Broadway Archives - Webconsuls

How do you combat the bad reviews?

Tuesday October 27, 2009

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Most of us have used the opinions of strangers to guide us. Maybe we crossed a movie off a list because we saw a bad review on television or went to a new restaurant based on a review we read in the newspaper. The Internet lets us all be reviewers and almost anything can be reviewed. You can rate books on amazon.com, local businesses on yelp.com and DUI attorneys at gotdui.com. And you can use those sites, and countless others to help you chose a book, a restaurant, or a lawyer.

Of course, any review is subjective. For example, The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown’s latest book, has over 1400 reviews, almost 500 of which are positive and about 650 are negative. Also, the quality of service at any business can vary. So before trusting a review, read carefully.

If you own a business, you need to understand that your next customer might review his or her experience on the Internet. Just as bad reviews in the New York press can doom a Broadway show, then a bad report can seriously hurt a business.

How do you combat the bad reviews? The first thing to do is to try to not get them. Be on top of game as much as possible. If you see that a customer is dissatisfied, try to find out why and do something to satisfy them. Be honest in your advertising so that customers don’t expect one thing and get another.

The second thing is to try to get good reviews. Encourage your satisfied customers. Publicize your good reviews and their sources.

Here are ten other things you should consider.

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Today Senator Ted Kennedy will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, close to two of his brothers. I never lived in Massachusetts, so Senator Kennedy was never my senator, but I do think that for the last 47 years he really was a senator for all of us. If you are unfamiliar with his legislative efforts, you might be surprised to know that Kennedy played a major role in Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, National Cancer Act of 1971, Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, or COBRA, Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, Civil Rights Act of 1991, Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, to name a few. But today’s blog really isn’t about Mr. Kennedy’s legislative accomplishments, it is more about my wanting to say: “Thank you, Senator Kennedy, for keeping the dream alive!”

I never met Senator Ted Kennedy, but I wish I had. I did not meet President Kennedy, but I did have the privilege of meeting and hosting his son, John F. Kennedy, Jr., at our inn in March 1991. I did not personally meet Senator Bobby Kennedy, but I did attend an event for him (sitting in the second row) on June 5, 1968, in a large ballroom at the San Diego El Cortez Hotel, the evening before he was assassinated after winning the California Democratic Primary. In the Spring of 1988 Dennis and I traveled to Washington, D.C., and of course visited Arlington National Cemetery, viewing the eternal flame and visiting the grave-sites for President Kennedy and Senator Bobby Kennedy, as well. And you know from last week’s blog post, we went to Cape Cod in April 1991, and we actually went to Hyannis Port to see the Kennedy compound.

These personal anecdotes aside, as an adult I always felt reassured that Ted Kennedy was in the U.S. Senate looking out for all of us. I will miss his humanity, his vigor, his moving speeches and his dedication.

I learned yesterday that his favorite song was “The Impossible Dream” from The Man of La Mancha, and performances at his Celebration of Life Service included, “The Impossible Dream,” sung by Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell.**

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong

To love pure and chaste from afar

To try when your arms are too weary

To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest

To follow that star

No matter how hopeless

No matter how far

To fight for the right

Without question or pause

To be willing to march into Hell

For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true

To this glorious quest

That my heart will lie peaceful and calm

When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this

That one man, scorned and covered with scars

Still strove with his last ounce of courage

To reach the unreachable star

My heart is heavy today. May Mr. Kennedy be peaceful and calm as we lay him to rest.

**Brian Stokes Mitchell performs “The Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha” on 28 Sep 2008 at the Salt Lake City convention center, accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Brian won the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for “Kiss Me, Kate” in 1999. He was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for “Ragtime” in 1998 and “Man of La Mancha” in 2002, and for Best Actor in a Play for “King Hedley II” in 2001.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Dan “Waiting for Godot”

Broadway has a life of its own and is a magical place to be! As you may already know, I saw Waiting for Godot on Broadway and it was quite the adventure. Waiting for Godot is not a play for everyone; it’s a drama where the actors drag you into a world where time is obscured. By the end of it you can not but feel mentally exhausted as you take a deep breath outside of the theater and you ask yourself, “what just happened?”

