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The Making of a Broadway Blockbuster

Oliver February 10, 2020

The Making of a Broadway Blockbuster

How big hits like Hamilton and The Book of Mormon became big hits.

Fall 2019/Winter 2020

by Sandra Mardenfeld

What makes a show successful? The amount of awards won? Not necessarily. While Hamilton took home 11 Tonys during the 2016 ceremony and The Book of Mormon bulled in nine in 2010, Beauty and the Beast won just one for costume design in 1994 and still ran for 5,461 performances. (That’s 13 years of “Be Our Guest” for those keeping track.) So what’s the secret behind super-hits like Hamilton and The Book of Mormon?

It’s not just box-office triumph. Some shows certainly become hits, earning a profit for investors and sometimes receiving critical kudos. A blockbuster surpasses a hit’s reach and runs for years, often creating a cult following with people seeing the show multiple times (think Wicked or A Chorus Line). While there’s no magic formula, factors such as timing, originality, universality and brand recognition come into play, according to Oliver Roth, producer/CEO at OHenry Productions.

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Awards, Broadway No comments

How to Invest in Broadway Shows with Retirement Funds

Oliver September 17, 2019

How to Invest in Broadway Shows with Retirement Funds

Sept 17, 2019

A Broadway show can be an exciting and magical experience. As an investor with a self-directed retirement plan, you can turn that magic into a potentially lucrative investment. With a Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k) plan (if you are self-employed or a sole proprietor), you can make virtually any investment with your retirement funds as long as it does not trigger the prohibited transaction rules, which are few.

So let’s find out how to turn Broadway shows into a profitable investment.

How to Invest in Broadway Using Your Retirement Funds
It’s good practice to use your retirement funds to make investments due to the power of tax-deferral. By investing with a Solo 401(k) if you are self-employed/sole proprietor or a Self-Directed IRA, the income and gains you generate from the investment will be tax-deferred. As a result, the investment can continue to grow in your retirement account unhindered until you take a distribution. Whereas investing with personal funds does not afford the same tax advantages.

How can I invest in Broadway shows?
Oliver Roth, Tony award nominee and producer/CEO at OHenry Productions, explains that investing in Broadway takes a bit of technique. For example, producers cannot advertise or solicit investments, as it is a violation of the Securities Act of 1933 (you will see that the Securities Act poses other obstacles for prospective Broadway investors).

So how can one invest in Broadway?

There are other avenues of entering the industry, but Roth says networking should be your first option.

“The best way to get started is to find someone in your own network who has invested in a Broadway show or knows someone who has invested in one,” says Roth.

If there is no one in your circle with a Broadway connection, there are other avenues to pursue. If you have a favorite Broadway show or a producer you admire, get in touch with the producer directly. Producers, such as Roth, are always happy to work with individuals who want to know more about investing in Broadway. All shows that are currently running are indexed online. Roth says that it is not easy for first-time investors to “get a sense” of which productions are currently seeking funding, but opportunities still exist.

Review the Commercial Theater Institute
“Many shows that have just announced their Broadway engagement to the public probably have investment opportunities available,” explains Roth. “But you would still need to know who to contact about the opportunity.”

There are more comprehensive resources available, including The Commercial Theater Institute (CTI), which offers courses for prospective investors. Roth, a contributing author at CTI, says the organization has courses that are great for prospective investors.

‘Who Gets What’, an annual four-hour course from CTI gives participants an idea of how cash flow works on Broadway and, according to Roth, is a good place for prospective Broadway investors to start.

Can any investor get involved?
The ability to invest in Broadway shows is only open to “accredited investors”, as defined by the Securities Act of 1933. So what is an “accredited investor”?

Accredited investors include individuals with a high-net-worth, which is characterized as a person whose annual income exceeds $200,000 (or a joint net-worth of $300,000 with a spouse) for at least two years. Accredited investors also include banks and financial institutions.

So, can anyone invest in a Broadway show? The short answer is no, says Roth.

“[The Securities Act of 1933] restricts companies from accepting investments from anyone whose individual net worth or joint net worth with their spouse does not exceed $1,000,000,” explains Roth.

However, most productions will accept half-unit investments, but in general, smaller investments must be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Does Broadway investing require large capital?
“A single unit in a Broadway show is usually $25,000, and that is generally also the minimum allowed investment amount,” explains Roth. “That said, many productions will take half-unit investments [for example], $12,500.”

If you are interested in investing in a Broadway show, a few money facts to keep in mind are:

The average investment for a small Broadway production can cost $3 million, with larger productions ranging between $8-$9 million.
Broadway musicals tend to cost at least $10 million and according to Roth, “In recent years, it isn’t uncommon to see select shows spend $30 million [or more] on a show.” (This generally includes successful film productions, like SpongeBob SquarePants, Frozen, etc.).
As you can see, Broadway investments are certainly not for every investor. For accredited, sophisticated investors, Roth says it can be a great alternative investment to diversify your retirement portfolio. However, investors must have the liquidity available to invest in up to three shows per season for the investment to be successful.

“Some people invest in a show at a time, as long as they can find a great show that they want to be a part in,” says Roth. “However, if you are investing this way, you need to be okay in a worst-case scenario where you lose everything.”

Roth goes on to say that if you do not have the available funding or don’t feel comfortable investing over $12,500 in a “highly speculative security,” investing in Broadway may not be for you.

For the “accredited” and “sophisticated” investors, on average, successful shows make much more money than unsuccessful shows lose.

“If you have a balanced portfolio within the theater industry, you can make a good chunk of money,” says Roth.

Broadway shows allow investors to put their money where their passions lie and the right show can be a very fruitful venture – if you have the capital to get started.

Invest in Broadway with You Self-Directed Retirement Plan
If you have the capital to invest in a Broadway production, you can do so with a self-directed retirement plan. This is the beauty of using a Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k) to make investments – you can invest in virtually anything.

When using your retirement funds for an investment, the income or gains your investment generates will be tax-deferred until you take a qualified distribution. Because you don’t pay taxes until a much later date, this allows the investment(s) to grow in your retirement plan unhindered, accumulating greater wealth.

You won’t find the same advantages by using personal funds.

A self-directed retirement plan with a passive custodian, like IRA Financial Trust allows investors to make almost any type of investment. However, the investment cannot trigger the prohibited rules under IRC section 4975 and 408, as it may result in high taxes, penalties and potentially the disqualification of your retirement plan.

Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBIT)
There is a little known tax called the Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBIT) that investors must be knowledgeable of when using retirement funds to make an investment. UBIT can be triggered if the investment is considered “active” and not “passive” income generation.

If the Broadway production is a business or an LLC, this would be considered an active form of income and would trigger the UBIT tax. The UBTI tax rate can be as high as 37% in 2019, depending on the investment amount. According to producer Oliver Roth, most Broadway productions are LLCs. This is an important fact to consider prior to making the investment.

Read this story on irafinancialgroup.com

Broadway, Business, Investing No comments

Why ‘Beetlejuice’ is Beating ‘Tootsie’ at the Broadway Box Office

Oliver August 1, 2019

Why ‘Beetlejuice’ is Beating ‘Tootsie’ at the Broadway Box Office

Aug 1, 2019

by Marc Hershberg

Alex Brightman waving to a sandworm during ‘Beetlejuice’ at Winter Garden Theatre on April 25, 2019. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)

It has been a reversal of fortune for Tootsie and Beetlejuice on Broadway.

Heading into the Tony Awards in June, the $19.9 million musical Tootsie looked like it would light up the Great White Way for years to come. In addition to receiving rave reviews, the show had garnered eleven nominations, and it earned more than 80 percent of its potential revenue from ticket sales one week at the box office. “Tootsie is shaping up to be a very big hit,” observed one industry insider.

Meanwhile, four blocks away, it seemed like the producers of Beetlejuice would soon need to start making funeral arrangements. Despite receiving eight Tony Award nominations, the subversive show was struggling to sell tickets, and it earned less than 53 percent of its potential revenue from ticket sales one week at the box office. Some pundits predicted that it would be buried before Labor Day.

However, in recent weeks, Beetlejuice has pulled itself from the grave, and it is Tootsie that is now teetering at the box office.

Following the Tony Awards, business started to pick up for the macabre musical, and its weekly revenues rose from $821,713 to $1,048,493. Last week, in fact, Beetlejuice earned over 80 percent of its potential revenue from ticket sales. Yet, during the same period, the weekly revenues of Tootsie have fallen over $200,000, and it only earned 51.42 percent of its potential revenue from ticket sales last week.

The divergence could be due to the shows’ different ticketing strategies.

Riding a wave of rave reviews and numerous nominations, the producers of Tootsie announced before the Tony Awards that the show would have a national tour, two international productions, and a new block of tickets on sale through April 2020. The producers of Beetlejuice, on the other hand, chose to wait until after the Tony Awards to announce only a new block of tickets on sale through January 2020.

“As a former general manager, I would have advised the producers of each show to follow the exact strategies they appear to have taken,” commented Townsend Teague, who now serves as a consultant advising several Broadway producers. “Ride momentum when you have it, and take caution when needed,” he continued.

However, “the additional three months at Tootsie may be affecting the current weekly grosses, due to advance sales being spread-out across a longer time-line,” Teague recognized. “In hindsight, Tootsie may have released too large of a block of tickets ahead of the Tony Awards,” he said, and “I would recommend they quietly reduce full-price tickets, particularly in non-center orchestra locations.”

But, the drop in weekly revenues seems to stem more from a decrease in demand, and a better explanation for the shows trading places after the Tony Awards might have been their performances on the program.

Although less people watched the awards show than in previous years, “the performance on the broadcast is always important,” insisted Oliver Roth, one of the producers of Sea Wall/A Life. It is a rare opportunity for Broadway producers to pitch their shows to millions of theatergoers across the United States.

“When are you ever going to get the opportunity to get a three minute national commercial for your show to your target demographic for $200k?” asked a Broadway producer. “It’s like a blue light special for TV time!” he said.

Following the same approach that it tried during a performance on The Today Show one month earlier, Beetlejuice tailored the lyrics of its first song to the Tony Awards, and “nailed the performance,” commented Roth. “It was something that they knew worked, and Beetlejuice gave one of the better performances,” he said.

“We used the opportunity to really show off who we are,” stated Alex Brightman, who performs as the titular character of the show.

Meanwhile, “Tootsie, for its part, presented a more traditional, straightforward number, that may have been perceived by viewers as uneventful,” recalled Teague. “I know industry people, friends, and family who watched the broadcast, and thought that Tootsie underperformed,” echoed Roth. “They were interested in the show, and they were bored by the performance,” he stated.

“One of the bigger disappointments among the musical presentations was Tootsie,” remarked one reviewer. “While it seemed an obvious choice to have lead actor winner Santino Fontana sing ‘I Won’t Let You Down,’ the audition song of his character’s Dorothy Michaels persona, the producers opted instead for ‘Unstoppable,’ a triumphant declaration of Dorothy’s ascendance that fell kind of flat,” the critic continued.

Highlighting its sharp wit and energetic characters, Beetlejuice attracted the interest of many individuals who are now spending their vacations in Manhattan.

“With New York-area residents having had a chance to see productions from the 2018-2019 season, summer tourists now have a greater stake in box office and attendance outcomes, and they appear to be opening their wallets for Beetlejuice,” observed Teague. “In general, theatergoers gravitate toward shows that take-on event-like personas, and Beetlejuice appears to have achieved a degree of this status following the Tony Awards,” he said.

Its strategic marketing campaign might have helped.

“While going about significant changes to the production after its pre-Broadway run, the producers of Beetlejuice, likely aware New York critics might review the production unfavorably, appeared to go on an advertising and marketing offensive, creating visually stunning artwork and commercials, suggesting an event was taking place inside the Winter Garden,” Teague continued. “When you look at the production photos, Beetlejuice‘s campaign talks about the physical production of it, and how fun it is,” Roth noticed, adding that “the show is much more a spectacle” than Tootsie.

In addition, its marketing materials suggest that the show is suitable for families, tapping into a wider market of theatergoers.

“Even though it may not be true, I think that there is a perception that Beetlejuice is a better family show than Tootsie,” commented Roth. All of its advertisements are adorned with excerpts from reviews calling the show a “jaw-dropping fun-house” and a “funny roller-coaster ride.” The musical is marketed like an amusement park.

