FANGS FOR NOTHING, FRANK - nypost.com

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=54337

As if Frank needed another reason to dislike him

Updated On: 12/15/04 at 08:11 AM

ok - now I not only dislike his music immensely - but the man himself - what a heartless, insensitive, greedy bast*rd...he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law if he goes through with it and the Dodgers should have to pay the actors the full amount they would have made doing the recording.
Man! - Greed really seems to run this world these days.

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I'm guessing Esparza said no to the recording then.

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Wasn't he "in" on the casting sessions? How nonsensical. They were good enough to open and work in his show but not to do the recording? Any wonder why Wildhorn is so reviled?

Al-

Casting of the CD has nothing to do with it as Frank himself said that it was too costly to do it with the current cast. Apparently he's trying to save money - and I can only assume that he's hot to get a CD out because he just booked the tour. Otherwise, why not wait the 19 or so weeks and use the Broadway cast (who then would/could do it for peanuts).

Considering all that this cast has gone through, this doesn't sound like a way of "rewarding" them...

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Just saw this on Chuck Wagner's website:


Frank's email to the cast

Who is JB at the end of the letter?

you can also blame the producers for not backing a cast recording. This definitely is not all frank's fault! The producers have had their hands into dracula way too much and the result a show that flops!

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Thanks PB, but the email was already posted

And mad props to Raul Esparza for turning it down and informing Melissa Errico. At least someone involved with all this seems to be interested in ethics. (Though, if Esparza HAD recorded it, I would have probably bought it.)

*nods*
That's really quite a move. I read that part and just thought "wow." Probably aren't many people who'd do that, in general. He's got a big heart, that Raul.

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I think the producers of this show have suffered enough, without having to eat a cast album on top of everything else.

At least someone involved with all this seems to be interested in ethics. (Though, if Esparza HAD recorded it, I would have probably bought it.)

Well, obviously not YOU!

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Updated On: 12/15/04 at 03:01 PM

As some producer a while back said, when you are spending 8-12 mil on a show, what's another 250-500k for an album? It could be self-produced and distributed by some company. This would take the onus off of trying to sell album rights and the show would retain creative control.

Remember that the authors will make the most out of a show like Dracula, as they did out of Jekyll and Hyde, since they will get royalties out of every production regardless of whether it makes money or not. This includes a tour, regional productions, foreign productions, stock and eventually Little Theatre runs.

Having a recording (any recording) of the score makes reading the show easier for people who are not familiar with the show. In short a cheap recording will benefit the authors and perhaps some other royalty recipients.

It screws the actors and the already screwed producers.

Ain't show biz grand?

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