Raygun Parody Musical Nixed After Olympic Breaker's Lawyers Step in

As a seasoned observer of human behavior and creative endeavors, I find myself deeply moved by this intriguing saga that unfolded between the trailblazing athlete Rachael Gunn (or Raygun) and the audacious comedian Steph.

A parody musical about viral Olympic breaker Rachael “B-girl Raygun” Gunn has been shut down.

Just days prior to comedian Steph Broadbridge’s musical comedy show “Breaking: The Musical” being scheduled for its premiere on Dec 7 at iD Comedy Club in Sydney, Australia, the performance was abruptly canceled following a cease-and-desist letter from her lawyers. This is according to Broadbridge herself.

In a video on Instagram, the comedian mentioned that Raygun’s legal team contacted the event venue and made a threat of taking legal action. As a result, they will be returning the $10 or complimentary tickets to everyone who attended the event.

A parody musical about viral Olympic breaker Rachael “B-girl Raygun” Gunn has been shut down.

Just hours before comedian Steph Broadbridge was due to perform her stage show “Breaking: The Musical” at iD Comedy Club in Sydney, Australia on December 7th, the performance was unfortunately cancelled. This decision was made after lawyers representing an Olympian sent a legal notice demanding that the show be halted, as reported by Broadbridge herself.

Raygun’s legal team contacted the event organizers and warned them about potential lawsuits, the comedian stated in an Instagram video published on the same day. Consequently, they decided to return the $10 or complimentary tickets for everyone who had attended the event.

After discussing it legally with her team, Broadbridge shared that she and the Olympian have come to an agreement regarding the issue. The comedian subsequently altered the title and artwork for the musical, removing references to “Raygun” and her silhouette. Now, Broadbridge intends to take the revised production on tour, all with the approval of Raygun.

Raygun expressed his joy for her and wished her nothing but success with the show and the tour in an Instagram video posted on December 19th. He also made it clear that they haven’t asked for any compensation from the situation.

A lecturer from an Australian university, who holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies and is known as a “breaker,” faced criticism on social media following a viral performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, where she lost all three of her B-Girl round-robin battles. In November, Raygun announced her decision to retire from competitive dancing.

Broadbridge’s musical is initially characterized as a “comical examination of a breakdancer’s path to the 2024 Paris Olympics”, based on an Eventbrite listing that also boasts its upcoming popular tunes like “You May Be a B-girl, But You’ll Always Be an A-girl To Me”, “I’m Breaking Down” and “I Would Have Won, but I Strained a Muscle”.

In her video, the comedian stated that Raygun’s legal team was concerned she might tarnish their client’s reputation, but assured them she wouldn’t intentionally harm it and didn’t feel they required her help to do so.

The individual who was 42 years old went on to say, “They mentioned that I wasn’t allowed to perform a move similar to Raygun’s signature one. It left me perplexed. To be honest, that dance is on par with Olympic level routines. How could I possibly pull it off without any professional breakdancing background?

The 42-year-old expressed worry, stating that Raygun’s legal team feared there might be a misunderstanding that Rachel Gunn was associated with the music.

Steph made clear that she won’t be featuring in the show, but she warmly invites her to attend and enjoy it instead.

However, it appears that Raygun’s legal group had concerns about her potentially harming their client’s reputation, as stated by Broadbridge. She quickly clarified, “I would never do such a thing,” emphasizing that they didn’t require her to take such actions.

Broadbridge went on, discussing one of Raygun’s distinctive moves, “They claimed I wasn’t permitted to perform the dance since she holds the rights to the Kangaroo dance. Honestly, that left me perplexed. I mean, it’s an Olympic-level dance. How could I even attempt it without any professional breakdancing background?

The 42-year-old expressed worry, stating that Raygun’s legal team feared the public might perceive Rachel Gunn as associated with the musical.

Broadbridge made clear that she won’t appear on the program, but he warmly invites her to watch it instead.

The team of Rachael Gunn stated to 7News that they are dedicated to preserving her creative works (intellectual property) and maintaining a robust, reputable image for her brand.

The statement went on to say, “Though we highly value and acknowledge the commendable work and dedication that has been poured into creating this show, it’s crucial for us to take appropriate measures to preserve Rachael’s creative authority and the authenticity of her projects. Our aim isn’t to undermine the efforts of others but to guarantee that her brand is consistently presented and shielded in every future project.

Regarding Raygun’s team, their talent agency, Born Bred, released a statement concerning the musical shortly following its initial performance being called off.

Besides Steph, there’s another piece of news to share – a fresh poster has been unveiled for the remodeled musical set to debut in Adelaide city in February. Under its new name, Breaking the Musical, it’s being referred to as “an entirely legal satirical musical.

The team responsible for Rachel Gunn stated to 7News that they are determined to safeguard her creative works (intellectual property) and maintain a powerful and esteemed image for her brand.

As we highly value the trustworthy work and dedication that has been poured into creating this show, it’s crucial for us to take the appropriate measures to uphold Rachael’s creative liberties and maintain the authenticity of her projects. This move is not meant to undermine the achievements of others, but instead, it’s about ensuring her brand remains accurately portrayed and secure in all future ventures.

She expressed her sincere apologies on Instagram, stating that it was unfortunate and unwanted for Raygun to encounter negative feedback due to the media spotlight on the cancellation of the musical preview. What she truly regretted was any negative emotions, such as hate or distress, that might have arisen from this predicament.

Additionally, Steph posted a fresh flyer for the reworked play, set to premiere in Adelaide in February, now called “Shattering the Melodrama“, labeled as an entirely lawful satirical musical.

Later on, Broadbridge released a written apology addressed to the athlete, expressing regret over the uproar caused by the controversial parody program.

She expressed her sincere regret on Instagram, December 19th, that Raygun has encountered negative reactions due to the media coverage surrounding the canceled preview of the musical. It was never her intention for anyone to feel hated or distressed as a result of this situation.

Additionally, Broadbridge unveiled a fresh promotional artwork for the reworked melodrama, set to debut in Adelaide City come February. Now titled “Shattering the Melodrama“, this production is referred to as an “entirely lawful musical spoof.

2024-12-21 01:17

Raygun Parody Musical Nixed After Olympic Breaker’s Lawyers Step in

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