Paradise Square Cast Album release in Jeopardy

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 3:27pm

Almost to no surprise of anyone, the Paradise Square cast album will not hit the shelves any time soon. Music Director and Composer of the show, Jason Howland shared on his Instagram story how none of the artists involved have been paid. I also read somewhere Jason himself rented the studio. So, he’s also owed in that regard. I feel horrible for Jason, as this does seem like a passion project of his, and everyone else involved.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 3:31pm

What a shame... at least we have the track of "Let It Burn".

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 3:33pm

Pretty much already knew to expect this but it’s nice to have confirmation I suppose.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 3:37pm

Sucks for everyone involved with the show, but to tell you all the truth: the score wasn't very good. Howland should stick to music direction / orchestrations / arrangements, where he thrives.

When he composes, he takes lots of inspiration from Wildhorn, who he has collaborated with multiple times over the last few decades. "Let It Burn" aside, Paradise Square is a collection of generic anthems straight out of a '90s retread. This tried to be another Ragtime, but instead it's the next Amazing Grace.

 

Updated On: 8/23/22 at 03:37 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 4:02pm

No matter how many iterations we read about, I am still flabbergasted that all of these people did all of these things they were not paid for and didn't figure out that Garth has always been someone you had to get cash-up-front from. And even more astonishing is: where were their agents? 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 4:05pm

Is Equity just dragging their feet? 

[wiggum2]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 5:35pm

https://c.tenor.com/xMfNFUMqPeQAAAAC/shocked-not-that-shocked.gif

[DCS]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 5:41pm

Despite the shortcomings of the score, it would still be nice for this cast recording to get released digitally.  The cast and writers of the show put a lot of effort into this.  I wonder if someone will step in with the $$$ needed to pay the bills.  I know that I read somewhere that, if the creators of the show were not paid within a certain amount of time, then the rights to the show will transfer from the producer to them, which makes me wonder if that also includes the cast recording. In which case, maybe this will be resolved once the rights do revert. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 5:42pm

Thi is heartbreaking but understandable.

Who is going to pay the $300,000 needed to record this cast album? I don't think anyone will want to enter into a deal with this producer. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 6:43pm

BETTY22 said: "Who is going to pay the $300,000 needed to record this cast album? I don't think anyone will want to enter into a deal with this producer."

It’s already been recorded. It’s just that no one got paid for their work.

[DCS]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 7:05pm

CATSNYrevival said: "BETTY22 said: "Who is going to pay the $300,000 needed to record this cast album? I don't think anyone will want to enter into a deal with this producer."

It’s already been recorded. It’s just that no one got paid for their work."

I think I had heard that the immediate issue was that the bill for mixing and mastering had not been paid; so, the album is not quite yet finished completely.  I would imagine that the cast and musicians might have been paid thanks to their union escrow accounts.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 10:10pm

I watch JEOPARDY!  every night and have never heard any comments about the PARADISE SQUARE recording

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/23/22 at 10:37pm

DCS said: "I know that I read somewhere that, if the creators of the show were not paid within a certain amount of time, then the rights to the show will transfer from the producer to them, which makes me wonder if that also includes the cast recording. In which case, maybe this will be resolved once the rights do revert."

What you read was that in the event of a default, the designers would obtain the production rights. In this case, I don't think it would matter in terms of the release of the recording because there is no money attached to the rights they would gain. (As in, you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.) 

[bk]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 2:04am

DCS said: "CATSNYrevival said: "BETTY22 said: "Who is going to pay the $300,000 needed to record this cast album? I don't think anyone will want to enter into a deal with this producer."

It’s already been recorded. It’s just that no one got paid for their work."

I think I had heard that the immediate issue was that the bill for mixing and mastering had not been paid; so, the album is not quite yet finished completely. I would imagine that the cast and musicians might have been paid thanks to their union escrow accounts."

The mastering bill would be negligible, and I don't know who produced it or is mixing it, but it's really not necessary to rack up huge mixing bills if you know what you're doing. So, that part makes no sense to me. 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 2:12pm

RippedMan said: "Is Equity just dragging their feet?"

These processes take a lot more time than people appreciate. And there is very much the question of whether this is trying to get blood from a stone.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 4:55pm

bk said: "The mastering bill would be negligible, and I don't know who produced it or is mixing it, but it's really not necessary to rack up huge mixing bills if you know what you're doing. So, that part makes no sense to me."

We have a strong contender for Dumbest Comment of the Week!

