Rights to Taboo... the boy George Musical

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 4:59pm

Our theatre, Rising Action Theatre , wants to get the rights to
Taboo.. the Boy George Musical.

We have searched Sam French, Dramatist Play Service,
Tams Witmark and Rogers and Hammerstein Musicals. and none have it.

Does anyone know who has the rights and who do we go to get them??

Any help would be appreciated.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 9:01pm

They dont exist
Our UK production company that has had huge success here have been trying to get hold of the rights for years, i think Rosie owns them now

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 9:11pm

Boy George doesn't want anyone to do the show, sadly.

That is not to say that one couldn't try and convince him otherwise. If the right visionary comes along...

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 9:19pm

Ouch! I'm actually watching a DVD of the Broadway production as I read this.

As someone who was around the club scene of the early 80's both here and in the UK (yes, I remember the real Taboo), I really loved this musical. Yes, I agree it didn't belong ON Broadway -- would have had a better life in a smaller Off-Broadway house, but it was fantastic nonetheless.

[tourboi]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 9:41pm

I'd love to produce this show but, as has been said, Rosie controls the rights now.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 11:16pm

If the rights were available, which would be the best version to do, UK, US or a vague combo of both?

[tourboi]

Posted: 4/8/11 at 12:59am

Ideally it'd be a hybrid. IMHO.

[whatacharacter]

Posted: 3/28/18 at 10:13am

Has this ever become available for regional productions?

[Will3700]

Posted: 3/28/18 at 11:00am

Can you tell me where you got a dvd of the Broadway production??

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/28/18 at 11:04am

Mason Alexander Park is involved in an anniversary concert production involving other Hedwig alums- maybe something will come of it then?

[devonian.t]

Posted: 3/28/18 at 12:14pm

Is Taboo the new Carrie?

It certainly needs a whole new book to go with the great score.

[whatacharacter]

Posted: 3/28/18 at 1:06pm

While flawed, I found the plot/characters/song placement of the broadway version far superior to London. 

[missthemountains]

Posted: 3/28/18 at 10:20pm

Take it from someone whose been in your shoes - take a few days, write a b**chin' letter to Rosie. Sign up for a free IMDB pro account. Find her agent. Call and confirm the email on file is confirmed. Send your email, and wait. Follow up, do more waiting. Do this for six months to a year, and it will either go somewhere or it won't.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 4/2/18 at 11:53pm

Did Rosie or George give that Brixton production get the rights to the show and/or to do their mash-up of the Broadway and West End productions? (That's the production I wish got filmed, I heard it was great.)

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 12:36pm

Rosie does not control the rights. I'm friends with one of the original broadway cast members and he and I have talked at great length about our joint desire to have a regional production. He said he knows who to contact about it, I believe its one of the producers but sadly dont remember the name he mentioned the last time we talked about it (some months ago). He has also voiced, as previously mentioned in this thread, that George doesnt really want the show produced. It would take someone with direct contact/history to the show likely to make this happen. Perhaps one day it will. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 5:17pm

Given how much time has passed, its highly unlikely any producer involved in the original productions would still have the rights. The right no doubt have reverted back to the authors.

For what it’s worh, I personally thought the production in London was far superior to what was on Broadway. Both scripts had major problems, but the London story gave the audience an Everyman character to identify with which I thought helped as an entry point into the story.

Updated On: 4/3/18 at 05:17 PM

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 6:30pm

I've never seen the show, but a fan of the score. The London plot seems more coherent thanks to the central Billy character (that is his name, right?), whereas the Broadway version placed too much emphasis on Boy George. 

[Tag]

Posted: 5/14/18 at 10:26pm

Rosie confirmed on her website today that George has the rights:

May 14, 2018 9:43 pm 
Brad writes: Do you own any “rights” to Taboo? I need a revival or a film adaptation.

[Rosie:] george owns them

[Nycat63]

Posted: 5/14/18 at 11:17pm

Will3700 said: "Can you tell me where you got a dvd of the Broadway production??"

Am only seeing this now so you may have already found out - but there’s no Broadway DVD.  The London show was recorded and released on DVD.  I would give anything for a DVD of the Broadway version!

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 4/21/21 at 8:32am

Boy George has announced he's casting a new biopic. I decided to revisit his 2010 biopic, "Worried About the Boy," and the two versions of his 2002 musical "Taboo."

The London version starred Luke Evans as a photographer who tours the London New Romantic Scene. Oddly Boy George and Leigh Bowery play the antagonists. They spend most of their time trying to seduce Evans away from his girlfriend.

The Broadway version made George the protagonist, but kept 7 supporting characters to fight for stage time with him. They also kept George extremely unlikable and gave the 11'o clock number to a minor character. George never got a "Roses Turn" / "Music That Makes Me Dance" moment.

The 2012 revival went back to the London book. If I were book doctor I'd ask for a streamlined draft where George carries the through line. Cull any side character who doesn't interact with George directly to further the plot.

"Worried About the Boy" follows George through his youth but stops right when he joins Culture Club. A new movie would benefit from exploring the time he was famous and the fallout after.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/21/21 at 11:41am

I actually really like the Broadway version of Taboo and while knowing the original London production has flaws I will never understand Rosie's producer thought track that went from (paraphrasing) "I saw this play in a tiny tiny fringe theatre and my life was changed and I HAD to bring it to Broadway" to then hiring Charles Busch who doesn't really deal with this kind of story to completely rewrite the entire book. If it moved you so much as-is why make it entirely new?

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 4/21/21 at 11:49am

nasty_khakis said: "I actually really like the Broadway version of Taboo and while knowing the original London production has flaws I will never understand Rosie's producer thought track that went from (paraphrasing)"I saw this play in a tiny tiny fringe theatre and my life was changed and I HAD to bring it to Broadway" to then hiring Charles Busch who doesn't really deal with this kind of story to completely rewrite the entire book. If it moved you so much as-is why make it entirely new?"

I think it was for a lot of reason we loved both versions of the show: George's score, which stands on its own as being a modern classic that should've won him every award, and deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. But thinking Busch would be the answer to the wearying London book? I got no answer for that.