There are a countless number of people come together, performing a vast array of jobs, to make any show happen – writers, directors, actors, musicians, designers, producers, stagehands, press agents, accountants, general managers, box office workers, etc. However, on the ground in Chicago, there is a very small but mighty team that fulfills the marketing dreams and desires of every show on the Broadway In Chicago calendar.
I polled the office to identify some of our marketing staff’s strangest and most memorable assignments from recent engagements and here is what they said:
1. JERSEY BOYS: Located and dressed a headless mannequin for a mall display
2. DIRTY DANCING: Wrangled over 80 watermelons for a launch event
3. MAMMA MIA!: Customized over 10,000 individually-wrapped wedding bubbles with a special offer tag
4. HAIRSPRAY: Found and purchased 20 blue wigs for the Chicago Children’s Choir performance on the Thanksgiving Day parade
5. GAY PRIDE PARADE: Hired and costumed drag queens and kings for the Broadway In Chicago float
6. XANADU: Found roller skates and practiced skating around the office for the launch event
7. MARY POPPINS: Located and purchased over 2,000 pieces of biscotti early in the morning for a launch event
8. TASTE OF CHICAGO: 20 team members handed out over 10,000 pieces of promotional merchandise in less than 30 minutes
9. WICKED: Judged who was “green enough” to be eligible to earn tickets for the first, second and third anniversary 365 Witches event
10. JERSEY BOYS: Hosted a pizza party for over 5,000 people at multiple locations around the city to celebrate the one year anniversary
Of course, this is just a sampling of what our staff accomplishes every day, but I cannot think of many more jobs that require such versatility, flexibility and a sense of humor. When we all wake up in the morning and come to work, we have no idea what is going to transpire in the coming day, but it is sure not to be ordinary or mundane and will certainly not go as planned. Whatever it may be, the Broadway In Chicago marketing team is ready to do anything for our shows!
-Andrew Damer, Marketing Director
