Well, this is it! I finished my last day on the internship and am so grateful for everything I’ve learned. It’s been a busy week, but so worth it.

Thanks to all who helped make this internship possible, especially The Broadway League and ATPAM.

-DSM Erika

Tonight I worked with the Company Manager, Fred, again. Emily was out of the office, so Fred had double the work load. He’s a great multi-tasker and was able to answer all of my questions while he worked.

The show is leaving Texas tomorrow and heading to Tempe, Arizona. This meant a lot of visits from people wanting to double check on housing, transportation, and other information. I met so many cast and crew members, I can’t remember their names!

He talked me through some of the paper work he was doing and I added a few words to my vocabulary.

It was all routine for Fred, and all new to me.

FUN FACT: This month THE LION KING will reach $1 billion in gross sales. This makes it not only Broadway’s #1 musical now showing; it makes it Broadway’s #1 musical ever!

-DSM Erika

Another loooong but rewarding day!

It all started with the annual Road Market Forum with The Broadway League. As an intern for the League, I was invited to attend.

It was a day filled with power points and new faces. I learned about geo fencing, the correct way to email advertise, and heard several big ideas brainstormed. Who knows. Maybe one day, I’ll be back at this Forum not as an intern but as an employee and contributor.

After the Forum closed, I rushed back stage to meet with Production Stage Manager, Ken Davis, and his crew. I shadowed them backstage as they performed their cues for moving set pieces, overseeing quick changes, and all other technical sides to the show. There is always something going on backstage and it takes a lot of stage hands and dressers to make sure that the show runs smoothly. You definitely need to be quick on your toes as a stage hand and always alert or you might get run over by Pride Rock.

FUN FACT: THE LION KING always has six South Africans cast in the show. This ensures that the dialect used by the character Rafiki as well as several musical numbers are authentic.

-DSM Erika

This was a day FULL of interviews. I shadowed Gregory Hanoian who is the publicist for this tour of Disney’s THE LION KING. He had flown out a TV personality to shoot some material for THE LION KING’S upcoming shows in Arizona.

With my background in Communications, the job of a publicist is very appealing to me. I love well planned schedules that are full of excitement, and that describes how the day went…full and exciting. Gregory said that with a show as diverse as THE LION KING there were a number of interviews he could have set up. There are so many angles to this show, that even when it returns to a city (like Dallas) for the second or third time it can still create a buzz.

Thanks to Destry Jetton of Channel 12 News in Arizona for letting me watch all of her interviews take place.

FUN FACT: Nia Holloway, who plays Nala, is only 18! As a senior in high school, Nia travels with a private tutor so she can complete her studies.

-DSM Erika

Yesterday I had my first day on the “job” while shadowing the company manager and assistant manager of Disney’s THE LION KING. Fred Hemminger, the company manager of the show, said his job is very similar to HR. He takes care of things outside the performances including, housing for cast and crew, flight plans, payroll, and worker’s compensation. He also reports ticket sales to New York, and works with venues on contract agreements. Basically, it’s a lot of paper work to juggle while traveling across the country.

Watch the video to learn about why Fred decided to become a company manager.

FUN FACT: One of the terms of agreement when contracting a venue is that THE LION KING must have access to three on-site washer and dryers. All of them are used daily!

-DSM Erika

-DSM Erika

Every fall, we attend a conference hosted by the Broadway League just for the marketing professionals in each Touring Broadway market of whom are Broadway League members. A different venue/presenter will host the conference every year, and this year we were in Hartford, CT at The Bushnell. (It’s so beautiful, so if you’re ever up there, make sure you stop by!)

I wanted to share with you my experience, and what I’ve taken from this conference. The best part about it all is that we get to talk to other people from all over the country who do what we do – marketing for touring Broadway. We can swap stories, experiences, and, the best part, ideas. We also take part in a series of sessions with topics that are relevant to marketing in the touring cities. Hot topics this year were social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), ticket scalpers/online brokers, community involvement, audience education, and more! My hand even started cramping while I was writing notes, because the information we get at these conferences is so valuable and relevant, you don’t want to miss anything!

Why do we go to these conferences? To better your experience at our theater, of course! 😉 We are striving to do things better, differently, more efficient, and effectively to make sure you, the patron, have the best experience before, during, and after your performance. We know we live in an ever-changing, fast pace world, and we want to be as up-to-date and effective as possible while giving you the theater experience you want!

So, why am I relaying all of this to you? Well, I want to hear from you! What are the experiences that you want to have when you come to the theater? What do you wish we would do differently before, during, and after your visit? For what are you thankful that we already do? LET US KNOW! We really do want to hear from you – it helps us make your experience better and more memorable. Just leave a comment below! Don’t want to leave a comment? Just e-mail us here.

I’m so excited about the new and exciting things we’re planning for our 2013 Season! We hope you will join us!

Have a great week!

DSM Amanda

Dallas, TX…Michael A. Jenkins, President and Managing Director of Dallas Summer Musicals, received the prestigious Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Manager (Samuel J. L’Hommedieu) Award at the Broadway League’s 2011 Spring Road Conference held in NYC last week.

Under his leadership, Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) has produced or invested in 123 Broadway productions, and presented 438 national tours. Jenkins is a leader in his community, founding programs that bring Broadway and the arts to special needs and at-risk youth in the Dallas area.

Executive Director of The Broadway League Charlotte St. Martin presented the award to Jenkins for demonstrating excellence in management. Honorees of the Broadway League Awards, honoring excellence and achievement for Touring Broadway, were greeted by George Hamilton at the opening session of the Spring Road Conference.

The Broadway League is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. Members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters and general managers in New York and more than 250 other North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to more than 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U. S. and Canada.

As a nonprofit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to bring the Best of Broadway to Dallas at affordable ticket prices, as well as to preserve the beautiful historic theater, educate young audiences and create important community programs. DSM’s Seats for Kids program provides a meaningful arts education experience to thousands of low income, at-risk and special needs children. DSM provides positive incentives for youth that are at risk for gang membership through the Stage Right program. In addition, the Dallas Summer Musicals Academy of Performing Arts offers professional theater arts training and scholarships to talented students in need. Ticket sales alone do not sustain these endeavors. Only support from committed businesses, foundations and individuals make these programs possible.

Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, and Texas Instruments. For more information about DSM, visit their website at www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678.

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For media information or to schedule an interview, please call Jo Ann Holt at 469-363-7371, or email joannholt@gmail.com.