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| BE MORE CHILL to open on Broadway in 2019 | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 10:33 am EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| BE MORE CHILL TO OPEN ON BROADWAY IN 2019 BeMoreChillMusical.com Be More Chill will open on Broadway in 2019. After concluding its sold-out 10-week off-Broadway engagement on September 30, Be More Chill will begin performances at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street) on Wednesday, February 13 at 8PM. The official opening night is Sunday evening, March 10. Tickets are now on sale at Telecharge.com, (212) 239-6200 or (800) 447-7400, and at the Lyceum Theatre box office. Group Sales are available through Broadway Inbound, (866) 302-0995, groups@BroadwayInbound.com. Be More Chill, features music and lyrics by Joe Iconis (NBC's "Smash," The Black Suits, Broadway Bounty Hunter) and a book by Joe Tracz (The Lightning Thief, Netflix's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events") based on the cult sensation novel by Ned Vizzini. Stephen Brackett (Buyer & Cellar) directs and Chase Brock (HBO's "Last Week Tonight," Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) choreographs. "It's impossible to remain chill as we announce our Broadway opening later this season," says Be More Chill's Tony-nominated lead producer Gerald Goehring. "With audiences traveling from around the country and around the world, we could not have been more thrilled with the outpouring of love we received during our New York premiere engagement off-Broadway. Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz have created a beautiful and universal musical that has inspired audiences throughout the summer and now the entire company cannot wait to bring the production to an even greater audience at The Lyceum in the new year." "Of course, a new musical is never done and a new production means another chance to upgrade," say composer/lyricist Joe Iconis and book writer Joe Tracz. "Fans can expect that the show (like the Squip's ever-changing wardrobe) will continue to evolve. This journey began at Two River Theatre in 2015 and we're not done yet. So grab your Mountain Dew and your Player Two and come join us on Broadway. Everything about it is going to be wonderful." "There's no feeling like watching audiences watch Be More Chill," adds Joe Tracz. "Whether they come wearing a homemade Michael hoodie or knowing nothing but the title, whether they've discovered it via our cast album, Ned Vizzini's brilliant novel, or word of mouth, I've been humbled to see the show bring so many people together to share in something deeply cathartic and cathartically joyful. Joe Iconis and I made this show for anyone who's ever been a teenager, and it's always been our dream to bring it to the widest audience possible. We're thrilled that now means Broadway, and I personally can't wait to watch many more audiences connect to Be More Chill." "The fact that I get to make my Broadway debut as a writer surrounded by so many long-time collaborators and beloved friends both on stage and behind the scenes is a literal dream come true," says Joe Iconis. "Be More Chill has surprised me and Joe Tracz every step of the way and we can't believe that our celebration of misfits, losers, and underdogs gets to take up residence on 45th Street." The New York premiere production of Be More Chill currently features Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening, Groundhog Day) as Rich, Katlyn Carlson (Dirty Dancing, The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin) as Chloe, Stephanie Hsu (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Christine, Tiffany Mann (Waitress, Jerry Springer the Opera) as Jenna, Lauren Marcus (The Humans at St. Louis Rep, Company at Barrington Stage) as Brooke, Will Roland (Dear Evan Hansen, The Black Suits) as Jeremy, George Salazar (tick tick BOOM!, Godspell, The Lightning Thief) as Michael, Britton Smith (Shuffle Along, After Midnight) as Jake, Jason Tam (NBC's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert," KPOP) as The Squip, and Jason SweetTooth Williams (Freaky Friday, Benny and Joon, Bloodsong of Love) as Jeremy's Dad/Mr. Reyes. Cameron Bond (Finding Neverland), Troy Iwata (The Boy Who Danced on Air), and Talia Suskauer (Love in Hate Nation) are the company swings. Be More Chill features scenic design by Tony Award-winner Beowulf Boritt (Come From Away), costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley II (Lizzie Borden, Top Girls); lighting design by Tony Award-winner Tyler Micoleau (The Band's Visit); sound design by Ryan Rumery (Fool For Love); projection design by Alex Basco Koch (Buyer & Cellar); wig and hair design by Dave Bova; musical direction by Emily Marshall; orchestrations by Charlie Rosen (Prince of Broadway, Honeymoon in Vegas); casting by Telsey + Company / Adam Caldwell, CSA & Rebecca Scholl, CSA; production stage management by Amanda Michaels (The Children, The Ballad of Little Jo). John Corker and Lisa Dozier King will serve as general managers for the Broadway run of Be More Chill. The New York premiere production of Be More Chill currently plays