Gun and Powder at Paper Mill- Page 4

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 5/12/25 at 11:42pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "The word "Gun" in the title is problematic for publicity and inside a search engine. They have to change it."

It is not ‘problematic’ and this conspiracy that you can’t use the word in marketing and search engines is not real. They had digital marketing for both productions and the word ‘gun’ is not restricted from being used in a title of something.


There are advertising restrictions regarding actual guns/weapons/ammunition/explosives, which is not the same as using the word in a title (see: every film with a weapon or the word ‘Gun’ in their title)."

Guess you were big wrong here Jan. Knowing someone on the creative team I can 100% confirm they were told to change the title, which is why it's now: WANTED. 

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 5/12/25 at 11:43pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Probably not that big a deal, butnone of the Paper Mill principals reposted the Playbill headline on their Instagram story today."

Cast changes have occurred so don't expect the Papermill cast. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 5:40am

Totally unfamiliar with this show, and I understand the hesitancy re the word "GUN" but "Wanted" is an overly generic name for a Broadway show. Hard to believe this is where they landed.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 11:19am

Ensemble1698878795 said: "Guess you were big wrong here Jan. Knowing someone on the creative team I can 100% confirm they were told to change the title, which is why it's now: WANTED."

You're obviously right that the creative team wanted to change the title, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to market a property with the word "gun" in the title or that it complicates a Google search, which were the points being made in the post you quoted. In fact, I just typed "gun and powder" into Google and got loads of results all about this show.

Anyhow, I participated in a marketing survey about this show's title last year (I think a few others here did too, there was some discussion at the time), and it's really hard to believe this is what they landed on. 

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 12:16pm

kdogg36 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "Guess you were big wrong here Jan. Knowing someone on the creative team I can 100% confirm they were told to change the title, which is why it's now: WANTED."

You're obviously right that the creative team wanted to change the title, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to market a property with the word "gun" in the title or that it complicates a Google search, which werethe points being made in the post you quoted. In fact, I just typed "gun and powder" into Google and got loads of results all about this show.

Anyhow, I participated in a marketing survey about this show's title last year (I think a few others here did too, there was some discussion at the time), and it's really hard to believe this is what they landed on."

They were running into legal troubles for marketing strategies with Gun in the title. Not sure what point you’re trying to prove. I agree that Wanted doesn’t sell a show.

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 12:20pm

Ensemble1698878795 said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "The word "Gun" in the title is problematic for publicity and inside a search engine. They have to change it."

It is not ‘problematic’ and this conspiracy that you can’t use the word in marketing and search engines is not real. They had digital marketing for both productions and the word ‘gun’ is not restricted from being used in a title of something.


There are advertising restrictions regarding actual guns/weapons/ammunition/explosives, which is not the same as using the word in a title (see: every film with a weapon or the word ‘Gun’ in their title)."

Guess you were big wrong here Jan. Knowing someone on the creative team I can 100% confirm they were told to change the title, which is why it's now: WANTED."

Love it. 

 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 1:31pm

Ensemble1698878795 said: "They were running into legal troubles for marketing strategies with Gun in the title. Not sure what point you’re trying to prove. I agree that Wanteddoesn’t sell a show."

Really just that you both can be right: it's obviously possible to produce a property with "gun" in the title, but nonetheless the creators of this show clearly decided that wasn't the way they wanted to go.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 2:04pm

Wanted makes me think of that Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy movie.

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 5/13/25 at 2:08pm

kdogg36 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "They were running into legal troubles for marketing strategies with Gun in the title. Not sure what point you’re trying to prove. I agree that Wanteddoesn’t sell a show."

Really just that you both can be right: it's obviouslypossible to produce a propertywith "gun" in the title, but nonethelessthe creators of this show clearly decided that wasn't the way they wanted to go."

I'll leave you all to your beliefs since you know so much. There were search flags that came up consistently with the previous title, which was creating issues for the show. But sure, Jan! 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/26/25 at 9:22am

https://music.apple.com/us/album/gun-powder-from-wanted-the-studio-ep-single/1821022149

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 11:10am

Ciara Renée is suing the show for almost half a million dollars. She claims, “she was wrongly dumped from a play ahead of its run on the Great White Way.” The producers of Gun & Powder said, Renée “‘failed to collaborate’ and was ‘unwilling to accept feedback from the creative team,’” Solea Pfeiffer has since rejoined the show, reprising her Signature Theatre performance, as Mary Clarke in recent workshops and the anticipated Broadway bow.

P.S. Not saying the two are correlated, but Renée had some not so great allegations during the off-broadway engagement of Millennials Are Killing Musicals. 
 

