Cameron Mackintosh acquires majority stake in MTI and plans Australian expansion

With UK-based theatrical impresario Cameron Mackintosh having acquired a majority stake in the business, Music Theatre International (MTI) is to open a new office in Melbourne by the end of this year, along with a further office opening in the United Kingdom and a planned opening in East Asia.

Representing and licensing the performance rights to the works of the majority of contemporary musical theatre writers throughout the world, MTI is largest company in its field in America and is world's leading library of musicals.

Founded by the legendary composer Frank Loesser over 60 years ago, Mackintosh (pictured below) was invited to join MTI Chairman Freddie Gershon as an equal partner in the company 25 years ago. Recently Mackintosh acquired the majority shareholding.

Since the 1980s, the company has grown to its current position, boosted by the 2007 appointment of Drew Cohen to become the company's new President, and now the Chief Operating Officer of their global activities.

Their shared vision of the company's future, harnessing MTI's unique resources and stellar reputation for reaching new audiences, looks forward to developing even more groundbreaking projects in this field.

MTI's catalogue includes legendary shows ranging from Guys and Dolls, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof, to modern classics like Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors and Mamma Mia!

It also represents the majority of works of Stephen Sondheim (including Sweeney Todd), as well as all the stage productions of Disney Theatrical and Cameron Mackintosh (including The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Miss Saigon and Les Miserables). Sitting alongside these classics are many of the most exciting new talents whose works are emerging on the world's stages and who will be writing the future hits of musical theatre.

MTI provides an innovative service bringing the largest and most diverse collection of musicals to an ever expanding world market and Mackintosh's control of MTI now gives the company the responsibility of ensuring the secure future of over 400 musicals, alongside servicing over 100,000 clients worldwide.

This serves to realise Mackintosh and Gershon’s desire to keep this unique collection of works out of corporate hands to serve copyright proprietors with passion and integrity as well as their heirs long into the future.

In addition, MTI pioneered the creation of the Broadway Junior collection of musicals, abridged for young performers and licensed with director's guides that allow teachers of all skill levels to produce a show.

To date, more than 5 million children have performed in over 125,000 Broadway Junior productions around the world, introducing the art and joy of musical theatre to new generations of performers and theatre goers alike.

Commenting on the expansion, Cohen explained “our management team enjoys the closest of long-term relationships with the authors whose work we care for, whether they are the legends of Broadway and the West End or are just embarking on their careers in musical theatre.

“We work hard to nurture creators as well as the wonderful works they create."

Through its direct licensing activity and via its sub-agent partners, MTI already regularly licenses productions in over 50 countries around the world, and in any given hour an MTI musical is being performed somewhere around the world. With this expansion of offices, MTI is about to live up to its name and become truly international, serving its clients directly in all corners of the globe.

For more information go to www.mtishows.com

24th March 2015 - LES MISERABLES PRODUCER SLAMS INADEQUATE SYDNEY THEATRE PROVISION