Official Kickstarter to get Spring Awakening to perform on the Tonys- Page 12

[Kad]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 2:04pm

"You couldn’t have done what Broadway and Off Broadway producers do every single day when they want to fund a commercial passion project and, oh, I don’t know, raised the money under a standard investment structure?" - Ken Davenport, 2013

(granted, a Tony performance is different than a full commercial production or a film) Updated On: 6/2/16 at 02:04 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 2:50pm

Along with all the other things he is, he's also a hypocrite! Great.

[playbill-love]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 5:57pm

Re: the board/staff of Deaf West

Some man on twitter who claims to be someone on Deaf West's board and invited to "stakeholder meetings" kept DMing me endlessly telling me I was a bully etc. after I tweeted criticism of this campaign. I have no idea whether or not he is actually affiliated with them or not since they don't have any record of their board (if they have one) but it left a really bad taste in my mouth whether or not he is telling the truth about being affiliated with them, although my guess is that he is because the only way I could get him to stop is tweeting at Deaf West and asking them to tell him to cut it out.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 6:39pm

I went on Twitter to get a feel for how the campaign is being viewed amongst their fans, and I was disheartened to see that many still believe that raising the money is essential to making this happen. One fan is taking it so seriously that she's breaking down how much is raised day by day. 

https://twitter.com/13mtm80/status/738220203138527232

And the cast continues to tweet their support. It's just sad that they have no problem supporting the deception of people who believe in them so strongly and don't know enough about the industry to recognize the shiftiness of this entire ordeal. It's especially off-putting that someone as successful as Marlee Matlin is so actively partaking in the deceit of people far less fortunate than her for such a self-indulgent cause.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 7:22pm

Variety just posted this article which mentions our questions and...doesn't answer them. Shocking. http://variety.com/2016/legit/news/spring-awakening-kickstarter-deaf-west-tony-awards-1201787665/

[RW3]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 8:43pm

Cupid Boy2 said: "I went on Twitter to get a feel for how the campaign is being viewed amongst their fans, and I was disheartened to see that many still believe that raising the money is essential to making this happen. One fan is taking it so seriously that she's breaking down how much is raised day by day. 

https://twitter.com/13mtm80/status/738220203138527232

And the cast continues to tweet their support. It's just sad that they have no problem supporting the deception of people who believe in them so strongly and don't know enough about the industry to recognize the shiftiness of this entire ordeal. It's especially off-putting that someone as successful as Marlee Matlin is so actively partaking in the deceit of people far less fortunate than her for such a self-indulgent cause.


Oh that poor girl just needs to stop. I feel bad that she is putting in all this unnecessary effort. Also, I have to agree with the sentiments about Deaf West's website. It is one of the poorest websites I've ever seen for a theatre company. 

 

[E. riley]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:12pm

"self indulgent cause'

Bringing inclusiveness and awareness of Deaf Culture to the Tony Awards is a self-indulgent cause?

Having these talented actors expand the possibilities of what deaf performers can do? That actors with disabilities can also find a home and inspiration in the theatre. Can take part? can see themselves?

I don't know the underbelly of Ken Davenports business but  come on. You are all sounding toxic. Perhaps you have it figured out. Perhaps not. Maybe they will perform. I really hope so. They deserve to. Maybe not.

Maybe you're uncovering and enlightening but maybe your missing the big picture and the good with all the negativity and shade. This thread is not helping anyone.  

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:13pm

I don't think Matlin is being self-indulgent. I want this production to perform on the Tonys. I just wish this wasn't how it was playing out.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:13pm

The only one missing the point is you. We're supportive of Deaf Talent. And they're going to perform on the Tonys no matter what. 

[E. riley]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:15pm

The Artistic Director of Deaf West is D.J (David Kurs). You make a beautiful organization sound like an undercover drug ring. Just ugh!

Updated On: 6/2/16 at 10:15 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:16pm

Was someone asking who DJ (David) Kurs was? 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:17pm

yeah who the heck is that

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:20pm

While we're on the subject, I did enjoy DJ Kurs' TedxBroadway talk very much:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpO_oUAmCAQ

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:39pm

E. riley said: ""self indulgent cause'

Bringing inclusiveness and awareness of Deaf Culture to the Tony Awards is a self-indulgent cause?

Having these talented actors expand the possibilities of what deaf performers can do? That actors with disabilities can also find a home and inspiration in the theatre. Can take part? can see themselves?"

