Musical

[Lee B]

Hi Lost Boys and Golden Girls

I hope everyone is well. I am writing to try to gauge an interest in something I have been writing for the last 8 months. It is a Musical - based on Meats songs - entitled Hell on Earth.
It's 76 pages long and I finally got it finished last weekend. I have got it copyrighted, and the Theatre that I perform in shows at regularly has expressed an interest in it. So far the feedback has been very positive.

What I am hoping for is that a few of you will have a read of the script and give me some feedback. Just let me kn ow if you'd be interested in seeing it performed on a live stage.

If you wish to see a copy of the script, please send me a message with your email address. I don't want to send out too many, so I will send the first few who request it a copy. The reason I don't want too many to see it is because there is a very good chance that I'm going to be able to get this produced, so I'd like you to come and see it. If you read the script, it will ruin the ending!!

Thanks

Lee

[samurai7]

you may have your script copyrighted, but you would need permission to use the songs, from their respective publishers, if you were to incorporate them into your work. I'm not having a go, as it's a great idea, and something I wanted to do myself a few years back. However I also think you'd be up against it though, as Jim Steinman himself has plans himself for a musical based on the Bat albums, or to put it more correctly, a musical whish inspired the Bat albums if accounts of it being 'Neverland' are true, although when that will happen is anybody's guess.

[Pudding]

Rockfenris (Ryan) had an interesting idea (probably the only one he's ever had) about doing a musical with just Steinman songs and calling it Frankensteinman. I think he had issues with getting the rights to use the songs.

[WhenItComes2LovingU]

That may be because Jim's publishing, by his own admission, is in transit. He says on his blog that Disney wanted to buy the publishing for the cartoon project, but he didn't know what to do about that because it was already being sold to someone else.

[Lee B]

Using the songs is something I'm looking into. If Steve Steinman can do it.....!

[Pudding]

Who knows how much Steve Steinman spends on having the permission to use those songs, why not email him?

[RadioMaster]

or ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

[nikox1]

it depends on how big the project is? if its a local production [ small ] you will be ok, its like singing karaoke! if your gonna tour it [ get permission ]

[RadioMaster]

I cant imagine it'd be too hard....after all there are tons of tribute acts out there....and their work is basically the same, isnt it?

[The Flying Mouse]

I wrote a Meat Loaf musical myself a few years ago.
Out of the choice of material (just Steinman songs, or any songs he's done) I went for the ones by Jim.
Only for the reason I thought it would be cool to have "Songs By Jim Steinman" on the promo (Rock & Roll Day Dreams )

Problem was that a little while after completing it Meat announced that he would be doing Bat III.
As you would pretty much have to have some bat III material in the show I left things as they were until I heard the album so I could include some of them in a slight re write, but then of course Jim started planning his Bat Out Of Hell musical, which makes everyone elses efforts pretty redundant.

But you never know, if Jim abandons the musical, I might submit the one i've written to Jim & Meat for their consideration.

[samurai7]

Originally Posted by nikox1

it depends on how big the project is? if its a local production [ small ] you will be ok, its like singing karaoke! if your gonna tour it [ get permission ]

there is a difference between performing the songs in a concert environment, and incorporating them into a work of fiction. Dno't ask me why, but there is! We've had this same discussion on another forum regarding this topic.

[Pudding]

There are 11 secret herbs and spices used by KFC, individually using them isn't a problem, but if you combine them, use them and sell them, then they'd sue your ass.

I would imagine that using each song individually isn't a problem, but combining them together into a new body of work (which is what a musical is) without the proper permissions, then you could be in the shit.

[Evil One]

Originally Posted by Pudding

There are 11 secret herbs and spices used by KFC, individually using them isn't a problem, but if you combine them, use them and sell them, then they'd sue your ass.

paprika
onion salt
celery salt
sage
garlic powder
allspice
oregano
chili powder
black pepper
basil
marjoram

[RadioMaster]

Originally Posted by samurai7

there is a difference between performing the songs in a concert environment, and incorporating them into a work of fiction. Dno't ask me why, but there is! We've had this same discussion on another forum regarding this topic.

but where do you draw the line??
Speaking hypothetically, there's the possibility that a tribute act performs the same songs every night. Now add a few singing band members who like to talk and goof around between the songs, and you could very quickly get a musical with a storyline that's come together by accident, so to speak. Is that a work of fiction?

Or what if said tribute band does the same setlist with the same spoken bits every night? Is that a work of fiction?

Now think, what if the setlist and the spoken bits didnt come together by incident, but were scripted in advance, but no one was told? Would that qualify as a work of fiction?

[Jaycee]

Originally Posted by Pudding

Rockfenris (Ryan) had an interesting idea (probably the only one he's ever had) about doing a musical with just Steinman songs and calling it Frankensteinman. I think he had issues with getting the rights to use the songs.

We could only get the rights to 2 of the songs..IACBTMN and TEOTH (if I remember correctly)
We weren't able to get any of the others as 'Whistle down the wind' was due to hit the stage again on Londons West End and Meat was planning Bat III. With talk of Jim's Bat out of Hell musical in the wind, I would say you will have no hope in crap...

[Pudding]

Originally Posted by Evil One

paprika
onion salt
celery salt
sage
garlic powder
allspice
oregano
chili powder
black pepper
basil
marjoram

REALLY? It's not what I get.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dry mustard
4 tbsp paprika
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp MSG

[Evil One]

Whatever the ingredients I'm pretty sure they've changed the recipe over the years. It doesn't taste the same.

[Pudding]

That could be something to do with the oil it's cooked in.

The best fish & chips I ever tasted was when I was a kid and they were cooked in lard. When I went back to the UK I went to the same fish shop and it's cooked in some healthy vegetable oil and the fish & chips tasted like shit.

[Evil One]

I can definitely agree with that. Fish and chip shops are not what they used to be.

[RadioMaster]

same with mcdonalds.....mcnuggest just dont taste the same they did when i was a kid....a few months ago the usual oil mustve run out or something, as just this one time, in about ten years, they tasted the same as they used to...

[mszee]

Actually, although it's off topic, McDonalds was sued over what they fry their stuff in...animal fat was taken off the platter...and bye bye to those fantastic french fries...

[Pudding]

Kinda ironic that you can't have a McDonalds cooked in animal fat but you can eat the animal in a burger from McDonalds

[daveake]

Not to mention the contents of the milkshakes ...

[RadioMaster]

my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like "it's better than yours"

[mszee]

Originally Posted by Pudding

Kinda ironic that you can't have a McDonalds cooked in animal fat but you can eat the animal in a burger from McDonalds

That actually was not a point made and won...vegetarians didn't like their French fries fried in animal fat...that's what won the argument and destroyed famous MD fries...