through September 30 at The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street, NYC), presented by Gerald Goehring, Michael F. Mitri, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Marc David Levine, Marlene and Gary Cohen, 42nd.club, The Baruch Frankel Viertel Group, Alisa and Charlie Thorne, Jenny Niederhoffer, Chris Blasting/Simpson & Longthorne, Brad Blume/Gemini Theatrical, Jonathan Demar/Kim Vasquez, Ben Holtzman and Sammy Lopez, Koenigsberg/Federman/Adler, Ashlee Latimer and Jenna Ushkowitz, Jenn Maley and Cori Stolbun, Robert and Joan Rechnitz, Fred and Randi Sternfeld, YesBroadway Productions, in association with Two River Theater, Red Bank, NJ, which originally commissioned and produced the musical. A hit with audiences and critics alike, The New York Times writes "Be More Chill is one of the most popular musicals in America." The Wall Street Journal raves "you don't have to be a millennial to revel in the spunky charms of Be More Chill. See it now if you can wrangle a ticket, because it's going to hit big - deservedly so." The New Yorker says "if you fed Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls to the Little Shop of Horrors plant, with a few Xbox games as a digestif, Be More Chill is probably what you would get. ...Dynamic, jouncy, and as infectious as malware." The Hollywood Reporter says "uproarious laughter ...enjoyable, catchy, up-tempo numbers, so winning that it's hard to resist," and Vox calls Be More Chill "a sensation. ... wildly adored ...universal. ... The audience was screaming at every song." Variety writes "It's one thing to be told that Be More Chill is a viral hit on the internet. It's quite another to experience the hype live and in the room, where the audience explodes like it's at a rock concert. ...People have come from all around the country, if not all around the world to see it." What if popularity came in a pill? Would you take it, no questions asked? In Be More Chill, achieving that elusive "perfect life" is now possible thanks to some mysterious new technology-but it comes at a cost that's not as easy to swallow. What could possibly go wrong? Blending the contemporary with retro sci-fi, this thrillingly exciting, comically subversive, and deeply felt new musical takes on the competing voices in all of our heads. And ultimately proves, there's never been a better time in history to be yourself-especially if you're a loser...geek...or whatever. Before arriving in New York, Be More Chill had already amassed an unprecedented following across various online platforms, with millions of fans from Brazil to Japan to New Jersey sharing fan art, streaming the album (over 170 million streams to date), and talking about the show. In 2017, Tumblr ranked Be More Chill as the #2 most talked-about musical on their platform, following Hamilton. Following up on the success of The 2015 Two River Theater cast recording, available from Ghostlight Records, the special edition Be More Chill original cast recording on vinyl is now available. The 2-disc package features new illustrative designs, green and red colored discs, and a 16-page, 12 x 12 booklet with lyrics, production photos and a new liner note from Joe Iconis. Performance rights for Be More Chill are licensed by R&H Theatricals. The Pershing Square Signature Center the permanent home of Signature Theatre, is a three-theatre facility on West 42nd Street designed by Frank Gehry Architects to host Signature's three distinct playwrights' residencies and foster a cultural community. The Center is a major contribution to New York City's cultural landscape and provides a venue for cultural organizations that supports and encourages collaboration among artists throughout the space. In addition to its three intimate theatres, the Center features a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, a bookstore and the Signature Café + Bar, open to the public from noon to midnight, Tuesdays through Sundays. For more information on renting the Center, please visit www.signaturetheatre.org/rentals. BE MORE CHILL BROADWAY LISTINGS INFORMATION (BEGINNING FEB. 2019) On Broadway, Be More Chill begins performances at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre (149 W 45th Street, NYC), on Wed. February 13 at 8PM. The official opening night is Sunday evening, March 10. Be More Chill plays preview performances Tuesday - Saturday at 8PM and Sunday at 7:30PM, with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. There's a special matinee performance on Wed. 3/6 at 2PM. There is no matinee on Sunday, March 10. Beginning March 12 performances are Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8PM; with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2PM, and Sunday at 3PM. Ticketsare now on sale at Telecharge.com, (212) 239-6200 or (800) 447-7400, and at the Lyceum Theatre box office. Tickets range from $49 - $165 with additional premium seating options available. A limited number of Squip Zone tickets will be available at each performance. A Squip Zone ticket includes a seat in the first two rows of the theatre and one limited edition collector's item created monthly and exclusively for Squip Zone ticket holders. Group