“The Color Purple” Broadway star wants royalties for song lyrics

[BETTY22]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 6:44pm

LaChanze tweeted that she wanted money for lyrics she claimed to have added to "I'm Here."

She did not elaborate on the lyrics she says she added to the song but said she poured her "heart and soul" into the role and  she "was a huge part at writing 'I'm Here'" for the stage production.

THOUGHTS?

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 6:48pm

If she's getting royalties for lyrics in addition to as a performer for the Broadway cast recording I think that's an eminently reasonable request.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 6:53pm

This has already been discussed quite a bit in another thread.

Reposting from that thread:

What LaChanze is describing in the TIME article is not authorship (ideas come from everywhere), but then in her Tweet she implies actual authorship. Had she contributed specific lyrics to the song during the 2003 workshop, her agent and legal team would have negotiated that ahead of her contract being signed for the 2004 Atlanta production or the 2005 Broadway production. If there was any question about authorship, her team could have involved the Dramatist's Guild and/or taken it to court 20 years ago. If she had legitimate concerns over her contributions to the writing of the show, it would be odd to stay with the show for more than a year on Broadway.

But we can't take the tweet seriously if she is complaining (on 12/26) that she is being left out of press, when she willingly participated in press for the film that ran on 12/25 (the TIME article). All this just sounds like LaChanze being LaChanze.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 7:55pm

Yes, this discussion started yesterday in the Color Purple thread.

 

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1113107&page=25

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 8:54pm

What is especially sad about this flailing attempt is that she thinks doing it on social media is a good idea.  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 8:04am

This reminds me of the sloppy mess of embarrassment Jennifer Holliday was doing during the 2006 DREAMGIRLS film adaptation. Not being asked to do a cameo like Loretta Devine, not being mentioned 24/7 how she originated the role of Effie, plus endless whining everywhere. Jennifer Hudson took control after the dust settled and had Holliday share “I Am Telling You…” often when she appeared on television but Holliday really was one bitter woman watching Hudson getting all the raves and media exposure for playing Effie in the film. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 11:19am

That's not how any of this works. Original actors contribute lyrics, lines, etc all the time while they're rehearsing a show. It doesn't mean they suddenly get credited as writers and get royalties from it.

[Kimbo]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 12:15pm

Broadway61004 said: "That's not how any of this works. Original actors contribute lyrics, lines, etc all the time while they're rehearsing a show. It doesn't mean they suddenly get credited as writers and get royalties from it."

Just to amplify: It doesn’t mean they suddenly get credited as writers and get royalties from it 20 YEARS LATER just because they make a MOVIE, and the movie does better than anyone was expecting, and suddenly there might potentially be real money to be made.  

That ask is not a great look, whether meant sincerely or in jest, so for her to post about it at all makes her look either desperate and opportunistic, or at best kind of disingenuous, small-time, and (especially for someone who’s turned into more of a producer) kind of surprisingly tone-deaf and naive about the the way artistic collaboration works.  

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 1:09pm

Kimbo said: "Broadway61004 said: "That's not how any of this works. Original actors contribute lyrics, lines, etc all the time while they're rehearsing a show. It doesn't mean they suddenly get credited as writers and get royalties from it."

Just to amplify: It doesn’t mean they suddenly get credited as writers and get royalties from it 20 YEARS LATER just because they make a MOVIE, and the movie does better than anyone was expecting, and suddenly there might potentially be real money to be made."

Oh yes, there are of course cases where they work that into the original contract when the show opens. But just saying that there are also plenty of other cases where actors contribute a line or lyric or two and they never receive anything for it, so it's not as though this is some atrocity that is brand new and has never happened to anyone else.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 5:06pm

Totally not on the topic of this story, but semi related to actors receiving credit/royalties for their work. I had a thought about how WICKED not letting their performers do any special riffs outside of what was originally done/written. I’m curious if the reason for the change was they didn’t want to have to give credit to the various other performers who created different riffs and styles for the show, a la having to given Eden some sort of credit for “things I’ve never felt!”

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 8:17pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Totally not on the topic of this story, but semi related to actors receiving credit/royalties for their work. I had a thought about how WICKEDnot letting their performers do any special riffs outside of what was originally done/written. I’m curious if the reason for the change was they didn’t want to have to give credit to the various other performers who created different riffs and styles for the show, a la having to given Eden some sort of credit for “things I’ve never felt!”"

I always assumed it was the Disneyesque vibes of running a tight ship as part of a well-oiled machine. Wicked is a strict “brand” at this point and it sounds to me they like to keep things orderly and steady with little room for surprises.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/29/23 at 12:39pm

When she said this, I didn't read it has her meaning it seriously, but instead facetiously.