PARAMOUR Opens Tonight... Post reviews here!

[Pedro Filho]

So I've been looking forward to this show since November of last year. I was so excited! Bought my tickets in like January and have been counting down the days until June 4th when I would finally get to watch Paramour! Now the Cirque part of the show was absolutely amazing and breathtaking. But the book/story/songs was horrid. I didn't feel for any of the characters. I usually cry watching anything and I didn't care for the ending at all. There was no emotion! It was too fast paced. Ruby Lewis was so talented, but I just didn't care for Indigo. I read the numerous reviews and comments about the show, but I put them to the side cause I usually love shows even if they're "bad". But I didn't love this. And definitely wouldn't watch it again. It was a once and done type of thing. AND I was waiting the entire time for the song from when they first announced Paramour and that Ruby Lewis sang at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

https://youtu.be/aLmO1rkxOjA

No Paramour song! 

 

It was entertaining, but just no depth. 

[wild2]

A sample of "Dandyworld" side by side with "Paramour".

I wanted to let you know, that you were not alone in wondering what happened to the Paramour Title song. In fact, a lot of people on Facebook were asking about the title song. But Cirque kept deleting their comments / questions for over a year now.

In short Cirque pulled the title track after being informed that composer Andreas Carlsson had taken the song out of a project called Dandy. Carlsson only co-owned and co-created that project and did not inform Cirque or the Dandy co-creator that he was doing this. "Dandyworld" is used in and a part of the story in the #1 Dandy Novel from Sweden, published in 2010 by Norstedts. It was also in promotional videos and the song was given out as a download with the ebook version of the novel.

Carnival Comics is that co-owner and co-creator... and we've decided to tell the public the truth and not be forced into keeping this secret, as Dandy is still a project under our banner. Cirque at first only asked how Andreas' Lawyer hoped to dispense with us, (even though we co-own and co-created the entire Dandy Project). Then Andreas tried to get an injunction so that we would not be able to talk about other songs he wanted to take out of the Dandy Project; and by default keep us quiet about this Cirque situation. (It was denied, and our 1st Amendment Rights was noted as one of the main reasons.) And finally, Cirque has not apologized and only said that they do not INTEND to use the song, in the future. But they would not say that they WILL NOT use it in the future. So they hope Andreas suing us endlessly for doing nothing (3 times in the last 6 years - twice in the last year), will lead to them getting a song out of our 10 year project... and they hoped to do it quietly. The public has the right to know the truth.

This FB post explains the situation with the song (hear the Dandyworld / Paramour Song 7 min into the video): Dandy Graphic Novel Motion Movie



 

[trpguyy]

With much respect and sympathy for all the legal hassles... the song is atrocious. 

[wild2]

Thanks for the kind words about the legal mess. The song is only part of the issue, whether one likes it or not. What is the main point is the fact that companies need to stop treating people like this. We did nothing wrong, yet somehow a song that was a part of our project winds up on National T.V. and the Cirque composer (who is our Dandy co-creator) is suing us for a third time.

It was bad enough that he claimed to be the author of the Dandy Novel, before a Judge's Order yanked his copyrights out of the Copyright Office, but now he sold a song out of a settlement agreement (regarding that Novel Copyright Case) and our 10 year Dandy project to Cirque. He hid it from Cirque and Us. Cirque found out and they still refuse to say they won't use it in the future. They want to see if the Cirque Composer can sue us into the ground. As they put it... hope we can be dispensed with.

Nice way to be. We've had enough.

[TrChSpHa]

They still use bits of it in the show.

[wild2]

TrChSpHa said: "They still use bits of it in the show."

Really? Cirque's attorney assured us this, and I quote... "It [Cirque] appreciates your concern and as a gesture of good faith, wishes to inform you that the song “Paramour” is not being used in its Broadway production, and that it has no intention to use the song in any future production."

We have tried for over a year now, not to involve Cirque Du Soleil in this lawsuit. Even though we've been sued 3 times by Andreas Carlsson for...

#1 Andreas sued for us showing the publisher Norstedts, the contract stating that the Dandy Story was written by me and that I was to be credited as co-creator, even though Andreas claimed to be the author of the number one Swedish Novel. His copyrights were taken out of the Copyright Office, while mine were upheld. He sued me for 1 million dollars. (We settled with Carnival Comics / me owning all copyrights to the Dandy Works - five of them - and all works concerning them.)

