…maintains ownership of creative content
The Bolanle Austen-Peters Production has expressed great satisfaction and gratitude for the successful online streaming of its popular stage play, Moremi the Musical.
The play, which had premiered at the Terra Kulture Arena in Lagos in December 2018, was streamed on YouTube on Sunday evening as a creative effort to provide entertainment to millions of Nigerians many of who might be experiencing boredom and frustration as a result of the covid-19 induced lockdown.
About 40,000 people from across the world joined the live streaming of the play, with commendations for the thoughtful initiative.
The musical, which tells the story of the legendary Ile-Ife heroine, Moremi Ajasoro, who sacrificed her only son in order to secure freedom for her people from neighbouring mauraders, was a collaboration among the House of Oduduwa, Rejuvenee and BAP Productions.
“We are glad that the streaming was not just successful, but set a record as far as online streaming of a stage play in Nigeria is concerned,” says Joseph Umoibom, Producer of the Musical.
“It was like our own CSR to Nigerians and, more importantly, a gift to our teeming fans all over the world and to the cast and crew of the play whose sweat and labour of love have once again been appreciated by the wonderful comments while the streaming was on.”
Viewers watched from different parts of the world with an overwhelming sense of gratitude that such a beautiful play could be streamed live to fans free of charge.
“BAP has taken the appreciation of live theatre in Nigeria to another level, this is commendable,” wrote a viewer from Abuja.
Another person who hooked up from London wrote: “Although some of BAP’s productions have been brought to the UK in the past, this live streaming initiative gives us the hope that her plays can be seen even months and years after watching the original version on stage. Kudos!”
Mrs Austen-Peters, whose credit includes Waka; Saro the Musical and Fela & the Kalakuta Queens, was the moving spirit behind the production of Moremi the Musical when it was staged in December 2018 and April 2019 at Terra Kulture Arena in Lagos.
Meanwhile, BAP Productions has reiterated its right on the intellectual property ownership of the play, maintaining that “the signed MoU is a legal document that clearly stipulates the rights and entitlements of the collaborating parties on the project.”