Posted: 2/6/16 at 10:30pm
I finally saw Something Rotten! today and loved the many references to other musicals. Just wondering, do they have to pay royalties for singing a few bars of songs from other shows?
Posted: 2/7/16 at 11:18am
No. It is considered satire/parody which falls under the distinction of fair use.
http://corporate.findlaw.com/intellectual-property/parody-fair-use-or-copyright-infringement.html
Posted: 2/8/16 at 9:26am
Thank you!
There were so many references to other musicals, and they just kept on coming so fast! I know I missed some. Does anyone have a full list? I'll start with some of the ones I remember:
Cats
Mary Poppins
Avenue Q
Les Miserables
South Pacific
Posted: 2/8/16 at 9:40am
Check out this cool interactive Wall Street Journal article that details all the references in 'A Musical':
Posted: 2/8/16 at 11:04am
There are so many others that are referenced in the show as well.
I think my favorite is when Brad Oscar jumps up and yells:
That one just cracked me up. It was so random.
