In the past, Hill has arranged a dance workshop with the Rockettes, a dinner with cast members of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a voice lesson with one of the stars of Mean Girls, and a percussion class with the blue men of Blue Man Group.
The prime experience is a recording session in a Broadway studio, which includes a one-hour private voice lesson with a Broadway performer and a two-hour private session to record a song of your choice in a professional studio with an on-site vocal coach, which costs $2,700.
Regarding further ultra-premium experiences—including some involving the show Hamilton—Hill says he can’t divulge specific details.
“In the high-end space, at the end of the day your clients are going to want what they want,” Hill says. “It’s about collaborating and working with clients—no matter how creative their request.”
Key to the success of Broadway Plus is Hill’s network of connection in the theater industry, which he developed through previous roles in freelance concert- and workshop-producing and management work on such shows as Hamilton, Next to Normal, Billy Elliot, Ragtime, and Rent.
Eric Gordon, owner of the Beyond Times Square travel agency, used to contact six or eight industry insiders to arrange VIP Broadway experiences. Now he can just work with Hill, whose honesty about what can and can’t be accomplished makes him stand out.
“That’s a big thing. People make a lot of promises that they can’t keep,” Gordon says, especially in the luxury industry. “Nathaniel doesn’t do that.”
Still, persuading a show’s cast to open up backstage is no simple task. Some stars are tired from doing so many performances a week, and the last thing they want is additional work as a tour guide after the show ends, Hill explains.
“Broadway is a very traditional business, so there’s always resistance to new ideas,” he says. “There is some risk in selling access to a backstage area because it’s very technical, and here in New York they’re very small. There is a lot going on back there.”
The exclusivity of the experience makes it so popular, says Simon David, co-founder of Confirm360, a luxury entertainment agency that often refers clients to Broadway Plus.