Also, highlighting the teenage protagonist on its posters, Beetlejuice “really pulled out the emotional narrative of a young girl grieving the loss of her mother, and trying to connect with her father,” Roth stated. The story of the show is about a family, and “it has all of the classic family musical elements, even though layered on top of it are maybe some inappropriate jokes for children,” he said.

“In the summer months, where family tourism plays a big role in the Broadway box office, Beetlejuice is probably converting at a higher rate for families,” Roth surmised. “I think we may be seeing more family audiences in [the summer], and a wider demographic gravitating towards Beetlejuice,” echoed Darren Bagert, one of the producers of Moulin Rouge! and Ain’t Too Proud.

“The sentiment, which evidently gained traction with ticket buyers, was guaranteed laughs, and a mix of sarcasm and off-hand jokes offensive enough to entertain adults but not so to deter families,” observed Teague. “In other words, Beetlejuice’s Broadway promotional materials indicate never too serious fun,” he said, adding that it is “not a bad recipe for summer musicals.”

The Beetlejuice brand name might also be responsible for attracting more tourists.

Totaling 63 percent of all Broadway theatergoers, “tourists historically drive the business of successful musicals, and they often do not choose shows for the same reasons as those who reside in the New York area,” Teague stated. “For many years, theatergoers from the Tri-State area, particularly New Yorkers, have carried a reputation of favoring noteworthy, culturally-relevant shows, while tourists have been a reliable purchaser of well-known titles, those with name recognition,” he explained.

Among the two shows based on well-known films, however, it is possible that a musical version of Beetlejuice appeals to tourists more than a musical version of Tootsie.

While the 1982 film Tootsie made more than twice as money as the 1988 film Beetlejuice in the United States, the latter title has become a “cult classic,” and it is considered to be more popular. The Tim Burton-directed film was ranked as the 262nd most popular film in the Internet Movie Database last week, for example, while Tootsie was ranked as the 2,587th most popular film.

With the success of shows based on Kinky Boots and Hairspray, Roth recognized that “cult classics often do well on Broadway.” “There is something about them that is very appealing to people, and that is why they become a cult phenomenon,” he said. “The production doesn’t have to live up to the version of the story that everyone in the world knows, and there are some people who don’t need to see a musical version of a movie that was good,” he continued.

Whereas Roth felt that Tootsie “has been, at best, meeting expectations, and probably even disappointing some people,” “Beetlejuice has been constantly impressing people.” One critic recognized that “it’s a fun time for the Burton novice and pure fan service for the Burton stans, thanks in large part to the titular puckish undead spirit breathing life into a Broadway experiment that could’ve been dead in the water.”

“At some point, the selling power of the brand expires, and you need to have a good show underneath it,” Roth emphasized.

Read this story on forbes.com

Broadway Beetlejuice, Tootsie

2019 Best Musical Tony – A Tight Race?

Oliver June 5, 2019

Tight Race for Best Musical at This Year’s Tony Awards

As Sunday’s ceremony approaches, ‘no real front-runner’ for Broadway’s most-coveted prize

June 5, 2019

by Charles Passy

‘Hadestown,’ ‘Tootsie’ and ‘The Prom’ are among shows that have been nominated for best musical at this year’s Tony Awards. PHOTO: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMIL LENDOF/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL; PHOTOS: MATTHEW MURPHY (2), DEEN VAN MEER

In the last few years, the Tony Awards contest for best musical, arguably Broadway’s most coveted prize, has largely been a one-show race.

In 2016, “Hamilton” swept the Tonys, winning 11 awards, topped by best musical. Last year, “The Band’s Visit” did almost the same, earning recognition in 10 categories, including best musical.

And this year? Theater professionals say all bets are off.

As Sunday’s Tony ceremony approaches, the race for best musical appears to be one of the tightest in recent history, with members of the theater community saying it is a three-way contest among “Hadestown,” “The Prom” and “Tootsie.”

“There’s no real front-runner,” said W. Lee Bell, senior director of programming at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.., a prominent presenter of touring Broadway shows. Mr. Bell is a Tony voter, though he declined to name his best-musical pick for this year.

The trio of musicals seen as the top contenders vary greatly in tone and subject matter.

“Hadestown” is considered the most serious-minded of the group, a jazz-inflected musical based on a Greek mythological tale of a trip to the underworld. It has also proved itself a cult favorite and plays regularly to capacity crowds.

By contrast, “Tootsie” and “The Prom” fit more squarely in the tradition of musical comedy. The former is based on the 1982 film that starred Dustin Hoffman, while the latter is an original show that combines a wink-wink look at the ego-laden world of Broadway with the story of a lesbian couple hoping to attend their high-school prom.

Each of the shows has been recognized in other award ceremonies and critical platforms, including those that are often viewed as a bellwether for the Tonys.

“The Prom,” for example, was named outstanding musical at the Drama Desk Awards, held this past Sunday. “Hadestown” wasn’t eligible to compete, however, because it had been considered previously during its off-Broadway run. (The Drama Desk Awards recognize Broadway and off- and off-off-Broadway productions, whereas the Tonys concentrate only on Broadway.)

Many theater professionals give the best-musical edge to “Hadestown,” saying it fits the mold of what Tony voters have recognized in recent years: a creative show that speaks to modern-day Broadway’s artistic aspirations.

“I think ‘Hadestown’ has a pretty secure lead,” said Oliver Roth, a Broadway producer.

At the same time, professionals note that Tony voters often see the best-musical award as an opportunity to recognize a show that could use a boost at the box office. In that regard, “The Prom” might prove the winner because it has not enjoyed the same financial success as other shows.

As for “Tootsie,” the show’s advantage may simply be that it delivers the laughs that Broadway audiences very much want and need, said Ryan Stana, chief executive officer of RWS Entertainment Group, a New York-based company that specializes in theater and live events.

“‘Tootsie’ is the return of the all-American musical,” said Mr. Stana, who predicts the show will grab the top honor.

Some theater-world veterans said there is even a possibility that the three shows could split the vote to the point that a different contender takes the best-musical prize.

The two other nominated shows in the category are “Beetlejuice,” based on the 1988 movie, and “Ain’t Too Proud,” a jukebox musical about the Motown group the Temptations.

