Meet Eduardo Guzman of PMT Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eduardo Guzman.

Eduardo, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I music directed my first show in 2010 at Baytown Little Theater. A buddy of mine was directing the show, also his first show – YOU”RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN – and invited me to a rehearsal to “help out with some music.” By the end of that first rehearsal, he had asked me to come back for the rest of the week to continue working with the cast, and to accompany the performances live, and to contract out and lead the rest of the band. Although I didn’t realize it immediately, I walked into my first music directing position.

After working in the industry for a few years, as a pianist and a music director, I took on an idea to produce a musical theater & pop music concert that showcased the talent of performers I had met along the way. Before I knew it, I was holding auditions, prepping contracts, booking venues, etc. A group of creatives who I had worked with in the past and a friend-turned-investor helped me fully realize that first performance event, and we turned a concert into a company. Six years later, PMT Productions is a full-scale production company with multiple divisions, including a young artist series (PMT YAS!) and a production service contracting services along with self-produced concerts and musical theater productions.

As I am currently working on YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN again, and with the current state of the world, I have found time to reflect on the last decade: in one way or another, my career has been about meeting opportunities and running with them. I am thankful to have been in the right place at the right time on all counts and to have been prepared for those opportunities.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There has been lots of challenges along the way. As any entrepreneur knows, there is no one-size-fits-all handbook on how to manage your start-up company. And a production company whose focus is on live musical theater performance offers its own unique set of challenges. At a cocktail party last year, a colleague of mine mentioned that what she believed to be the most important quality of an arts organization is resilience. On a normal day, I agree; in the midst of a global pandemic, the need for resilience is even greater.

PMT Productions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Pitch Me This (PMT) Productions is a Houston-based production company focused on giving artists a voice through live musical theater and commercial music performances. In an environment where artists may not have the creative, administrative, or financial resources to realize their ideas, PMT Productions elevates and amplifies artists ideas.

In 2018, we launched a youth engagement initiative called PMT Young Artist Series (YAS!). At PMT YAS! we say theater is about 3 things: meeting new friends, doing what you love, and making lasting memories. And that is what we focus on with our students. In our youth department, what sets us apart is our experience as producers. While we do provide a safe environment for students to learn and develop new performance-related skills, we insist on maintaining a high standard. Recently, our hard work was recognized in a major way with a 1st place wins at national musical theater competition, among several other awards. Aside from our youth program, we also produce one-night only themed concerts at unconventional and lesser-known venues, called PMT Pop Up: Cabaret Series.

Additionally, we maintain business-to-business relationships and provide production support for other full-scale productions (band, design, and backstage support).

Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years?  Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
The theater landscape is constantly evolving. When I first founded the company, I was ahead of the curve in making connections between pop music and musical theater and presenting concert-style musicals. Now, with Alanis Morisette and Green Day and Sara Bareilles writing hit broadways musicals, those ideas are mainstream.

For the last 18 months, I’ve had my eye on online and streaming content. How do we create a live theater product once and allow audiences to engage with its multiple times and at their convenience? How do we continue to offer virtual and interactive opportunities for our audiences and our students?

Contact Info:

• Website: pitchmethis.com
• Phone: 832-516-9167
• Email: info@pitchmethis.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/PMTproductions
• Facebook: facebook.com/PMTproductions
• Twitter: twitter.com/PMTproduction

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