|
CONFESSIONS OF A MERCHANDISEAHOLIC
LISA DAVIDSON admits her merchandise addiction - a common problem among musical theatre fans.
|
My name is Lisa and I am addicted to merchandise.
As the nice people at Forbidden Broadway so aptly put it in their song My Souvenir Things “It costs $100 to see the show and $100 to leave.” In the case of the most recent show I saw, the ticket cost me £55 and I left with the same again in merchandise. That doesn’t include the soundtrack and related books that have been purchased since.
I don’t know when this lunacy started but the now dizzying array of show merchandise in my house is quite something to see. The worst thing is that to write this I actually had to look it out, you see I don’t display the things I buy, and in fact I tend to forget I even own them. Sad, really.
Going to a show when I was little meant an ice cream and a programme if I was lucky but these days most shows have more merchandise on offer than the Disney store at Christmas. [Editor's Note: A lot of shows are Disney Stores!]. From programmes to t-shirts, pens, key rings, fridge magnets, bomber jackets, books and now even ornaments there’s something to suit everyone and I just can’t help myself. Currently languishing unloved in the loft I have souvenir programmes, about 5 different key rings, 7 different badges, innumerable t-shirts, pens, pencils, hats and actually on view I have a few framed posters and a glitter globe! As I type this I am also absent-mindedly pushing a scale model of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang up and down my desk! It’s madness. I really can’t account for the red mist that seems to take over and no matter how strong I try to be I always end up leaving with something. I should just hand over my credit card details at the door on my way in and be done with it, really.
Unusually in the last 6 months I have seen several musicals both in London and touring productions. As a show aimed at families I expected there to be a child-friendly range of merchandise at Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with “Chitty” available in 3 sizes and t-shirts in several colours but I did not expect “Truly Scrumptious” glow stick necklaces. They were cheap, tacky and most of them had broken by the interval judging by the queue of disgruntled parents. The equally irritating flashing badges were also popular it was more like going to a pantomime than a £40 a ticket musical, a fact further emphasised by the fact that the younger audience members yelled “They’re behind you!” when Jeremy and Jemima were hiding from the child catcher. I think flashing and glowing merchandise should sensibly be banned from all shows unless it is the Tweenies Live tour.
Traditionally the crown of King of theatre merchandise belonged to Cameron Mackintosh but the arrival of Disney on the theatrical scene in 1994, when they produced Beauty and the Beast, ended his reign because, in the words of Carly Simon “Nobody does it better” and it’s true, when it comes to merchandise Disney are in a league of their own. The Lion King and Mary Poppins are no exception to this rule. Both original films have their own range of merchandise and Disney have capitalised beautifully by creating all new ranges for the stage shows. In addition to the usual offering of t-shirts etc the Mary Poppins range includes the parrot umbrella, a Mary Poppins doll and a Routemaster bus while The Lion King range focuses on plush toys based on the head dresses used in the production and a Circle of Life musical water globe, of course. However, Disney aren’t the only big player in the merchandise stakes. As previously mentioned, Cameron Mackintosh, the Really Useful Group and now Universal Pictures are all big players in theatre on Broadway and in London and they all have products to sell.
Instead of half-hearted designs, theatre posters are once again becoming popular pieces of art that are often bought to be framed. Distinctive colours let you distinguish adverts at a glance and glossy websites continue the themes making an encompassing package that draws you in. Tickets carry the distinctive logos and colours imprinting in your mind an association with that show. Every show wants to be recognised as easily as the infamous golden arches of McDonald’s or the red and white of Coca-Cola.
As shows continue to become more commercial in their approach the size and number of the merchandise stalls also increase. One theatre I was in recently had no fewer than 6 large stalls as well as individuals selling items in the auditorium itself. Personally I don’t think this is a good thing. Unusual - and perhaps pointless - merchandise currently available in theatres across London include a singing goat hand puppet, boxer shorts, killer rabbit slippers, coconut shells, scented candles and don’t forget to pick up a key ring on the way out! I genuinely have no use for any of these products or a mug that doesn’t match any other in my kitchen or another blasted key ring however I continue to accumulate them. Thankfully I haven’t seen some of the shows offering the above merchandise, and I’ll let you know what I buy when I do, but I can’t seriously be the only victim of this need for merchandise or all the marketers in the world would be out of a job.
At the end of the day producers and companies want returns and the way to do this is to promote and merchandise your product like there’s no tomorrow. The CD single is a favourite tool of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s which he has famously used for Any Dream Will Do, Love Changes Everything and No Matter What. However, the success of the latter did somewhat backfire when Whistle down the Wind did not meet up to the promotional hype. The behind the scenes book is also increasing in popularity and has been used by Disney for The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast but you can find similar books for Rent, Wicked and We Will Rock You. This type of merchandise is extremely popular among fans and many judge new fans on the basis of whether they do or do not own such a book. (I wish I made that last sentence up but sadly it’s all true.) A great example of these books is The Grimmerie which accompanies Wicked. The attention to detail in the book is magnificent and it has been styled to within an inch of its life but it works perfectly passing itself off as an old spell book flawlessly fitting in with the expectations the fans have of such a book. Another rising star on the merchandise scene is behind the scenes DVDs such as the one made for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. By having a DVD that you can bring home suddenly the theatre experience is in your living room. (I know you can buy Cats etc on DVD but that’s a whole other article!!!) All of these types of merchandise welcome fans into the theatrical world by making it accessible and encourage them to join a club where the currency is knowledge about the production. As technology continues to advance so do the levels of fan interaction and a t-shirt does not cut the mustard anymore.
I have been told by fans of various shows “It’s not a hobby, it’s a way of life.” and the extensive merchandising that we see today is a continuation of that. They’re not buying the shirt to say they’ve been to the show; they’re buying the shirt to show the world they’re a part of the show. Now obviously I am talking on a grander scale than if you go and see the show once, I’m talking about regular attendance or multiple trips to see a particular show. It’s this type of fandom that helps build and sustain a brand; from Rentheads to Shizkids to Phans, they’re out there with their credit cards waiting for the next piece of merchandise to come out. Theatre is big business and big business means big merchandising because when ticket sales are slow you can still increase your profit margins with a few books and DVDs.
As for me, well I’m just a fan of musicals who just happens to be a serial merchandise purchaser, more commonly known as the marketers' dream. Now, which way to the shop?!
|
|
|
