Job number one for a publicist: Never become part of the story. Alas Marc Thibodeau, the respected veteran flack of such shows as “The Phantom of the Opera,” is now being sued by his former client Ben Sprecher. The lead producer of “Rebecca” maintains that Thibodeau was part of the debacle that occurred when the $12 million Broadway musical was scuttled because of a byzantine fraud. That fraud was allegedly initiated by Mark C. Hotton, a Long Island businessman who had been paid a commission by Sprecher to deliver $4.5 million in investment funds for the musical. It appears that Hotton, who is now facing federal fraud charges, concocted fictitious investors, a scheme unveiled when he sent one of them to an “early death” from malaria. Now Sprecher’s lawyers have filed a suit charging defamation and breach of contract against Thibodeau, the show’s former publicist.
The New York Times reported that Thibodeau, using the fictitious names “Sarah Finkelstein” and “Bethany Walsh,” had sent e-mails to a potential 11th-hour investor who was stepping in with $2.5 million to cover part of the $4.5 million loss. It is not clear how much the anonymous investor was aware of Hotton’s chicanery, but he or she withdrew the offer after receiving the e-mails warning that the whole enterprise was about to come crashing down. Thibodeau’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman,acknowledged that his client did indeed send the e-mails but did so as an “innocent whistle-blower.” Sprecher doesn’t see it that way, telling the Times that he considers Thibodeau’s actions “a profound act of malice and betrayal.” His civil suit also names “John/Jane Does 1-3,” which means he believes that other people may have encouraged Thibodeau to ward off unwitting investors from stepping into the miasma that has had Broadway buzzing for months.
It seems counter-productive for Sprecher to pursue the $100 million suit against Thibodeau. Last month, the producer announced to the press that he intended to find enough funds to open “Rebecca” on Broadway by the end of 2013. The deadline was significant because otherwise he would be liable for the return of $7 million – hundreds of thousands of which had already been spent – to his investors. At the time, Sprecher oddly insisted that all the negative publicity surrounding “Rebecca,” based on the 1938 Daphne du Maurier ghost classic, had somehow made it a more valuable property. In fact, this latest twist in the story just serves to damage it more, perhaps beyond repair. My bet is that Broadway will never see “Rebecca.” All the drama will be reserved for the downtown law courts.
Image: via rebeccathemusical.com
