Scott Rudin to resign from Broadway League

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Scott-Rudin-to-Resign-from-Broadway-League-20210424

Now we’re getting somewhere!! Bye Scott! Get help

As one does not have to be a member of the Broadway League to produce something, loudly or quietly, I'm glad the theater community's march and continuous pushing inspired this public gesture, but ultimately it doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot. He has to actually stay away to have the effect you want.

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "As one does not have to be a member of the Broadway League to produce something, loudly or quietly, I'm glad the theater community's march and continuous pushing inspired this public gesture, but ultimately it doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot. He has to actually stay away to have the effect you want."

Damn, you’re right. I tried to read The NY Times article but don’t have access to it. Did it say he cut all ties with Music Man? he’s no longer producing Music Man?

I read the NYTimes article in full - it's pretty long, and a lot of it is rehashing stories we've already heard - though there are some juicy details about some of the more high-profile people that he's pissed off, largely because of petty disputes with their agents.

As for the Broadway League thing, I'm a bit confused about it too. In the NYT article, all they say is that "he is resigning from the Broadway League, which is the trade association of producers and theater owners," but then much later in the article, they say "What will “stepping back” look like for Mr. Rudin, who is famous for micromanaging? Mr. Rudin did not address those specifics, including about whether he would continue to benefit financially from his shows."

But as I've said in previous posts, I think the most important thing here is that he is removed from a working environment, not just with artists and agents, but also with assistants - because that's his primary avenue for abuse - until he has done the work to change his behavior. It's unclear whether that will happen, but hopefully it will, since he won't have any work to be done? If he keeps getting money from Book of Mormon to bankroll his therapy, and a reflective sabbatical and/or retirement, then so be it.

Updated On: 4/24/21 at 11:04 AM

Alexander Lamar said: "So now Rudin is a victim? LOL"

Literally nobody on this thread has said anything even resembling that

CarlosAlberto said: "How will his story end? Will it end with a comeback after repentance for his past transgressions? Or will he forever be marked a pariah with no chance of redemption, relegated to obscurity by the industry and stripped of all his accomplishments?"

The latter. There are no second acts for the cancelled.

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "This is a nice symbolic step, but it doesn't really change anything. Garth Drabinsky is no longer a member of the league but he is still planning on producing a show on Broadway. You can produce a show and even win a Tony without being a member."



Can you expand on this? I actually don't know what it really means to be a part of the Broadway League. What benefits does it afford you?

JBroadway said: "itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "This is a nice symbolic step, but it doesn't really change anything. Garth Drabinsky is no longer a member of the league but he is still planning on producing a show on Broadway. You can produce a show and even win a Tony without being a member."



Can you expand on this? I actually don't know what it really means to be a part of the Broadway League. What benefits does it afford you?"

Rudin is (was?) a full member, which is mostly producers and general managers, but co-producers who raise a significant portion of the budget of multiple shows can also qualify to join. The main difference between full and associate members is that full members become signatories to the collective bargaining agreements between the league and the 14 unions and guilds. So they get an entire department of labor lawyers negotiating on their behalf (and at their direction) and must follow all terms of those agreements. If you're not a member, you can still produce a show on Broadway and it happens all the time. Usually things like The Illusionists or the Clay and Reuben Christmas Show. But anytime you have a first-time producer on Broadway, they likely aren't a full member (all new members have to spend at least one year as an associate member.) Without being a signatory to those agreements you need to negotiate you own agreement with all of those unions and guilds. And you have far less leverage being a single producer/show. In practice, those unions (collectively COBUG, the coalition of broadway unions and guilds) have granted nearly identical terms to non-league producers. But in the case of someone like Rudin, if he tries to produce a show as a non-signatory, I'd imagine the terms COBUG would demand would be untenable which could make it more difficult for him to return.

HogansHero said: "unclevictor said: "So in the grand scheme of things...this really doesn’t mean a whole lot. He can still produce Music Man and profit off of it. He can still produce future shows.
Awesome. There’s no consequences at all."

The resignation per se does not mean a lot. It's about optics for the members who eschew the association. He can't still produce MM. He can still profit to the extent of his interest in it. (Do you have a reasoned basis for him not to?) He can't produce again unless and until he has done what most think is impossible. There are enormous consequences. it seems like you are on a roll and are not paying attention. I expect him to wander off. If anyone's interested in one of the nicest homes in the Village, remain vigilant."

I think he still can produce the music man even though he’s resigning from the bway league and “stepping back” from the production. Maybe I missed it somewhere that he said he was no longer producing the music man and cutting all ties from it?

HogansHero said: "If anyone's interested in one of the nicest homes in the Village, remain vigilant."

Wonder if he ever sold his old pad in the San Remo (which was supposedly 2 units combined). If not, he's probably sitting on $30m+ in Manhattan real estate alone if the goin' gets tough...

Updated On: 4/24/21 at 04:52 PM

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: " In practice, those unions (collectively COBUG, the coalition of broadway unions and guilds) have granted nearly identical terms to non-league producers. But in the case of someone like Rudin, if he tries to produce a show as a non-signatory, I'd imagine the terms COBUGwould demand would be untenable which could make it moredifficult for him to return."

Deadline's article on the potential ramifications concurs.

https://deadline.com/2021/04/scott-rudin-broadway-league-confirm-resignation-ramifications-theater-landscape-immense-1234742961/

"Without League membership, Rudin would be something akin to a non-union producer, or at least a producer without the across-the-board agreements that the League negotiates with numerous theatrical unions and guilds. Technically and theoretically, Rudin could, in fact, negotiate his own separate agreements with Actors’ Equity Association, the American Federation of Musicians and more than a dozen other theater unions, but the task would be onerous and is very seldom attempted: For years, Disney Theatricals took the non-League route, but had an entire department at its disposal for negotiations and deal-making.

Add to that, both Equity and American Federation of Musicians Local 802, along with SAG-AFTRA, issued a statement recently condemning workplace harassment, and though the statement didn’t name Rudin specifically, the timing left no doubt. Equity in particular has been loudly urging the League to address the Rudin situation.

...

While the exact implications for Rudin’s current productions – major critical and/or commercial successes including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Mormon, West Side Story and the yet-to-open The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster – are unclear, it’s most likely that the union agreements already in place – negotiated by the League – will stand, allowing the shows to go on. Rudin’s future endeavors are murkier. The ripple effects of today’s most unusual, perhaps unprecedented, development remain to be seen."

JBroadway said: "I read the NYTimes article in full - it's pretty long, and a lot of it is rehashing stories we've already heard - though there are some juicy details about some of the more high-profile people that he's pissed off, largely because of petty disputes with their agents.

As for the Broadway League thing, I'm a bit confused about it too. In the NYT article, all they say is that "he is resigning from the Broadway League, which is the trade association of producers and theater owners," but then much later in the article, they say "What will “stepping back” look like for Mr. Rudin, who is famous for micromanaging?Mr. Rudin did not address those specifics, including about whether he would continue to benefit financially from his shows."

But as I've said in previous posts, I think the most important thing here is that he is removed from a working environment, not just with artists and agents, but also with assistants - because that's his primary avenue for abuse - until he has done the work to change his behavior. It's unclear whether that will happen, but hopefully it will, since he won't have any work to be done? If he keeps getting money from Book of Mormon to bankroll his therapy, and a reflective sabbatical and/or retirement, then so be it."

This.