Music Theatre International

Music Theatre International (MTI) is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City and founded in 1952 by American composer and lyricist Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker.[1] Along with licensing the rights to Loesser's works, the firm licenses production rights of over 500 Broadway, Off-Broadway, and West End musicals.[2] CBS acquired MTI in 1976.[3] After SBK acquired CBS' music publishing in 1986, MTI was spun off as a separate company to a group led by Nicholas Firth. A different group led by Freddie Gershon acquired MTI in 1989.[4] Cameron Mackintosh became a partner in 1990 and majority owner in 2015.[5]

Music Theatre International
TypePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1952
FoundersFrank Loesser, Don Walker
Headquarters
  • 423 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019
  • 12-14 Mortimer Street, London, England
  • 20-22 Albert Road, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Areas served
Worldwide
Key people
Drew Cohen, John Prignano, Freddie Gershon
OwnerCameron Mackintosh
Number of employees
100
Websitewww.mtishows.com

Musical types

MTI holds various types of musicals that can be licensed.

  • MTI Show: These are shows from various types of theater such as Broadway including musicals such as Ragtime, Ain't Misbehavin', Pippin, and Seussical.
  • Broadway Junior: These sixty-minute musicals have been adapted for middle school kids to perform as one act. Any subject matter deemed inappropriate has been cut. These include junior versions of Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and The Music Man.
  • Broadway Kids: These thirty-minute musicals have been specially adapted for elementary kids to perform. These musicals have been made exclusively for the Kids Collection. Such musicals include: Winnie the Pooh, The Lion King, and 101 Dalmatians.
  • Musicals From The Disney Collection: Consists of musicals originally produced by Disney.
  • School Editions: These are Broadway musicals that have been adapted for high school students to perform. These musicals have reduced certain subject matter and orchestration. Such School Editions include: Rent, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, and Avenue Q.
  • Theatre For Young Audiences: These seventy-minute musicals have been adapted for adults to perform for children. The cast requirement is small (usually 6-12).
  • Concert Library: This collection has Broadway songs adapted for concerts.

Key executives
  • Cameron Mackintosh, Chairman
  • Freddie Gershon, Co-Chairman
  • Drew H. Cohen, President & CEO
  • John Prignano, COO and Director of Education & Development
  • Carol Edelson, Senior Vice President of Licensing
  • Rita Thibault, CFO
  • Deborah Hartnett, Senior Vice President of General Counsel
  • Jason Cocovinis, Director of Marketing
  • Brian O'Sullivan, Director of Amateur Licensing
  • Jody Edwards, Music & Materials Manager
  • John Vantuno, CIO

Rating system

MTI uses a rating system that determines the content in the musical. The ratings are as follows:

Rating Description
G Subject matter is appropriate for most audiences. This includes the Junior versions of musicals Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, and Seussical.
PG & PG-13 Contains some subject matter or language that either is considered mature or that might be deemed inappropriate for some audience members. This includes Les Misérables and Into the Woods.
R Contains subject matter or language that is not suitable for children or may not be appropriate for all audiences. This includes Avenue Q and Miss Saigon.

Footnotes
  1. Loesser, Susan (1993). A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life. New York: Hal Leonard Corp. pp. 228–29.
  2. Cash, Justin. "Publishers & Licensing". Theatre Links. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  3. "CBS Buys Show Tuner Frank Music" (PDF). Billboard. 1976-09-11. p. 4 – via AmericanRadioHistory.Com.
  4. Irv Lichtman (1989-02-11). "Inside Track" (PDF). Billboard. p. 70 – via AmericanRadioHistory.Com.
  5. BWW News Desk. "Cameron Mackintosh Acquires Majority Share & Expands MTI; Offices to Open in Europe, Australia and Far East". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
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