I first came across today's guest several years ago through mutual friends at the Players Guild Theatre in Canton, Ohio. At almost 26 years old, he's already managed to have four producing credits on Broadway, two Tony nominations, and a luxury brand. I was recently able to get in touch with the 'Doogie Howser' of Broadway producers, Tony Marion via email, so today, you shall be reading our conversation.
JK: Congratulations on your current success with Groundhog Day! How did you manage to go through awards season?
TM: It’s been a whirlwind! My company Broadway Style Guide has kept me busy over the past few weeks. We have a tremendous amount of coverage that we did for the Tony Awards that we are all super proud of. I feel like we all have jet lag from the experience.
JK: Where were you when you found out about the Tony nominations?
TM: Pacing back and forth in my living room. In a season with so many insanely incredible new musicals, it is truly an honor that our show got seven nominations. We are really proud of what our producers and our creative team created.
JK: Going back to the beginning, how did you get started in the theatre?
TM: I started like most of us, performing. I performed in probably five to seven shows a year from twelve and up. But then I fell in love with the technical side of theater, particularly design and that's what I really focused on later in high school.
JK: So how did you get into producing?
TM: Well I came to New York to pursue set design. But somehow I quickly got thrust into the world of producing. There was a production of White Noise in Chicago lead by Whoopi Goldberg that I made my debut on as an associate producer when I was nineteen, and that was it, I got the bug and there was no turning back.
JK: From what I’m aware of, there usually ends up being more producers on a Broadway show than on a film. The lead producer is the one who oversees everything. If you’re not a lead producer on a production, what do you usually do as a co-producer?
TM: Broadway shows are expensive! It takes a village!! Co-producers are there to support our lead producers in every way possible. Many co-producers come from different industries and so can add a tremendous amount of outside value to the production from expertise to third party opportunities.
JK: I’m sure as a producer of Tony nominated musicals, you're usually sitting in the audience of Broadway’s biggest night with the notions that whether your production wins anything or not, you at least hope you put on a good enough production number that will give viewers at home interest in seeing them.
TM: The Tony Awards is a huge opportunity for us to show the rest of the world what exactly is going on in our theaters. Particularly this season, because there were so many shows, it was an honor to just even be able to do that.
JK: You were also set to produce the Broadway revival of Funny Girl that was suppose to take place several years ago with Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale in the starring roles, but ended up getting postponed indefinitely.
TM: Yes, we were really sad about that. I think that Lauren would have been extraordinary, but as I said before, we are here as co-producers to support the lead’s decisions, and even though a tough one to halt that production from coming in, I understand why our lead producers decided to press hold on the revival.
JK: In the spring of 2012, you had two producing credits on Broadway with the most recent revival of Evita and the stage musical adaptation of Ghost. You were also an associate producer on the West End production of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys. Which of those projects came to you first?
TM: In that order! Evita was my producing debut on Broadway, and I was a fan of the creative team on Ghost (most of which are on Groundhog Day) and really wanted to be apart of something they worked on. In 2012 everything kind of happened all at once! I was also on a reality show that season. It was pretty crazy and was truly a master class in so many lessons, both good and bad.
JK: Both of your Broadway credits that year earned six Tony nominations all together (with Evita being nominated for Best Revival of a Musical), and they even got to perform on the telecast. How did that feel to you?
TM: It was great. It was wonderful to have both shows represented and seen by friends, family, and future audience members all over the world. It was a proud night, to say the least.
JK: I can see how early on, people thought Ghost would have a chance of succeeding on Broadway because it was based on a popular Academy Award-winning film, it had an acclaimed British theatre director, Matthew Warchus at the helm, and tons of stagecraft. Yet, Ghost didn’t make it in the long run, and ended up closing at a monumental loss. I’m sure as a producer, it must’ve been disappointing for you to go through that.
TM: Ghost was tough. It was tough because there was a lot of potential for that show and I think we put on one hell of a production. But as I mentioned, Broadway is expensive and is also really, really hard. It was great that Ghost had a solid six/seven months on Broadway though, a lot of really great people got to see it.
JK: With Evita, that has to be your most successful producing credit to date. It ran for nearly a year, grossed over $1,000,000 a week throughout most of the run, earned you your first Tony nomination, and went out on tour. Yet, the problem I’m sure any producer has to deal with when they have a big celebrity headlining their production (in this case, it was Ricky Martin) is whether or not it could continue to be successful without a star. So that production pretty much had to end its run with him.
