Aussie comedian Steph Broadbridge claimed her musical based on Olympian Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn was shut down by the B-Girl’s legal team ahead of the show’s debut over the weekend.
On Saturday, the Aussie comic was set to make punters cackle with the debut of her project Raygun: The Musical, a show dedicated to viral Australian Olympian Raygun and her journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
However, it seems like a spanner was thrown into the works after Broadbridge announced that she will have to cancel the show’s debut, claiming that the 37-year-old’s lawyers threatened legal action against the Sydney venue hosting the show.
“My trial show for Raygun: The Musical has been cancelled. Raygun’s lawyers got in touch with the venue and threatened legal action so we will be refunding everyone their $10 or comp ticket back for that,” Shoebridge began her video, sporting a bedazzled version of Raygun’s Olympic gear.
Further in the video, the comedian also revealed that her legal team had trademarked the poster used to advertise the musical and banned her from replicating the iconic kangaroo hop.
“Her lawyers trademarked my poster, which is flattering. I hope they do something fun with that,” the comedian continued.
“And they were also worried I was damaging her brand which I would never do. She doesn’t need me to do that.”
Shoebridge then added that Raygun’s legal team were worried that audiences might think that the B-Girl was associated with the production of the video.
“I want to assure everyone she will not be a part of the show,” she continued.
“She’s very welcome to come. I would love for her to see it.
“They also said I wasn’t allowed to do the dance because she owns the Kangaroo dance. That one did puzzle me. I mean that’s an Olympic-level dance. How would I possibly be able to do that without any formal break dancing trailing?”
Closing of her video, the comedian shared one more joke, stating that in an attempt to please the B-Girl’s legal team, she would be changing the main character name’s from Raygun to “Raygunn with an I”.
Raygun’s legal team responds to Raygun: The Musical
In a statement to PEDESTRIAN.TV, Raygun’s manager Stephanie Scicchitano and her legal team said they were “committed to protecting her intellectual property and ensuring that her brand remains strong and respected.”
“While we have immense respect for the credible work and effort that has gone into the development of the show, we must take necessary steps to safeguard Rachael’s creative rights and the integrity of her work,” they said.
“This action is not intended to diminish the contributions of others, but rather to ensure her brand is properly represented and protected in all future endeavours. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
The Olympian’s management team and Scicchitano also confirmed that a trademark application for “Raygun” is currently under examination, stating that they “anticipate it will soon be officially registered.”
“In addition to the application, Rachael holds significant common law rights and goodwill in her stage name “Raygun,” further strengthening her position,” Raygun’s management and legal team continued.
“It has come to our attention that the use of the ‘Raygun’ name by a comedian without approval has caused confusion among the public, potentially leading them to believe that ‘Raygun The Musical’ had Rachael’s endorsement or approval.
“This misuse of intellectual property is not only misleading but also jeopardises Rachael’s other commercial ventures, which rely on the integrity of her brand.”
Raygun: The Musical was set to feature a bunch of new songs — such as “Breaking Down” and “I Would Have Won But I Pulled A Muscle” — whilst retelling Raygun’s journey to Paris 2024.
Although the show has yet to debut due to legal threats, Broadbridge is still hoping that her project sees the light of day. Heck, even in the caption for her video statement, the comedy said it would return with a “whole new story arc”.
When asked if she’d like Raygun to the musical, Broadbridge told 9News that she “wrote every song imagining her sitting in the front row watching it.”
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Broadbridge, Raygun and the venue for comment.
The post Comedian Says Raygun: The Musical Was Canned After The Olympian’s Lawyers Threatened Legal Action appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
