Toronto High School's 'Tribute' to Hamilton — Page 2

This is no way to "ask permission" to do a show. I'm honestly shocked by this. People (especially Lin) spend years writing musicals and those musicals are often disrespected by unauthorized versions. I don't mean to sound so hateful to those talented kids, but it's just not right. Like I said, people spend YEARS writing musicals (unless they're Kender & Ebb) and schools should be able to respect that.

I used to work at Walt Disney World. And new Cast Members would come in and complain about how entitled kids were. I would tell them, "wait until you start focusing on their parents."

These kids feel entitled to perform Hamilton because they are talented enough to perform it, as was evidenced in the video, and because they love Hamilton. They are validated in this entitlement from their teacher who allowed and encouraged it, knowing that it was illegal. Entitlement trickles down from the top most of the time. I don't blame the kids as much as I do the adults who told them and taught them that this is okay. Kids aren't suppose to know how the world works... they are supposed to be taught.

I am talented enough and love Hedwig and the Angry Inch. But when my rights were denied due to the tour, I sighed, said okay, and canceled work on the production of the piece that I was working on until the tour is over or I am granted the rights to the show. I already have my libretto and all the elements to physically perform the show and would save about $4000 by doing it without the rights to the show. But I'm not going to do that. Because I do not feel entitled to someone else art without their permission AND without PAYING THEM FOR IT. I was taught this process, early on, from teacher and theaters who would never in a million years allow an illegal performance to take place. Kids have to be taught.

I would encourage these kids, as they are obviously talented, to go out and create their own works to perform rather than thinking that they are worthy of something just because "they want to."

EDIT:
This happened at an ART SCHOOL?! This didn't happen at some.. public school somewhere with an English teacher shoehorned into also teaching drama... this happened at a high school for the performing arts? There is literally no excuse for that because you know that they know better.

Updated On: 6/16/16 at 05:12 PM

I really hope amateur/school rights to Hamilton are never released to anyone, to be honest.



Everything about Hamilton, as it stands now meshes perfectly. The direction matches the writting, which matches the casting, which matches the choreography.



If amateur production rights get released, the uniqueness and diversity won't be there, and it won't be Hamilton. It will be "School House Rock: The Founding Fathers Hip-Hop!"

Updated On: 6/16/16 at 05:55 PM

Showface said: "This show choir basically did all of Act 1:

https://youtu.be/tJ-Dw3iWZk0



"

Lol They did a pretty good job though but how is this allowed? I hope people aren't paying for this because it seems illegal.

Updated On: 6/16/16 at 06:05 PM

Yeah apparently the Toronto school's videos were taken down from youtube due to a copyright claim from SRMR. I wonder if that is the name of one of the producers' companies, or perhaps their lawyers? Just curious.

Showface said: "This show choir basically did all of Act 1:

https://youtu.be/tJ-Dw3iWZk0"

It is painful how white these children are. I only watched the opening number, I didn't like how they made Hamilton a matinee idol along the lines of Zac Efron. I liked the girl who was vaguely Betsy-like singing Eliza's line.

Yeah it really seems like they put on a full show or at least most of the numbers which is just so dumb and illegal. I mean they are a freaking preforming arts high school. They should know this isn't legal. The producers should really sue them. I wonder who took the videos down, the producers or the school to take away proof?

Updated On: 6/17/16 at 08:22 AM

Wow, that takes some balls to have stage the entire thing. Shame on them, indeed.



You Tube seldom takes things down on their own accord for copyrite.....I'm sure the producers has much to do with it.

In order for a school to be the first to perform a show, the liscensing company needs to come to them, the company's choose which schools perform it. Not the other way around. I know this because my school was the first school to ever produce Peter and the Starcatcher, MTI personally called our director asking us to be the first, doing your own illegal version is not a way or an attempted way to get to perform first. So really, they are just producing an illegal version of hamilton with the idealistic hope of Being the first to perform Hamilton.

http://current.mnsun.com/2016/01/20/edina-first-high-school-in-nation-to-perform-peter-and-the-starcatcher/

Updated On: 6/17/16 at 10:08 AM

And no, that's not ALWAYS how its done. MTI is pretty big with their hand chosed try outs, but not everyone else does.

Hamilton's press agent flagged it and then Youtube took it down.
This article about it is pretty funny. The school doesn't understand why?!

Looking at the school's twitter account a bit more deeply and clearly they weren't trying to 'ask' permission months ago: https://twitter.com/WPA_TO/status/705123770080440320



Lots of clips of their original performances too:

• Schuyler Sisters - https://twitter.com/WPA_TO/status/706168387093843968
• Right Hand Man - https://twitter.com/WPA_TO/status/706174956284088320