Awards, News Awards, Hadestown, The Prom, Tony Awards, Tootsie

TONY CAMPAIGNING FOR A CLOSED SHOW

Oliver June 3, 2019

On with the show: Campaigning for a Tony once the curtain has dropped

June 3, 2019

Stuart Miller

Camille A. Brown, the choreographer of ‘Choir Boy,’ at Tonys Meet the Press Day. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Campaigning for a Tony Award already involves a nonstop schedule of events, photo opportunities and jostling to best position each show on television broadcasts, in articles and at galas.

That process becomes harder when the show has already closed.

This year, the now-shuttered “Choir Boy,” “The Boys in the Band,” “Torch Song,” “The Waverly Gallery” and “Bernhardt/Hamlet” reaped a collective dozen nominations — including one best play nod and three for best revival of a play, as well as accolades for individual actors.

Without the chance to invite the Tony voters back to the theater, these limited runs have to get creative, using archived footage, actors as roving representatives of the show and increasingly, social media.

And without ticket sales generating income, it’s more difficult to ask investors to spend additional money on promotion, which can total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and includes the mailing out of scripts and cast albums to the 800-plus Tony voters and helping nominees make the rounds.

Online videos have been somewhat of a game changer in this arena. Barry Grove, the executive producer of Manhattan Theatre Club, said the nonprofit is campaigning for “Ink” (which is still open) and “Choir Boy” by taking out the always crucial New York Times ad for both shows and sending “Choir Boy” scripts to voters. But the theater company is also increasingly relying on videos and social media to promote the shows.
“I wouldn’t say it’s easier, but it is certainly different now,” Grove said. “We’re not just in the world of print ads and brochures anymore.”

The use of video allows “Choir Boy’s” nominated star Jeremy Pope, who is currently in “Ain’t Too Proud,” and playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, who is in Chicago working on his next show, to participate in the process. Grove says McCraney created his own “short selfie video” for voters. Additionally, MTC can repurpose videos and other social media material made during the run of the show.

“It’s not the same as being live in the theater but it certainly captures the memory of a show,” Grove says, especially for someone who has already seen the production.

Other closed shows have taken this a step further. When “Falsettos” was nominated for best revival of a musical in 2017, along with four acting nominations, Lincoln Center Theater sent a CD of the original cast recording to voters — standard operating procedure. What was unusual was the fact that the producers also sent an online link to the then-unseen Live from Lincoln Center film of the show and invited all voters to a special screening of the movie version at a Manhattan multiplex. (In the end, “Hello, Dolly!” still won the Tony.)

From the actors’ perspective, those new approaches seem to be creating more of a balance between shows, says Robin de Jesús, who earned his third acting nomination for “The Boys in the Band” — a limited run that ended last summer and that was nominated in the revival category, alongside de Jesús’s nomination.

“I think the unwritten rules about shows that are closed getting hurt in the voting are shifting or being thrown out,” he said.
But, as Toni-Leslie James, who is nominated for best costume design for “Bernhardt/Hamlet,” says, the experience of seeing the nominated elements live can’t be beat.

“There’s nothing like being in the theater, watching people move in the clothing, seeing the costumes with the actors, the set and the lighting,” James said. “You cannot replicate the experience of live theater.”

And campaigning for best musical, the biggest Tony Award in terms of box office impact and one that helps show tour and license future productions, in particular, is difficult without being able to woo the out-of-town producers and theater owners at the Broadway League Spring Road conference.

“It’s a huge disadvantage for certain awards, especially best musical,” said Oliver Roth, whose company OHenry Productions is a producer on the Tony-nominated “Burn This.” “Winning won’t help ticket sales, which is a big part of some voters calculations for best musical. And, if you weren’t able to make it to the Tonys, it’s hard to say you were the best of the year.”

Since 1949, the first year of the best musical Tony Award, only 28 closed musicals have been nominated. Of those, the only show that has managed to win best musical after closing was “Hallelujah, Baby!” a 1968 tuner that ran for close to 300 performances.

New plays and play revivals, however, are viewed somewhat differently, as the runs are often purposely limited, either because they exist as one part of a season at a nonprofit theater, or in order to attract stars.

For example, in recent memory, “Jitney” won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play after closing as did “A View From the Bridge” the previous year.

Campaigning, whether it be for an open or closed show, is a delicate subject: producer Scott Rudin, of “The Waverly Gallery,” would not comment, nor would Roundabout Theatre Company, which produced “Bernhardt/Hamlet,” or the producers of “Torch Song.”

The traditional process — facilitatetd, in come cases, by producers who hold onto money for a spring campaign — continues to include getting the nominees to New York and keeping the individual, and thus the show, front and center.

This process can be facilitated by producers of the closed show, as was the case when Julie White, nominated this year for “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus,” won a best actress Tony for “The Little Dog Laughed” in 2007, months after the show had closed.

“The producers were helpful, and our press rep definitely helped coordinate the when, where and why for my appearances,” she said.
De Jesús, who says he feels like he is appearing not only for himself, but as a representative for his show, says he has been choosing which events to attend on his own. His friends who are producers on other shows urged him to get a press agent for the campaign, but he declined.

“This is where artistry meets capitalism, and it’s very necessary, but the campaigning feels a little icky for me,” he said. He added that the events, however, are not all about competition and provide a welcome opportunity to socialize with the other nominees.

To that end, there are advantages to the actors campaigning with a closed show.

Compared to the “The Little Dog Laughed” campaign, White says her current experience of doing eight shows a week (including the day of the awards), is “stressful and exhausting” — she spent one recent Monday, her day off, presenting at the Obies with co-star Kristine Nielsen and then sitting on a panel with her other co-star, Nathan Lane, at the 92nd Street Y.

“When your show is closed, it’s just a celebration,” she says. “At all these events you say, ‘Yes I will have another drink. And an extra helping of dessert.’”

Awards, Tony Awards 2019 Awards, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Broadway Briefing, Broadway.News, Burn This, Choir Boy, Falsettos, MTC, The Boys in The Band, The Waverly Gallery, Toni-Leslie James, Tony Awards, Torch Song

Tina Benko, Andrew Durand, Kyle Beltran Lead Industry Reading

Oliver May 1, 2019

Tina Benko, Andrew Durand, Kyle Beltran Lead Industry Reading of DIRTY DIRTY

May 1, 2019

by BWW News Desk

On Tuesday, May 7th, The Dennis & Victoria Ross Foundation (DVRF) will present an industry reading of Amy Gijsbers van Wijk’s DIRTY DIRTY as part of the 2019 DVRF Playwrights Program. The reading stars Tina Benko (Nantucket Sleigh Ride), Andrew Durand (Ink, Head Over Heels), Kyle Beltran (Blue Ridge), Mirirai Sithole (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), and Fig Chilcott (La MaMa’s The Last Days of Judas Iscariot). The reading is directed by Sarah Krohn (WP’s Veil’d).