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 5:03pm

trpguyy said: "bk said: "The mastering bill would be negligible, and I don't know who produced it or is mixing it, but it's really not necessary to rack up huge mixing bills if you know what you're doing. So, that part makes no sense to me."

We have a strong contender for Dumbest Comment of the Week!"

Um...if anyone could comment on such matters, it's bk.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 5:16pm

If something is dumb it has nothing to do with how expensive or inexpensive the mixing bill would be. That's not the issue; it's a non-sequitur (and while one might say that stating a non-sequitur is dumb,  that's a different matter). The issue is that if there is an unpaid bill, even if it is five dollars, there is a roadblock to releasing the recording. On a side note, it is my impression that the performers have not been paid. As Kad states, things take time. Assuming there is an escrow that could be invaded to pay the performers, one does not invade an escrow account as if it is one's personal piggy bank that can just be blasted open with a mallet. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 5:23pm

So will this album just not be released period? Or will we potentially have to wait years for it, a la Cry-Baby?

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 5:24pm

HogansHero said: "If something is dumb it has nothing to do with how expensive or inexpensive the mixing bill would be. That's not the issue; it's a non-sequitur (and while one might say that stating a non-sequitur is dumb, that's a different matter). The issue is that if there is an unpaid bill, even if it is five dollars, there is a roadblock to releasing the recording. On a side note, it is my impression that the performers have not been paid. As Kad states, things take time. Assuming there is an escrow that could be invaded to pay the performers, one does not invade an escrow account as if it is one's personal piggy bank that can just be blasted open with a mallet."

Fair enough -- and I do agree with you; unpaid is unpaid. However, it should be said that the idea that it's the mixing bill holding up the release seems to be the least of the problems this endeavor faces, weeks and weeks after closing. 

ETA: My understanding is that the cast recording would be tied up in the whole tangle that is/was the production -- hence my comment about "the whole endeavor" and a mastering bill being low on the list of priorities that would affect the release of an album. 

Updated On: 8/24/22 at 05:24 PM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 8/24/22 at 6:30pm

I was referring specifically to the notion that a cast album might be cheap to mix/master if only the person knows what they're doing. A person who ​​​​​actually knows what they're doing isn't cheap. Classic good/fast/cheap project management triangle. 

Updated On: 8/24/22 at 06:30 PM

[bk]

Posted: 8/25/22 at 2:43am

trpguyy said: "I was referring specifically to the notion that a cast album might be cheap to mix/master if only the person knows what they're doing. A person who ​​​​​actuallyknows what they're doing isn't cheap. Classic good/fast/cheap project management triangle."

I think you understood my point pretty well, and yet, here you are. The mixing and mastering bills are not what's holding this up - THAT was the point. And yes, someone who knows what they're doing can mix an album much faster than someone who doesn't. Same with mastering, which is a whole other art. I've seen all manner of mastering bills and have paid all manner of mastering bills - from 4K down to 500 bucks. Many times the 500 bucks is better than the 4K. I've seen some cast album producers take months to do a mix. And I've seen cast album producers do wonderful mixes in a week so that they're able to actually get the thing released in a timely fashion. You either know nothing about cast album producing or your just trying to make with an unnecessary snarky comment. Neither makes you look good. And perhaps someone can explain to me why or how Equity would have allowed this cast to walk into a recording studio given what had already happened with the production. I'll wait.

Updated On: 8/25/22 at 02:43 AM

[bk]

Posted: 8/25/22 at 2:47am

TheatreMonkey said: "trpguyy said: "bk said: "The mastering bill would be negligible, and I don't know who produced it or is mixing it, but it's really not necessary to rack up huge mixing bills if you know what you're doing. So, that part makes no sense to me."

We have a strong contender for Dumbest Comment of the Week!"

Um...if anyone could comment on such matters, it's bk."

Well, not with this crowd :) 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/25/22 at 6:56pm

bk said: "And perhaps someone can explain to me why or how Equity would have allowed this cast to walk into a recording studio given what had already happened with the production. I'll wait."

Happy to and sorry you've had to wait all day. Equity had no contractual basis for not "allow[ing] this cast to walk into a recording studio." And please note that (as rehearsed above) Equity did not let the production invade the bond to pay the final week's unpaid salaries. Someone forked up the money to cover that. I'll leave you to guess why. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/25/22 at 7:32pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "So will this album just not be released period? Or will we potentially have to wait years for it, a laCry-Baby?"

Totally. The 12 people who care are deeply bummed.