MTI Acquires Stage Rights to Spring Awakening, Xanadu, Legally Blonde, 13 and Spelling Bee

By Adam Hetrick
22 Dec 2008

MTI Acquires Stage Rights to Spring Awakening, Xanadu, Legally Blonde, 13 and Spelling Bee

The Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening, Broadway's Legally Blonde and Xanadu, as well as Jason Robert Brown's 13 are among the musicals that have been acquired for theatrical licensing by Music Theatre International.

The Manhattan-based licensing company founded by Guys and Dolls composer Frank Loesser in 1952, holds the rights to some of the most widely produced musicals, including Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story and the Sondheim canon.

In addition to its catalogue of Broadway's Golden Age musicals, MTI is rapidly acquiring the rights to the latest generation of Broadway musicals, including Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's youth-rock musical Spring Awakening; the Tony-nominated Xanadu, featuring a book by Douglas Carter Beane; the Broadway musical adaptation of Legally Blonde; and Jason Robert Brown's 'tween tuner 13.

William Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and his revue Make Me a Song are newly featured in the MTI catalogue, as well as The Drowsy Chaperone, Frank Wildhorn's Dracula and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. New school editions of Sweeney Todd and Rent are also offered.

The acquisitions do not necessarily mean that Broadway's latest slew of musicals will arrive in local theatres next week. A hit title like Les Misérables only began to enjoy its first regional productions within the past two years. However, blockbusters like Hairspray are currently being staged in limited release from regional to high school productions nationwide.

As part of its redesigned interactive website (including an official MTI blog and news section), the licensing company will also launch MTIShowspace.com in January 2009. The new theatrical social networking site is the first of its kind to connect theatres and individuals from around the world, who will be able to upload photos, authorized production videos, production tips and advice for MTI productions.

For further information visit MTIShows.com.