In DIRTY DIRTY, renowned journalist Violet Miller (Benko) sets out to write about HardBall, an adult studio with a safe, sex-positive reputation and sky-rocketing female viewership. But when Violet meets CJ (Durand), the breakout male star at the center of HardBall’s success, she’s caught between her professional persona and her newly awakened desires and begins to question who’s really in control.

Oliver Roth/OHenry Productions (Burn This, The Inheritance) serves as Consulting Producer to the DVRF Playwrights Program.

DVRF is a non-profit foundation organized and operated for educational purposes, including support for public debate and discussion on topics of and the promotion of emerging artists working in the theater, film, music, and visual arts. The Foundation intends to seek out and produce work of artistic merit that has not yet or would not otherwise receive commercial sponsorship. For more information on its programming please visit www.dvrf.org.

DVRF has been a launching place for bold new works since 2015. Recent DVRF Program recipients include Thirst by C.A. Johnson (MCC’s upcoming All the Natalie Portmans) directed by Danya Taymor (Daddy) and Ian August’s The Excavation of Mary Anning, directed by Sammi Cannold (Ragtime on Ellis Island), which will be part of New York Stage & Film’s upcoming season of readings.

Head Over Heels Drama League Award Nomination

Oliver April 17, 2019

THE PROM, AIN’T TOO PROUD, BEETLEJUICE & More Earn Drama League Awards Nominations!/h1>

April 17, 2019

by BWW News Desk

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) today announced the 2019 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by the current stars of Waitress, Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan, at the official announcement event at Sardi’s Restaurant, which was streamed live online here at BroadwayWorld.

How likely are today’s nominees to earn a Tony nomination? Find out!

The nominations announcement begins a month of celebrations leading up to the 85TH Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 17, 2019 at 11:30am. Tickets and tables to the star-studded luncheon are available for purchase at www.dramaleague.org or by calling The Drama League at 212.244.9494; VIP tickets include access to the nominees’ reception.

The Drama League previously announced the 2018 Special Recognition Award Recipients: Tony® Award winner Kelli O’Hara will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; director Alex Timbers will receive The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing; and Taylor Mac will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theater Award.NOTE: THE BOYS IN THE BAND was not eligible for the Drama League Awards nominations because it could not accommodate the nominators, due to the limited ticket availability and limited run of the show.

2019 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

…

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Book by Dominique Morisseau; Music and Lyrics from The Legendary Motown Catalog
Directed by Des McAnuff
Imperial Theatre
Produced by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Tony Taccone, Artistic Director; Susan Medak, Managing Director), Sony/ATV Music Publishing, EMI Entertainment World, Inc., Josh Berger, Ken Schur, Ron Simons, Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones, Ruth & Steve Hendel, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Harriet Newman Leve, Jeffrey Finn, Stephen & Nancy Gabriel, Darren Bagert, David Binder, Wendy Federman, Susan Quint Gallin, Mickey Liddell, Robert Ahrens, Christopher Maring, David Mirvish, Stacy Jacobs, Marianne Mills, Loraine Alterman Boyle, deRoy-Winkler, Karmazin-McCabe, Koenigsberg-Krauss, Zell-Kierstead, Deborah Barrera, Robyn & Larry Gottesdiener, The Araca Group, Rashad V. Chambers, Mike Evans, Hani Farsi, The John Gore Organization, Mike Karns, Willette & Manny Klausner, Gabrielle Palitz, No Guarantees, Sheldon Stone, Stuart Weitzman and Universal Music Theatrical

Beetlejuice
Book by Scott Brown and Anthony King; Music by Eddie Perfect; Lyrics by Eddie Perfect
Directed by Alex Timbers
Winter Garden Theatre
Produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Langley Park Productions, Jeffrey Richards, JAM Theatricals, IMG Original Content, Rebecca Gold, Ben Lowy, James L. Nederlander, Warner / Chappell Music, Inc. and ZenDog Productions; Produced in association with deRoy Federman Productions/42nd.club, Latitude Link, Mary Lu Roffe, Terry Schnuck, Marc Bell & Jeff Hollander, Jane Bergère, Joanna Carson, Darren DeVerna & Jere Harris, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, The John Gore Organization, Ruth & Steve Hendel, LHC Theatrical Fund, Scott H. Mauro, NETworks Presentations, No Guarantees, Gabrielle Palitz, Pierce Friedman Productions, Iris Smith and Triptyk Studios

Be More Chill
Book by Joe Tracz; Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Lyceum Theatre
Produced by Gerald Goehring, Michael F. Mitri, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Marc David Levine, Marlene and Gary Cohen, 42nd.club, Viertel Routh Frankel Baruch Group, Jenny Niederhoffer, Ben Holtzman and Sammy Lopez, Jenn Maley and Cori Stolbun, Joan and Robert Rechnitz, Chris Blastings/Simpson & Longthorne, Koenigsberg/Federman/Adler, YesBroadway Productions, Kumiko Yoshii, Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman, Jay and Cindy Gutterman/Caiola Productions, Phil Kenny/Jim Kierstead, deRoy/Winkler/Batchelder, Jonathan Demar/Kim Vasquez, Brad Blume/Gemini Theatrical Investors, LLC, Alisa & Charlie Thorne, Fred and Randi Sternfeld, Connor Tinglum/Andrew Hendrick, Ashlee Latimer & Jenna Ushkowitz and Two River Theater

The Cher Show
Book by Rick Elice; Music by Various Artists
Directed by Jason Moore
Neil Simon Theatre
Produced by Flody Suarez, Jeffrey Seller and Cher

