When choosing shows for our season, I try to do as much research as possible. This includes having my finger on the pulse of what is being produced in New York– often those productions are recognized with Tony awards or Pulitzer Prizes and that is important to the marketing when we produce a season at Farmers Alley. The next step would be to read and listen to any shows that we are considering. Additionally, it is important for me to see as much theatre as I can. This ranges from Broadway, to Chicago, to regional theaters, and I also enjoy supporting other local theaters in Kalamazoo. On top of this, I value the opinions of my colleagues who are in leadership positions at other theaters. We even sometimes get suggestions from our audiences which I appreciate as I plan a season.
Seasons are typically planned about a year in advance, so sometime in the fall, I sit down with the play selection committee and we brainstorm titles. This committee consists of Robert Weiner, Kathy Mulay, Lee Buckholz, Bri Clements, Dwight Trice, and Beth Gilmore. I couldn’t do the work that I do without these people as my guiding light as we approach the shaping of our seasons. It is so important to get the opinions of others. Speaking of which, one of the main reasons that Theatre Kalamazoo– which consists of 10 local theaters– exists, is to go over each other’s seasons and make sure that there is no crossover. We want to make sure that the people who see theatre in Kalamazoo get a diverse range of shows to enjoy every year.
Moreover, when approaching a season, Farmers Alley has a bit of a formula. We usually do an opening musical that has broad appeal and will raise excitement for the rest of the season. Then, we usually do a holiday show, a couple of plays in February and April and then musicals in June and July. That formula, of course, can be changed, but that is typically what we start with. One notable exception is that every other year we do a collaborative production with The Gilmore Piano Festival in which we choose a play or a musical that is centered around a piano.
One thing that many people don’t realize is that the rights for shows aren’t always readily available; sometimes it takes a while for shows to reach our level after hitting Broadway. But, occasionally certain titles unexpectedly fall into our laps at just the right moment. For example, for season 17, I was able to obtain the licenses for “Jersey Boys” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”. Other times it is more difficult to obtain the rights to shows that will appeal to our audiences and fit into our mission.
Despite the difficulties that it takes to build a season, one thing I can say about Kalamazoo is that after almost 18 full seasons, our audiences trust that we will produce high-quality professional theatre, which we are eternally grateful for. They can rest assured that they will enjoy every show that appears on our stage.