interview with Erin Soler
55
56
The Broadway League, Influential Factors for Show Selection- Musicals, The
57
58
Prowler
31
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
59
The Broadway League, Date of Ticket Purchase, The Demographics of the Broadway
60
Ben Steverman, Investing in a Broadway Show Is a Fun Way to Lose a Lot of Money,
Bloomberg 2015, http://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-03/investing-in-a-broadwayshow-is-a-fun-way-to-lose-a-lot-of-money (accessed November 1, 2016).
61
62
Phone Interview with Aaron Coleman, former Senior Copywriter at Situation Interactive.
63
Email Interview with Jessica Dacchille, former Assistant Account Executive at Situation
Interactive. Conducted October 25, 2016.
64
65
Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo, former Interactive Director at Situation Interactive.
66
In Person Interview with Jeremy Kraus
67
The Recession of 2007-2009, BLS Spotlight on Statistics (February 2012): 1
68
Louis Charbonneau, What Recession? Broadway ignores economic downturn, Reuters 2009,
http://reuters.com/article/us-broadway-idUSTRE54D5S120090514 (accessed November 1,
2016).
69
70
Broadway Season Statistics, BroadwayLeague.com,

https://broadwayleague.com/research/statistics-broadway-nyc (accessed November 1, 2016).
71
Lauren Johnson, Zosia Mamet, Ali Wong and Sarah Jones Make Amusingly Odd Trip for
Kate Spade New York, AdWeek 2016, http://adweek.com/news/technology/these-femalecomedians-make-amusingly-odd-trio-kate-spade-new-yorks-new-ad-173367 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
72
2016).
!
Prowler
32
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
73
Kate Spade New York, #missadventure episode 1: the waiting game, starring anna
kendrick, YouTube 2014, https://youtube.com/watch?v=rPhHTP2q-VQ (accessed November 1,
2016).
74
2016).
75
Lauren Johnson, Zosia Mamet, Ali Wong and Sarah Jones Make Amusingly Odd Trip for
Kate Spade New York, AdWeek 2016, http://adweek.com/news/technology/these-femalecomedians-make-amusingly-odd-trio-kate-spade-new-yorks-new-ad-173367 (accessed
November 1, 2016).
76
Vanity Fair Studios, Misbehaving With the Stars of Kate Spade New Yorks Campaign,
Season 2, Vanity Fair 2016, http://vanityfair.com/style/2016/03/misbehaving-with-the-stars-ofkate-spade-new-yorks-campaign-season-2 (accessed November 1, 2016).
77
Sarah Walsh, 4 Things to Learn From Kate Spade and Lofts Branded Video Content, PR
Couture, http://prcouture.com/2016/08/kate-spade-loft-mini-series-advertising (accessed
November 1, 2016).
78
Journey, McKinsey Quarterly 2009, http://mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/digital-luxuryexperience-keeping-up-with-changing-customers (accessed November 1, 2016).
79

80
81
Elizabeth Weiss, To Flip a Flop, New Yorker 2014,

http://newyorker.com/business/currency/to-flip-a-flop (accessed November 1, 2016).
82
Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo
83
Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello, former Creative Director at Serino Coyne. Conducted
November 2, 2016.
84
85
Email Interview with Jessica Dacchille
86
Prowler
33
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
Laurence Maslon, Broadway & The Rock Score, PBS.org,

http://pbs.org/wnet/broadway/essays/broadway-the-rock-score (accessed November 1, 2016).
97
Email Interview with Anli Kelly-Durham, theatregoer. Conducted November 7, 2016.
98
99
100
Phone interview with Barbara Whitman
101
Phone interview with Barbara Whitman
102
Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello
103
104
105
106
107
Prowler
34
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
108
109
110
111
Email Interview with Jennie Mamary, Community Manager at Situation Interactive.

112
113
114
115
116
117
118
Amanda Lenhart and Susannah Fox, Twitter and Status Updating, Fall 2009, Pew Research
Center 2009, http://pewinternet.org/2009/02/12/twitter-and-status-updating (accessed November
1, 2016).
119
120
121
Next to Normal: The Road to Broadway, 17:30. In American Theatre Wing's Working in
the Theatre. November 2009.
122
123
124
125
126
Phone Interview with Aaron Coleman
!
Prowler
35
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
127
128
129
Five Reasons Its Time For Another Episode of Serialized Storytelling, A Plus March 17,
2015, http://aplus.com/a/five-reasons-it-s-time-for-another-episode-of-serialized-storytellingsxsw (accessed November 25, 2016).
130
131
132
133
Next to Normal: The Road to Broadway, 49:00. In American Theatre Wing's Working in
the Theatre. November 2009.
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
Next to Normal on Broadway, Next to Normal MashUp, YouTube 2010,

