Settlement Reached In Akron Urinetown Lawsuit

A statement has been issued on behalf of both parties involved in Carousel Dinner Theatre v. Carrafa, at al.

The parties in above-referenced matter announced that they have resolved their differences and settled the case pending before the Federal Court in the Northern District of Ohio. The Carousel Dinner Theatre, Sean Cercone, Brian Loeffler, Jennifer Cody, Robert Kovach, Dale Dibernardo, and Paul Black (collectively, the "Akron Production Team") acknowledge that there were similarities in creative, original elements between the Akron production of "Urinetown: The Musical" and the Broadway production of director John Rando, choreographer John Carrafa, lighting designer Brian MacDevitt, costume designer Gregory Gale, and scenic and environmental designer Scott Pask (the "Broadway Production Team"). The Akron Production Team also acknowledges creative contributions from the Akron cast.

The parties desire to settle their differences and mutually regret any embarrassment or negative inferences caused by or resulting from this dispute, including any public statements made about the matter. The parties regret any suggestion that anyone associated with either group acted maliciously. The Akron Production Team has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the Broadway Production Team for a license to use the similar elements of the Broadway Production Team's work that were incorporated in the Akron production of Urinetown. 

The controversy began Nov. 13, 2006, when Ronald H. Shechtman, a lawyer for the Broadway team, sent a letter to two regional productions of Urinetown (the Carousel Dinner Theatre in Akron, OH and the Mercury Theatre in Chicago, IL) accusing both of using "significant aspects of the Broadway Team's original, creative work."  According to Playbill the letter said that while the productions had the license to use the Urinetown script and songs, that license did not permit them to use the Broadway direction, choreography and design. The letter accused the productions of violating copyright law and laws against unfair competition, among others, and asked for the productions' accounting figures to "determine an appropriate license fee and damages."

The Carousel Dinner Theatre followed this by sueing the Broadway team. The suit, filed Nov. 22, 2006, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, asked the court to declare that the Akron production was different from the Broadway production and did not violate any laws. 

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