"fela!" cast-signed playbill

[nathansautos]

sent: 11.23.09
received: 3.23.10

Eugene O'Neill Theatre
230 West 49th Street
New York, NY 10019

address still valid (open-ended)

was hoping for signatures from jay-z, will smith, and jada pinkett-smith (the producers), but still a neat momento:

http://www.freewebs.com/nathansautos/ap ... d=75114544

no envelope

[LateishaLynn]

I have tried so many attempts at getting Will Smith's autograph VV. He is my favorite actor and has so many great movies. I hope you get his someday. Cool success nonetheless!

[Stefanodt15]

Hey,
you wrote that the address is still valid to be used...Perfect !
It's time to get Will Smith's autograph. How long is it valid ?

-Stefano

[chriscollector]

I sent to Jay-Z, Will & Jada three times each and never heard back. They are with the production so i wrote one last time addressing it to "Production Team" and still nothing. They didn't even send me an unsigned PlayBill

Good luck to whoever still attemtps, but I think your stamps and resources are better used elsewhere.

[amyfairycakes]

A big-name producer is never going to be contactable via a Broadway production. As far as I know, their primary purpose is just to provide investment, as opposed to being hands-on with the production, so you're not going to be able to contact someone as huge as Jay-Z via the theatre.

[purd90]

A big-name producer is never going to be contactable via a Broadway production. As far as I know, their primary purpose is just to provide investment, as opposed to being hands-on with the production, so you're not going to be able to contact someone as huge as Jay-Z via the theatre.

This might be an incredibly obvious, somewhat stupid question, but the director is on hand at the theatre, correct? I assume they are, but just wanted to ask for clarification.

[chriscollector]

They were not investors. Jay-Z specificaly was signed on to help with the music. He was there at the theatre as I know a friend who lives in NYC and graphs IP constantly. He saw him there on numerous occasions.

Also if they are not there the theatre will RTS or open the letter and send the stuff back unsigned. I've had it happen in the past. You are correct that many times a big name is credited as a producer when they are nothing more than a financial backer; same thing with movies. However that isn't the case with this case.

[amyfairycakes]

I don't know where you read that information about Jay-Z being involved in the music, as the music is all by Fela Kuti, with additional music by Jordan McLean and Aaron Johnson. The show began off-Broadway in 2008, and Jay-Z only signed on as a producer in October 2009, so while he may have been at the show a handful of times, his involvement with the show was very limited and yes, they were investors-
Per the New York Times -
Fela!” represents the first time that Jay-Z and the Smiths have joined a producing team of a Broadway show. Their artistic involvement in the musical is bound to be minimal, given that the show is already in previews and had a critically acclaimed run Off Broadway last year.

It was not known on Monday how much money the three had invested in the musical; the three were not immediately available for interviews, said the publicist, Billy Zavelson.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/ ... producers/