7 replies to this topic

[theatreproducer]

Can I ask if anyone else has difficulty in dealing with Musicscope? I'm trying to license a musical for professional production with them and not only are they slow but INCREDIBLY rude and unhelpful.

[simon from oxford]

You are not alone in finding working with them an .... interesting .... experience.

[theatreproducer]

I found it difficult to apply for the licence in the first instance and now that I'm chasing to see how the application is going (after they've had the form a week), they won't tell me anything. Except I have to wait until I'm written to as they want more information.  'Right, can you tell me what that information is?' 'No.' 'If you can tell me what else you need, I can start to gather that information' 'I can't tell you that. We'll write to you.' Brilliant!!!! 'Can you tell me how long this procedure takes?' 'No'.
The receptionist was very very unhelpful and completely clueless and then when I eventually got through to someone in licensing (after numerous calls thus being hung up on once, having the call dropped an another attempt, left on hold and also being told she was in a meeting!) she was stand-offish, completely unhelpful and uninterested. Not to mention extremely rude and wouldn't enter into conversation without patronisation!! Apparently, I had also applied on an amateur license form (yet this is the only form on the website!!) Their system and staff are just very unhelpful. Like they don't want to give the license. Shouldn't they remember, their clients earn money from our performances. I'm so tempted just to produce a show from Josef Weinberger who have been nothing but helpful with our back-up option.

[Michael H]

I would agree that Weinberger have been nothing but hugely helpful and efficient in all the dealings I've had with them over the last few years.  (Although it's also helpful that I now work three quarters of a mile from their offices, so can nip over every now and again with cheques or hobble away loaded with West Side Story vocal scores).

Our group hasn't done a Musicscope show since Crazy For You in 2007, but I'm sure that the Musicscope website is out of date with its "Oliver! restrictions lifted since January 2011".  Surely everyone would be doing it if it were available?

[Minsky]

This is very typical of MusicScope in the UK, as they have a terrible reputation for rudeness and inefficiency. When I was booking shows licensed by them for a major Musical Theatre Training school -  sometimes booking three of four shows at a time -  I came to understand that they only work part time.  
You have to work anything up to six months in advance in order to get a show off the ground.
I was once reprimanded for using the wrong courier to return the books. (I had used Parcel Force).

I agree about Weinbergers, they are a pleasure to deal with and will do their utmost to help in any way they can.

[theatreproducer]

6 weeks later and I'm still getting nowhere!! They say they are writing to me (blatantly they're not!) and then she was going to look into it and phone me back. That was 4 days ago!
I can't move anything forward until I get these rights sorted and it could mean losing out on a possible theatre and dates!They are nothing but unhelpful, rude & SLOW to deal with. I even asked her to look into our back-up option (also unfortunately licensed by them) which she just seemed to brush aside and ignore.
I feel when I ring, I'm doing something wrong and I have to be unbelievably nice to even get spoken to like a human being.
I have further information to give about a possible theatre and dates now, yet scared to ring as they know my name and I feel like they just think I'm a nuisance. Trust me, I'm really not. I just want to feel like things are being dealt with and I'd like to feel like I'm not lost in translation! It's a VERY frustrating and painful process.

[Minsky]

Go ahead and give them an earful.  It seems to be the only language they understand.

[Ian]

Have you any way of contacting the author(s) of the show you want to stage? I am sure they will not be pleased that their possible royalties are in jeopardy from Musicscopes ineptitude.