Originally Posted By Rebekah This topic is for discussion of the 9/23/2003 news item <b><a href="http://www.playbill.com/news/article/81772.html" target="_blank">Playbill: MTI Will License Disney's Aida and Beauty and the Beast for Regional and Amateur Markets</a></b> The September 22nd <I>Playbill</I> announces Disney Theatricals' has licensed the musicals <I>Aida</I> and <I>Beauty and the Beast</I> for use by international professional and amateur productions.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby This is very interesting ... I can see "Aida" done on the community level, but "Beauty" ... kind of scares me ...
Originally Posted By utahjosh I agree. I think Aida is very dependent on the music -- but the look of that show isn't as important. Beauty, although it has amazing music,has so many pre-concieved ideas of what it SHOULD look and sound like, that it will be very difficult to really please an audience. Though i'd love to be Cogsworth or LeFou
Originally Posted By ToonKirby One asset of "Beauty" that will attract a lot of productions is that it has a big cast with a lot of great roles in it ... ideal for a 'higher end' community theater. ... and I'd love to be Lumiere ...
Originally Posted By Jim I would love to direct AIDA. I love that play . . . LOVE it. I was surpised Disney would license the rights because it opens the gate to a lot of BAD productions bearing the Disney name.
Originally Posted By 45YearsofMagic I would bet big that Disney is going to be severely scrutinizing all productions, especially of B&B. The contract will no doubt be 15 pages long, a la the Les Mis contract.
Originally Posted By kennect I have no clue...What would one guess the license fee would be for such a production?
Originally Posted By Jim When I directed HELLO, DOLLY! at the high school level in 1999, it was about $1600 (if I remember right, and I may not). That was for a 600-seat theatre for three performances. I directed THE PAJAMA GAME the following year, and that was less because it was less-known. They charge a good chunk for rights, then a good chunk more for material rental (books, etc.), and if they have anything else special, they may charge for that (like Susan Stroman's choreography notes or whatever for CRAZY FOR YOU). MTI is a very friendly company, though. HELLO, DOLLY! was through Tam-Witmark, and they weren't as nice.
Originally Posted By 45YearsofMagic I wouldn't say MTI is friendly. They are known as the "Musical Nazis" for a reason in the producing world. Tams is worse though, with ya there. The best is Samuel French...they just don't care. Mainly because they're too disorganized to care. MTI also charges way too much for everything, but that's life. They have a monopoly.
Originally Posted By Jim What was your experience with them? In my experience, they were very friendly. It's not so much about a monopoly, it's more about paying the rightful amount for rights (or something like that . . .). Sure, the average high school musical needs two nights of full houses just to pay for the rights to a musical, but . . .
