Carrafa & Rando are the Plagiarist!?

[secondcity]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 10:36am

Oh my god is this hysterical...this should made into a movie!

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117955244&categoryid=15

[teddyp2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:12am

They are trying to claim that they never saw the Fringe Production. Give me a break!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:16am

I'm beginning to hope no one will hire Carafo or Rando again.
Wai till somone tries to do a local production of that crappy Wedding Singer.
You will not be allowed to place this show in the 80'S.

[teddyp2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:19am

I think it would be great for some theatre to redo GOOD VIBRATIONS and acutally make it work!

But of course, they would not be able to use surf boards or mention anything about a beach.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:19am

No one's ever going to do a regional production of Urinetown again. At least, not for a decade or so. Such a shame.

[Jon]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:56am

No, it just means that only people with original ideas will do Urinetown.

Our theatre has done dozens of obscure little musicals for which there are no bootleg videotapes available. The directors and choreographers of thses productions never saw the original, or any other versions of them. They used what was in the printed script, and came up with their own ideas.

I'd tired of this stupidity. If the script of WEDDING SINGER says "the show is set in the 1980's", then you set it in the 1980's.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:59am

oh Joy, more reasons to thing think that John Rando is a money hungry, self important, no talent hack of a director.. as if we needed the new excuse anyway.

[secondcity]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:11pm

Jon, I read your post all the time and I think you are sooooo smart and very savvy.

But I have two friends that sweated there butts off inthe dead heat of summer at the Fringe fest and they clearly have stated that Caraffa ripped off many things and one of the most damaging pieces of evidence is that Run Freedom Run was directly copied from the Fringe director.

I do agree with you that directors and choreographers should be compensated and credited for thier work, whether people use thier work or not...they should be totally cut into the action. But shouldn't the director of this production have gotten something!!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:22pm

Sorry if this sounds totally dumb but does this mean the published libretto of Urinetown will be pulled out of circulation?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:24pm

I'm laughing my ass off.

[JRybka]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:26pm

And to think I really wanted to see Urinetown

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:47pm

Mattbrain--

I doubt the rights to Urinetown will be pulled out of circulation. It just means that directors of the show are probably going to be a bit more careful from now on!

BTW, was Carrafa the Fringe production choreographer? Because that would explain why "Run Freedom, Run" was the same.

[secondcity]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:59pm

no, mcdonnel choreographed and directed the fringe and for full clarity there is now a new story on playbill.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:04pm

I feel no pity.
However, I do find it a bit chilling to imagine what would happen if Rando and Carrafa win...how long before any production of Sweeney which features a Mrs. Lovett sporting the cinammon buns hairdo is shut down for plagiarism?

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:07pm

That's exactly what I'm thinking -- what's the precident that will be set by this whole thing? Ticket prices go up even more because ANYyone involved in the original production now gets royalties? Ugh.

[timote316]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 2:33pm

This should be a soap opera. Would "As The Toilet Turns" work for a title?

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 2:38pm

Howzabout "As the Bowl Swirls."

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 2:44pm

Damn! I wish I had thought of this!

I'd be rich, I tellsya....RICH!

[teddyp2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 5:30pm

just curious if anyone out there saw both the fringe production of urinetown and the broadway or off-broadway show?

would love to hear if there were similar things in both....

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 5:55pm

one of our frequent posters was actually in the fringe production and has weighed in on another thread about some similarities and differences.

[robbiej]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:34pm

I believe you are speaking of me, OurTime!

Greetings from Florida all! This is fascinating! I don't know how much I want to really weight in...but I will say that there were several things about the off-Broadway/Broadway staging that struck me as fascinatingly similar. Now...I can say with certainty that Rando and Carrafa never attended a single performance of the Fringe production. But that does not, in any way, mean that they hadn't seen it. And I think I'll leave it there.

Oh...and one word..."rollerskates".

[Marlothom]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:56pm

did the actors in the Fringe Prod. sign anything waiving their rights? At any rates, ideas are not copyrightable (per law). I love this topic I hope something good comes out of all this.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:07pm

be careful, robbiej bites.. hard.

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:32pm

The link to the Playbill article:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/104073.html

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:54pm

A link to the Variety article with pictures:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117955244.html?categoryid=15&cs=1

By the way, from what I remember, Spencer Kayden was the only performer to transfer from the Fringe production to Off-Broadway/Broadway. I wonder if she'll be called to testify.

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 07:54 PM