Community theatre allowed to perform 'Dear Evan Hansen', despite rights not available
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
It’s true, you learn something new every day. For instance, I just found out that the musical Dogfight was originally adapted from a movie that I didn't know existed. I also found out that, apparently, community theatres in Hawaii don't have to apply for licensing when performing certain material.
That's because next week ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is set to open at the Manoa Valley Theatre in Honolulu on March 7th. Despite the rights not being available, people associated with the theatre state that they were granted permission to perform the show, because it’s Hawaii.
(Now I should make it clear at this point, after I published this article, I did get notice from official theatre leadership that they had been granted licensing due to Hawaii being so distant from NYC and other factors. So yes, this is true.)
It all started when pictures of the production popped up on a Facebook group showcasing the production’s design. The person who posted the images is Willie Sabel, it’s unknown at this time what his role is with the theatre organization. He also tagged R Andrew Doan, who has been listed as a technical director and designer on previous Manoa Valley productions.
Manoa Valley Theatre
When questioned by theatre artist (and former OSB writer)Damon Bradley Jang, about being allowed to perform the show despite rights not being available, both said that they did have the “full rights” and that MTI(the show’s rights holder) was not requiring the theatre to obtain it.
Again, this is a first for me. I didn’t know that theatres in Hawaii are allowed to do certain shows simply because it’s Hawaii and not Connecticut or any other state on the mainland. Later in the thread, Mr. Doan even says that ‘Waitress’ had been performed in HI, despite rights now being available.
Mr. Jang questioned if that was the case, why wasn’t there an a statement of “with special permission from Music Theatre International”. And that’s when the chat goes silent.
But it’s not like the theatre is being secretive about this production. In fact, they’re proudly advertising it on social media.
Either way, congrats to this theatre, its cast and crew for apparently being the first(and only?) community theatre in the country to be given license to perform ‘Dear Evan Hansen’.
UPDATE: I received a statement from the Executive Director of Manoa Valley Theatre, Kathleen Young, regarding them being given permission to perform the show.
”Mānoa Valley Theatre is immensely proud and grateful to be the first community theatre in the nation to be granted the rights to produce Dear Evan Hansen. Dear Evan Hansen is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
I would like to directly address social media comments cited in your article. Along with numerous other factors, Hawaii’s unique geographic location is given special consideration when applying for theatrical licensing. Simply put, work produced in Hawaii is often not considered to conflict with major theatrical productions or tours in the continental United States. Mānoa Valley Theatre's pre-release licensing of Dear Evan Hansen is made possible by the remarkable support of the team at MTI. Furthermore, ALL work produced at MVT is fully licensed with the appropriate organization(s).
Being entrusted with such a renowned and impactful production is an honor beyond measure. Dear Evan Hansen's story has resonated deeply with audiences worldwide, and we are thrilled to have the chance to bring its poignant narrative to life on our stage.”
I’m glad that Ms. Young responded and provided some insight into how her theatre organization was allowed to perform this show, before anyone else. Do I agree that MTI should do this? Not entirely. But for now, I understand why the decision was made.
Another question I have why isn’t this momentous production being given more press? Keep in mind, this is the first amateur production of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, and not a single news outlet is framing it as such. What makes it even more notable is that the cast is comprised largely of Native Hawaiians. That’s huge for a show that many think is “default white”.
Either way, I’m glad I wrote this article because it shed light on a topic that I knew nothing about and it’s good that it’s now out there in case more Hawaiian theatres want to do the same.