IPEX Theatrical Artists Announces Inaugural Client Slate

IPEX Theatrical Artists (IPEX), the literary agency and IP management company specializing in theatrical works and founded by industry veteran Brian Sherman, has announced its inaugural client slate. The agency's initial roster includes independent music company Reservoir, production company Gershwin Entertainment Corporation, and musicals including Broadway's A Night with Janis Joplin, Tony Award-Winning Million Dollar Quartet, and the in-development Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust Road.

"I'm very pleased to announce our first round of signings," said IPEX Founder and CEO Brian Sherman. "The diversity and quality of our roster perfectly reflects our mission of creating innovative and collaborative opportunities for dramatists, producers and intellectual property stakeholders. The theatre industry will triumph over the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and when the curtain once again rises, so too will these remarkable, inspiring artists and shows that I have the privilege to represent."

IPEX has signed independent music company Reservoir to a worldwide representation agreement, which will see IPEX proactively generate theatrical licensing opportunities for Reservoir's rapidly growing catalog of world-class songs and artists. The IPEX-Reservoir deal is a novel approach to theatrical licensing for music companies, with Reservoir the first music company to engage an external agency to initiate, package and license stage shows and story-driven experiences directly to producers around the globe. Reservoir-affiliated projects currently in the pipeline through IPEX include Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust Road, drawn from the catalog of the prolific jazz-pop songwriter, including such beloved standards as "Heart and Soul", "Skylark", "Georgia on My Mind" and the title song "Stardust." IPEX will also be conceptualizing new works derived from the prolific Shapiro Bernstein catalog, which was recently acquired by Reservoir, a story-driven concert utilizing the John Denver repertoire and a new musical based on the Bobby Pickett classic "Monster Mash."

Reservoir President and COO Rell Lafargue said, "As Reservoir continues to grow, it is a priority for us to showcase our catalog to audiences in innovative ways. We couldn't have found a better partner in Brian and IPEX, whose imaginative approach offers inspiring opportunities to build on our catalog and create new narrative, musical experiences."

IPEX client Hoagy Bix Carmichael added, "I'm thrilled that our musical, Stardust Road, is in the capable hands of Brian and his company. My father's songs are stories set to music, and we are excited to begin the journey with Brian and to launch the show in 2022."

IPEX signings also include Gershwin Entertainment Corporation and Premiere Media, for which the agency will serve as booking agent for regional theatre presentations of Broadway's A Night with Janis Joplin and Tony Award-Winning Million Dollar Quartet. Through IPEX, professional theaters across North America will have access to unique, cost-effective opportunities to bring the commercial productions of these joyous, consistently top-performing musicals to their audiences. The IPEX inaugural roster is rounded out with the talents of emerging playwrights, directors, composers, lyricists and songwriters including Pete Barry, Michael J. Bobbitt, John L. Cornelius II, Amanda D'Archangelis, Sandra B. Eskin, Ora Fruchter, Andrea Green, Sami Horneff, Zachary Kampler, Julie Marino, Rocco Natale, Stoph Scheer, Joe Simonelli, Toby Singer, Michael Vescera, Michael Whitney and William Yanesh.

Represented experiential and theatrical properties include AnimazeX, The Amazing Story Machine, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, Christmas with the (Almost) Stars, Jumanji, Mirandy and Brother Wind, Blueberries for Sal, Make Way For Ducklings, Coming Attraction, The Match, Gruff!, Welcome to Paradise, Gravity and Ground, Injustice For All, He Said/She Said, K.C.@Bat and The Same Sky.

Reservoir is an independent music company based in New York City and with offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Toronto and London. Founded as a family-owned music publisher in 2007, the company has grown to represent over 126,000 copyrights and 20,000 master recordings with titles dating as far back as 1900, and hundreds of #1 releases worldwide. Reservoir holds a regular Top 10 U.S. Market Share according to Billboard's Publishers Quarterly and was twice named Publisher of the Year by Music Business Worldwide's The A&R Awards. Its publishing catalog includes historic pieces written and performed by greats like Billy Strayhorn, Hoagy Carmichael, and John Denver; the contemporary-classic catalogs of Sheryl Crow and Phantogram; and current award-winning hits performed by the likes of Lady Gaga, Camila Cabello, Bruno Mars, Cardi B and more. The company's roster of active writers and producers includes the award-winning James Fauntleroy, Ali Tamposi, and Jamie Hartman, plus popular performing artists 2 Chainz, Young Thug, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and Migos' Offset and Takeoff. Reservoir's collection of film music includes rights to scores created by award-winning composer-producer Hans Zimmer, as heard in the motion pictures The Lion King, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Gladiator, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and over 150 other titles. The company also represents a multitude of recorded music through Chrysalis Records and Philly Groove Records and manages artists through its venture with Big Life Management. www.reservoir-media.com

IPEX Theatrical Artists is a literary agency and intellectual property management company specializing in theatrical works, representing authors and producers of stage, film, television, and digital media works, and corporate owners of iconic intellectual property and brands. IPEX clients include playwrights, composers, lyricists, songwriters, producers, screenwriters, digital content creators, music and book publishers, estates, trusts and institutional investors in intellectual property assets. The company was launched in 2019 by theatre and entertainment executive Brian Sherman.

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