[Mb-hair] Gracious Blessings, (Or, Gee, Where Did All That Hostility Come From?)

[Jim Burns]

You seem to have gotten hung up on a choice of words. 

So, let's put it this way.

I had this idea, a while back...

And then you had it, as well!

(Actually, I think, rather I know, I first thought of this around 1998.
Not a terribly difficult idea, by the way! And, then, a whole bunch of
things came up, incuding, ultimately, the Encores! HAIR.)

So, why all the anger!

Misplaced!

:-)

By the way, your dollar figures are way, way off.

The way these concert performances are done is as CHARITY BENEFITS.

It's the only way they're affordable.

Much of the work, and facilities, are at ridclously low costs.

And the rights holders make their work available, because it IS for
charity.

(Stephen Schwartz, as you probaly know. has been particularly generous,
in recent years--and should give you  an idea of the caliber of talent
that will avail themselves, for these benefits.)

And the media is virtually free. Many publicists offer their services
nearly gratis, on this type of project.

(And in a situation where you have a great media story, such as this,
the media is ANXIOUS to cover it. As I've told many folks throughout the
years, one of the only advantages of what seems to sometimes have become
an  instant-media, is that THEY NEED TIME TO FILL, and PAGES TO RUN. If
you have a great story that can fill one-to-three minutes, or some
column inches, producers and editors are often thrilled to assign a
reporter.

(I think I mentioned all this, in some email exchange, here, with
MB--Because it's something important for political activists to
remember, as well. If you can cache a story in an appealing way, the
media can be more than your friend--at least, if you're trying to get a
point of view across.)


So, just as a point of info, for all of you who might be interested in
these type of events--

The budgets, for even the most spectacular, are often around $25,000,
and almost never ever over $100,000--And that's for only the really big
productions.

Remember, if you're selling 1000 tickets, at $70 to $100 apiece, you're
only going to gross about seventy grand. So, to raise any kind of money
for a charity--and we're not talking about one of those deals where the
main money is actually being raised by a concurrent dinner, and/or
ball--the costs have to be low.

And, in one of the many gracious blessings of the Broadway, and
theatrical community, that's recognized.

Best, Jim Burns