I just talked to a girl who was telling me that her sister was in a college version of RENT...I didn't think that the rights had been released yet....
"All the while making faces like a baby platypus who forget to take some Beano before eating a chimichanga." FindingNamo in reference to Jessica Simpson's singing.
Certaintly not the show police ... but if you are caught doing a restricted show; a show whose rights belong to MTI or a registered company without obtaining the rights through them and abiding by their guidlines... there are fines and future restrictions to deal with.
When your theater co./school applies they must go by the guidliens or get special permission to make adjustments to their productions. This is surely no place to advertise bootleg versions of unreleased shows. :)
Two local high schools in Utah just did Beauty and the Beast, and I've got to tell you, one of those was among the worst productions of anything I've ever seen, and the other was spellbinding. I was floored by it, and even ran a review of the production (http://www.sodapopculture.com/reviews/beauty.htm). My point is, don't count out all high school productions and community productions, because there are a handful of talented people out there that can make them work.
That having been said, productions kids throw together themselves without obtaining rights and doing a full production tend to be as unbearable Good Vibrations.
I've just been searching around the MTI web-site and currently "Tick Tick Boom" and "Urinetown" are restricted. However they are accepting applications for them for people that are members of Club MTI. They also hinted they have acquired the performance rights to "RENT" and will be announcing that soon, Rights to perform it however are not going to be released in the foreseeable future.
"You know just because you put a smiley face after it doesn't change the fact that it was an a-hole comment." ~ Sumofallthings
Hamilton High School's (Los Angeles) upcoming production of Thoroughly Modern Millie is most certainly being produced with the full approval of MTI. According to Popular, Megan Campbell, "one of the girls who went there was on broadway straight out of graduation understudying Sutton in Millie. She's choreographing Millie for them by the way! So, LOTS of talent (and money) in that school." I think Hamilton has special connections!
Yes, "restricted" does NOT mean "Not available anywhere at this time". It means "May be available in certain locations under certain conditions, but DON'T announce that you are doing it just because it's in the catalog!".
Okay, sounds like you guys know this kinda stuff, so fill me in on the technicalities of some things:
First of all, someone said as long as you don't charge money, you can do anything and not get in trouble? Is there any way for that to be true - don't they have amateur divisions of places like MTI for that kinda thing?
What about if it were for fundraising purposes? Like you accepted donations in buckets or something but didn't charge admission?
One of my friends wants to do like an in concert of Hairspray this summer, however the tour's coming through, not to mention it's totally illegal so I keep trying to enforce that it can't happen but...am I wrong?
If I show you the darkness I hold inside, will you bring me to light?
I've done shows where admission was not charged. It is legal, however you MUST contact the licencing company and recive permission to do it without admission. I was working with a church group and they still required a royalty fee. Many scripts will have wriiten in them the no portion of the material can be reproduced in any form without permission from the licencing agent. That includes recording, photocopy, and performance, as well as other ways. I hope that is helpful.
"You know just because you put a smiley face after it doesn't change the fact that it was an a-hole comment." ~ Sumofallthings
At the MTI website, on the page for each specific show, if there are any upcoming productionst, they have a list of the places that are doing them, including dates. Here's The Full Monty for example sake
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never
knowing how