Hadestown
Music, Lyrics and Book by Anais Mitchell
Directed by Rachel Chavkin
Walter Kerr Theatre
Produced by Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdahy, Carl Daikeler, Five Fates, Willette & Manny Klausner, No Guarantees, Sing Out, Louise! Productions, Stone Arch Theatricals, Benjamin Lowy/Adrian Salpeter, Meredith Lynsey Schade, 42nd.club, Craig Balsam, Broadway Strategic Return Fund, Concord Theatricals, Laurie David, Demar Moritz Gang, Getter Entertainment, Deborah Green, Harris Rubin Productions, Sally Cade Holmes, Marguerite Hoffman, Hornos-Moellenberg, Independent Presenters Network, JAM Theatricals, Kalin Levine Dohr Productions, Phil & Claire Kenny, Mike Karns, Kilimanjaro Theatricals, Lady Capital, LD Entertainment, Sandi Moran, Tom Neff, MWM Live, Patti Sanford Roberts & Michael Roberts, Schroeder Shapiro Productions, Seriff Productions, Stage Entertainment, Kenneth & Rosemary Willman, KayLavLex Theatricals, Tyler Mount, Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth: President; Rocco Landesman: President Emeritus; Paul Libin: Executive Vice President Emeritus; Jack Viertel: Senior Vice President), The National Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop

Head Over Heels
Songs by The Go-Go’s; Conceived by Jeff Whitty; Original Book by Jeff Whitty; Book adapted by James Magruder; Based on ‘The Arcadia’ by Sir Philip Sidney
Directed by Michael Mayer
Hudson Theatre
Produced by Christine Russell, Louise Gund, Donovan Leitch, Rick Ferrari, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scott Sigman, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdahy, Jordan Roth, Julie Boardman, Broadway Strategic Return Fund, Vikram Chatwal, The John Gore Organization, NETworks Presentations, LLC, Insurgent Media, Robert Kravis, Art Lab, LLC, Marc Bell, Mara Burros-Sandler, Carrie Clifford, Adam Gorgoni, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Marguerite Hoffman, Dr. Michael Mintz, Sandi Moran, Paramount Pictures, Van Horn Doran Group, Eric Cornell, Jonathan & Nancy Glaser/Lucy Fato & Matthew Detmer, Heather Reid & Allison Milgard/NS HOH, LLC/Leslie Bourne & Lisa Martin, Franklin & Tracy Codel/Mike Singer/Taffy Stern, Oliver Roth/Kate Cannova/Anne & Larry Hambly and Brad Blume/Eric Gelb/Gary Nelson

The Hello Girls
Music and Lyrics by Peter Mills; Book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel
Directed by Cara Reichel
Prospect Theatre Company/59 East 59 Theaters
Produced by Prospect Theatre Company (Cara Reichel, Artistic Director; Melissa Huber, Managing Director)

King Kong
Written by Jack Thorne; Score Composed and Produced by Marius de Vries; Songs by Eddie Perfect
Directed by Drew McOnie
Produced by Carmen Pavlovic, Roy Furman, Gerry Ryan, Len Blavatnik, Edward Walson, Benjamin Lowy, Bob Boyett, Harmonia Holdings, Peter Ivany, Bruce Robert Harris/Jack W. Batman, Peter May, Liebowitz/Grossman/Shields Productions, Iris Smith, Triptyk Studios, Robert Appel, Lynne & Marvin Garelick, The Shubert Organization (Philip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President), The Nederlander Organization (James L. Nederlander: President), Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth: President; Rocco Landesman: President Emeritus; Paul Libin: Executive Vice President Emeritus; Jack Viertel: Senior Vice President), Audrey Wilf, Aleri Entertainment, Sandy Robertson, Jennifer Fischer, Fantaci/Carusi/Lachowicz, Darren DeVerna, Jere Harris, The John Gore Organization, 42nd.club, HELLO Entertainment, Independent Presenters Network and Global Creatures

The Prom
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin; Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Directed by Casey Nicholaw
Longacre Theatre
Produced by Bill Damaschke, Dori Berinstein, Jack Lane, James & Catherine Berges, Nelda Sue Yaw, Natasha Davison, Joe Grandy, Kimberlee Garris, Lisa Morris, Terry Schnuck, Jane Dubin, Rosalind Productions, Inc., Fahs Productions, Seth A. Goldstein, Mike Kriak, Don & Nancy Ross, Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Cliff Hopkins, Masie Productions, Vivek Shaw, Three Belles & A Bob, Arment-Tackel, Armstrong-Manocherian, Fakler-Silver, Fox Theatricals-Mosbacher-Lonow, Palitz-Stern-Smedes, Nancy & Ken Kranzberg/David Lyons, Larry & Elizabeth Lenke/Elizabeth L. Green, Iris Smith/InStone Productions, Kuhlman-Ketner/Wallace-ATxRandomProductions, The John Gore Organization and The Shubert Organization (Philip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President); Produced in association with Independent Presenters Network, Margot Astrachan, Darren P. DeVerna & Jeremiah J. Harris and Reagan Silber

Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Book, Music and Lyrics by Andrew R. Butler
Directed by Joran Fein
Ars Nova
Produced by Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Founding Artistic Director and Renee Blinkwolt, Managing Director)

Tootsie
Book by Robert Horn; Music by David Yazbek; Lyrics by David Yazbek
Directed by Scott Ellis
Marquis Theatre
Produced by Scott Sanders, Carol Fineman, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Columbia Live Stage, Sally Horchow, James L. Nederlander, Benjamin Lowy, Cindy and Jay Gutterman/Marlene and Gary Cohen, Judith Ann Abrams Productions, Robert Greenblatt, Stephanie P. McClelland, Candy Spelling, JAM Theatricals, Roy Furman, Michael Harrison/David Ian, Jamie deRoy/Catherine Adler/Wendy Federman/Heni Koenigsberg, JAA Productions/Stella LaRue/Silva Theatrical Group, Toho Co. Ltd., Jonathan Littman, Peter May, Janet and Marvin Rosen, Seriff Productions, Iris Smith, Bob Boyett, Thomas L. Miller, Larry J. Kroll/Douglas L. Meyer, Victoria Lang/Scott Mauro, Brunish/Caiola/Fuld Jr/Epic Theatricals, Ted Liebowitz/Lassen Blume Baldwin, The John Gore Organization, Ronald Frankel, Char-Park Productions, Chris and Ashlee Clarke, Fakston Productions, The Woodland Hills Broadway Group, 2 Js and an A, Inc., Tom McGrath/42nd.club, Drew Hodges and Peter Kukielski, Jim Fantaci, Frederike and Bill Hecht, Brad Lamm and Independent Presenters Network

…

Awards, Broadway Drama League Awards, Head Over Heels No comments

BroadwayWorld Launches Industry Insider Section

Oliver August 7, 2017

BroadwayWorld Launches Industry Insider; New Section and Content Geared Towards Professionals/h1>

August 07, 2017

by BWW News Desk

Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of a major new content initiative from the theatre world’s leading platform dedicated solely to the dynamic business side of shows and the multi-billion dollar theatre industry. With a newly minted menu and fully dedicated section, BroadwayWorld’s Industry Insider delivers informative, insightful, no-nonsense features and commentary, along with practical tools for executive professionals working in the theatre industry on Broadway and around the world.