Sales are available through Broadway Inbound, (866) 302-0995, groups@BroadwayInbound.com. BE MORE CHILL OFF-BROADWAY LISTINGS INFORMATION (NOW THROUGH SEPT. 30) Be More Chill currently plays a limited engagement through September 30 off-Broadway at The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street, NYC). Performances are Tuesday - Friday at 7:30PM; Saturday at 2PM and 8PM; and Sunday at 2PM & 7:30PM. Tickets are $80 - $160 and are now on sale at TicketCentral.com, (212) 279-4200. For more information, visit www.BeMoreChillMusical.com. Though the engagement is sold-out, last-minute tickets may be available by joining the cancellation line at the box office one hour prior to curtain for every performance or through Ticket Central the day of the show. For all performances throughout the engagement, a limited number of Be More Chill lottery tickets will be available exclusively through TodayTix for $29 per ticket. The lottery will open for entries at midnight each performance day, and close four-and-a-half hours prior to the selected performance time. If selected, winners will have one hour to claim and pay for their tickets through TodayTix. Tickets may be picked up at The Pershing Square Signature Center Box Office beginning one hour prior to performance time. Visit www.todaytix.com or download TodayTix for iOS or Android. BeMoreChillMusical.com |
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| re: BE MORE CHILL to open on Broadway in 2019 | |
| Posted by: student_rush 01:50 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: BE MORE CHILL to open on Broadway in 2019 - Official_Press_Release 10:33 am EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| Ok, so what goes into the Lyceum after this closes in six months? | |
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| re: BE MORE CHILL to open on Broadway in 2019 | |
| Posted by: carolinaguy 02:02 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: BE MORE CHILL to open on Broadway in 2019 - student_rush 01:50 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| If I had my way, a renovation crew. | |
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| That's great! | |
| Posted by: Ann 10:47 am EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: BE MORE CHILL to open on Broadway in 2019 - Official_Press_Release 10:33 am EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| The show already has a very good, young following (hope enough can afford Broadway prices). And Joe Iconis is brilliant. | |
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| re: That's great! | |
| Posted by: cinderonbroadway 12:13 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: That's great! - Ann 10:47 am EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| I saw it Saturday night with my 13 year old grandson who said it was the best show he'd ever seen - and he's seen a fair amount. I decided to get tickets for his twin (who was away this past weekend) - but the Broadway tickets are VERY expensive. I can't imagine there will be kids seeing this over and over at these prices! | |
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| Let's hope there are some special deals... | |
| Posted by: gad90210 12:29 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: That's great! - cinderonbroadway 12:13 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| including rush and/or lottery. | |
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| re: Let's hope there are some special deals... | |
| Posted by: Ann 01:34 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: Let's hope there are some special deals... - gad90210 12:29 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| It's a two-edged sword. You need young people to be able to afford to go, but you need to bring in high average ticket prices to survive. Dear Evan Hansen has done it, but maybe it has a wider appeal? | |
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| re: Let's hope there are some special deals... | |
| Posted by: cinderonbroadway 01:50 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Let's hope there are some special deals... - Ann 01:34 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| Dear Evan Hansen is much more sophisticated. The night I went to Be More Chill, I estimate 90% of the audience were teens/young 20's. The only "older" people I noticed were like me - accompanying kids. I'm actually surprised Be More Chill didn't choose an off broadway venue to have an open run. | |
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| re: Let's hope there are some special deals... | |
| Posted by: ryhog 06:36 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Let's hope there are some special deals... - cinderonbroadway 01:50 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| re "I'm actually surprised Be More Chill didn't choose an off broadway venue to have an open run." "They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadway) They say there's always magic in the air (on Broadway)" I think we may be underestimating the demographic. Kids in the target demographic are supported, not living hand to mouth. If they get the money to go see Bruno, they can get money to go see this. Will they? That's another question. |
