Cabaret version rights questions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2069
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Topic: Cabaret version rights questions
Posted By: ziwiki
Subject: Cabaret version rights questions
Date Posted: 10/11/06 at 9:50am
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How have people approached getting the rights for performance of the songs NOT included in the Tams-Whitmark license for Cabaret? Specifically, Mein Heir and Maybe This Time?
Thank you! |
Replies:
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:58pm
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I'm assuming that these songs appeared in the movie version, it's been awhile since I've seen it. You have a couple of issues here. You will need to get authorization from Tams to be able to include the songs in your production AND from the rightsholders of the two songs in question. If I were you I would simulataniously seek permission from both. For the songs themselves you may need to go to several resources but a couple of places to start would be SESAC at http://www.sesac.com - www.sesac.com and ASCAP at http://www.ascap.com - www.ascap.com . Now the next thing you have to ask yourself: is this all worth it for two songs? Will these songs really enhance the show or improve your audience numbers? Do they do anything to move the plot, tell the story or offer any kind of character enhancement that can't be achieved from what's already included in the script other than it being nice that they be included? It also appears from the Tams web site that two versions might be available, the original 1966 and the revised 1987. Do the songs appear in one version and not the other? If so then you may want to do the one in which they appear. Good luck!
------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:09pm
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Ok did a little further reasearch. The songs do appear in the movie AND the 1998 revival version. You may want to contact Tams about doing that version if it's available through them. ------------- BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: ziwiki
Date Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:28pm
| We licenced the revival. However, the impression I got from T-W (just an impression as they are extremely vague as well as being difficult to work with) is that they either won't give the rights to little old us or don't own the rights to those songs.?.? So the revival ships with the songs that were dropped from the original instead. |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:35pm
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Looks like there are three stage versions out there then, 1966, 1987 and 1998. I'd nail them down and ask them which version you're licensed for and if the one with the two songs you want is included or can be licensed. It's enirely possible that the perfomance rights for the 1998 version aren't available. Another, though unlikely, possibilty is that they don't control the perfomance rights to the 1998 version. And I wouldn't expect that they'd tell you who did if that's the case. ------------- BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: krueger
Date Posted: 11/07/06 at 1:06pm
| I am curious to know this as well. I've googled review after review of community theatres across the country and the reviewers mention these songs. How does one get them? We too called Tams Whitmark and they said they were not available. Anyone out there know the answer to how all these theatres did this? |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 11/08/06 at 9:18am
I suspect that these cts did not have authorization from Tams to use the songs and were under the erronious assumption that they did or simply didn't care and used them anyway. I shall spare everyone from ranting on about that.  I think my views have been abundently clear about unauthorized use from other postings. ------------- BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: krueger
Date Posted: 11/09/06 at 1:07pm
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Please, no rants Also, I find it highly frustrating that these songs aren't available when other songs from the movie ARE in this 1986 revival. what makes these 2 songs so different from the other ones from the movie?? The questions you ask of Ziwiki about the songs: Mein Herr is practically a show stopper of a number, dance-wise, you're not going to find a better one to choreograph in the show. And it is one of the songs that lays the land for the bawdiness of the cabaret. As to 'maybe this time' . . this is a great piece, too. Sally Bowles sings it and it's a great push for her character development..gives you a really nice and poignant look into her inner person. It's a time we get to see the 'real' sally. It'd be sad to see that go, because all of the other songs she sings are upbeat/racy/comic other than the title song. And then i'm also really annoyed that there are those of us out there who are trying to do the right thing with this extra material, and are willing to pay for it, and then to see that there is proof out there that others are doing it and potentially not getting roasted for it. It's maddening, because I feel like we are doing the right thing, but we get to 'suffer' (for lack of a better word) by not getting to do this great material. But, I appreciate your responses on where to go to look for further info. Thanks, |
; but you ask some good questions. I went to both websites you mentioned and couldn't find a thing. ASCAP was a bit easier to search than the SESAC . . . but either way, it doesn't look like we can get permission from anywhere other than TW?.