The section launched today with a number of fresh articles, and features including:

– Industry Editor Cara Joy David kicks off her new twice monthly series with exclusive insights on the UK-based Ambassador Theatre Group’s move to Broadway.

– BWW’s Editor-in-Chief Rob Diamond sits down with ARTHOUSE’s Sara Fitzpatrick to examine, and explore the current digital landscape and her boutique agency.

– The OHenry Report Podcast, led by Broadway producer Oliver Roth offers a weekly oneof-a-kind look inside the business of Broadway. Through candid conversations with theatre insiders, Roth pulls back the curtain on the biggest stories, issues, and data trends in theatre today.

– New Social Media Analytics tool, modeled after the site’s leading Grosses Section presents the full social media landscape for all of Broadway on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram including week to week trends, growth, leaders and followers, weekly analysis by Social Media Guru Alan Henry, and more.

– The Theater Report, by Matt Tamanini continually surveys and reports on Broadway’s 41 theaters including what’s coming or planned, currently moving in or out, where, why, and how, renovation updates, and more.

– For the first time, we’re lifting the veil on our inhouse stats revealing the shows and stars attracting attention in a given week on the BroadwayWorld Leader Board.

– Playing Around the World shines a spotlight on regional productions coast to coast, and around the globe, reporting on what’s hot, trending, and worth keeping close watch of.

All this, plus new photos, continually updated industry news, improved Grosses, easy access and maintenance of show and professional database listings, expanded Classifieds, and much more!

Read on BroadwayWorld.com

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ARS NOVA DISPUTE SETTLED

Oliver November 2, 2016

Peace Now: ‘Natasha, Pierre’ Producers And Non-Profit Group Agree To Secret Deal

November 2, 2016

Jeremy Gerard

SECOND UPDATE, Wednesday afternoon: The war may be over but both sides are speaking in secret code over a dispute that has injected some unexpected drama into the early Broadway season:

A JOINT STATEMENT FROM ARS NOVA AND THE GREAT COMET: Ars Nova and the producers of The Great Comet deeply regret that a contractual dispute became public, and are pleased to share that the matter has now been resolved, privately, and will continue to work to achieve success for The Great Comet on Broadway.

Asked to clarify this non-statement and confirm that the language “The Ars Nova production of” had been restored to the show’s Playbill, as well as that a cast recording session had been rescheduled so as not to conflict with Ars Nova’s fund-raising gala, both sides said there would be no further comment. Matt Ross, a spokesman for the Broadway production, did confirm that the show has not changed its name, as the non-statement suggested, but that it remains Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812.

Reached by telephone, Richard A. Roth, who represented Ars Nova in the negotiations, confirmed that “it’s been settled amicably” along the lines of the lead producers’ offer on Monday to add the credit to the Playbill title page in exchange for ending two actions Ars Nova had brought against them, one in New York State Supreme Court and the other before the American Arbitration Association. Case dismissed, pop the Champagne.

UPDATE Monday morning: The board of Ars Nova met Tuesday morning to consider an offer late Monday from Howard and Janet Kagan and Paula Marie Black, the lead Broadway producers of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812, to add the language “The Ars Nova production of” to the show’s Playbill title page. The condition they set was that the non-profit company agree to drop litigation against them. “The statement Howard’s side released last night was a TOTAL surprise to us,” Ars Nova managing director Renee Blinkwolt told Deadline. “We met this morning and are in ongoing conversations.” Those conversations are likely to include the timing of a session to record the show’s cast album, which had been set to coincide with the group’s December 5 annual gala, a move regarded by the company as retaliation by the producers for making an issue of the billing.

SATURDAY: A skirmish over above-the-title billing in a new Broadway show’s Playbill erupted into all-out war this weekend, as the non-profit theater that developed one of the most acclaimed musicals of recent seasons filed two lawsuits against the commercial producer who has brought the show, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 to, aptly, the Imperial Theatre.

A sprawling and often ingenious mashup of rock opera, immersive soap opera and New Wave dinner theater, the show is based on a section from the Leo Tolstoy classic War And Peace. It has begun previews and features a major pop music recording star, Josh Groban, in one of the title roles (he was not associated with any of the developmental productions). The legal maneuverings aren’t expected to delay the November 14 official opening.

The lead Broadway producer, Howard Kagan, said Friday that the legal actions surprised him because he believed that discussions to resolve the billing dispute were ongoing. But earlier today Richard A. Roth, the lawyer representing Ars Nova, the highly regarded off-Broadway group that commissioned the musical, accused the producers of bringing the talks to an impasse. “If [Kagan] believes that is ‘negotiation,’ then we have different definitions of the word.”

“If [Kagan] believes that is ‘negotiation,’ then we have different definitions of the word,” —Ars Nova lawyer Richard A. Roth

On Friday, Roth filed two claims on behalf of the group against Kagan (who, with his wife Janet, is the show’s lead Broadway producer): One, with the American Arbitration Association, accuses the production company of breach of contract; and another, in New York State Supreme Court, asserts that Kagan interfered with a contract and breached their fiduciary duty.

At issue are the words “The Ars Nova production of.” The leaders of Ars Nova, a mostly off-the-radar non-profit making its Broadway debut, insist they have a signed agreement with the Kagans to use those words above the title of the show in the Playbill. Instead, according to Renee Blinkwolt, managing director of the company, which operates on an annual budget of $1.4 million, Ars Nova is lumped with all of the show’s “producers,” the majority of whom are investors who had little or nothing to do with the creation and development of the show.

