Hollywood On Broadway; Hollywood Actors Take The Stage

              Many people are not aware that musical theater is a great staple to master if you want to be a well-rounded, mainstream actor or actress.  There are tons of Hollywood actors that actually started their career on Broadway. Take Sarah Jessica Parker for example.  This Sex and the City star got her big break in 1997 as “Annie”, during the show's original run.  However, not all these actors started out as principle characters.  Shirley MacLaine was cast as an understudy on Broadway in the 1945 run of "Pajama Game".  She was spotted by a director while taking over the role and the rest is history.

Here are a few famous actors that started out on Broadway;

   LEA MICHELE

It’s not a shocker that this “Glee” star launched her career on Broadway.  At the age of 9, Lea played the role of Young Cosette in the musical Les Miserables.  About 10 years later, she had the opportunity to take the stage again as Wendia in Spring Awakening. 

 KRISTEN BELL

Kristen Bell is known for her sitcom roles on Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, House of Lies, and Heroes.  Very few people know that Kristen has a strong background in theater.  She actually attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.  Just a few credits from graduating, she starred as Becky Thatcher in the musical version of Mark Twain’s The Adventureof Tom Sawyer. 

                                                                                         ANNA KENDRICKS

Did you know that Anna Kendricks was nominated for a Tony award at the age of 12?  She received this nomination in 1998 for her role of Dinah in the musical High Society.  She is the third-youngest actor to have ever been nominated for this award.  Anna has starred in Twilight, Pitch Perfect, End of Watch and 50/50. 



TAYE DIGGS & IDINA MENZEL

Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel have been happily married for 10 years.  Idina has mastered a happy medium between theater, television, and movies, but she started on the stage.  In 1996, Idina played the role of Maureen Johnson in the Tony Award winning musical “Rent”.  Her husband began his career as an understudy for the role of Jigger Craigin, a character from “Carousel”.   The two have had opportunities to work side-by-side on stage and in movies.  They co-starred together in the hit musical "Wicked" in 2003, and again in 2005 in the film version of "Rent".  
    

ANTHONY HOPKINS

Before he was known as "Hannibal Lecter", Anthony Hopkins was understudy for Sir Lawrence Oliver in "The Dance of Death" in 1965.  Hopkins' big opportunity came when Sir Lawrence Oliver was struck with appendicitis. He took over the leading role of  Edgar. 

       There are also seasoned Hollywood actors that 

have decided to take their talents to Broadway.  There are a slew of actors, including Matthew Broderick and Julia Robert, that are making their musical theater debut.  This change helps these stars hone their acting chops.  It also is an opportunity for them to get away from the craziness of Hollywood and work in a more relaxed atmosphere.  The following link has a great list of actors that have gone from the screen to the stage. 

      

Momagers and Dadagers; Helpful or Harmful?

A momager or dadager is a cross between parent and manager.  Like any other artist manager, momagers/dadagers carry out the day-to-day managerial duties of their child and make a salary.  Does mother really know best or is this a conflict of interest?  There are many momager and dadagers that can be credited for taking their children to ultimate success.  Rolling Stone recently put out an article listing some of the greatest parental managers in the business.  Among this list were Pattie Millette, Joe Jackson, Lynne Spears, and Matthew and Tina Knowles.

There are numerous books, blogs, and articles written for parents who want to take a fulltime managerial role in their children’s career.  There is even talk about a reality television show being based around the lives of professional momagers and dodgers.  “It is unrealistic for most parents to think they have the necessary skills or contacts to navigate the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry effectively for their child,” said Paula Dorn, co-founder of the BizParentz Foundation.  She says that being an attentive parent should be the focus.

        When I think of famous momagers, I immediately think of Kris Jenner, mother of the Kardashian clan.  Last year, Kris actually trademarked and patented the term‘momager’.  If anyone deserves this patent, Kris does.  She has managed to guide all six of her children into profitable business ventures; including television shows, clothing lines, and endorsements.

        As a parent, you might initially believe that you would be the best person for the job, but it is important to be realistic on if you would be able to adequately manage your child. I believe that a momager or dadager could be very beneficial for a child star. However, there should be a professional manager in charge as well.  Momager/dadager and manager should be able to work together for the benefit of the child.  

Negotiating with Carl Lewis

As I prepare to ask Carl Lewis about his negotiation experience, he receives a phone call from Don King. He is taking a trip to Russia to represent Don on an upcoming boxing match.  From eavesdropping on his call with Don, it is obvious that Lewis is a very busy man who knows his stuff!

