The Business of Broadway: How Musicals are Made with speakers Erica Rotstein and Dana M. Lerner '14

A Professional Directions Event  

Each new show is like its own startup and the lead producer is its CEO.  Following the moment of inspiration there is no one blueprint or roadmap to follow - each project has its own unique needs, goals, and challenges.  Producer Erica Rotstein will walk you through the development life cycle of a new musical in order to demystify the process of creating and producing a Broadway show from the ground up.

About the speakers:

Erica Rotstein is a theatre producer, talent manager, and educator.  As Director of Production for Broadway Across America, she plays a role in the development and production of Broadway musicals, and helps manage BAA’s portfolio of theatrical investments. Her independent work is driven by a passion for music, and a desire to create opportunities for and collaborate with artists possessing talented minds and good hearts. Producing projects include: Hundred Days by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher; Water for Elephants by Rick Elice and PigPen Theatre Co. (in development); and The Make It Fair Project, a PSA calling for gender equality in arts and entertainment (themakeitfairproject.com).  

Erica is the Board Chair of Colt Coeur Theatre Company (coltcoeur.org) and holds an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. www.ericarotstein.com   

Dana M. Lerner '14 is a Tony Award nominated theater producer and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Red Pelican Creative, a social media management and brand enhancement company providing strategic advice and management consulting to clients primarily in the live entertainment and arts industries. 

She made her Broadway producing debut in 2017 with Indecent (Co-Producer, Tony Nomination). Her off-Broadway producing credits include Hundred Days, Far From Canterbury: A New Musical and Application Pending. Dana has also produced concerts, stage readings, and developmental workshops. 

Dana received a BA in Theatre Arts with a minor in Visual Studies from Cornell University in 2014. She is also an active Cornell alumni volunteer. 

This event is part of Cornell Performing & Media Arts - PMA Professional Directions series, which brings industry experts to campus to speak about their career journeys as screenwriters, playwrights, editors, producers, directors, theatre critics, dramaturgs, and more.