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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 17
2012, 01:57:14 AM
Not exactly. If I worked with him, I'd still think it was incompetent and incredibly risky. He would have just happened to got lucky and it paid off. Lots of people get lucky. It doesn't mean they're all smart. That's why you have to look at track records.
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 15
2012, 08:38:52 PM
Well, GavestonPS, we now know that Ben advanced Mark Hotton 60k. So to counter your argument, Ben had absolutely no reason not to conduct due diligence.
Ad I've previously said, he made incompetent decisions and gambled with his investor's money.
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 11
2012, 02:49:22 AM
GavestonPS, no Ben Sprecher is not the first producer to cancel a show before t begins rehearsals. However in this instance the cancellation of a show and loss of millions of dollars is DIRECTLY his fault. Even if Ben was scammed, due to his negligent practices, he left the door wide open.
Comission based financing is not standard for Broadway. It's no big deal that Brn decided to pursue this option. His mistake is that he took the situation completely at face value, with no due diligen
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 11
2012, 02:48:45 AM
GavestonPS, no Ben Sprecher is not the first producer to cancel a show before t begins rehearsals. However in this instance the cancellation of a show and loss of millions of dollars is DIRECTLY his fault. Even if Ben was scammed, due to his negligent practices, he left the door wide open.
Comission based financing is not standard for Broadway. It's no big deal that Brn decided to pursue this option. His mistake is that he took the situation completely at face value, with no due diligen
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 10
2012, 07:51:53 PM
To once again quote the president of the Shubert Organization, "I've never heard of a situation where you didn't at least meet the person raising 30 percent of your show budget."
It's fine to engage in creative methods of fundraising - but you don't leave so much to chance. No matter what the situation is or perceived incentive, it's an amateurish move. There's too much bull**** in the entertainment industry where a veteran wouldn't accept a story fully on the surface, without any due
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 10
2012, 04:54:52 PM
GavestonPS - quite simple. I started out by saying that whether Ben is a good guy or bad guy, it's immaterial as he made irresponsible and incompetent decisions. No one bases over a third of their show's capitalization on an investor they've never met or had contact with. My quote from the President of the Shubert Organization provides validity to my point from one of the most powerful men on Broadway.
Just because you provide a quote that says the business of Broadway is "cloaked in
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 10
2012, 05:42:45 AM
Before departing this conversation, I'd like to share the following quotes.
NY Times: Rebecca Sees Investor Fade, as if Dreamt
http://nyti.ms/TuXD6R
"I've never heard of a situation where you didn't at least meet the person raising 30 percent of your show budget," said Robert E. Wankel, president of the Shubert Organization, one of the big three Broadway landlords and a six-figure investor in "Rebecca" as well as the owner of its intended theater, the Broadhurst.
"Broadway does business in its own strange way, I'll grant you," Mr. Wankel said. "But this is the strangest bit of show business to come along in a long time."
and
"Mr. Sprecher developed close ties to the Shubert Organization while running an Off Broadway theater for it, which helps explain the Shubert executives' flexibility with him." - to answer your question GavestonPS, of why the Shubert's accepted Ben's assertions of being fully financed.
and
"Emanuel Azenberg, a veteran Broadway producer who counts Mr. Sprecher as a friend, said he feared that Mr. Sprecher "may have bitten off more than he can chew" in his attempt to become a player on Broadway."
"There are only a handful of Broadway producers who have the money and contacts to take on a major musical as a lead producer," said Mr. Azenberg, who brought Mr. Sprecher on as a producer of Broadway plays like the 2005 revival of "The Odd Couple." (Mr. Azenberg is not involved with "Rebecca.") "If Ben ends up raising the money, it will be an incredible comeback. If he doesn't, he'll face a lot of difficulties producing again."
Enough said.
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 9
2012, 07:59:09 PM
GavestonPS - you've worn me out. I don't have time to go tit for tat on every single point. I'm a big picture guy.
End of the day - Sprecher risked his investor's money and Rebecca's future on an investor he never met or had any contact with. He put his trust in the hands of a man who has committed criminal acts. This information is publicly available. Do people make comebacks, sure. Is it smart to leverage a third of your show on someone's comeback? Probably not.
We can de
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 9
2012, 06:13:17 PM
Yes, except in this case there is proof. Mark Hotton has a shady track record easily found online. Reputable people generally don't deal with those who have been implicated in criminal conduct. By engaging with Mark, Ben automatically tore down part of the safety wall around his venture.
Furthermore, the fact that Ben never met or even spoke directly with Paul Abrams shows less guards were at the bank. Far from standard and customary procedure. This is not in hindsight, the process has
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 9
2012, 02:01:24 AM
GavestonPS - Apologies if I misinterpreted one of your points. I guess the way it was phrased made me feel as if the larger issue was being ignored.
This whole situation can be debated for years to come, and surely it will.
Despite what the press has said, Ben hasn't actually been indemnified of any illegal wrongdoing. Not saying he will be or will not be, but I will not pass any judgements either way until the FBI exhausts their investigation.
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 9
2012, 12:05:20 AM
GavestonPS- Sprecher had a long standing reputation as a semi-reputable producer. As he has done business with the Schuberts before, they put full trust in him. This is not a situation where the Schuberts drank the same Kool-Aid as Ben.
The "motions" you go through in theater financing is doing basic research. Calling around town, gaining intelligence on prospective investors, getting references from others who have done business with them. I'm 110% sure all responsible and reliable
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 8
2012, 08:39:49 AM
GavestonPS, no you don't hire PIs to trail prospective investors or treat them like "con artists". This is not perfect hindsight, it's about good business practices and common sense. There's a middle ground between doing no due diligence at all and going overboard with a team of investigators. That middle ground is called taking the time to educate yourself and doing the proper amount of homework, which any reasonable producer does.
It's incredibly foolish to base a third of your show'
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 6
2012, 10:59:07 PM
Agreed. Lots of incompetence by Ben.
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 6
2012, 09:02:16 PM
At the end of the day, results speak for themselves. Ben couldn't get Rebecca up in London, now New York. It was a loser of a show. He gambled with his investor's money and lost them big.
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 4
2012, 03:15:08 PM
You got it everythingtaboo. Anytime!
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REBECCA Cast Member Karen Mason Speaks Out on Producer Controversy - Remains 'Invincible' Oct 3
2012, 11:57:49 PM
I've yet to see one article where Mr. Sprecher owns up to his mistakes, takes responsibility and displays the attributes of a true leader. Instead, this situation has clearly become the "blame game". Articles on many Broadway sites read more like propaganda pieces trying to detach Mr. Sprecher from any wrong doing, squarely placing the blame on an alleged deceased investor, potential con man and anonymous email. Whether Karen Mason's statement was heartfelt or simply a favor to Ben Sprecher is i
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Why Ben Sprecher pisses me off and is not a competent producer... Oct 3
2012, 11:35:10 PM
I've yet to see one article where Mr. Sprecher owns up to his mistakes, takes responsibility and displays the attributes of a true leader. Instead, this situation has clearly become the "blame game". Articles on many Broadway sites read more like propaganda pieces trying to detach Mr. Sprecher from any wrong doing, squarely placing the blame on an alleged deceased investor, potential con man and anonymous email. Whether Karen Mason's statement was heartfelt or simply a favor to Ben Sprecher is i
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