Stage Rights Signs Sub-Publisher, Expands Rights to Australia and New Zealand

Steele Spring Stage Rights, the licensing company that represents The Marvelous Wonderettes franchise, has signed David Spicer Productions (DSP) as sub-publisher. Based in New South Wales, DSP will handle theatrical licensing for most Stage Rights titles in the Australian and New Zealand territory. "This is an amazing opportunity for our playwrights," said Stage Rights President Roger Bean. "This new partnership will allow us to reach more effectively into the untapped market in Australia and highlight our growing collection of plays and musicals to thousands of new theaters and producers."

David Spicer Productions (DSP) has a tremendous presence with community theaters and school groups in Australia, which will be a huge boon to the American Playwrights represented by Stage Rights. "David Spicer Productions' influence in Australia should bring great focus to many of our regional playwrights as well as our popular off-Broadway hits," said Bean. "We have many lesser-known gems in our catalog, and David Spicer Productions knows how to connect adventurous producers to new works."

As part of the sub-publishing deal, Stage Rights will also sub-publish many of DSP's titles in the US and Canada, beginning with Essgee's H.M.S. Pinafore, Essgee's Mikado, and Essgee's Pirates of Penzance. These "pop-eretta" adaptations of the Gilbert & Sullivan classics have garnered tremendous success in Australia and Europe, and Stage Rights will be the first U.S. publisher to license these modern versions in the United States. A unique feature in each of these versions is the inclusion of the modern girl-group 'The Fabulous Singlettes,' who appear either as a funky women's chorus (H.M.S. Pinafore), naughty sisters (Pirates of Penzance), or as the delightful 'Three Little Maids' of The Mikado. "When I first heard The Fabulous Singlettes, they reminded me of The Marvelous Wonderettes," exclaimed Bean, "So those three titles seemed to be a perfect fit in our catalog."

Stage Rights will continue to welcome more titles from David Spicer Productions into its catalog in the coming years. "This is only the beginning," said Bean. "We hope to represent many more of these great shows from 'down under' throughout the country."

David Spicer Productions (DSP) is a theatrical agency specializing in musicals, operetta, plays, and pantomime. Founded in 1998 by journalist, publisher, and community theatre advocate David Spicer, DSP licenses over 150 theatrical titles worldwide, including The Boy From Oz, Saturday Night Fever The Musical, and jukebox favorites Back to the 80s and Popstars! The 90s Musical.

Based in Los Angeles and founded in 2000, Stage Rights is one of the foremost independent theatrical publishers in the United States, providing stage performance rights for a wide range of plays and musicals to theater companies, schools, and other producing organizations across the country and internationally. As a licensing agent, Stage Rights is committed to providing each producer the tools they need for financial and artistic success. Stage Rights is dedicated to the future of Live Theatre, offering special programs that champion new theatrical works.