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The show must go on – all 10 of them, as production company offers fresh way to invest in musicals
November 19, 2015 12:51
A theatre production company has opted for a fresh approach to raising the money needed to put new musicals on stage.
The Stable, founded by producer Neil Marcus, is offering potential investors the chance to put money into several shows at the same time.
The aim is to stage 10 shows in six years.
Four musicals are already in development and Mr Marcus, 46, said he hopes to see the first one, a science fiction romcom called Fanatical, being performed by autumn 2016.
A musical version of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, has just finished a successful performance workshop. The creative team attached to the production includes celebrated musical theatre performer and director Maria Friedman.
Other musicals currently on The Stable’s slate include The Wigmaker’s Tale by the Tony Award winning actor Douglas Hodge and The Rhythm Method with score by Gwyneth Herbert and book by Diane Samuels, who wrote the play Kinderstransport.
The company is using crowdfunding website Crowdcube to raise £60,000 in investment for the next stage of development for Fanatical, and has already raised over half of the target amount. The deadline for raising the target amount is December 2.
The idea of investing in a production company that will produce several musicals rather than backing just one show is relatively new.
“It spreads the risk, it’s not putting all your eggs in one basket,” said Mr Marcus.
“There are no guarantees, but by investing in a portfolio of shows the chance of a success is significantly increased.”
The Guildford resident, who attends North West Surrey Synagogue, said investors will benefit from perks including invitations to readings and previews. Some investors will also receive a tailor-made song written by one of the shows’ writers.
Mr Marcus, the Manchester-born artistic director of London Festival of Cabaret said: “I think new musical theatre in Britain is beginning to go through a renaissance. There has been real growth in recent years.”
He added that Jewish influence on musical theatre, especially in the United States, is huge, citing composers and writers such as George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.
“There are a lot of Jewish people who like musical theatre. A proportion of the The Stable investors happen to be Jewish. There is an interest,” he said.
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