Accomplished live entertainment executives Brian Becker and Scott Zeiger announced today the formation of BASE Entertainment, a producer, presenter, venue programmer, and operator involved in live, theatrical entertainment and content on a worldwide basis.
Partnered with Los Angeles-based private equity firm, Clarity Partners, LP, BASE Entertainment recently acquired interests in numerous properties from Live Nation (NYSE: LYV), including
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular, Cirque du Soleil's Delirium, rights to build and operate two venues in the newly branded Planet Hollywood Las Vegas' Resort & Casino and the Broadway-bound original musical
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.Through a combination of development and acquisition, Becker and Zeiger will continue to grow BASE Entertainment from its initial properties into a worldwide, live entertainment company whose portfolio of projects already includes Broadway and touring theatrical productions, entertainment venues, Las Vegas attractions and various intellectual properties.
"Brian, Scott and the management team at BASE are among the most successful executives working in live entertainment today and have helped affect significant changes in the industry including the creation of the largest national networks for touring theatrical productions, music amphitheaters, live entertainment sponsorships and specialized motor sports entertainment," expressed Stephen Rader, Managing General Partner of Clarity Partners. "We have known the BASE team for over a decade and watched them develop these concepts within the framework of Clear Channel Entertainment, SFX and PACE. We believe the groundwork has been planted to create a pre-eminent live entertainment vehicle."
Although many projects are in development, currently BASE Entertainment's ventures include:
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular - in partnership with leading live event producer Live Nation, the legendary Broadway show opens in an excitingly re-imagined $35 million production in a $40 million state of the art, custom-built opera house at the Las Vegas Sands' (NYSE: LVS) Venetian Resort Hotel. With a score by
Andrew Lloyd Webber and directed by legendary Harold Prince, the 90-minute live spectacle opens late June 2006.
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort Theatres - BASE is constructing and will program and operate both a 7,000-seat state of the art theatre for performing arts and a flexible 1,450 seat showroom at the newly-branded Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino. BASE will also develop, produce, and organize shows for both theatrical venues.
Cirque du Soleil's Delirium -- BASE is an associate producer of this Cirque du Soleil/Live Nation global arena touring production, which began performances January 2006.
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me - Broadway-bound comedy musical starring the Emmy and Tony Award-winning
Martin Short, written by Tony Award-winning team of
Marc Shaiman and
Scott Wittman (
Hairspray). The show arrives on Broadway July 2006 after engagements in San Francisco, Toronto and
Chicago.
MBST Creative Partnership - BASE is joining forces with MBST, a full-service management company that produces film, television and live stage productions and has a roster of more than 35 clients, representing an array of Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winning artists including
Robin Williams,
Billy Crystal and
Woody Allen. The joint venture will create theatrical and comedic attractions for Broadway, Las Vegas and touring markets. MBST is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc.
Gordie Brown Comedy Show - BASE is producing this renowned stand-up comedian, impressionist/musician in a custom built 700-seat performance space at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. The $2.5 million production begins performances in August 2006.
BASE has offices in New York, Las Vegas and Houston. For more information, visit
www.baseentertainment.com.
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