Saturday, April 17, 2021

after the destructive business gaslighting by then-Davenport Theatricals' Jen Tepper and Encores' videographer Jonathan Frank had started, which had them going on and on about until 2018 how the videos

were polluting the internet and how amateurish and wit-free the parodies were and how they look like they were done on free software.

As if saying that 100 times made that true! What was their agenda already in 2010?

And Jen and Jonathan kept posting this destruction still in 2018 when Jen Tepper was already a Broadway producer, picking on an unknown writer even under her own Times user comment name "Jen96th."

We're already finding sympathy on the web for Ruth Madoff with Bernie Madoff's passing yesterday. So maybe one more time before this becomes non-PC for a while (as it did for a few months when Bernie Madoff's son passed away, but society got over that)

Crying Poverty (about Madoff scandal) - https://youtu.be/JuoaaxK4rl8

Special thanks to Stephen Schwartz for generously OK-ing the use of his material from WICKED in this parody!

(PS. one of the great musical writing teachers; at ASCAP, he seemed to know our shows better than we did)

Monday, April 5, 2021

Urgent Parody update - Despite a gazillion (rough estimate) similarities with Paul Zindel's play, "Shape of Water" is exonerated. What is the effect on Zindel's screenplay for MAME?

Urgent Parody update - and if anything can be called a parody emergency, this could be it:

Despite a gazillion (very rough estimate) coincidental similarities with Paul Zindel's play, "The Shape of Water" is exonerated.

Does that leave open the possibility that all of Paul Zindel's work is up for grabs!

The one of musical parody concern is his screenplay for MAME - We are springing to action to be first - and dusting the cobwebs off this one, to get to the market first - with our MAME update for Betty White!

"Great Auntie Mame"

https://youtu.be/ados3loEZBs

Sunday, April 4, 2021

To join the celebration of the 50th birthday of FOLLIES

To join the celebration of the 50th birthday of FOLLIES -

both of these done by approval and arrangement with then-publisher Carlin America.

"I'm Still Queer" - This got into Michael Musto's column in 2009, looking at 40 years of musicals.

https://www.villagevoice.com/2009/10/16/hilarious-gay-spoof-of-im-still-here/

Thanks again to Bill Parry, who has done so many Sondheim shows including the boatman in Sunday in the Park with George, and the Mizner brothers' father in Road Show, for performing the vocal.

And this was a very exclusive sit-down with Henry Miller's Ghost, as the theater he named for himself was rebuilt and renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. As expected, he grumbled through a song or two and lied about himself a little. But in the end, since it was going to be renamed, he did approve of the choice!

"Losing My Sign (I Think About Me)" - rare interview - Ghost of Henry Miller

https://youtu.be/phlrsBx23O0

This had gotten a nice write-up in an NYU course on The History of New York

https://ahistoryofnewyork.com/2010/06/losing-my-sign/

Happy 50th, FOLLIES!