Flop Musicals Saved by Licensing

On the board discussing Paradise Square's mixed-negative reception, I floated the possibility that it might do better in licensing, particularly for schools and drama groups who would claim that its political themes and ideas outweigh its technical flaws. That got me thinking about musicals which underwhelmed on Broadway but had a lucrative second life via licensing. However, the first ones that leap to mind are commercial musicals based on blockbuster brands (The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid). Can you name examples of more independent musicals saved by the licensing route?

If a show recoups 0% on Broadway, it's pretty close to impossible for it to ever get to 100% through licensing. Remember, with licensing, the split is usually 60% to the Authors, 40% to the Broadway Producing Entity, increasing in the author's favor over 20 years until 100% goes to the Authors. But we're talking about licensing fees mostly in the hundreds and low thousands chipping away at multi-million-dollar Broadway investments ($13.5M, in the case of PARADISE SQUARE).

As of a few years ago, shows like FOOTLOOSE and SEUSSICAL still had not recouped 100%, and they've been done by every school and stock company in America. An author can still clean up through licensing, though: Jason Robert Brown did insanely well in the first two years of 13 being available through MTI and produced by every middle school in America. (I bet he still makes more money on 13 than his other shows combined.)

Now, if a show recoups say...30% on Broadway, then has a non-union tour, and maybe an international production or two, and has a robust licensing life? That's a different story. But we should never assume a flop on the level of BE MORE CHILL or TUCK EVERLASTING or DIANA will fully recoup though licensing.



https://variety.com/2009/legit/news/life-after-death-on-broadway-1118011669/

https://kendavenport.com/st/

Updated On: 4/4/22 at 10:44 AM

BritCrit said: "Be More Chill came to Broadway BECAUSE of its licensing success, and managed to make it to London (Its first run was halted by COVID, but it managed to have a second run in a larger theatre during Summer 2021), so conflating it with Diana feels a bit misleading to me (Although Diana is already enjoying a second life as a camp "classic", it will never make its money back...)"

BE MORE CHILL came to Broadway because of its streaming music success and bullishness of its producers. The licensing had little to do with it, and we know nobody can retire on Spotify money (at least not for cast albums). And again: that money is a slooooow drip to try to fill up a gigantic water jug.

The ideal of course is a show that recoups on Broadway (even if it doesn't make a killing), then has a robust licensing life in equal measures professional theatres (higher fees) and amateur/educational theatres. Urinetown, Matilda, Spring Awakening, Drowsy, etc. But those are rare.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "BritCrit said: "Be More Chill came to Broadway BECAUSE of its licensing success, and managed to make it to London (Its first run was halted by COVID, but it managed to have a second run in a larger theatre during Summer 2021), so conflating it with Diana feels a bit misleading to me (Although Diana is already enjoying a second life as a camp "classic", it will never make its money back...)"

BE MORE CHILL came to Broadway because of its streaming music success and bullishness of its producers. The licensing had little to do with it, and we know nobody can retire on Spotify money (at least not for cast albums). And again: that money is a slooooow drip to try to fill up a gigantic water jug.

The ideal of course is a show that recoups on Broadway (even if it doesn't make a killing), then has a robust licensing life in equal measures professional theatres (higher fees) and amateur/educational theatres. Urinetown, Matilda, Spring Awakening, Drowsy, etc. But those are rare."

Wasn't Be More Chill a regional/licensing musical before it transferred to Broadway? It still represented a pretty powerful Broadway cautionary tale. Just because the cast album is a hit, it doesn't mean the musical itself will stay afloat very long in the world of Broadway...

Again, I'm not really interested in the less glamourous financial reality - my focus is on what licensing does for the fanbase...

QueenAlice said: ""Paradise Square "is a huge show requiring major, specific dance styles (Irish clogging) and a large, diverse cast. I'm not sure sure it will do that well in the regional market."

This is a really good point. It's also one of the reasons why producers sometimes advocate for nonspecific races/abilities in the writing & development of shows.

I would love to see the licensing numbers breakdown of where titles like HAIRSPRAY and RAGTIME and IN THE HEIGHTS rank amongst the most-produced shows, because there are a lot of communities that just aren't capable of producing them. (Not to mention more conservative communities that don't want to produce anything that deals with racism in America...)

Updated On: 4/4/22 at 11:29 AM

Jekyll and Hyde, easily. It had a following from the concept album with Anthony Warlow, and the pre-Broadway tour -- and, once it hit Midtown, loads of stunt casting -- helped that grow enough to push the Broadway run way past its sell-by date (and even allow for more tours to follow), but the fact that it was the only thing available for the stock and amateur market, at a time when Phantom licensing was decades away, stuff like Les Mis and Miss Saigon was technically available but flat-out restricted, and few schools (even the performing arts ones) were capable of pulling off a credible Sweeney, really helped it grow.

Updated On: 4/4/22 at 12:23 PM

Big Fish and Shrek come to mind.

Carrie comes to mind. Since the 2012 Off-Broadway production, it's been popular with high schools and colleges. It has also had a couple major regional productions (Seattle in 2013, Los Angeles in 2015, Off West-End in 2015) and was even featured in an episode of Riverdale in 2018 - along with an accompanying new cast recording.

Considering how spectacularly the show crashed and burned in 1988, it certainly seems to have a new lease on life.