I had read Waiting for Godot several times as well as many other Beckett plays. It was hard to not go to the play with out certain expectations regarding how it would be. I will say that the play was marvelous and kept me entertained the whole way through. Godot is a “tragicomedy” in two acts which on the surface will make you laugh, but, underneath the surface is a world of despair that deals with deep philosophical questions that all people deal with whether they are cognizant of it or not. It was an amazing experience, perhaps once in a life time, the crowd we sat with was the who’s who; writers and actors, and such. I am convinced that my friend Josh and I had the best seats in the house, 8 rows back and dead center, we didn’t have to look up and we didn’t have to look down – we looked the actors right in the eye.

I do want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped me have such a great experience. Angela DeCicco and Matt Stern helped me get the great tickets which as I already stated were the best in the house. Beverly Brennan made it possible for Josh and me to go back stage and meet some of the actors and get a tour of the stage. I have been backstage before, but, something about this was very special and a memory I hold on to dearly. Most of all I would like to thank my folks, for without them these friends would not be a part of my life and I’m sure last week’s experience would not have been the same.

“Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late!” – Beckett

P.S. Happy Birthday Dick Fay

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Last night your Sunday blogger, Dan, was literally Waiting for Godot on Broadway. Since Dan is traveling today, sans laptop, he asked me to post a blog for him. You may remember reading Dan’s May 24, 2009 post Waiting for Godot is Back on Broadway. In that post Dan reported that he was able to get tickets to last night’s performance of Waiting for Godot and he was beside himself with anticipation. After all, Dan was going to see this Tony nominated production with Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman, and John Glover.

I am sure Dan will want to write his own review of this production, so I will take this opportunity to tell the sidebar story of how our Facebook friends played a “role” in Dan’s ultimate adventure last evening.

When Dan first discovered that Waiting for Godot was playing on Broadway he went on line to see if and when he could secure tickets. It appeared that the only seats available at Studio 54 for the time frame that Dan could be in New York City were in the back side aisles. So Dennis suggested that we call Angela DeCicco, our longtime friend since 1992 and Facebook friend. I called Angela and asked her if she was familiar with the seating at Studio 54. She asked us why we wanted to know and when we told her that Dan was trying to get tickets for Waiting for Godot, she said “Don’t worry. Tell me when you want to go and I will have Matt (her husband) order “house seats” for you.” For those of you not familiar with the term “house seats”, they are ‘not available through the box office. “House seats” are some of the best seats in the theater, set aside for use by cast members, producers, the creative team, and others directly involved in the production.’ Keep in mind, these seats are not free of charge, you pay regular price, but they are the best seats in the house and Matt Stern (Angela’s husband is a well respected Stage Manager on Broadway) secured these seats for Dan! Just for fun, here is a photo of Dan with Angela taken on Broadway April 1997, when Angela was starring in the Broadway production of Les Miz.

But back to Facebook…a couple of weeks ago I reconnected with a friend through Facebook, Beverly Brennan. She in fact is also a mutual friend with Angela. Beverly contacted me last week to say she had just read on Facebook that Dan was going to the city to see Waiting for Godot. She reminded me that she now works for ON Location Education and she tutored the two little boys who play the part of BOY in Waiting for Godot. I asked Beverly if there were anyway she could arrange for Dan to be able to go back stage after the performance. Beverly sent an email to the stage manager, but didn’t hear back. So last evening when the production ended, Daniel made his way to the stage door and waited. The door opened, a gentleman asked Daniel if he could be of help and Dan said something to this effect: “I am a friend of Beverly Brennan, the tutor for Matthew Schechter, and I am wondering if I can say hello to Matthew.” The gentleman asked for Dan’s name and said he would be back in a few minutes. The next thing Daniel knew he was backstage being introduced to Matthew Schechter and his parents. Matthew gave Dan a tour of the stage, introduced him to Bill Irwin and John Glover. All in all, quite a night for Dan and his friend, Josh.

Now if all this isn’t enough excitement…last evening I casually asked Daniel how were the “house seats”? He calmly replied, “They were perfect, Row H, dead center…and by the way I was seated right next to Harrison Ford!”

I have said it before, Broadway is filled with magic and the unexpected! Comments, anyone?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In 2002 a professor of mine introduced me to a play that would forever have an impact on my life. A play that embodied the trials, tribulations, and monotony of life in a rather funny manner. After the first reading I sat there confused and to a certain degree drained, even though it is a short read. I read Waiting for Godot over and over, until I was sure that I was not missing something. Waiting for Godot sunk its teeth into me and still, to this day, has not let go!

