By: Kevin Hatch
Jason Reitman (far left), J.K. Simmons (sixth from the left), and Hugh Jackman (seventh from the left). This was taken before the show began as introductions were being made.
After Hurricane Maria thrashed Puerto Rico this past September and October, millions of Puerto Ricans are still without power, many without homes, and 51 without their lives.
When a tropical storm causes $52 billion in damages, creative celebrity involvement is what it takes to raise funds where traditional relief efforts cannot.
The country is still reeling from the massive storm just over two months later, and the mainstream media outlets have let the island nation fall to the way side. As of October 8, The American Red Cross had collected $350 million in donations for Hurricane Harvey, $45 million for Irma, but only $9 million for Maria.
Big names sell products and at face value, Puerto Rico relief is a product that needs selling to gain interest. Ryan Sager from the website MarketWatch says, “Stocks go up roughly a quarter of a percentage point, on average, with a celebrity endorsement, sales for products endorsed by athletes go up by an average of 4%.”
A few weeks after the storm ceased, celebrities pushed for donations and aid from the U.S. government. These endorsements were meant to keep US citizens interested in Puerto Rico. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the hit Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” created a $2.5 million fund for relief after visiting the country on November 7. Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and Marc Antony tweeted non-stop to spread the word that Puerto Rico continues to need help. Together, the trio raised $35 million. This is four times the donation amount received by The Red Cross.
Late night host Stephen Colbert tweeted out #PuberMe, and issued a challenge for other celebrities to share old photos of themselves. With each photo shared, the accompanied #PuertoRicoRelief, stayed in the mainstream for just a little while longer.
On the heels of this big social media push, people had to keep the creative efforts going.
Jason Reitman, director of “Juno,” hosted a live read of the shooting script for the 1987 cult classic, “The Princess Bride.” The event occurred on October 22 at the Rialto Theatre in downtown Atlanta, a first for an event of this type. Hugh Jackman and J.K. Simmons were among a few celebrities to read for characters from the film.
Reitman’s event was a casual affair for the most part. There was little advertising due to last minute planning, but the show was sold out of its 833 seats. Attendees at the event were asked, “Why are you here tonight?” and the responses were varied.
An overwhelming majority was just happy that the event benefitted Puerto Rico. The show sold every ticket in the house, and even allowed for a few extra seats to be sold in the wings to maximize the efforts of the event.
Austin Lee, a 20 year old from Atlanta said, “I heard Hugh Jackman was gonna be there and I love [“The Princess Bride”].” He later added, “I also like how my money is helping Puerto Rico.”
Eva Escorza, a 44-year-old mother of two said, “I mean, of course I wanted to see Hugh Jackman, but at the end of the day that’s why they invited him. He is here to sell seats, and it worked.”
On top of ticket sales, the event sold commemorative posters, $25 for unsigned, $45 for a version signed by the entire cast. The posters sold out before the show started.
So with little news coverage on the event, it is tough to pinpoint just how successful the fundraising was, but at a base ticket price of $30, the event hit just above $24,000 in ticket sales alone.
Whatever the dollar amount, any additional money collected for Puerto Rico is considered a win for advocates, but natural disasters such as these seem to rely on the care of famous individuals. Sager discusses the effectiveness of these endorsements in detail, but the bottom line is that advertisers must choose celebrities wisely. An ad for Puerto Rico starring Jennifer Lopez would be much more effective right now than an ad with Kevin Spacey.
Did a live reading of “The Princess Bride” single-handedly save Puerto Rico? No, not even close, but Reitman’s goal with this show was not to raise millions of dollars. He intended to keep relief a topic of conversation and he succeeded. As coverage of Hurricane Maria soon left the airwaves, the continued effort of humanitarians like Reitman, Lopez, and Miranda kept Puerto Rico a topic of conversation.
Reitman stood up as the reading finished and said, “I have always wanted to use my craft to help others. I’m an entertainer. I want to reach people through my medium and with a tragic event like Hurricane Maria, I knew I had the opportunity to do so. With the help of these great performers alongside me, I know we made a difference here tonight.”
Original movie props from “The Princess Bride” on display.
Puerto Rico is on a long road to recovery. As each day passes, these donations reach the country still struggling to stay relevant, but the hard work and care of people like Jason Reitman make the struggle easier.