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Lullaby of Broadway is a series of three thematically connected games. The games are not a campaign and will have no continuity of character or plot. Our first episode, Another Openin' Another Show will run September 19-21, 2008 in Timonium, Maryland. You can find out more information here.
Q: I'm confused. Are the characters putting on a show or are they characters from the shows, or are they generic characters like "the gangster?"
A: All of the characters in the game are directly taken from Broadway Musicals. So expect to be playing characters like Sky Masterson, Annie Oakley, and Professor Harold Hill.
Q: What shows will you be using?
A: The current list of shows is here. You'll note that the shows have a count of thumbs up and thumbs down next to them. That's because players can vote on which shows they'd like to see in the game. I'll explain that more in an upcoming document. I'll update the FAQ to link to that document.
Q: I have horrible stage fright, plus I can't hold a tune. Will I have to perform in front of others or sing at all?
A: Did you know that performing in front of others is one of most people's biggest fears? You are not alone! Regardless, Interactivities Ink has a strong history of never forcing players to do things they don't want to do. Players will never be forced to sing in public or perform on stage. These opportunities are always available for those who revel in them, but they will never be forced up those who do not.
Q: Will this be an actual LARP or just a bunch of vignettes watching other people perform?
A: I was reading some of my old livejournal articles and found one where I said, "Yeah, I like to watch things and be outside of the action. That's why I LARP. Thanks." I was being sarcastic, of course, but the point remains. LARP is all about interactions between people in character. And Lullaby of Broadway is a LARP first and foremost.
The current plan is to make as many of the things that happen on stage as audience participatory as possible, not just watching others perform, but being part of that performance, to the extent that you are comfortable, of course.
But even then, players will never be forced to watch other people's scenes on stage. The game space will have three large areas for roleplaying. If you don't want to be part of the big scene going on in one area, you are always free to go to a different area to roleplay, or - if it comes to it - the lobby is just around the corner from game space and you are always free to sit in the comfy chairs there and talk and roleplay in character. No big scenes will ever happen in the lobby.
Q: Will I be forced to play a host of different characters during the game?
A: Absolutely not. I'm not even sure where this rumor started. Again, we will never force players to do things they don't want to do. One thing we will be doing; however, is giving every player two characters: a primary character and a backup character. The primary character will be your typical LARP character with plots, goals, and motivations. Your backup character will be one from another part of the game so that you, the player, can participate in game activities even if your primary character cannot.
For example, your primary character might be Nathan Detroit, a gangster from the Big City from Guys and Dolls. There will probably be a barn raising in game Saturday morning. Now, if you can find a way for Nathan Detroit to go to a barn raising, great, go for it! However, you will always have a backup character, say, Fred Bixby from the Small Town who would easily go to the barn raising. (The play Fred Bixby is drawn from is left as an exercise to the reader).
But to repeat: You never have to play anyone but your primary character if you do not want to.
Q: I want to pay for the game, but I haven't gotten my degree in the Lullaby of Broadway pricing structure. How much does it cost to play?
A: I apologise for the complexity. I'll try to summarize. It costs $25 to register for the game. The balance of $75 must be paid at the game. However, you may do things for the game, such as making scenery, or helping set up, which can lower your balance. These things are called service credits. If you earn more than $75 in service credits, some of them carry over to future episodes.
You can see the current list of service credits here, but more will be added as more things can be done for the game. Note that the "register before the end of September" and the "be one of the first 10 people to register for the game" service credits are no longer available. Sorry.
Q: What does the money go toward?
A: The hotel, mostly. Additional money will go toward props, set, office supplies, paper, and lots and lots of printer ink. If we get enough players, I'll see about a catered dinner on Saturday. My larps tend to run from a $400 deficit to a $200 surplus. I'm not in this to make money. Any surplus from the first episode will be rolled into the second episode.
Q: How many players do you expect?
A: The stall speed bottom number is 40 players. That is a gimme putt. My real expectation for a lower number of players is 60, and I would very much like to break 100 players, although I haven't done that since the early 1990s. My true expectations are 60ish players for the first episode, 100+ for the second episode, and 100+ for the third episode.
Copyright © Interactivities
Ink -- All rights reserved.
Please send your comments or questions to the GMs.
In the case of technical issues, please contact the Webmaster.
Download and Install this font to better view this website.