TOOTSIE Musical Faces Lawsuit by Writers

A musical adaptation of the classic comedy movie "Tootsie" has been hit by a new lawsuit from the lyricist and composer of the project.

In a suit filed Tuesday in the New York Supreme Court, David Zippel and Walter Afanasieff claim that Scott Sanders Prods is trying to cut them out of the project, which has a Working Title of "Dollface."

The arrangements with Zippel and Afansieff were allegedly complicated following the death of the musical's original bookwriter, Larry Gelbart. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that in January of 2010, "Zippel and Afanasieff say they were terminated without prior notice. SSP allegedly claimed to be terminating the Theatrical Production Agreement because the death "raised great concerns and many questions about how to best capture the voice of this classic work [Tootsie]," and because it was the "best interest of the project to begin fresh with an entirely new creative team."

THR also stated that the "plaintiffs now claim $100,000 in payments, expenses and royalties they would have earned had their work gone forward. Additionally, Zippel and Afanasieff claim the termination was improper and want an order declaring they have a right to continue work on the project."

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