Just the other day I found out something that made me very happy! After 50 years Waiting for Godot is back on Broadway. Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett which became renowned as a existential masterpiece. It never did well in the theaters but it became required reading at most colleges.

I never thought that I would have the opportunity to see Waiting for Godot on Broadway, which upset me very much. Now that it is back on Broadway I have the chance that I have been waiting for. On July 11th, my dream will come true! So let’s just say I am pretty excited and I am looking forward to this with great anticipation.

“Two-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin, Golden Globe winner John Goodman and Tony Award winner John Glover star in Samuel Beckett’s cryptic and comical play, Waiting for Godot, directed by Tony Award winner Anthony Page.”

Reading Time: 6 minutes

The lights on Broadway were dimmed twice this week to honor and remember two award winning actors, Ron Silver and Natasha Richardson. Don’t jump to conclusions…I didn’t know either Ron Silver or Natasha Richardson, but their work touched our lives and now sadly their untimely deaths do as well.

Live theatre is just that…live and filled with the unexpected. The actor that becomes ill, the lights that don’t work, the sound system that fails, every production is just slightly different and that is the magic that is ours to keep when the lights go down and places are called.

My theatre experience, albeit limited, has always been from the production side of the house, serving on boards for summer stock theatre or for California State University Long Beach’s Cal Rep. But this experience taught me that you just never know who you may one day see on Broadway. From 1992 through 1997 I watched young actors travel to New Hampshire to spend the summer months performing for the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company (MWVTC). And as the years went by it was wonderful to watch some of these actors eventually act on Broadway…Steven Rosen (Spamalot), Ken Kantor (Guys and Dolls, Forum…and still today in Phantom of the Opera) Scott Davidson (Hairspray), Angela DeCicco (Les Miserables), Matthew Aibel (Candide).

In August 1998 we traveled to New York city for a memorial service for Dennis’ Aunt Beatie (Beatrice Helfand Cantor). While we were in the city Aaron and Dan asked if we could get tickets to see one of their favorite musicals, Cabaret. (Dennis played the role of Max, owner of the Kit Kat Club in MWVTC’s 1995 production of Cabaret.) The revival of Cabaret had opened on Broadway to rave reviews in early 1998 starring Natasha Richardson as Sally Bowles. Sadly we could not get tickets as the show was temporarily closed on July 21, 1998, when a temporary elevator tower across the street from the venue had collapsed causing the production to be shut down. As I said, the unexpected is part of the “magic of live theatre!” Aaron and Dan were disappointed, but we did purchase a copy of the Cabaret production poster…and this week I stood in our home and stared at this poster remembering Natasha Richardson…in her Tony Award winning role as Sally Bowles. The Sally Bowles we didn’t get to see on Broadway, because of the unexpected!

So this Saturday morning I dedicate this post to those unexpected life events that somehow touch each of us. I thank Ron Silver and Natasha Richardson for sharing their lives and talent. I will remember Ron Silver as the crazy neighbor who lived downstairs from Rhoda from 1976-1978 or as Bruno Gianelli in West Wing and I will remember Natasha Richardson in Nell, The Parent Trap, Cabaret and Maid in Manhattan.

The lights go down, places are called and life happens all around us, including the unexpected magic and sadness. Enjoy listening to Liza Minnelli as she performs Maybe This Time from CABARET. Your thoughts?

Reading Time: 12 minutes

Webconsuls’ Blog:* “A web marketing, informational resource for Webconsuls’ clients”

Since Dick and Dennis formed Webconsuls in 1999, our basic premise has been that successful web marketing is a collaborative effort between the SEO / Internet marketing firm and the web site owner. That remains as true today as then. The most successful Internet marketers are informed, innovative and opportunistic. They always seem to know what is going on, what is available, what works, what to avoid and “what is going to be hot or trendy.” In short, they read, evaluate and observe.