TM: Stars in shows are a double edged sword. Especially those over title. It’s inevitable that it becomes all about them and not the production. I really think that Michael Grandage is one of the best theater directors alive, in history really, and he and his team put together one of my favorite productions I’ve ever experienced. But inevitably, people were coming to see Ricky, he is after all Ricky Martin!! So when his contract was up, it was hard to go on without someone of his caliber, respectively. But I’ll tell you what, that is one of the only production to date that gave me chills. It was truly, truly an extraordinary piece.
JK: Your next producing credit came in the fall of 2013, which was Big Fish, a big budget musical adaptation of a Tim Burton film that was never a big commodity. Unlike your other producing credits, this was actually homegrown in America as opposed to starting in London. It was directed & choreographed by Susan Stroman, had a score by Andrew Lippa, starred Two-Time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, and was the first Broadway producing credit for Academy Award-winning film producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks. Yet, it closed after nearly four months of performances. That must’ve been disappointing to you as well.
TM: Oh, Big Fish. Dan Jinks is a class act, and gave me one of the best learning experiences of my life of how to treat people with so much respect, kindness and inclusiveness. Susan Stroman was an idol of mine since I was a kid, as was Norbert Leo Butz. I think my best memories on a production to date were during Big Fish. Dan and Susan created such a family environment. I spent so much time at that theater and with that cast, that is what made it so hard. We all lost a family we loved so, so much. And no matter how much you try and stay in touch, it just isn’t the same. I miss that experience, that show more than I can express.
JK: I believe it was sometime after Big Fish when you were able to launch the Broadway Style Guide. How did that come about?
TM: I had a real frustration with our lack of luxury-branded content for the theater, the type of content I believe would appeal to the next generation of theatergoers; millennials obsessed with luxury. So me and my partners Nathan Johnson (Laura Osnes' husband) and John Vermeer thought what would happen if we gave audience's a new type of content driven from the point of style. I use on so many meetings the phrase “Accessible Exclusivity”. It’s what I want theater to be, it is what theater is, and I wanted content that would portray that.
JK: So now onto Groundhog Day, how did you get involved with the project?
TM: Well, I was a fan of the team from my experience on Ghost. Matthew is such an inventive director. Groundhog Day is also one of the few films that I thought would translate well to the stage. My good friend and mentor Lia Vollack was also producing so it was just a combination of all the right things. It had been a few years since I was on a project and this just felt like the right one. The right team, material, producers, it completely fit into my aesthetic and what I wanted to be apart of at this point in my life.
JK: Of course, there were a lot of problems early on from the set malfunctioning during the first preview to Andy Karl tearing his ACL three days before opening night. How difficult was it for you to deal with?
TM: Well, I was at Orso having dinner with friends and my phone exploded with texts. It was a press night, so I had a lot of friends and colleagues there. Because of how tough previews were, it was hard to swallow. We just came off of our Olivier Award wins in the West End, which included Andy’s Best Actor Olivier, so it was just a really difficult thing to swallow. It was the kind of “enough is enough, give us a break universe” kind of sentiment. Obviously, that all turned around with Andy continuing to recover so well, and our 7 Tony Nominations, but it was one of the most difficult moments I’ve ever experienced in this business.
JK: With a wide variety of shows that keep coming to Broadway such as screen-to-stage adaptations, jukebox catalogues, and original ideas, where could you see the business going within the next 10 years?
TM: If I knew the answer to this question, I would retire tomorrow.
JK: For those who may be interested in becoming a theatrical producer, where do you think would be a good place to start?
TM: Invest. Whether your own money or third parties, get some money in a show and learn as much as you can. It’s a great way to start. Failure is the best learning experience in this business, unfortunately. So take risks and don’t be afraid to fail catastrophically.
JK: What would you say is your dream project? In other words, is there a show you’d love to produce or a creative team you’d love to work with?
TM: I don’t want to give it away :).
JK: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share with us?
TM: I’m lead producing a production of Sherlock Holmes right now that we are developing in London under the helm of director Daniel Evans. This summer and fall will be a big step in our development. I’ve been working on it for about five years and I’m really excited to see it on stage in the next year.
