BWW Blog: Clarissa Moon - THEatre ACCELERATOR Part 3: How to Pitch a Musical

This is the third post in my series about Apples and Oranges Studios' THEatre ACCELERATOR. THEatre ACCELERATOR utilizes new technology to develop musicals in a unique way. For a full explanation of THEatre ACCELERATOR, see my first post here.

At the end of week one, participants of THEatre ACCELERATOR practiced pitching their shows. They had to create a pitch deck--a brief presentation (usually a PowerPoint) for potential investors. But what should be included in the pitch deck for a musical? Here's what founder Tim Kashani said:

1. A strong opening. Convey the emotional message (the theme) of your show.

2. "In a world..." Set up your story--the world, the plot.

3. Product-market fit. Who would be interested in seeing your show? This can be very specific, like people who work for tech companies like Google and YouTube.

4. Visual collateral. This could be a mood board, pictures, or a wireframe website--something to give the feel of the show.

5. Influencers. Who are you going to contact to bridge you to your audience? Influencers can be celebrities, companies, bloggers--just about anyone who can reach your audience.

6. Growth hacking. How are you going to engage people during the life cycle of your show to spread word of mouth? Are you going to have an invited audience at a reading? Are you going to do a two week run open to the public?

7. Your vision for 2017. What does a successful 2017 look like to you? For example, you might want to do a staged reading this year, or get a certain amount of investments.

8. Key performance indicators. How will you measure the growth of your show? This could be a number of things--ticket revenue, how much audience members relate to your characters, or even how many likes you have on your show's Facebook page.

9. Your ask. What do you want from the people you are pitching to? This could be money, supporters, guidance; anything. Be specific with your ask. The more specific you are, the easier it is to get help. Don't be shy!

Tim also told creators to make their pitch unique, and to let it reflect them and their shows. The creators of each of the five shows in the ACCELERATOR have been working incredibly hard over the past few weeks. Their final pitch on Feb. 17 will be livestreamed on the Apples and Oranges Studios Facebook page! Make sure to tune in here.

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