#2  Andreas sued again because I wouldn't read a screenplay for a similar musical he wanted to do called "Velvet Rope", because he wanted to take all the songs written about Dandy and for the Dandy Project and that were part of our settlement agreement out... and stick them in this new similar story, so that Carnival Comics and I wouldn't get any money or credit. (I refused to even read it, because it had all of the Dandy songs in it. The judge struck the case and tossed it.)

#3 Andreas sued a third time on the same day the case was tossed, with new claims... being they wanted the courts to declare the stories were different. However his attorney stated, it was not their intention to take out the songs from the Dandy Project, even though that was exactly what they were doing. 

So far the court has ruled that if the songs were created after the two creators met, and created with the intent to be a part of the Dandy Project, then we co-own them. Andreas co-owns the stories and Carnival Comics and I co-own the music. Dandyworld was created after we met in 2006 and was indeed created to be a part of the Dandy Project, written about the Dandy Story, and even included in the pages of the Dandy Novel. (Even given out as a free download with the Novel.) ( Even having dialog in the Dandy Novel, which the character named Krazy was singing the Dandyworld lyrics from the stage, in-between the main characters talking.)

While suing this 3rd time, Andreas failed to tell the court and us, that he sold the title song from Dandy to Cirque. And he also failed to tell Cirque. That is besides for Cirque's  Broadway CEO Scott Zeiger, who was once a part of the "Dandy Team", in charge of making Dandy into a Musical for Vegas. He later took a job with Cirque and took the title song from Dandy with him, apparently.

Cirque then asked Andreas' attorney how they intended to dispense with us. Even though we had done nothing wrong or against Cirque. Nice. Yet Cirque never spoke of dispensing with Andreas Carlsson or Scott Zeiger, the two people who actually concealed the prior use of the Dandy song and therefor created this entire mess.

Now Cirque Du Soleil - if you are right, and they are still using parts of the song in the Paramour Musical - just blatantly misled us. (Or Lied.)

Thank God for our 1st Amendment Rights. Without them you can disappear behind endless legal proceedings financed by rich guys with deep pockets and big companies wanting to behave just like this.

[10086sunset]

Thanks for sharing all this information...Fascinating...

[wild2]

Thank you and all of Broadway World for giving us a voice. To give an update, I was contacted last night by a globally known news source. I hope the truth does continue to be told. 

To share a bit more...

Here is the Judge's Order from the 1st Dandy lawsuit taking Andreas Carlsson's copyrights out of the Copyright Office and upholding mine. Notice I am named the author of all the works Andreas claimed to be author of...  and the works concerning them. Meaning if people do or had done derivative works based on my works, I would still be considered the author, especially when done inside the Dandy Project.


Federal Order to Correct Copyrights



One such work was the 2010 Dandy Screenplay by Robert Horn. It is based on my Dandy Story. In these examples you see Andreas Carlsson, claiming on the title page that he wrote the Dandy Story, which is why the Federal Order was needed.  I'll highlight Page 2 from the Dandy Screenplay as it has the Dandyworld / Paramour lyrics in it, to kick off the story. Clearly part of the Dandy Project.


Dandy Screenplay Title Page

Dandy Screenplay Page 1

Dandy Screenplay Page 2



The crediting for this Dandy Screenplay appeared in Horn's bio on FX, and my name was of course not mentioned. This happened after the settlement and has never been corrected.


Dandy Screenplay Crediting on FX



Like the current situation with Cirque, there was a Dandy / McDonald's Campaign in Sweden where Andreas held book signings and a McDonald's contest claiming he was the author. (He was and is a songwriter and a co-creator of Dandy, but he did not write my story and he did not treat me as a co-creator. No, instead he sued me for 1 million dollars when I demanded to be credited properly.) (BTW after the settlement, McDonald's removed all traces of the promotion rather than simply adding my name to it.)


