I have a question. Let's say I want to produce a show Off-Broadway that is an existing, licensed show from a major distributor like SF, MTI, DPS. I'm sure there are plenty of people who have done this on this board as a Producer, or have overseen how this works. In amateur licensing, it is all handled pretty simply, you're given a quote from the rights holders, you pay, you do the show. When a show gears up for a professional licensed production, are the royalties calculated differently? Especially if the author is living...
I can't imagine this is handled the same way as Amateur Licensing and that there is a typical practice for this I'm not aware of that consists of the Licensing Companies and the Writer(s) coming to an agreement of some sort of upfront fee, along with a box office percentage. Maybe I'm oversimplifying it. Any insight would be appreciated.
Matt Rogers said: "If it is truly off-Broadway and not off-off, then the deal would most likely be handled by the author’s agent and not a licensing house. "
This is not necessarily accurate. It depends completely on what deal they signed with the licensing house. A show going off Broadway may have a stipulation the authors get director approval or casting approval. Famously Arthur Laurents had approval of whoever would play Rose in Gypsy in any revival of the work. These are all worked out between the production contract and the licensing agreement. The licensing house becomes the administrator of the creative teams contracts with a commission, for lack of a better term
You will need at least a lawyer, and probably a lawyer and an agent, just to handle your rights. He/they will know the rest of it.
And, yes, it will be very expensive. Which is why you don't see a lot of terribly artistic adaptations of hit films like TOOTSIE off-Broadway, unless the off-Broadway production is really a workshop for a future "first-class" production.
joined:9/13/11
joined:
9/13/11
Posted: 6/3/19 at 6:17pm