Official Kickstarter to get Spring Awakening to perform on the Tonys- Page 16

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:18am

I hope they address this very serious issue.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:19am

WayTooBroadway said: "I hope they address this very serious issue."

 

They won't.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:31am

I doubt it, at this point. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:38am

https://twitter.com/actor_friend/status/740566713272565764

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:40am

It's a miracle! Or wait it's impossible!

Twitter is having a field day. And here we are waiting for an explanation that won't come or will be lies. 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:42am

My question is if Kenny and Company actually thought people were too stupid to question this, or if they figured there would obviously be a lot of confusion and concern, and they would just bleed what they could anyway. 

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 11:42 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:43am

I think they thought we were too stupid.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:51am

neonlightsxo said: "I think they thought we were too stupid."

If they really thought that, they are the stupid ones. I think they truly thought they'd get a free pass because they are "revolutionary." And self important.

 

[Kad]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 11:58am

I sincerely hope people start asking to cancel their donations to the campaign, and I am glad to see there is now a growing backlash.

And to think, this whole damn thing probably would've been ignored if they had started and ended the campaign like, a week or two earlier. Updated On: 6/8/16 at 11:58 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:02pm

People should cancel their donations. At this point, Spring Awakening/Ken Davenport/Deaf West has received $0.00 from Kickstarter because the campaign isn't over nor is it fully funded. So they found the money somewhere else. They don't need the kickstarter, clearly.

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:04pm

I don't see much backlash on Twitter. It you look at the @SpringBway search/tag whatever it's called, @mention, you will see most of the tweets are filled with excitement from teenage teeny boppers who still don't know any better. One girl still saying "we still have a lot of money to raise to reach our goal!" Ugh.

 

https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%40SpringBway&src=typd

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 12:04 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:09pm

People who know what they're talking about have been outspoken about it from the beginning. The teeny boppers, as you call them, don't understand and nothing will change their minds now.

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:12pm

It's just a shame because they're the ones putting out the money / begging their parents to help out. They're literally being scammed by their favorite show and are absolutely clueless what is really happening. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:14pm

At this point, its really not a question for Ken Davenport or the producers of SPRING AWAKENING. It's a question for the League of Broadway producers.  

Much like GODSPELL, I assume Davenport has cleverly found a way to use some kind of loophole in the rule book that says there is no reason why Broadway productions can't accept 'donations' (presumably in a situation in which, for some reason, someone wants to give to the production without the government regulated guidelines for being an 'investor'.

I'm sure what he is doing is likely technically legal, but the ethics behind it are of course very questionable.  If our suspicions are correct, He is basically funding the repayment of a bridge loan under false pretense.

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 12:14 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:14pm

https://www.show-score.com/blog/spring-awakening-kickstarter-debate

[Kad]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:24pm

The loophole being exploited here is that Deaf West is the public face of the campaign, and the money is officially going to them. What they then DO with that money- ie pay back Davenport or whoever fronted the cost- doesn't matter.

Like you say, it's entirely legal (most likely). It's just disingenuous. I thought so the instant I saw they were touting that the donations were tax deductible- donations for a performance of a commercial production.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:27pm

I've seen some backlash on The Tony Awards Instagram and Twitter, but not enough. Sadly those with money always get away with things.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:29pm

I hadn't seen that part Kad -- very interesting.  The funding of a performance on the Tony Awards shouldn't be tax deductible. It is as you say a commercial theatre offering.  Perhaps Deaf West has a private investor who is fronting the money, but raising funds under a not-for-profit umbrella to repay that investment -- even if its good exposure for Deaf West and its programming, seems...even more an abuse of the system and completely at odds with the not-for-profit structure.

[Sam2]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:35pm

But what do you all think that happened here, then? Did the producers just want to see how far they could get with the money from their fans and are they going to fund their own Kickstarter with smaller donations now until they eventually reach their goal? Wouldn't that be... Illegal? 

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 12:35 PM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:39pm

I think the production was out of money  after closing, and when they had an opportunity to perform on the Tony Awards the producers thought it would be good publicity for a potential tour, and also good exposure for Deaf West and its mission statement.  

Not having any money, I think either an investor in the Broadway production, or one of Deaf West's 'angels' agreed to 'loan' the money to the producers to make the telecast happen, but requested repayment.

Thus, Ken Davenport created a kick-starter campaign to 'raise' the money to repay the investment -- but chose to present it (because its a better marketing story) that the performance was dependent on reaching a kick-starter goal in order to actually perform.

The complication here is making Deaf-West the font piece for the campaign, because they are a not-for-profit.  Even a not-for-profit can accept loans, but they are presenting the campaign, again, as if it were a fund-raising effort, not a repayment of an existing debt.

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 12:39 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:40pm

QueenAlice: (just to cite my claim)- the Kickstarter says, in bold even, "Because Deaf West Theatre is a 501(c)(3) organization, all donations to help fund our Tony performance are tax deductible!"

 

Sam2: I don't know if it's illegal, but let's just say I don't think Max Bialystock would disapprove.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:44pm

QueenAlice, I'm not sure why you're restating what's happening here but yes. We've established this.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:47pm

 Deaf West should have presented a missive why a not-for-profit organization should be paying $200K to perform on the Tony Awards which is produced as commercial theatre advertising.  And the reason could have been as simple as its 'good exposure' -- or (likely more true) that the theatre stands to profit if the production can tour, but they should have been honest about how the finances raised on kick-starter were to be used.

As a 501 (c) 3, if the presumed bridge loan really did come through the theatre (and not Davenport and the commercial producers) wouldn't they be liable to disclose that?

 
Neonlights -- the poster above (Sam2) asked for a recap of what we thought had happened, which is why I spelled it out again. Its a long, convoluted thread, so restating (again and again) what we feel is obvious to those less informed can only be helpful.

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 12:47 PM

[hypno68]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:56pm

And let's not forget that according to their 990, the $200k needed for the performance was more than half their annual income ($368,253) and almost half of their annual total expenses ($414,571).

I agree that this performance will spread Deaf West's admirable message, but the money raised for these three minutes could almost fund an entire season. 

[hes16]

Posted: 6/8/16 at 1:22pm

On Instagram many people are saying "Yay Spring Awakening made it" or "Yay they raised enough money." I wish I could tell them all that it is a scam.

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 01:22 PM