Dandy McDonald's Book Signing

Dandy Placemats

Dandy Contest



It is clear, that there has been a pattern of denying me credit; doing major promotions in which Andreas ignores my involvement; and then sues me when I stand up for myself. Again as I said before, thank God for our 1st Amendment Rights. Without them you can disappear behind endless legal proceedings financed by rich guys with deep pockets and big companies wanting to behave just like this.

[wild2]

Unless Time Travel has now become a real thing... the copyright claim, found at the end of this post, is clearly the Dandyworld song... unless Andreas Carlsson wants to say he wrote the Paramour song SIX YEARS before taking the job with Cirque and Magically knew the Broadway Musical would be titled PARAMOUR.

(The Paramour Song Claim was filed with the Copyright Office just days before the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which the song would be featured in. How convenient.)

While it seems self-evident to almost anyone.... (that the Dandyworld song is a part of the Dandy Project), in court Andreas has refused to give any proof as to when songs from Dandy were created. (Besides originally lying saying they were mostly all created before we met... that is until proof was offered showing that was not true, and only a few songs were created before we met. Most of the songs were indeed created after we met and with the intention of being a part of the Dandy Project. Clearly Dandyworld was one of those songs, as was "If You Can Dream It, You Can Be It", which Andreas now wants to make the center of another musical, with a similar story to Dandy.

These unethical actions have been made by Andreas Carlsson to take the songs out of a co-created project and let's say... sell one to Cirque Du Soleil. And then Cirque, while upset about being misled by Andreas, is still cheering for this unethical behavior to win out in court.

The Dandyworld song was created just before the 2010 Dandy novel was released and after the 2006 / 2007 Dandy graphic novels were created. (As well, many Dandy screenplays were created between 2007 and 2010.)

As stated in the Dandy Federal Settlement Agreement (entered into on September 5, 2012, when Andreas and I were fully aware that the Dandy songs were included in and a part of the following works) surrounding these properties:

[WHEREAS, at the center of both the Action and the Counterclaims are a February 2, 2007 Agreement between the Parties ("Agreement" (Exhibit 1 hereto), February 2, 2007 Assignment between the Parties ("Assignment" (Exhibit 2 hereto), and a September 19, 2007 Amendment to the Agreement ("Amendment" (Exhibit 3 hereto), all relating to a project, concept and story referred to herein as "Dandy" that was co-created by CARLSSON and WILD.

 

The Action and Counterclaims concern five works:
(1) "Dandyworld Graphic Novel Treatment" "Dandy Treatment",
(2) "Welcome to a Dandyworld" "Dandyworld",
(3) "All Hail to the King" "King",
(4) "Step Into the Krazy Life" "Krazy" and
(5) "Andreas Carlsson Dandy" "Dandy Novel" collectively,
"the Dandy Works".

 

The Action and Counterclaims concern the Parties' respective claims of breach of contract by the other, and of their respective claims of rights to ownership of copyrights to the Dandy Works and their derivatives]

 

Again... [a project, concept and story referred to herein as "Dandy" that was co-created by CARLSSON and WILD.]

 

Once more... here is a Federal Judge's corrective order (filed on February 5, 2013, when Andreas and I were fully aware that the Dandy songs were included in and a part of the following works) upholding my Dandy Copyrights:

http://www.jazanwild.com/DANDY_PROJECT/Order_Granting_Wild_Copyrights.pdf

 

[This Court, being fully advised in these premises, and pursuant to the Joint Motion
of Plaintiffs Andreas Carlsson Production, AB and Andreas Carlsson (Andreas Carlsson
and Defendant Jason Barnes, p/k/a Jazan Wild, (Jazan Wild hereby orders as follows:
 A.  Jazan Wild is the author of each of the following works and works concerning
them:
 1.  "Dandyworld Graphic Novel Treatment" "Dandy Treatment",
 2.  "Welcome to a Dandyworld" "Dandyworld",
 3.  "All Hail to the King" "King",
 4.  "Step Into the Krazy Life" "Krazy" and
 5.  "Andreas Carlsson Dandy" "Dandy Novel"
collectively, "the Dandy Works".]

 

 

I do not have to be credited on the song or songs, but I do have co-creation ownership, if the songs were created to be a part of our DANDY Project. (That is unless they leave the project, without my permission. In that case, I would need crediting, and only if I agree to the terms. It's called respect.) 