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| re: Let's hope there are some special deals... | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 01:34 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: Let's hope there are some special deals... - gad90210 12:29 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| The transfer is $9 million. They cant make too many offers. | |
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| They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Posted by: JBarnet 09:25 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Let's hope there are some special deals... - NewtonUK 01:34 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| I haven’t been up in the balcony at the Lyceum for a while, but I remember it feeling very, very far away. The Play That Goes Wrong has been making all of their tickets up there $30 to $45. To me this says that the producers don’t know what kind of show they have. I don’t see this is a show with crossover appeal. I’m reminded of another extremely niche musical that (briefly) played the Lyceum: [title of show] I thought it was the greatest thing ever, but I was the exact target audience. On the whole, commercially the show failed to connect. |
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| re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Posted by: carolinaguy 08:23 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
| In reply to: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony - JBarnet 09:25 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| The whole of the Lyceum is a pit to me, and the balcony is very far away. There are also a lot of sightline issues with railings up there too. | |
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| re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Posted by: ryhog 09:47 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
| In reply to: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony - JBarnet 09:25 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| "To me this says that the producers don’t know what kind of show they have." To me this says that the producers don't know what they are doing. The lead producers curriculum vitae includes exactly one Broadway show, which was a Christmas show that ran a few weeks. |
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| re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 06:59 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
| In reply to: re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony - ryhog 09:47 pm EDT 09/05/18 | |
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| Put aside whether this show is actually good or not. It exists off Broadway because of viral frenzy over songs that appeared online after the show's lacklustre run at Two Rivers in NJ in 2015. I say lackluster because it wasn't reviewed very well and vanished without a trace. But a young audience clamored for it, and has filled the houses at the Diamond in the Signature. And they are having a great time. But .... Back in the day when RENT opened at NYTW, a buzzy rock musical became a hit with the older audience at NYTW. It extended, sold out, and the audience mostly mirrored the age range of the Broadway audience - maybe NYTW skews 5 years or so younger overall. It became a hit because critics and adults loved it. And continued to buy tickets after it moved to Broadway, as did younger audiences. Flash forward to AMERICAN IDIOT. Green Day is not a band on adult radar. And yet here this show came to Broadway. And enthusiastic Green Day fans ... couldn;t afford to buy tickets. The natural audience for a Green Day musical was not Broadway friendly. The BE MORE CHILL fanatics skew even younger than Green Day fans. The show is going to Broadway and will cost, I would imagine, $7-8 million to move (in the West End you could move this show for under $1 million, but thats another story). Of course the producers have to charge Broadway prices - otherwise the recoupment math will never work. I question whether the audience for this show can afford to support it on Broadway. And I might suggest that in subject matter and presentation (and content) this is not a show that is going to score highly with grown up theatregoers (the BANDS VISIT and HAMILTON crowd) nor with tourists. This feels a bit like the Edinburgh Fringe Syndrome, where some smash hit at the Fringe goes to the West End and dies. So much frenzy about its smaller venue success - but in fact it was just the nest of the 800 shows you saw at the FRinge that year, and you were desperate to love something. And the major critics already are not favorable to your show, so you can write that off. I would have found another OB home, and let it be a hit for a year or so, and make some $. But the lure of Broadway seems irresistible. Sadly. One does not want to see a hit become a flop, ever (e.g. title of show, Passing Strange, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Scottsboro Boys, Caroline or Change) |