JK: I thank you very much for devoting your time to this interview, and I wish all of the best of luck with your career.
TM: Thank YOU! An honor to be apart of this interview!
JK: Congratulations on your current success with Groundhog Day! How did you manage to go through awards season?
TM: It’s been a whirlwind! My company Broadway Style Guide has kept me busy over the past few weeks. We have a tremendous amount of coverage that we did for the Tony Awards that we are all super proud of. I feel like we all have jet lag from the experience.
JK: Where were you when you found out about the Tony nominations?
TM: Pacing back and forth in my living room. In a season with so many insanely incredible new musicals, it is truly an honor that our show got seven nominations. We are really proud of what our producers and our creative team created.
JK: Going back to the beginning, how did you get started in the theatre?
TM: I started like most of us, performing. I performed in probably five to seven shows a year from twelve and up. But then I fell in love with the technical side of theater, particularly design and that's what I really focused on later in high school.
JK: So how did you get into producing?
TM: Well I came to New York to pursue set design. But somehow I quickly got thrust into the world of producing. There was a production of White Noise in Chicago lead by Whoopi Goldberg that I made my debut on as an associate producer when I was nineteen, and that was it, I got the bug and there was no turning back.
JK: From what I’m aware of, there usually ends up being more producers on a Broadway show than on a film. The lead producer is the one who oversees everything. If you’re not a lead producer on a production, what do you usually do as a co-producer?
TM: Broadway shows are expensive! It takes a village!! Co-producers are there to support our lead producers in every way possible. Many co-producers come from different industries and so can add a tremendous amount of outside value to the production from expertise to third party opportunities.
JK: I’m sure as a producer of Tony nominated musicals, you're usually sitting in the audience of Broadway’s biggest night with the notions that whether your production wins anything or not, you at least hope you put on a good enough production number that will give viewers at home interest in seeing them.
TM: The Tony Awards is a huge opportunity for us to show the rest of the world what exactly is going on in our theaters. Particularly this season, because there were so many shows, it was an honor to just even be able to do that.
JK: You were also set to produce the Broadway revival of Funny Girl that was suppose to take place several years ago with Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale in the starring roles, but ended up getting postponed indefinitely.
TM: Yes, we were really sad about that. I think that Lauren would have been extraordinary, but as I said before, we are here as co-producers to support the lead’s decisions, and even though a tough one to halt that production from coming in, I understand why our lead producers decided to press hold on the revival.
JK: In the spring of 2012, you had two producing credits on Broadway with the most recent revival of Evita and the stage musical adaptation of Ghost. You were also an associate producer on the West End production of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys. Which of those projects came to you first?
TM: In that order! Evita was my producing debut on Broadway, and I was a fan of the creative team on Ghost (most of which are on Groundhog Day) and really wanted to be apart of something they worked on. In 2012 everything kind of happened all at once! I was also on a reality show that season. It was pretty crazy and was truly a master class in so many lessons, both good and bad.
JK: Both of your Broadway credits that year earned six Tony nominations all together (with Evita being nominated for Best Revival of a Musical), and they even got to perform on the telecast. How did that feel to you?
TM: It was great. It was wonderful to have both shows represented and seen by friends, family, and future audience members all over the world. It was a proud night, to say the least.
JK: I can see how early on, people thought Ghost would have a chance of succeeding on Broadway because it was based on a popular Academy Award-winning film, it had an acclaimed British theatre director, Matthew Warchus at the helm, and tons of stagecraft. Yet, Ghost didn’t make it in the long run, and ended up closing at a monumental loss. I’m sure as a producer, it must’ve been disappointing for you to go through that.
TM: Ghost was tough. It was tough because there was a lot of potential for that show and I think we put on one hell of a production. But as I mentioned, Broadway is expensive and is also really, really hard. It was great that Ghost had a solid six/seven months on Broadway though, a lot of really great people got to see it.
JK: With Evita, that has to be your most successful producing credit to date. It ran for nearly a year, grossed over $1,000,000 a week throughout most of the run, earned you your first Tony nomination, and went out on tour. Yet, the problem I’m sure any producer has to deal with when they have a big celebrity headlining their production (in this case, it was Ricky Martin) is whether or not it could continue to be successful without a star. So that production pretty much had to end its run with him.
