Many upcoming Broadway shows have a pitch deck packet with information for prospective investors and producers to review. The packet often contains information about the upcoming production to help an investor decide whether the investment is right for them.

​

I’ve seen many different investment packets over the years and the more professional ones are fairly consistent. If you are looking to develop a pitch deck, look at some samples if you can find them. They are relatively hard to find, as they are usually confidential and not public information. This is one reason to associate with an experienced producer or creative team who can help guide you through the process.

​

The pitch deck can make a big difference in whether an investor chooses to invest in a show. Presentation matters. It doesn’t have to list everything, but as an investor I like to see things that make sense to me.

​

Tell Me About The Show

Most pitches I’ve seen will tell me everything I need to know about the show in a paragraph or two. I don’t want to know the surprise ending, but tell us what the show is about. This helps to figure out the audience the show might attract, and the overall concept of the show.

​

Tell Me Who Is Involved

The pitch deck generally tells who is on the creative team. It may list the composer, producer, writer, director, casting agent, music director, set designer, and more, or it may be more limited. It generally contains bios for each, as many investors may not be familiar with these people.

​

Tell Me About The Show’s History

A pitch deck may contain information about the show’s development. This is where you can give a history on the show’s road to success. Think of it as showing off its trajectory. Something like: the show was written and developed for 2 years, then had 3 industry readings, then a developmental lab, then was performed at an ASCAP workshop, then at a theater festival at University of Michigan, then had an out of town tryout in Chicago, and is now slated for Broadway. By showing the history of the show’s development, it shows that it has been perfected over time. This history does not necessarily mean it will be successful, but it does show that it has been worked out for some time.

​

Tell Me What Others Think

If a show has already been performed and received any media attention or even social media response, it may be helpful to include this in a pitch. If there was a lot of positive buzz out of town, this could help with continued buzz moving to Broadway. Be More Chill is a great example of pre-Broadway buzz (DISCLAIMER: I am an investor in the show). The cast album of Be More Chill has already passed 100 million streams in the United States. This is a good piece of information to include in a pitch packet. If the show got rave reviews, it is nice to see some quotes to positive news articles included in the pitch.

​

​