- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Father Richard Ho Lung and Friends in 'Moses Encore', held at the National Arena, Independence Park on Sunday May 21. 2006.Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter
THE GOSPEL concerts Fun in the Son and Genesis, as well as the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Gospel Song Contest finals, have a reputation for receiving overwhelming support over the years. They have made their special mark on people's calendars and the venues are usually corked with worshippers trying to embrace their beloved gospel stars.
Then there is the appeal of gospel artistes coming from overseas. It was less than two months ago that the energetic and awesomely powerful Donnie McClurkin mystified a capacity crowd on the lawns of King's House. And in Jamaican terminology, "it sell off."
This is one of the reasons that local thespians thought the market existed for gospel productions. "There is definitely a market. We were drawing on what has already been proven," said Trevor Nairne, producer for gospel musical Amen Corner, which has just finished playing.
He said that while they are still trying to tabulate the final figures and sum up the financial aspects of the production, the show was operating in the red for its opening weeks. However, he thinks that the results could have been better if the show had been marketed differently. "We thought our marketing strategy was enough to bring us success. We used television and newspapers ... We would have been more successful if we had included direct marketing to specific institutions," Nairne said.
Jambiz International, the production house for Amen Corner, was also relying on the supporters of the regular productions to appreciate the play. "We chose topics that would appeal to the church-going public and regular theatre goers, so we thought they would make the cross-over," he said.
Sherene John is the producer of Prayer Partner, a gospel production which is now on. She believes it is essential to conduct market research before such shows are conceived. Less than three weeks after its debut, Prayer Partner is also experiencing the same fate as Amen Corner. "I am optimistic that it will change once people start talking about it. I don't believe that it is necessarily because it is a Christian play," she said. "It is also harder to get Christians out of their house."
Despite the low turnout for Amen Corner, Nairne felt the story line was great and the "audience took to it."
But then there are plays that have exceeded their expectations. Moses had its first stint in 2004, but was brought back by popular demand in 2006. In its first run, Moses drew over 60,000 people over two weekends. It then resurfaced as Moses Encore and drew similar numbers. But Nairne conceded that the non-profit Father Ho Lung-led Mission of the Poor's production cannot be compared with any other in Jamaica. "His productions have a level of organisation. Jamaica has a soft spot for that kind of thing. He is very generous; we cannot compare." Nairne said.
Familiar names tend to sell a product more, but stars for gospel productions are chosen firstly from among those who are linked with the church. According to Nairne, this gives the actors a quicker grasp of the issues being raised and creates a higher "level of credibility."
Casting directors then must go to the general pool to fill the empty spots. In a gospel musical such as Amen Corner, it is a greater task finding actors who can both sing and act ably.
"If you have a show with Sandra Brooks, Lt. Stitchie, Judy Mowatt, Glen Campbell and Oliver Samuels, that will pull a crowd, but it is hard to find people who can commit to an ongoing thing," Nairne said.
It is said that the best of form of public relations is word of mouth, but this did not quite materialise for Amen Corner. It was hoped that through benefit shows, those who attended would encourage others to go see the show. Nairne said that at times, all the benefit tickets were sold out and that had a positive effect on the production. But at other times, the tickets did not leave the sellers' possession. "For benefit shows, our advertising only becomes a reference. Once the organisation does its work, the production does well," Nairne said.
The lack of success for gospel productions also extends to the United States, where, according to Nairne, the supporters come mainly from the lower middle-class and the working class. It is a different story in Jamaica, as the market is not that wide. But since other productions have made it past the mark, all hope is not lost.
