Video Bonanza

Giving people a taste, generating buzz, whetting appetites: it’s a strategy as old as the ages. It’s popular because it works. As a regular patron at Once Upon a Vine’s Friday taste-testings, I know from personal experience. I taste a beer, I like a beer, I buy a beer. Simple capitalistic magic.

There has been a little outpouring lately of great video related to local productions. You can see a trailer for “Dessa Rose” that shows you that the Firehouse has transformed it’s sometimes cramped stage into an expansive space for this expansive show. Not to mention giving you a taste of the rousing music that powers the show.

Virginia Rep has put out what I hope is just the first of a long line of promotional bits for “Spring Awakening,” highlighting the kick-in-the-pants song “The Bitch of Living” and interview snippets with some of the key cast members. Well produced and fun, this piece already has my wife (a true “Awakening” fanatic) practically peeing in her pants.

And SPARC’s “Live Art” project has been putting out a regular stream of video pieces on their blog, also incredibly well-produced and snappy and giving people a nice slice of what to expect. For a project where people won’t necessarily have a clear idea of what they’ll see the night of the performance, this is a great way to get potential patrons to shake loose that $35 for a ticket.

If I was someone working on “Rocky Horror” this summer, I’d take note. Nothing like a little “Time Warp” promo to get people excited for that one.