2 unofficial musical productions risk being sued

Summer 22 isn’t just about debating the definition of a recession and sweating through record-breaking heat waves, it’s also filled with legal action against scam musicals. Last weekend, a church in Texas received a cease and desist order for an unauthorized production of hamilton. And Wednesday, the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical canceled its upcoming live concert after Netflix sued its creators.

Let’s start with hamiltonwho had more of Jesus than we remember. Door McAllen Church was inundated with attention when snippets of his tangy production of hamilton went viral last weekend. Viewers noticed that the church changed the OG’s lyrics to include more religious themes, and the performance was followed by a sermon with anti-LGBTQ+ messages. hamiltonOfficials from The Dramatists Guild and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda criticized the church for its production. In a tweet on Wednesday, Miranda said, “Now the lawyers are doing their job.”

There is only one Bridgerton authorized to collect. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear won a Grammy this year for an album of 15 original songs paying homage to the steamy, royal romance. But when the two held a for-profit live concert at the Kennedy Center last month, Netflix sued them for copyright infringement. Again, Netflix loved the project when it was merely free publicity for the show, giving its blessing to the original album, which started as a fan project on TikTok.—MM