It has begun. I am here in Wilmington. By now for me the city is a familiar shirt that is comfortable to wear. It is extremely rare that I feel this way about a town where I am performing. It seemed a very strange choice when we started planning a year ago, but now it seems exactly right for all the right reasons.
As Bryan Simon, the director has said many times, this is not my first rodeo, nor is it my first time on a bucking bronco. I suppose with every production there are brick walls that must be scaled. My experience in the past has been with networks and executives. However, with that element gone in this production the gap has been filled with other challenges. There was a minor hiccup when the New York designers union wanted twice as much money as the camera budget to use the original set and lighting design. I had budgeted payment for the designers who had agreed to the fee, but the unions wanted more. After a few phone calls and emails the union dropped its demands and actually said I didn't owe them anything.
Now we are battling the music publishers. With permission we used several songs in the Broadway production which have become part of the fabric of the show. For some reason one of the publishers does not want to give us permission to use the song in the DVD. It is odd because permission to use it comes with a royalty that we are willing to pay. Still they do not want us to use the song. It is baffling to everyone.
I have made an appeal and hope they will change their mind. However it has brought up all sorts of interesting information to consider. One idea is the fair use doctrine that is sanctioned under the copy right law, and supported by a 1994 Supreme Court case. It involves the legal definition of a parody, a satire and a joke. In music fair use is more of a gray area than it would be in using a video or audio clip. I have the feeling this will be another tempest in a teapot when we are able to state the case. Confidence is high and I am trying not to let that negotiation affect the filming. It must not distract from the job at hand which is to do the best show we can on Saturday.
I know a lot of you who read this blog will be at the show on Saturday. I am looking forward to seeing you.
Onward and up ward.
As you were,
Jay
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Eff all that noise!! It's going to be amazing! I cannot wait!!!
ReplyDeleteAs Gilda would say..."It's always something." You have dealt with much more than this...don't let this get in the way of your FABULOUS shows on Saturday....I would be there if I could, but will be there in spirit, as always!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove from R&M
wish i could be there to see it. looking forward to the dvd. have a wonderful time doing the show.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the best and loads of fun performing and filming on Saturday! For a while I had this idea of going. But it would be my first flight to America and New York is a big city. So it would be somewhat scary for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso my mom had a heavy accident and is in the hospital now. She'll be fine, but it looked pretty serious first. So I'm glad I didn't plan on going away now. I'll stay with my family. My thoughts will be split between you and my mom. (Talk about split personality...)