As part of our social marketing “lift-off,” we posted a Webconsuls Blog. We hope that it becomes a valuable knowledge source for you. Here you will find an easy to use index, a list of contributors, previous post titles and a growing collection of content information is now available. There are links to articles and resources, videos, podcasts, how-to instructions and much more. Do you want to see your vacation property from space, learn how to have your property, along with images you choose, indexed on Google “Free?” Bookmark Webconsuls Blog. Using our “social buttons,” you can offer comments, offer feedback, post questions or requests, learn what others are doing. Almost assuredly, you will have an opportunity to keep your competition “wondering, defensive and apprehensive” about your next web innovation or marketing strategy. * Clients who participate in our Social Marketing Programs also have access to a “Webconsuls training blog,” from Darin and Lisa, containing outstanding “how to guides and tips. Keith Hansen, Pay-per-Click (PPC) Specialist joins Webconsuls: Many of you participate in PPC campaigns, most often through Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing. Those who do will know that during 2007, Yahoo has revamped its entire PPC Program; the result is that now, both Google and Yahoo offer very similar programs. PPC is a quick way to establish keywords on the major Engines and Directories. It is most effective when organic positioning for targeted keywords has not occurred. These bidding systems are sophisticated; for the novice, participation can be a very expensive lesson, with little or no return.

Over the past three years Dennis had been working with Keith Hansen, a Yahoo “Gold Level” management representative” assigned to Webconsuls. Yahoo provided Keith with extensive training in bidding systems, bidding theory, Campaign management, conversions and many other topics. He knows the Yahoo Search Marketing system well; given the similarities with Google, his expertise extends to Adwords and other systems as well. He is experienced and knows most “nuances and bidding strategies “from the inside.”

In June, Dennis learned that Keith left Yahoo to work on his own supporting commercial clients in setting up, administering and managing PPC Campaigns. After a few discussions, Keith has come on board with Webconsuls and he is now representing a number of our PPC Clients. Given his knowledge of this field, we believe that he will be a tremendous asset for our clients in this very competitive arena. If you have been considering PPC, now is your best window of opportunity. Contact Dennis, Dick or Judy for details. Domain Aging /Maturity: It appears that Google is presently giving a lot of weight to the age of a domain and disproportionately so. While Domain age can be used as a factor in determining how solid a company or site is, there are many newer sites providing some great information and innovative ideas. Many newer sites were “downgraded” in the last Google update.

For those with relatively new Domains, registered in the past year or two, the quickest way to remove the “Google Sandbox” penalty is to target inbound links from highly ranked, relevant web sites. We believe that Webconsuls’ link popularity program has been one of those effective tools, as we have seen a number of sites with brand new Domains achieve excellent keyword ranking for target keywords rather quickly. Domain Hijacking and Copyright Takedown Notices: There has been a great deal of “Domain Hijacking” recently and the problem seems to be getting bigger. A number of our clients have experienced persons and firms (often through Nameking.com) buying up similar domain names and thereafter launching their own web sites. Subsequently, persons searching on the company name, more often than not, may land on the fictitious site. While there are no “absolutely foolproof” protections, the best way to thwart these attempts is to:

Purchase (for a minimum of five years and free-park) a variety of Domains relating to your name. For example, mycompany.com, should also consider registering the following: mycompany.org and /or mycompany.mobi
Register your Trademark /Servicemark with the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO.com). Federal protections are always important. Webconsuls can assist you in both of these areas.
Use the Internet to learn about protections available to you or laws already on the books.

Unfortunately, there is no certainty that one will prevail and the legal fees can become prohibitive. If a person desperately needed to drop a competitor out of a top position, it could engage in a legal action that requires Google to drop the ranking “for a period of time,” based on copyright infringement. Here is where you can submit a copyright infringement notice to Google.

Recent Web Sites Designed:

TheatreZone	Naples, FL	theatrezone-florida.com
UCLA’s Division of Interventional Neuroradiology	Westwood, CA	aneurysm-stroke.com
Marco Polo Italian Eatery	Newport Beach, CA	Marcopolonewportbeach.com

New Clients: Lodge at Moosehead Lake Lodgeatmooseheadlake.com Dennis and Linda Bortis,

New Owners /Innkeepers, Greenville ME Whiteside Manor whitesidemanor.com Ron Vervick

Executive Director Fastrak Bail Bonds, Inc forbail.com Michael Fidelis, President Congratulations: Len and Alice Shiller stockbridgeinn.com The Inn at Stockbridge was selected by Kraft Foods’ Post Selects Cereal as the host location for its recently launched national sweepstakes: The Post Selects Bed and Breakfast Getaway. The sweepstakes features a 3-day/2-night Bed and Breakfast Getaway along with the opportunity to meet celebrity chef Sara Moulton and participate in an exclusive cooking demonstration. The sweepstakes runs through September 13, 2007 and is open to U.S. Residents who are 21 years of age or older. To find out more, visit www.PostSelectsSweepstakes.com or The Inn at Stockbridge website at www.stockbridgeinn.com.

