TABOO - Marketing

[veraclaythorne2]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing some research into TABOO and other shows of the time, and curious about whether there was a heavy push for online/digital marketing of that musical. I've seen it mentioned in articles that Rosie eschewed "normal" methods in favor of things like e-mail, but I've found no specifics. In addition, I was hoping to look at the Taboo website via the Wayback Machine, but no joy.

Thought I'd check in and see if anyone had more details/memories about TABOO's online presence, and how that brought in/alienated audiences...while I search this board's posts from 14 years ago (and wait for my e-mails and calls to be answered)!

Thank you!

 

 

[stepintime2]

Were would have the digital marketing taken place besides e-mail? Myspace?

[perfectliar]

Here's a thread that mentions the marketing as a problem, but other than running ads on sites like this one that were likely the same as their print ads, I don't personally remember much about Taboo's online presence. That was prior to social media, at least as we know it (MySpace, to answer another poster, was founded right around this same time but was still a little while away from being super popular).

https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=873497

[mattyp4]

I don't remember much of an digital marketing strategy since social media was essentially in its infancy stage. I was on MySpace and Friendster at the time but don't recall any particular push from Taboo.

If memory serves me right I don't think they offered any discounts during its run, which I found annoying. I was 22 at the time and couldn't afford to see Broadway shows at full price. They seemed to be going after a young audience and I thought it was unwise for them not to offer discounts. They essentially priced out their target audience. (They may have had a rush policy but I never bothered with that since I worked in production and never had the time.) It was right around the time I signed up for TDF. I want to see I was signed up at the time and it never made its way on there but I could be wrong.

I finally ended up paying full price for a balcony seat but it was the night before they announced a closing notice-- they apparently notified the cast the night I was there and the curtain was about half-hour late, with no explanation. Then Boy George's understudy went on. (I mean the actual Boy George-- we saw an understudy play Leigh Bowery that night, but there was no prior announcement.) Being a Boy George fan I wasn't particularly happy about that, but on the other hand the show was really great-- it was much better than I anticipated. (I anticipated it being a POS but I found it engaging and quite moving. I still listen to the score.)

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

If I didn't go out of my way to take a chance and buy the cast recording, I would not have known anything about the music of this show, which I consider to be one of my favorite Broadway scores. I think a lot of people were confused as to what sort of show this was, some even thought it was a Culture Club/Boy George jukebox musical at the time. I also think the 80s weren't completely back in when the show came out in around 2003-2004. It seemed the whole 80s nostalgia hit big a few years later. I don't know how they could have corrected it, but I honestly I think a lot of people had no idea what this show was really about and what the music really sounded like. 

[Sorry-Grateful]

You should watch the documentary ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway. It follows Taboo from rehearsal to opening and there's interviews with the creatives who talk about stuff like their marketing strategy.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShowBusiness:_The_Road_to_Broadway

[mattyp4]

ShowBusiness is a great doc.

I too was surprised by the strength of the score, which I sort of alluded to in my post. I went into Taboo with preconceived notions of it being a total turkey based on all the bad press it got, but I was genuinely surprised at how moving it was. I thought it was a great show-- slightly flawed-- with a really strong score. But it got a totally bad rap in the press. Critics and gossip columnists were dishing about this show with such glee, it probably turned a lot of people away. Too bad. I'm really glad they recorded the score though.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

mattyp4 said: "ShowBusiness is a great doc.

I too was surprised by the strength of the score, which I sort of alluded to in my post. I went into Taboo with preconceived notions of it being a total turkey based on all the bad press it got, but I was genuinely surprised at how moving it was. I thought it was a great show-- slightly flawed-- with a really strong score. But it got a totally bad rap in the press. Critics and gossip columnists were dishing about this show with such glee, it probably turned a lot of people away. Too bad. I'm really glad they recorded the score though."

Exactly. At the time, it seemed like this show was only known for all the behind-the-scenes drama and being a mess all-around. I think if that's all one really hears about a show, then people won't get to know the actual show which really killed any momentum it could have had.

[everythingtaboo]

mattyp4, you should have waved hello to me, I was at the show for my birthday that night. I'd seen the show several times before and was wondering why the curtain was late. When I got home I saw they told the cast that night. I think Bob Gaynor was on that night, and his Ich Bin Kunst was the most blazing I'd ever seen it.

 

I agree about the lack of discounting, it was embarrassing. I was lucky to have some connections to see the show a few times free, but I paid full price for the rest, and it hurt my wallet bad. I could never tell if they wanted to go for the youth market, or the former 80s kids, who maybe a couple of decades later would have some middle-age disposable income.

 

Sometimes I wonder if the show was ahead of his time, now that Hollywood and the public is stuck in nostalgia mode. Maybe it's time for a revival or an HBO movie adaptation! 

[mattyp4]

everythingtaboo said: "mattyp4, you should have waved hello to me, I was at the show for my birthday that night. I'd seen the show several times before and was wondering why the curtain was late. When I got home I saw they told the cast that night. I think Bob Gaynor was on that night, and his Ich Bin Kunst was the most blazing I'd ever seen it.


I agree about the lack of discounting, it was embarrassing. I was lucky to have some connections to see the show a few times free, but I paid full price for the rest, and it hurt my wallet bad. I could never tell if they wanted to go for the youth market, or the former 80s kids, who maybe a couple of decades later would have some middle-age disposable income.

Sometimes I wonder if the show was ahead of his time, now that Hollywood and the public is stuck in nostalgia mode. Maybe it's time for a revival or an HBO movie adaptation!"

Ohhh interesting! Yeah I didn't realize that was not Boy George (or George O'Dowd) playing Leigh Bowery until halfway through the first act, since there was no announcement (and I was way up in the balcony). I remember him being fine but I was just a little sore at missing George. But from someone who has seen both performers, I'm glad to hear he got your seal of approval!

I thought 80's nostalgia was definitely a thing in 2003/2004. I just think the marketing campaign for Taboo wasn't great. And again, the bad press about backstage drama killed it.

Not sure if a movie adaptation is the right fit, nor a full-blown revival, but maybe an Encores presentation?

[veraclaythorne2]

Thank you all for responding! I will check out the documentary. 

I absolutely love the score, and I'm very sorry I missed this the first time around. It seems absurd that there was no discounting - I can't imagine the thought process there!

I've really enjoyed reading these responses. Thanks again!

 

[devonian.t]

I know it from its London days and the project was always muddled- and saddled with a deeply incapable director who couldn't shape the disparate parts.  As a result, it never knew entirely what it was and the marketing campaign couldn't sell it.  I'm sure if it had been a simple jukebox musical, it would have been commercially successful, but at its core was a fantastic score and a tragic true story which did not have commercial appeal back then.

Digital media were completely in their infancy- I remember receiving a dvd-r as part of the promo campaign!  But Rent had managed it so there was no real excuse with a better focused and more experienced producing team.