Licensing Bway Shows

Saw this in Forbes, and I get that this works for SoR and BMC, but would it really work for other shows?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2019/02/12/broadway-becomes-more-chill-in-approach-to-licensing/#6cc751604d3a

zainmax said: "would it really work for other shows?"

even assuming that it "works" here (taking mama's point on this), no. You really love to pick up this embarrassing articles in Forbes, don't you? lol

First of all, you cannot draw an inference from kid's shows and apply it to anything else. Secondly, it's a two headed monster, not just drawing audience away because they've been there/done that, but turning off audiences because many school and community productions cannot sell the show, and certainly cannot deliver the dazzle. Imagine, for example, what Hamilton would convey in Peoria.

dramamama611 said: "Hamilton in Peoria is now something I'd love to see!"

Hey! There actually are some pretty good community/regional theatres in Peoria. Indeed, the Peoria Players seem to get licensed productions a good six months to a year before other Central Illinois theatres can get a performing license. And they do a pretty good job too!

dramamama611 said: "But we dont really know if it "worked" (or will work) for rhose two. MIGHT SOR have run longer? How successful will BMC be? If BMC flops, will it be because of this or it only appealing to a small demographic or a million other things? And, since we'll never know the road not taken, we can never really be sure.

I think the harder thing is unknown titles are a harder sell to schools/amateurs.

The baseball analogy doesnt work in the article....who goes to watch a little league game if its not their kid/grandkid on the team? Not the same for people that go to hs/community theater. About a third of my audience cones to see the show itself."

Good point re. the road not taken.

Realistically, with SoR, I think that there were only three schools or so approved, so not a massive effect like if The Addams Family started licensing before/during Bway.

I think one issue is if the hs school is bad, and then people don't want to see it on Bway.

zainmax said: "I read everything, and I thought there was an interesting argument here re. licensing so I shared it. Wanted to see what others thought about it.

Do you think that this model would only work for kids' shows?"

I was not suggesting you should not post it. I guess I just hope that you find some things to read that are a bit more knowledgeable. A boy can hope.

I don't know that it "works" for kid's shows, but yes I think that's pretty much the limit of its possible viability. The same mojo is not going to build for The Band's Visit...