Post Script… Lately we have talked to you about the latest ways to get new visitors to your site, like adding a blog or video to your site. So as we end this newsletter we invite you to read some of our clients’ blogs. By reading these blogs you get to learn more about the area, the owners, and even the services offered by our clients. So if you have a few spare minutes check out: www.lodgeatmooseheadlake.com/blog www.captainlordmansion.com/blog www.stockbridgeinn.com/blog www.visionsteen.com/blog www.morningsiderecovery.com/blog www.paradiserecovery.com/blog Videos of interest: Nationally known Dr. Daniel Headrick of Pacific Coast Recovery Center was interviewed by HBO Real Sports ~ “Playing with Pain”. And in closing, take a walk down memory lane and listen to Dennis playing the piano… http://webconsuls.com/blog/2007/07/dennis-helfand-broadway-and-film-piano.html

Talk to you soon,

Dick, Dennis, and Judy

Reading Time: 7 minutes

From 1986 – 1997, my wife Judy and I, along with our two sons Aaron and Daniel, owned and operated a New Hampshire bed and breakfast inn, Cranmore Mountain Lodge, in the White Mountains. During the evenings, I would often play piano and over time, these “mini-concerts” became a regular inn “feature.” If I were not at the piano after dinner, the lobby Innkeeper buzzer would usually be pressed by 8 PM and I knew exactly what that meant.

The guests seemed to prefer the music of Broadway, the big shows, like Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Man of La Mancha, Cats, Fiddler on the Roof and others. Scores from popular films or background music such as Love Story, Unchained Melody, the Godfather (Speak Softly Love) and romantic ballads were always requested. Eventually I recorded a tape cassette and when CDs were introduced, I recorded and offered CD s for sale as well.

Daniel, Dennis, Judy and Aaron, circa 1992

The setting was a beautiful common room with fireplace and this wonderful baby grand piano. Over the years, this room became the favorite of our inn guests, typically folks who enjoyed experiencing New England at a traditional and historic bed and breakfast. It was a wonderful time, with guests singing, humming or simply relaxing in easy chairs and rockers, as the treasures of Broadway and film were being played for them. Occasionally, a guest would ask me to accompany them and they would perform. On rare occasion, the vocal range and star quality were magnificent. Unfortunately, more often than not, some soloist requests, (and the thumbs-down performance that followed ), occasioned fear of “early guest checkouts” in me. Fortunately, inn guests tend to be rather “forgiving” and just seem to giggle a lot. At Cranmore Mt. Lodge, music was part of the inn’s character. The common room made the travel experiences memorable for the guests.

The style and interpretation of the music was mine and “the common room” became my stage. I was its star soloist and performer. Why, come to think of it, I even owned the theatre. For the guests, sharing stories and experiences of their day, (with my music providing the background to give those tales “color and drama”), added something intangible to their trip. The inn became theirs. They were comfortable. They knew they were coming back. When the day of checkout arrived and they would say their goodbyes, they usually had a CD packed for themselves and a few others as gifts. The White Mountains National Forest area will always be known for its beauty, its foliage, and spectacular vistas. Tourism will always be its major industry. We were able to add another dimension to their trip.

I have long since sold the inn and with it, my wonderful baby grand. I miss that piano, the feel of the keys, the shiny black finish. I think back (ten years already) to those times at the keyboard, with my captive audience in attendance. All those people and yet, in a strange way, always feeling alone. I had found my place and life was truly wonderful. I have never had a piano lesson. I am self-taught. My CD, Dennis Inn Concert, the Sounds of Cranmore Mt. Lodge has never gone Silver, Gold or Platinum. It ain’t going to get any special recognition either or referenced on the Juilliard School web site. Yet, “somewhere out there” that CD is playing.

I am older now and many miles distant. It is nighttime in Newport Beach CA and as I sit in my home, I close my eyes and see the common room, the fireplace, the couples, the families. The piano is still shiny black and my fingers can feel the wonderful smoothness of the ivory. I am still their Innkeeper and they will be my special guests forever. The “Memory” feels good. Yes, the sounds of that time are alive and well… both for my inn guests ….and for me.

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Category: Broadway

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