Broadway’s Best Shows sat down with Justin Adams and Emely Rachela of Broadway Crew, a company that provides event staffing and street team services for Broadway shows and beyond.
Founded in 2018 by Sam Clark, Broadway Crew began as a simple idea: give theatre artists a flexible and connected parallel career. Today, that idea has blossomed into a nationwide promotional staffing agency whose crews don’t just hand out flyers, they represent shows, engage audiences, and collect real-time feedback for producers and marketing teams.
From Street Team to Ad Agency
“We started with that classic image of the Times Square street team,” Justin explains. “Now we’re a full-fledged staffing agency. We help assemble opening night gifts, survey audiences, and even do mascot work.”
That mascot work has ranged from Romeo the Raccoon for The Public Theater to Elf activations at the Marriott Marquis, complete with Santa appearances and holiday brunches. “It’s a little bit camp, a little bit chaos,” Justin laughs, “but always fun.”
The Crew at Work
Emely, one of Broadway Crew’s Team Leads, spends her days at the TKTS booth, leading and mentoring the team that greets thousands of tourists. “We’re the people chatting with folks in line, helping them pick a show, finding out what they love, and sending them to see something that fits,” she says.
Some visitors arrive with no plan. “They just stand in line because it’s there,” Emely jokes. “We help them find their match so they’ll come back for more.”
Her favorite part? Watching shows grow from word-of-mouth to sell-outs. “Maybe Happy Ending was one we started promoting when the show was relatively unknown,” she recalls. “Now people literally grab flyers from our hands.”
Actors, Artists, and True Fans
Roughly 90 percent of Broadway Crew’s staff are working actors. The rest are dancers, playwrights, or devoted fans who want to stay close to the energy of the stage. “Some even have nine-to-five jobs but work weekends with us because they love the community,” Justin says.
Recruitment happens mostly through word of mouth and social media, though listings on Playbill, Backstage, and college networks also help. “It’s a word-of-mouth company powered by good vibes,” he adds.
Why Every Show Needs a Street Team
So why should a producer hire one? Justin doesn’t hesitate. “Every show — hit or not — needs people on the ground. We’ve worked with Hamilton to help fill its last few seats and with new shows trying to get noticed. We’re not just handing out flyers; we’re giving producers real-time insights into what audiences are saying.”
He also urges producers to start earlier. “A month before previews is perfect,” he says. “Don’t wait until you’re panicking about sales. We can be out at fall festivals, Halloween events, even commuters’ spots — meeting audiences where they are.”
Emely agrees. “When a show first appears on the TKTS board, people hesitate because it’s often the first time they’ve heard of it. If they’d seen our team talking about it weeks earlier, that recognition would already be there.”
The People Behind the Paper
Street teams aren’t anonymous promo machines, they’re theatre lovers. “Talk to our crew,” Emely says. “They’re not pressuring anyone. They’re just passionate about the art form.”
Justin nods. “We’re all part of the same club — the theatre nerds keeping the spark alive.”
Broadway Crew proves that the heart of Broadway beats not only onstage but also on the sidewalks, one conversation, one flyer, and one fan at a time.