No Just An Audience

The Mahalia Jackson Theater (MJT) in New Orleans, Louisiana reopened in January 2009 after being shattered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The theater originally built in 1973, is a celebrated Performing Arts theater that has added to the historic culture of New Orleans. The theater features orchestras, operas, ballets, Broadway shows and tours of various world renowned entertainers. Since its reopening, the theater has come a long way in productions, ticket sales and acknowledgement among the community.

The evolution of PR has made the people in the seats not just an audience but the public, the critics, the press, they are the influencers that can make or break the MJT. Since its reopening, the MJT has updated and recreated the official website. It highlights all upcoming events, the history of the theater, virtual tours of the new renovations and how to contact them. It is splattered with creative and attractive colors and is very user friendly when trying to navigate through the site. The site also has a few photos previewing shows and links to their Twitter and Facebook pages.

The MJT is active in internet social media. The twitter page is maintained by a representative, Allie, who converse with other artists as well as posts updates on events and of their Facebook page. Allie posts often and stays connected not just with MJT but with all World Theater and arts news and occasionally shares links to them. The Facebook page is also up kept on a regular basis. On there is where contests are introduced and the most current news of what’s happening with the MJT. The contests are very creative and require for followers to participate sharing “the simple joys in life”, to win tickets to the Color Purple showing Feb.11. The page also informs fellow FB friends of productions happening outside of MJT and keeps a positive attitude, responding to comments and making an effort to show the “audience” that they matter.

The MJT PR team is taking baby steps, if not crawling, toward productive interaction with social media. They seem to have basic knowledge of the target market and how to reach them; even though they are not utilizing all the different Internet channels that can further benefit them and the public. As a theater I see it only right that they establish a YouTube channel, with clips of their shows. The YouTube channel can be another way for the public to share their experience and inquire others to go and share that experience. The theater can also take advantage of Foursquare, one of the main things they do is invite people to different productions. Using Foursquare to check into locations of different productions and shows is just one more way for them to connect.