To start, I should have been more explicit in defining who I believe the self-indulgent individual to be. That's clearly Ken Davenport. I apologize for my wording and how it could be interpreted as suggesting that Matlin is the one wanting this all to happen for the sake of her own name. I am just disappointed that an incredibly successful actress like herself sees no problem with supporting the deceit of of fans who are not nearly as well off as she is.

With that said, E. Riley, this stunt is indisputably more about Davenport's bank account than the talent. That's the issue. He's using these disabled actors as props for his own gain. No one is against spotlighting deaf talent. It just shouldn't come at the cost of exploiting the fans, and that's especially true for an appearance like this.

In all honesty, the reach that this performance will have is questionable, which is what makes the argument regarding its social impact a shaky one. Only certain demographics tune into watch a telecast like the Tonys, and it's likely that many of those people will have already been aware of this production. And not to mention, the possibility that a national tour will come to fruition now looks slim. In my mind, Davenport's desire to flaunt what an "important" producer he is at the expense of the production's fans is the true reason this is happening.

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 10:40pm

E. riley said: "The Artistic Director of Deaf West is D.J (David Kurs). You make a beautiful organization sound like an undercover drug ring. Just ugh!"

 

Their website makes them look like one themselves.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 11:34pm

It's important to recognize that most actors (and most people) do not spend time reading or thinking about what is discussed in this thread. They are told something superficially and respond to it, much as people sometimes support candidates without understanding much about them. That's the world we live in.

I therefore would not assume that any of the actors or other supporters of the company and show are necessarily aware of the scam. This is not about them, and it is not about the show, nor is about whether they will perform or not. There are even people here, who have presumably read this thread, who seem oblivious to the obvious wrong that has been explicated here.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 6/2/16 at 11:47pm

They're claiming they can't perform without the money, and keep tweeting that out, and yet they're currently being rehearsed for a performance that has already been paid for. The cast knows. Don't be naive and claim that they don't know. They know.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 8:34am

E. riley said:"
Maybe you're uncovering and enlightening but maybe your missing the big picture and the good with all the negativity and shade. This thread is not helping anyone.  
"

You don't think people should be critical of a campaign that frankly makes no sense, regardless of what the end goal may be? A campaign that is potentially misrepresenting itself and misleading people?
 

Updated On: 6/3/16 at 08:34 AM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 8:40am

I don't know the underbelly of Ken Davenports business but  come on. You are all sounding toxic. Perhaps you have it figured out. Perhaps not. Maybe they will perform. I really hope so. They deserve to. Maybe not.

 

There's no "maybe." With only nine more days until the broadcast, rehearsals and production work has unequivocally begun. I assume they have also already paid out the appearance fee. Let's at least move this discussion into the real world, where performances on a major network's awards show is all but decided weeks, if not months, in advance. Not days. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 9:29am

There are so many elements involved here (well beyond just rehearsal and the moneys due to the Tonys), including many added by the fact that the show is not running and thus people have to be brought together to both rehearse and perform this. Are they planning to buy walk up tickets for flights? What set shop is building the set pieces on spec? How is the performance being scripted and arranged and copied? The list goes on and on. No, there is no maybe here. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 10:02am

It will indeed be interesting to see what kind of precedence this sets for the future.  This is obviously a situation of an investor already paying for the appearance with a commitment from Davenport or the other lead producers to 'reimburse' the costs through crowd funding (and whatever other means of dollars can be assembled).  This is at the very least new territory for Broadway producing if not a violation of the rules already established that govern commercial theatre practices.

 

[Jallenc32]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 10:16am

MaddieBB12 said: "Hmmmm....look what I just found:

https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2013/03/why-the-veronica-mars-movie-backers-got-screwed.html

Interesting read..."

 

I'm getting a page not found error with that link.  Doesn't surprise me Davenport would take it down.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 10:20am

Ah, but you can't hide from the cache! 

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-uJWT5rLYgYJ:https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2013/03/why-the-veronica-mars-movie-backers-got-screwed.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 10:35am

Mic drop:

I can tell you right now . . . if I ever crowdfund another Broadway or Off Broadway show and I don’t promise you a piece of the profits in exchange for your money . . . do not . . . I repeat . . . do not give me any money.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/3/16 at 10:50am

Deleting a blog from three years ago the day after it's rediscovered and shared?

And it's definitely been deleted, it's not a website error. That March 22, 2013, post is gone from the archives.

Now that is a shady move.

Updated On: 6/3/16 at 10:50 AM