Just Laugh Musical Off-Broadway

About

Just Laugh is a new musical comedy written by Lauren Gundrum and Brandon Lambert. We've developed it all over NYC - The Duplex, The Triad, The York - and are now gearing up for our world premiere off-Broadway. We have been working toward this for four years and now it's almost here! But, we need supporters to make it a reality. 

Synopsis:

Four comedians, one overworked pianist, and a trunk full of props delight audiences with unexpected takes on moments everyone can relate to. From funerals for pet fishes to learning how to properly ask for a divorce, this show is a “delightfully off-kilter” (Bistro Awards) take on love, relationships, and growing up that pays tribute to a simple yet powerful idea: life can be hard, but it’s a lot easier when you have a shoulder to laugh on!

What We Need 

We need to raise $55,000 to make this off-Broadway run happen. Here's how that breaks down:

• Artistic fees (actors, director, musicians): $17,800
• Management fees (attorney, general manager, stage manager): $9,150
• Technical salaries (sound and light board operators): $4,300
• Physical production (set and props): $2,400
• Marketing (graphics, playbills, website): $5,750
• Space rental (rehearsals, performance space): $6,500
• Administrative (taxes, payroll, insurance): $4,928
• Unions and contingency: $4,172
• Total = $55,000

We have raised $35k in investments, and are planning to crowdfund the remaining $20,000.

What You Get 

• Free tickets! If you live in the NYC area and want to come to the show, any contribution of at least $50 will cover your ticket. Any contribution of at least $200 will get you 4 tickets to opening night or closing night (based on availability). 
• Bragging rights! The length of the run makes us eligible off-Broadway reviews, awards, and licensing, and given reception in the past, we have a great shot. You can say you made that happen.
• The satisfaction of knowing you helped two early-career writers' dreams come true. Seriously. Writing is the fun part and we love it. Producing and raising money to get a show up in front of an audience is hard, and why most writers quit. Help us to not give up!

The Impact

The world needs a laugh just about now, don't you think? This show has moments everyone can relate to, and is a small enough cast and band (4 actors + piano) that it can run in theaters all over the country. If we get this show up off-Broadway, get reviews, and get it licensed, it will be well on its way to doing that. 

More about us:

Lauren's debut musical PharmaBro ran off-Broadway in Summer 2017 and was nominated for an Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical of the season. (Fun fact: she is also on the product team at IFW!) Brandon's musical At First Sight premiered at the Mountain Playhouse, an Equity theater in Southwestern Pennsylvania in 2017, and he has also had five TYA musicals commissioned and produced by the Gretna theater. We've been writing together for 5 years, and we know the path to getting this show where we know it can go. We just need some $$ to help it take off!

Risks & Challenges

Selling tickets is always the biggest risk when it comes to mounting a production. And now, of course, COVID closures are a risk. We are taking every step we can to minimize these risks, including following all CDC guidelines, and working with the theater to ensure makeup dates are possible if we do have to cancel shows for COVID reasons. As for selling tickets, we are so excited to announce that we are partnering with Form Theatricals as our general managers, and they have a lot of expertise in this area. Check out their website if you'd like!

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't contribute right now - that's ok! There are still a lot of ways to support this project: share Brandon's crazy reels on TikTok, tell your friends about the campaign, and most importantly, come see the show! Look for more info in the FAQs.