P.S.S. An interesting tidbit about Renée’s broadway debut in Big Fish! is that she actually replaced an older actress as the Witch who wasn’t asked to transfer with the show to Broadway after the Chicago tryout.

Updated On: 8/23/25 at 11:10 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 11:31am

The article is vague on the grounds on which she is suing- usually actors have a contractural right to first refusal for future productions within a certain timeframe or have to be bought out, but that isn’t mentioned. 

[A.J.]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 11:36am

Call_me_jorge said: "Ciara Renéeis suing the show for almost half a million dollars. She claims, “she was wrongly dumped from a play ahead of its run on the Great White Way.” The producers of Gun & Powder said, Renée “‘failed to collaborate’ and was ‘unwilling to accept feedback from the creative team,’” Solea Pfeiffer has since rejoined the show, reprising her Signature Theatre performance, as Mary Clarke in recent workshops and the anticipated Broadway bow.

P.S. Not saying the two are correlated, but Renée had some not so great allegations during the off-broadway engagement ofMillennials Are Killing Musicals.


P.S.S. An interesting tidbit about Renée’s broadway debut in Big Fish! is that she actually replaced an older actress as the Witch who wasn’t asked to transfer with the show to Broadway after the Chicago tryout."

To build upon that tidbit, the person Ciara replaced in Big Fish was also featured in the cast of Gun & Powder at Papermill. 

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 12:04pm

Updated On: 8/25/25 at 12:04 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 12:25pm

Oh man, Dancing in Ohio was such a disaster from start to finish, they needed to take like 5 years changing things before bringing it to Broadway. I don't know, both of these titles for this show are terrible, and there's legal action being taken before they even try it on Broadway. Messy. 

[CLC3]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 2:04pm

So, you can read the full complaint here (click download PDF on the first document): https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71109448/renee-v-sisters-clarke-limited-liability-company/ 

I'm not a lawyer, but my reading of this is that Ciara didn't have a contract to go to Broadway, so I struggle to see that she has much of a case here. 

But, also, there has to be more to this, right? I can't imagine a relatively known actress would risk career suicide by filing this suit against producers if she didn't think she had a case.

[nativenewyorker2]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 4:01pm

Updated On: 8/23/25 at 04:01 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 4:08pm

Say what you want about Ciara, this just feels like a desperate act for team WANTED to make the headlines when the show already knows it’s DOA.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 4:32pm

How is this a desperate act when she filed the lawsuit …

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 6:55pm

CLC3 said: "I'm not a lawyer, but my reading of this is that Ciara didn't have a contract to go to Broadway, so I struggle to see that she has much of a case here. But, also, there has to be more to this, right? I can't imagine a relatively known actress would risk career suicide by filing this suit against producersif she didn't think she had a case."

Actors in an out of town tryout are guaranteed a few weeks' payment (AEA Broadway minimum) if a show moves to Broadway without them. (It's like 2-4 weeks, I don't have a contract in front of me at the moment.) For someone of Ciara's stature and role size, there was probably also a side deal with the commercial producers, giving her some extra $ for the Paper Mill run and expanding her severance by a few more weeks if they chose not to go to Broadway with her. Maybe she had a deal memo for Broadway (not a full contract - too early for that), but probably not.

Updated On: 8/23/25 at 06:55 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 6:58pm

It's messy because the lawsuit alleges that behavior during Paper Mill production is the cause for dismissal, yet she was still involved with demo recordings, a 29 hour reading, an investor event, and a press appearance after the Paper Mill run. If there had been a big enough problem during the Paper Mill production, her involvement would have ended when it closed in NJ. Which is probably why she and her team think she has a case.

No actor benefits from having the perception of being litigious. But if she can get $25-50K and legal fees out of the producers without this going to court, she should be thrilled.

Whatever the outcome, the lawsuit should serve as a reminder to producers, creative teams, and actors to tread very carefully during the development of a show and when discussing future plans for a show when actors are involved.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 9:04pm

“yet she was still involved with demo recordings, a 29 hour reading, an investor event, and a press appearance after the Paper Mill run.”

That’s what makes no sense. If their claims are true, you would cut her loose sooner rather than later. Unless you’re stringing them along while you try to nail down Solea or another replacement…

“Renée had some not so great allegations during the off-broadway engagement of Millennials Are Killing Musicals.” 

Which were….?

[George in DC]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 9:36pm

I am struggling to see how she has a case.  I'm also struggling to see how she has a career after this. I wouldn't hire her.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 12:28am

More sloppy producing from P3 Productions

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 8:45am

Interestingly she only did five and a half months in Pippin. I wonder if the honeymoon period wore off quickly there for both parties.