 

Andreas is NOT credited as the writer or author of the Dandy Works listed that I am the author of, but he is still the co-creator of them. I can't just slap another title on a Dandy story and sell it to Cirque. That is not how co-created projects work.

 

Somehow Cirque feels if I didn't write every song, or am not credited on every song, there's a crack they can steal a song out of the Dandy Project through. Again I am the author and writer of the Dandy Works... but I am also a co-creator of the Dandy Project. (In other words, I wear more than one hat.)

Andreas is not credited as the author or writer of the Dandy stories (not anymore at least, because he never was, thus the need to have his copyrights taken out of the copyright office), but he is the co-creator of them. He is also the songwriter / co-songwriter of the Dandy songs. (In other words, he wears more than one hat, too.)

If this is not respected, the entire industry will have serious problems in the future. Cirque just sued Justin Timberlake over a few musical notes in a song. I'm sure the Cirque CEO didn't write those musical notes, and I'm sure he would not have let the Cirque songwriter go and sell them to another party, if that composer changed the name of the composition.

 

Thank you again to this forum, for giving us a voice... a Freedom of Speech.

 

Lastly if there was any question as to whether the Dandyworld / Paramour song was created with the intent to be a part of the Dandy Project, well this contract between Dandy songwriters drafted 09-08-2011 states clearly:

 

1.1 The author Elofsson has, together with Andreas Carlsson and/or other co-writers, composed the musical compositions as further specified in Appendix 1, the "Compositions". The Compositions have been composed for the purpose of being included and used in connection with a live stage musical currently entitled Dandy, including the musical in all forms and languages  and  whether  condensed,  abridged,  or  in  'tab'   form,  in  concert  versions,  or otherwise, hereinafter referred to as the "Musical", to be produced, presented and exploited under the guidance of Andreas Carlsson.  The Musical will be preceded by a global casting process in co-operation with Google YouTube, under which the Compositions will be made available on YouTube world-wide and third parties will be able to record their own versions of the Compositions, the "Casting Process".

 

Dandyworld Song Contract Drafted in 2011

 

 

If that weren't enough, well here's a studio receipt from the Dandy Session for the song Dandyworld dated 10-28-2009 and the session took place on 07-07-2009, which just happens to be the time that the Copyright Claim for "Paramour the song" states it was created. That does make the Paramour Claim a misleading, fraudulent filing.

 

 

 

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.

 

That makes this song part of the Dandy Project, without any doubt. It was created after Andreas and I met, and with the intention of being a part of the project. And yet somehow in this case, I am now both presenting the evidence FOR the person suing me, to defend AGAINST the person suing me. Any law student will tell you the burden of proof should be on the person suing. Still it shows that the Dandyworld song is part of the Dandy Project, which I co-own and co-created.

 

It is time for Cirque Du Soleil to find a backbone and stand up against this type of business practice. They need to state publicly that they WILL NOT use this song again in any way, shape or form. It was never their song to begin with.

 

And I guess this song "Dandyworld" registered with Ascap would be what???

[wild2]

So Cirque Du Soleil bold faced lied.

They informed me... that they were no longer using the Dandyworld song / Paramour song. As well, Andreas Carlsson stated that they were no longer using the song and that Cirque would never use it again.

Many noticed that the Paramour song that was used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and in TV ads was not included in the show. Yet after Paramour's creative break in late August (at the same exact time the Cirque Composer was hoping to get an injunction against me, so that I could not tell the public about this / THEY FAILED), it would seem Scott Zeiger and Cirque, felt putting the stolen song from Dandy back into their show would somehow escape my notice. And then the truth, as it always does, comes to light. (Again, Thank God for Freedom of Speech and a Free Press.)

In this review from November 10, 2016 it states...