TM: Stars in shows are a double edged sword. Especially those over title. It’s inevitable that it becomes all about them and not the production. I really think that Michael Grandage is one of the best theater directors alive, in history really, and he and his team put together one of my favorite productions I’ve ever experienced. But inevitably, people were coming to see Ricky, he is after all Ricky Martin!! So when his contract was up, it was hard to go on without someone of his caliber, respectively. But I’ll tell you what, that is one of the only production to date that gave me chills. It was truly, truly an extraordinary piece.
JK: Your next producing credit came in the fall of 2013, which was Big Fish, a big budget musical adaptation of a Tim Burton film that was never a big commodity. Unlike your other producing credits, this was actually homegrown in America as opposed to starting in London. It was directed & choreographed by Susan Stroman, had a score by Andrew Lippa, starred Two-Time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, and was the first Broadway producing credit for Academy Award-winning film producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks. Yet, it closed after nearly four months of performances. That must’ve been disappointing to you as well.
TM: Oh, Big Fish. Dan Jinks is a class act, and gave me one of the best learning experiences of my life of how to treat people with so much respect, kindness and inclusiveness. Susan Stroman was an idol of mine since I was a kid, as was Norbert Leo Butz. I think my best memories on a production to date were during Big Fish. Dan and Susan created such a family environment. I spent so much time at that theater and with that cast, that is what made it so hard. We all lost a family we loved so, so much. And no matter how much you try and stay in touch, it just isn’t the same. I miss that experience, that show more than I can express.
JK: I believe it was sometime after Big Fish when you were able to launch the Broadway Style Guide. How did that come about?
TM: I had a real frustration with our lack of luxury-branded content for the theater, the type of content I believe would appeal to the next generation of theatergoers; millennials obsessed with luxury. So me and my partners Nathan Johnson (Laura Osnes' husband) and John Vermeer thought what would happen if we gave audience's a new type of content driven from the point of style. I use on so many meetings the phrase “Accessible Exclusivity”. It’s what I want theater to be, it is what theater is, and I wanted content that would portray that.
JK: So now onto Groundhog Day, how did you get involved with the project?
TM: Well, I was a fan of the team from my experience on Ghost. Matthew is such an inventive director. Groundhog Day is also one of the few films that I thought would translate well to the stage. My good friend and mentor Lia Vollack was also producing so it was just a combination of all the right things. It had been a few years since I was on a project and this just felt like the right one. The right team, material, producers, it completely fit into my aesthetic and what I wanted to be apart of at this point in my life.
JK: Of course, there were a lot of problems early on from the set malfunctioning during the first preview to Andy Karl tearing his ACL three days before opening night. How difficult was it for you to deal with?
TM: Well, I was at Orso having dinner with friends and my phone exploded with texts. It was a press night, so I had a lot of friends and colleagues there. Because of how tough previews were, it was hard to swallow. We just came off of our Olivier Award wins in the West End, which included Andy’s Best Actor Olivier, so it was just a really difficult thing to swallow. It was the kind of “enough is enough, give us a break universe” kind of sentiment. Obviously, that all turned around with Andy continuing to recover so well, and our 7 Tony Nominations, but it was one of the most difficult moments I’ve ever experienced in this business.
JK: With a wide variety of shows that keep coming to Broadway such as screen-to-stage adaptations, jukebox catalogues, and original ideas, where could you see the business going within the next 10 years?
TM: If I knew the answer to this question, I would retire tomorrow.
JK: For those who may be interested in becoming a theatrical producer, where do you think would be a good place to start?
TM: Invest. Whether your own money or third parties, get some money in a show and learn as much as you can. It’s a great way to start. Failure is the best learning experience in this business, unfortunately. So take risks and don’t be afraid to fail catastrophically.
JK: What would you say is your dream project? In other words, is there a show you’d love to produce or a creative team you’d love to work with?
TM: I don’t want to give it away :).
JK: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share with us?
TM: I’m lead producing a production of Sherlock Holmes right now that we are developing in London under the helm of director Daniel Evans. This summer and fall will be a big step in our development. I’ve been working on it for about five years and I’m really excited to see it on stage in the next year.
JK: I thank you very much for devoting your time to this interview, and I wish all of the best of luck with your career.
TM: Thank YOU! An honor to be apart of this interview!