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| re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Posted by: ryhog 09:34 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
| In reply to: re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony - NewtonUK 06:59 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
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| You have a huge misunderstanding of American Idiot as well as some insight. Green Day is most assuredly on "adult radar." They have been around since the 80s and have been a very well known quantity for about 25 of those years. I have been a fan for decades, as have lots of others (including Michael Mayer, who is slightly older than me). They are NOT really a band with a huge millennial following. It is laughable to suggest that their fans couldn't afford tickets. Laughable. You are correct that the "natural audience" is not "Broadway friendly." That, I would suggest, is Broadway's fault, not theirs. How sustainable the social media-generated buzz for this show proves to be is TBD. But an analysis based on critics and the like is (I would think you would realize) irrelevant. I agree this target market is not in the post-millennial range, but this nonsense about not being able to afford tickets just really misapprehends the market. I think an off-B path might have been better, though off-B is not a place one thinks of as a money maker for a show like this. Going to NWS is not cheap either, and London is irrelevant. I understand why this show is willing to roll the dice, even though I would not have. I think the play here is to tour, and of course the Broadway logic for that is quite enticing. |
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| re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Last Edit: EvFoDr 10:20 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 10:18 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
| In reply to: re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony - ryhog 09:34 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
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| I don't know why any Producer would be excited about a commercial off-Broadway transfer, and it makes perfect sense that they would instead go for Broadway rather than just let this thing stop after its current limited run. I know you know and have read all the articles about how commercial off-Broadway is all but dead. As also evidenced by the fact that so many of the venues that house that kind of show have ceased operating. They've been able to spin some magic down at the Barrow Street. Who knows about NWS since we don't see grosses. It seems the most successful things there--at least in terms of profile and longevity--are things that moved there after playing Broadway. I can certainly see why Broadway looks like a crazy choice, but that's the business. To me, off-Broadway looks even more ridiculous. And why the diss to A Christmas Story? :-) You have to start somewhere. For me that was a wonderfully crafted piece of theatre that delivered far more than any of the other holiday entertainments that seem cobbled together to make a buck off their brand. It was Tony nominated for Best Musical, a rarity indeed for a holiday show. As well as Tony nom for Pasek and Paul who were just a few notches away from becoming superstars. I admire a producer who is willing to make the incredibly difficult decision to part ways with the writer of the original score (which wasn't that great) and bring in a new team. I (and we on the board) often lament how the people who create shows MUST see what doesn't work about them and yet don't roll their sleeves up to fix them. Rather than dismiss them for only have one major Broadway credit, I am actually excited to see what they will do with Be More Chill. |
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| re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony | |
| Posted by: ryhog 11:14 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
| In reply to: re: They’re trying to get $110 for the front of the balcony - EvFoDr 10:18 am EDT 09/06/18 | |
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| In theory, I could understand an argument for NWS based on the idea that the buzz was sufficient to make it work, just as it does for Ave Q. That said, I have not really paid much attention so I absolutely don't know the depth of that buzz. Needless to say, buzz sufficient for a short time at Signature does not automatically mean it would sustain a long run in a bigger venue. But to repeat I don't know. Maybe they have enough to sustain a Broadway run too. We will have to see what marketing they do, and if they can stoke the social media flames enough to fill the place. The off-B economics, I agree, is harder to make work, even on paper, and it reduces soft dollar benefits that you get with even a half successful Broadway run. I was not dissing A Christmas Story. I was dissing the decision to price the balcony at over $100, and blaming it on a perceived lack of experience with non-event style producing. That does not mean the producer is evil :-) I can't say I am "excited" to see what they do but I am interested. |
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