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If I cut costs to the bone digitally taped the entire show, live, on a single night, like a coffee-house performance I might be able to do it for as little as $300,000 and I was already half way there. Save the Children listened to the demo cassette and agreed to be the beneficiary of the World Premiere performance. That reads oddly, I know, but the Save the Children Fund is a respected and responsible charity, with a richly deserved international reputation. They have to be very careful with whom they associate and I was delighted that GRUMPUSS and I were accepted. By the time I flew to England to go over the contracts with Save the Children and to meet with my gathering production staff, I had decided on a black-tie celebrity gala, complete with a five-course dinner. I planned to invite celebrity guests, all expenses paid, with the idea that the celebrities would attract corporate sponsors or wealthy individual patrons who would, in turn, buy tickets for the show. I hoped to get an airline to offer first-class passage for my celebrity guests, but just to be on the safe side, I had arranged for a $400,000 line of credit to cover any extraordinary expenses and see me through post-production. I outlined my plans to my English production staff and asked for suggestions for a celebrity venue. Hatfield House was mentioned, as was the New Globe Theatre, about to open in London. One, who probably thought I was out of my mind, suggested that for an event like mine, he thought I'd have to rent Blenheim Palace. So I added Blenheim Palace to my list. |
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It was a sad time for Britain, in mourning for Princess Anne, so although all the details had been worked out beforehand, and I had the required insurance documents, and the letter from the Save the Children Fund, I had to wait a week to get contracts from Blenheim Palace. When I learned they were ready, I rushed out to Woodstock, booked myself into The Blandford Suite at the Bear Hotel, where to my great relief, the contracts were waiting for my signature and for the deposit, which I gladly made out forthwith. |
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