The objective of KEEP UP: The Making of The Heart was to build an audience and create brand awareness for a brand-new musical with long-term ambitions of reaching Broadway. Rather than relying solely on traditional promotional tactics, we set out to create an authentic, behind-the-scenes documentary that would invite audiences into the creative process from the ground up.
Our goal was twofold: first, to generate excitement and visibility for the production at a pivotal developmental stage; and second, to humanize the journey of mounting a new musical by capturing the vulnerability, collaboration, and passion behind the work. By documenting rehearsals, creative discussions, and key production milestones, we provided viewers with rare access to the evolution of the show in real time.
We also conducted candid interviews with cast members and the creative team to preserve the raw emotion, uncertainty, and ambition that define the early stages of building a theatrical production. This organic approach allowed audiences to feel personally connected to the artists and invested in the show’s future.
Ultimately, KEEP UP was designed to transform passive observers into active supporters, fostering a community around the production while laying the foundation for long-term audience engagement as the show progresses toward its Broadway goals.
Bringing KEEP UP: The Making of The Heart to life required a production strategy that was as agile and collaborative as the show itself. From the outset, we knew that documenting a new musical in development would require deep trust, careful coordination, and sensitivity to the theatrical ecosystem.
Our plan was to embed ourselves within the production process without disrupting it. We operated with a lean, unobtrusive filming footprint, capturing rehearsals, creative meetings, staging sessions, and milestone moments as they unfolded in real time. Rather than recreating events for the camera, we prioritized authenticity, allowing the story to develop organically alongside the show.
One of the primary challenges was navigating union bylaws and industry regulations across multiple departments. We were consistently adapting to work within union content guidelines and expectations set out by the creative team. Working within guidelines set by various theatrical unions required thorough planning, clear communication, and strict adherence to approved filming windows and usage parameters. We collaborated closely with producers and representatives to ensure compliance while still capturing meaningful content
Timing was another major obstacle. The development process of a new musical moves quickly, often with tight turnarounds and shifting schedules. Our team had to remain flexible, adjusting filming days, many rounds of approval edits, and responding to creative changes in real time. Capturing pivotal moments meant being prepared at a moment’s notice.
Perhaps the most delicate challenge was earning the trust of the cast and creative team. Many of the conversations we documented are typically private such as creative disagreements, rewrites, and high-stakes decision-making. We approached the process with transparency and respect, ensuring participants understood our intent: to celebrate the craft and illuminate the human journey behind mounting a new work. As a result, artists felt comfortable opening up, sharing candid reflections and raw emotions rarely seen by audiences.
What makes KEEP UP unique is its timing and access. Instead of documenting a finished success, we captured a show in motion, in a vulnerable and evolving state, striving to get to Broadway. By blending documentary storytelling with theatrical development, we created a living time capsule that not only promotes a production, but preserves the artistry, risk, and collaboration required to bring new theatre to life.
KEEP UP: The Making of The Heart exceeded our core objective of building early audience investment and visibility for a new musical. The documentary has generated over 220,000 views on YouTube, driving meaningful engagement and introducing hundreds of thousands of fans to a new musical that has its sights set to Broadway. More importantly, it transformed the marketing mindset surrounding the Broadway Community.
Beyond viewership, the project demonstrated proof of concept for long-form digital storytelling within the theatre space. Following its release, multiple productions and creative teams expressed interest in developing similar documentary series as a strategy to cultivate audiences earlier in the lifecycle of a show. What was once considered supplementary marketing is now being viewed as foundational audience development.
Producers have also taken notice. The measurable engagement and community growth sparked conversations around increased investment in digital content as a legitimate extension of a show’s development and capitalization strategy. KEEP UP showed that digital storytelling is not just promotional, it builds loyalty, momentum, and long-term brand equity.
Perhaps most notably, the project sparked dialogue around how digital transparency can coexist with theatrical tradition. We hope this experience encourages creatives to work in tandem with their unions to internally review existing digital media bylaws to evaluate how policies might evolve to allow greater access and innovation while still protecting artists.
Ultimately, KEEP UP succeeded not only in building an audience for one show, but in helping redefine how new theatre can connect with modern audiences.
