One of the most heartening developments for those who yearn for a bolder commercial theater has been the success of “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.” The innovative musical, described by its creator, Dave Malloy, as an “electro-pop opera,” began life in 2012 at the 99-seat experimental theater Ars Nova and is now a $14 million Broadway bet this season. The show, which marks the theater debut of pop and operatic star Josh Groban and is based on an excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” just began previews at the Imperial Theatre.But a tempest has erupted over the billing in the Playbill program at the Imperial between the lead producers, Howard and Janet Kagan, and Ars Nova, the non-profit home to many young theater artists. The controversy would normally be a case of inside baseball with little effect on the general populace. But it does threaten potential damage to the brand - especially when the Tony nominations come around in Spring - and it does reveal some of the more unsavory, if not jejune, personality clashes that affect any business.First a recap of the internecine battle as first reported in the New York Post. According to a contractual agreement between Ars Nova and the commercial producers, the company was to have received an above-the title credit describing “Great Comet” as “The Ars Nova production of….” Instead the company was simply listed among the more than three dozen names of the producers. That included Jason Eagan, the founding artistic director of Ars Nova, who had also recruited investors for the transfer of the production to Broadway. (After its premiere run at Ars Nova, the show had been presented in pop-up venues in downtown and Times Square.)Eagan has accused the Kagans of minimizing Ars Nova’s contribution through the billing change and violating the previous agreement. In retaliation, it was reported that Howard Kagan resigned from the theater’s board of directors, barred Ars Nova officials from the Imperial Theatre, and threatened to schedule the original cast recording of the show on the same day as the theater’s annual gala, thereby preventing the actors from participating in the event.From a layman’s point of view, what’s the big deal? But billing has caused serious headaches behind the scenes for as long as Broadway has been printing playbills and posters. The brouhaha over “Great Comet” is one of the rare times that it has spilled into the public in such a messy manner. Kagan, a former hedge fund manager, has been banking on Broadway since 2011, largely with musicals such as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Porgy and Bess,” “On the Town” and “Pippin.” The latter, directed by Diane Paulus, contained above-the-title billing for The American Repertory Theatre where the show was initially developed - which is exactly what is at issue with Ars Nova.The artists involved in “Great Comet,” including Malloy, Groban and director Rachel Chavkin, are not chiming in on the family fight. (Neither they nor the producers are commenting.) Jason Eagan did release a statement however: “Ars Nova is deeply disappointed that our own board member Howard Kagan is attempting to minimize the contribution that Ars Nova has made to ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ by denying us the proper billing credit we have earned and of which we are contractually entitled.”Hopefully, for the sake of the production, calm thinking will prevail, since this is a lose-lose situation for all involved. There is a lot at stake, more financially than credit-wise. According to the New York Times, Ars Nova, as the originating entity, is guaranteed 1.5% of the weekly gross box-office, increasing to 2% after recoupment. It will take a lot of tickets sold to reach $14 million and, despite glowing reviews for its previous incarnations, “Great Comet” is by no means a slam-dunk. If the show flops, who cares about credit?
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