Premiere of ‘Raygun the Musical’ Cancelled Due to Legal Threats
The trial show for Raygun the musical on Saturday night was canceled due to legal threats from Rachael Gunn’s lawyers.
Legal action was taken by Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun’s lawyers, leading to the cancellation of the trial show for “Raygun: the Musical.”
Known competitively as Raygun, 36-year-old university lecturer Rachael Gunn went viral on Aug. 9 after losing all her round-robin battles with a combined score of 54-0 in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Gunn faced criticism for her decision to perform original moves, some of which were named after Australian animals like the kangaroo, instead of traditional breakdancing moves.
Following Gunn’s performance, Australian comedian Steph Broadbridge wrote a parody exploration of a breakdancer’s journey to the 2024 Olympics titled “Raygun: the Musical.” However, legal threats resulted in the cancellation of its Sydney premiere on Nov. 7.
“Raygun’s lawyers contacted the venue and threatened legal action, so we will refund everyone their $10 [US$6.40] or provide a comp ticket for that,” Broadbridge announced on social media.
Legal Concerns
Broadbridge explained that Gunn’s lawyers were concerned that the show could harm Raygun’s brand or create the misconception that Gunn was associated with the musical.
However, Broadbridge clarified that she had no intention of damaging Gunn’s brand and humorously mentioned that Gunn didn’t need any help in that regard.
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“She will not be part of the show. However, she is welcome to attend. I would love for her to see it,” Broadbridge assured.
Broadbridge also mentioned that the lawyers prohibited her from performing the kangaroo dance as it was considered Raygun’s property.
“That instruction puzzled me. It’s an Olympic-level dance. How could I possibly perform it without proper breakdancing training?”
Promoter Comments
Anthony Skinner, the owner of iD Comedy Club, the show’s promoter, stated to the ABC that an offer to remove infringing elements such as her name and silhouette pose did not satisfy Gunn’s legal team.
Skinner also mentioned that the production would no longer donate $500 from ticket sales to the Sydney Women and Girls Emergency Centre as ticket refunds were necessary.
He expressed confusion over Gunn’s decision to cancel the show, stating, “It portrays her as a hero, which is now tarnished.”
However, Broadbridge assured that the musical would return with a new storyline soon.
To address Raygun’s legal team’s concerns, she will change the character’s name to Raygun with an I.
“I hope this resolves all concerns,” she concluded.