[Storyline aside, other significant changes have taken place with the addition of new components such as Unicycle, German Wheel, and introducing the shows namesake song – Paramour. Reworked existing components include modified Banquine, use of Korean Plank, Teeter and Pole/Lamp post use. High expectation existing acts were expanded as well, sometimes appearing to run a full double of their original iteration. These include the Atherton strap segment in Cleopatra and the acrobatic representation of the love triangle – Hand to Trap. Each of these changes is wholly welcomed. In the case of Unicycle, it’s the first heavily acrobatic performance of the show; the cycler and assistant glide effortlessly around the stage in seemingly impossible scenarios. This act ends with the audience raring to jump to their feet in appreciation. German Wheel is introduced in a supporting role as well. It’s become a staple of Cirque, with its inclusion into this show not going unnoticed. The title song ‘Paramour’ (first introduced underlying television adverts and then suspiciously dropped from 1.0 in its entirety) is a welcome addition. To those that had previously noticed, there was no namesake song in the original production. This new inclusion places a nice artistic bow on the show when hearing it, especially since it’s an immensely well-formed song.]

Wow. Ok Cirque Du Soleil, it is clear how much you value the creative rights of another. You sue Justin Timberlake for a few notes of a common melody... and then you steal an entire musical song, change a few words and call it your NEW TITLE TRACK of your NEW Musical. You then lie to the co-creator of the project and Musical you stole it from, by saying you have removed it from your show... just to then place it back into your musical again.

This is what happens when you sell a company built on creativity to a bunch of suits filled with unethical people. Remove the song! And remove the fraudulent copyright claim. The song is titled DANDYWORLD not PARAMOUR. It is part of my co-created musical titled DANDY, not yours. Take your greedy fingers off of it. Clear enough.

[wild2]

(The above email is from Cirque's Lawyer to Andreas' Lawyer, just before Paramour opened for Previews on April 16, 2016.)

Let me translate into everyday speech... "Ok, we see that Mr. Wild is the co-creator of the Dandy Project that we stole a song out of... or were not told by Andreas Carlsson and Scott Zeiger that the Paramour song was a song from another Musical... either way... Why would we, the great Cirque, be upset with the people who tricked us / lied to us? Or just maybe we were in on it too?"

So they Hoped and Dreamed and Prayed... "Please, Andreas' lawyer, tell us your plan to DISPENSE with Mr. Wild (for doing nothing wrong) or in other words, how you plan to make him shut up, so we can get by with stealing a song away from his 10 year project, a song that is in his #1 Swedish Novel and was a Free download with that novel? How dare he not let us HAVE IT! We're Cirque, after all."

Good Ethics Cirque Du Soleil.

Well working together with Andreas' lawyer an injunction was filed against me, for nothing. The hearing was set for the same exact time Paramour shut down production for creative changes (an alternative fact). One change, was to sneak back in the Dandyworld song that they had removed. Their injunction / hopes to shut me up was denied. So after I demanded Cirque say that THEY WOULD NOT use the song again, I eventually got this letter from their counsel.



(The above email is from Cirque's Lawyer to me, saying Cirque doesn't intend to use the song again, but refusing to say that they WILL NOT use the song again. January, 23rd 2017.)

Let me translate into everyday speech, once again, if you would please...  "We got busted cheering for Andreas Carlsson who hid the fact, from his fellow co-creator, that he, Andreas took the title song out of a 10 year project, retitled it; listed it fraudulently in the Copyright Office (as he's done before), and sold it to Cirque Du Soleil. When Cirque learned of this fact, they only hoped that he would succeed with this unethical behavior and DISPENSE with his co-creator of 10 years.

When this HOPE and DREAM failed... Cirque decided to lie as well. They thought long and hard... and decided to tell me that they are no longer using the song in the musical. Hopefully no one would rat them out, they thought, hoped and prayed. Instantly someone on this board said, hey they are still using it. Then a review of Paramour was brought to my attention that shows that they have been using the song since the INJUNCTION attempt in August 2016 against me failed.

See that is why Cirque would not say that THEY WOULD NOT use it again. It was because they were still using the song, and intend to keep using the song. Though of course, they will say if busted, we did not INTEND to use the song. "The stealing song fairy" keeps putting it back into our show and promotions. What are we to do?

And now, should they decide to lie again... and say that they are NOW no longer using the song... well, follow this link and you will see Dandyworld the song, as Paramour, still being used by the company that put together the song's video.

PARAMOUR STILL BEING USED AS OF 02-28-2017

Any chance Guy Laliberté can come back to the circus? I liked him. I don't think he would have wanted to DISPENSE with me.