Although there are plentiful examples of both types of billing when a show developed at a non-profit theater moves to Broadway, a comparison could be drawn with last year’s Tony Award winner for best play, Stephen Karam’s The Humans. The show was commissioned by the Roundabout Theatre Company, which presented its world premiere. Commercial producer Scott Rudin optioned the play before the reviews came out, and when it moved to Broadway, it had this billing in Playbill:

Playbill listing for ‘The Humans’ on Broadway.

Such billing can be crucial to a non-profit company when raising money to support its work. “While everyone in Hollywood knows about Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City and The Public Theater,” Jon Steingart, an Ars Nova co-founder and board member told Deadline, “few outside New York have even heard of Ars Nova, even though our alumni are among the most impactful in the industry.”

The dispute has been made especially bitter because Howard Kagan was, until a few weeks go, a longtime financial backer and board member of the company. That’s the key reason for the breach of fiduciary responsibility aspect of the suit against him. When the dispute first erupted earlier this month, he resigned from the Ars Nova board.

On Friday, Blinkwolt and artistic director Jason Eagan announced the suits in a statement released to the press. In condensed version, it said:

In 2011, Ars Nova commissioned Dave Malloy to create Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, an ambitious idea that would quickly become the largest project Ars Nova had ever supported at the time…A concept was born and refined over numerous developmental steps, leading to the Ars Nova world premiere in October 2012. The production was an instant sensation.

Producer Howard Kagan took an interest in extending the life of the show…He expressed his great interest in preserving the successful concept, design and staging of the Ars Nova production rather than shifting the show into a more traditional proscenium staging…

If you were to remove the contributions of any one partner along the way, we couldn’t be in previews on Broadway today. And yet with no explanation, the proper recognition of our contribution has been taken away. We believe that the show currently on Broadway started at Ars Nova…[T]he show that started at Ars Nova is extremely valuable to Ars Nova’s past, present and future, and is communicated to the tens of thousands of people seeing The Great Comet on Broadway each week only through our title page billing.

With seemingly no other alternatives to seek remedy for this lost value, our Board voted unanimously last night to file suit for breach of contract to compel the commercial producers of The Great Comet to honor their contractual obligation to bill the show as “The Ars Nova Production Of”. We are devastated that it has come to this, but steadfast in our belief that the billing we are owed is both valuable, and deserved.

Responding Friday with their own statement, the producers said they were surprised to hear about the law suits. “We and our representatives have been speaking to Ars Nova for the past week about our ongoing dispute over billing, and together we have made great progress toward resolving this matter and we expect to continue to do so…Our understanding is that we are still in discussions. We continue to work toward a swift resolution of this matter for the sake of everyone involved in the show, and we hope that those discussions can continue privately.”

But Ars Nova’s lawyer said those attempts at reconciliation had hit a wall.

“My client believed they had agreed with Mr. Kagan’s representatives on the material terms of a final settlement on Wednesday evening,” Richard Roth told Deadline today. “But on Thursday morning, Mr. Kagan apparently went back on this handshake deal, although no explanation or counter was provided to my client. His representatives then requested the conversation be turned over to respective lawyers. On Thursday afternoon, I presented the material terms again, with a request for confirmation that they were once again agreed to by the end of the day. Having still not heard anything on Friday morning, we gave the Kagan camp a noon deadline, letting them know that we would have to move forward if they did not provide a substantive response. He received our deadline and ignored it. By yesterday afternoon we still had not heard from Mr. Kagan. If he believes that is ‘negotiation,’ then we have different definitions of the word.”

Ars Nova already has produced another much-talked about show this season, Underground Railroad Game, which has been extended several times in the wake of rave notices and full houses, where tickets are generally $15 at its West 54th Street theater.

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Production Billing Ignites War at Great Comet

Oliver October 20, 2016

Production Billing Ignites War at Great Comet

October 20, 2016

Robert Viagas

A feud over the manner in which Off-Broadway‘s Ars Nova Theatre is being credited in the Broadway Playbill for Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 has caused a meteoric battle in the press.

Heralded as an incubator of edgy new work, Ars Nova staged the world premiere of the immersive musical in 2012. Critics took note. The Great Comet was later remounted in a larger, more lavish custom “tent” in 2013. It will officially open at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre November 14.

Howard and Janet Kagan, the show’s commercial producers, were reportedly contractually required to bill the show as “The Ars Nova production of . . .” but billing materials omitted the words “production of” and simply listed Ars Nova last among 38 other above-the-title producers in the Playbill.

The current Playbill also includes the following at the bottom of the billboard page: “Originally commissioned, developed, and world premiere produced by Ars Nova.”

When talk of a lawsuit began to circulate, Kagan, also a member of the Board of Directors at Off-Broadway‘s Ars Nova Theatre, barred Ars Nova personnel (namely artistic director Jason Eagan) from previews, which began October 18.

Kagan resigned from the Ars Nova board October 19. Kagan‘s resignation was reported in The New York Times, but the story was originally reported by The New York Post.

The Times reports that Ars Nova sent Kagan a letter accusing him of threatening to initiate “a smear campaign in the press in order to irreparably harm Ars Nova’s reputation.”

Eagan, Ars Nova’s artistic director, issued the following statement: “Ars Nova is deeply disappointed that our own board member Howard Kagan is attempting to minimize the contribution that Ars Nova has made to Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 by denying us the proper billing credit we have earned and of which we are contractually entitled.”

The Great Comet producers declined to comment via the show’s press representatives.

Ars Nova had been scheduled to honor the Kagans at its upcoming gala.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 began its journey to Broadway in a 2012 production at Ars Nova, a not-for-profit Off-Broadway company that bills itself as ”NYC’s Premier Hub for New Talent.” Other shows that began at Ars Nova include Futurity and Small Mouth Sounds, but Great Comet is its first production to reach Broadway.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, which is adapted from a passage in Leo Tolstoy’s novel War & Peace, was performed in a specially designed tent called Kazino in lower Manhattan and subsequently on West 45th Street near Times Square. It’s now playing at the Imperial Theatre next door to the vacant lot where Kazino once stood. Josh Groban stars in the Broadway mounting.

Kagan and his wife Janet have co-produced ten Broadway shows since 2011, including Hands on a Hardbody, Pippin, On the Town, and Tuck Everlasting.

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