Carl has been a practicing attorney for over 20 years.  He received all three of his degrees from the University of Cincinnati in 85’, 86’, and 89’.  While in college, Lewis promoted concerts and represented songwriters in copywriting ventures. After college, Carl moved to Louisville working in insurance defense.  In 1990 he moved to Ohio and began working in white-collar public defense. In 1991, He started his private practice, Lewis Law Firm Inc., in Cincinnati, OH. By 1992, Carl was representing his first fighter who was on the same Olympic team as Mexican boxer Oscar De La Hoya.  Since then he has focused primarily on representing boxers.  Carl has worked with celebrities such as Don King and Daymond John.  He has also participated in negotiation deals with networks such as HBO and ESPN.

(All background information was obtained from Carl during the phone interview)

After a few days playing phone tag, I was able to link up with Lewis for a brief phone interview.

Kiera: What inspired you to pursue entertainment law?

I have a very strong musical background.  I’ve been playing piano for years.  I love music and entertainment, and wanted to find a way to tie my musical background with my legal training.  Instead of being a performer, I wanted to provide legal council to other performers and athletes. 

Kiera: What types of negotiations do you make on a day-to-day basis?

Carl: Oftentimes I work directly with songwriters, musicians, and producers on contracts, production deals, and publishing.  On the boxing side, I represent fighters in negotiating their management contracts, promotional deals, and compensation.  I also represent them in deals with television networks such as HBO, ESPN, and Showtime.   I never represent the production company; I represent the actual fighters themselves. I handle a lot of negotiation deals that focus on the promotional packages for the fighters.  We are negotiating those types of deals everyday.

Kiera: What is the key to finding mutual benefit for both parties while negotiating?

Carl:  The world famous boxing promoter Don King taught it to me best… you’ll love this! He told me, “When you’re negotiating, working together works”.  That’s my philosophy when we are making deals.  I’m not working against the opposite party, we are working together.  We have to try to compromise.  The beauty of negotiation in entertainment is that when you are working with a huge artist, such as Beyonce, sometimes it’s a ‘take it or leave it’ deal because they are so popular. Those negotiations are usually easy. However, when you are dealing with an up and coming artist or fighter, there is always room for negotiation, but I always try to make the deal a team effort and not a fight between two separate parties. 

Kiera: Have you ever been in a situation where positional bargaining was used and neither party came to an agreement.

Carl: Several.  Sometimes you have to agree to disagree.  My mindset is, if we cant make a deal today, we can make one tomorrow.  Going back and forth is never productive. Maybe you have to walk away, regroup, and try again.  Sometimes it’s more beneficial to both parties to make an agreement than to not do business with each other at all. 

Kiera: This is my last question. Can you give me an example of how you’ve used objective criteria in negotiations?

Carl: My firm is actually handling a case right now where my client thinks her case is worth 1 million and the opposite party wants to settle on minimal dollars.   We’ve been in negotiation for about two or three days now.  We are now about $35,000 apart and we need to close the deal.  Looking at the objective criteria, it is clear that my client is negotiating too high and this has assisted in our decision to lower our deal. 

Kiera: Well, I think that’s all I have for you! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me.

Carl: No Problem! Keep doing well in school!

Performer Profile : Idina Menzel

One of my favorite performers to grace the Broadway Stage is Idina Menzel.  Menzel is a Tony Award winning performer that has had a diverse career on stage, in film, television, and music.

            Born and raised in New York, NY, Idina has always had a love for the stage.  She spent a lot of her childhood in musicals, taking lessons, and writing her own music.  From the time she was a little girl, Idina knew that music was her passion

            Menzel went to New York University’s School of Arts where she majored in music.  She earned her bachelor’s degree and gigged here and there to make ends meet.  She received her big break in 1993 when she was offered the role of Maureen in the musical ‘Rent’ Off-Broadway.  In 1996, the show made it to the Broadway stage, really giving Menzel the exposure she had been longing for.  She left the show in 1997, but received the opportunity to play Maureen again in 2005 when it was brought to the big screen.    I fell in love with Idina in 2004 when she premiered the Broadway show ‘Wicked’.  Her role as Elphaba brought her a Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical.  In between her on-stage work, she took on small television roles and released a few studio albums.  Recently, Menzel has gone on to appear in the Disney hit ‘Enchanted’ and the Fox sitcom ‘Glee’. 

            Idina is currently producing a special, “Friday Night is Music Night’, for BBC Radio.  The program is scheduled to air April 24^th, 2013.  She will be performing songs that she has sung throughout her career.  Idina will have an orchestra backing her up and special guests performing along side of her (Is anyone else praying for a duet between her and Kristne Chenoweth?).

            Idina Menzel is an amazing performer that I have always admired.  She is truly an inspiration and favorite in the theatre industry.