EXCLUSIVE: Vertical Entertainment has secured North American, United Kingdom, and Ireland distribution rights to Broadway Rising, Amy Rice’s documentary chronicling the reopening of Broadway after the 2020 Covid pandemic shutdown.
With Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita among its producers, Broadway Rising charts the industry’s journey back to the stage after going dark on March 12, 2020, and also examines the entire financial ecosystem that supports New York theater, including hundreds of restaurant owners and staff, costume houses, designers and more.
“Broadway Rising is an inspirational film recounting the Broadway community’s resilience depicting the highs and lows of its comeback, and New York’s comeback by extension as the two are so intertwined,” said Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi.
Rice’s credits include HBO’s By the People: The Election of Barack Obama and The Newsroom.
In addition to Ferguson, a Tony winner for Take Me Home, and Mikita (under their A Kid Named Beckett Productions), Broadway Rising is produced by Sam Bisbee of Park Pictures, Christopher Cowen of Station 10, and Amy Rice, in association with World of Ha and XTR. The film’s executive producers are Hallee Adelman, Ivy Herman, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, Cody Ryder, Wendy Neu, Peter Kelman, Bryn Mooser, Justin Lacob, Andy Hsieh and Franklin Carson. Danielle Massie serves as Co-Producer and Eric Nelsen and Sainty Nelsen serve as Co-Executive Producers.
The deal was negotiated by Tony Piantedosi on behalf of Vertical Entertainment, while WME and CAA Media Finance negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.