https://youtube.com/watch?v=n7n7mc86JtE (accessed November 1, 2016).
141
142
143
144
Prowler
36
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
145
146
147
148
149
150
November 1, 2016).
151
Andrew Adam Newman, Its Broadway Gone Viral, With a Musical Meted Out via Twitter,
New York Times 2009, http://nytimes.com/2009/08/17/technology/internet/17normal.html
152
November 1, 2016).
153
154
155
156
157
Email Interview with Jennie Mamary
158
Email Interview with Jennie Mamary
159
Email Interview with Patrick Catullo, Next to Normal Producer. Conducted November 8,
2016.
160
161
!
Prowler
37
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
162
163
164
Next to Normal - Awards, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadwayproduction/next-to-normal-483136#awards (accessed November 1, 2016).
165
November 1, 2016).
166
167
168
169
170
Tom Kitt, Whos Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I, Genius.com

http://genius.com/Tom-kitt-whos-crazy-my-psychopharmacologist-and-i-lyrics (accessed
November 1, 2016).
171
172
173
The Broadway League, Place of Residence, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience
2008-2009 (September 2009): 11.
174
175
176

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Next to Normal the Musical:

Portfolio Project Fall 2016

musical to sell in terms of straightforward entertainment, said Jessica Dacchille, Assistant

(Exhibit E) Alice is provocative as a performer, from an advertising standpoint, said Sean

Source: The Demographics of Broadway Audiences, 2008-2009, page 17

Source: The Demographics of Broadway Audiences, 2008-2009, page 42

Source: The Demographics of Broadway Audiences, 2008-2009, page 37

Source: The Demographics of Broadway Audiences, 2008-2009, page 40

Source: The Demographics of Broadway Audiences, 2008-2009, page 11

Next to Normal, Music Theatre International, http://mtishows.com/next-to-normal (accessed

Next to Normal, Music Theatre International, http://mtishows.com/next-to-normal (accessed

Next to Normal, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadway-production/nextto-normal-483136 (accessed November 1, 2016).

Next to Normal, Lortel Archives, http://lortel.org/Archives/Production/4658 (accessed

Next to Normal, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadway-production/nextto-normal-483136 (accessed November 1, 2016).

Next to Normal, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadway-production/nextto-normal-483136 (accessed November 1, 2016).

Next to Normal, StageGrade,

Search Past Winners 2009, Tony Awards,

The Pulitzer Prizes Drama, Pulitzer.org, http://pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/218

Chicago Awards, Internet Movie Database, http://imdb.com/title/tt0299658/awards

Broadway Grosses MAMMA MIA! Broadway World

Vault Seasons, Playbill, http://playbill.com/seasons (accessed November 1, 2016).

Vault Seasons Opened During the Season: 2008-2009, Playbill,

Vault Seasons Opened During the Season: 2008-2009, Playbill,

Pete Cashmore, MySpace, Americas Number One, Mashable 2006,

Facebook Expansion Enables More People to Connect with Friends in a Trusted

Chloe Albanesius, More Americans Go To Facebook than MySpace, PC Mag 2009,

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Internet use by age group worldwide as of November 2014, Statista 2014,

The Broadway League, Highest Level of Education Completed by Broadway Theatregoers

The Broadway League, Audience Spending, Broadways Economic Contribution to New

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Email Interview with Erin Soler

Vault Seasons, Playbill, http://playbill.com/seasons (accessed November 1, 2016).

In Person Interview with Jeremy Kraus

The Recession of 2007-2009, BLS Spotlight on Statistics (February 2012): 1

Broadway Season Statistics, BroadwayLeague.com,

Next to Normal, Internet Broadway Database, https://ibdb.com/broadway-production/nextto-normal-483136 (accessed November 1, 2016).

Elizabeth Weiss, To Flip a Flop, New Yorker 2014,

Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Email Interview with Jessica Dacchille

Email Interview with Jessica Dacchille

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo

Laurence Maslon, Broadway & The Rock Score, PBS.org,

Email Interview with Anli Kelly-Durham, theatregoer. Conducted November 7, 2016.

In Person Interview with Jeremy Kraus

Phone interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone interview with Barbara Whitman

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Phone Interview with Sean Pomposello

Email Interview with Jennie Mamary, Community Manager at Situation Interactive.

Email Interview with Jessica Dacchille

Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo

Phone Interview with Tom Lorenzo