Before It Opens, Chimney Town Is Already Producing Broadway

Broadway’s ever-evolving commercial landscape has taken another intriguing turn, with a new musical in development helping to finance an established production before it has even reached the stage itself.

In an arrangement that feels as indebted to Wall Street as it does to show business, the upcoming musical Chimney Townhas invested in the Broadway revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball, appearing as a co-producer above the title and earning space in the printed programs handed to audiences at each performance. The move is unusual enough to prompt a striking question, whether this may be the first time one musical has effectively produced another musical on Broadway.

If Cats: The Jellicle Ball were to take out the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, Chimney Town could find itself connected to a Broadway trophy before officially opening. It is a scenario that neatly captures how contemporary producing has expanded beyond the traditional model of simply raising money for a single show. Increasingly, it is about visibility, strategic positioning and building long-term commercial identity.

For Chimney Town lead producer Megan Ann Rasmussen, the decision is part investment, part brand-building exercise. Having the name of a new musical appear in a Playbill offers exposure in one of the most targeted environments possible, directly in front of theatre-goers, industry professionals and potential backers. Rather than treating co-producing as a side venture, Rasmussen sees it as a practical way to introduce Chimney Town to Broadway audiences before its own debut. It works as a form of paid promotion, but with the added prospect of financial return and awards recognition.

That logic is not entirely without precedent. Nearly two decades ago, Transamerica made headlines when it invested $4 million in the short-lived Broadway show Hot Feet, using the production as a branding platform. Its name was prominently displayed on the marquee and in the show’s materials, with the company reportedly viewing Broadway as a more memorable and potentially more enduring promotional vehicle than traditional advertising. Compared with the extraordinary cost of major media buys, backing a Broadway show offered both visibility and the possibility that the investment might generate returns rather than simply disappear once the campaign ended.

What makes the Chimney Town strategy especially notable, however, is that it comes from within the theatre industry itself. Rather than an outside corporation using Broadway for brand awareness, this is an emerging musical using Broadway producing to establish its own presence and credibility. It is a distinctly modern kind of theatrical networking, one where producing becomes a way of entering the ecosystem, building relationships and demonstrating commitment to the industry before opening night ever arrives.

Rasmussen and her producing partner, Ko Mori, have framed the decision not only as a commercial strategy but as an artistic philosophy. Their support for other productions reflects a broader intention to participate in Broadway as a community, not simply as outsiders waiting to launch their own title. In their view, supporting the work of other artists is part of earning a place within that world.

That commitment has extended beyond Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Chimney Town also invested in the recent production of Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, another high-profile move that positioned the musical within the broader Broadway conversation. The project has also joined the Broadway League, the industry’s national trade association, and become a sponsor of the Jimmy Awards, the major high school musical theatre awards program in the United States. Together, those moves suggest a deliberate effort to embed Chimney Town in the institutional and cultural fabric of Broadway well before its official arrival.

It is a savvy approach in a climate where mounting a new musical is more competitive and expensive than ever. Broadway producing has always involved risk, but in recent years it has become increasingly sophisticated, with investors and producers thinking not just about recoupment but about long-term brand value, strategic partnerships and market presence. In that sense, Chimney Town’s approach reflects a broader shift in how shows position themselves for success. Broadway may still run on artistry and word of mouth, but it is also a marketplace where visibility matters, and where associations with successful productions can help build momentum.

At the same time, the musical itself is continuing to take shape behind the scenes. Since an earlier presentation two years ago, Chimney Town has assembled a newly refreshed creative team, bringing in Susan Soon He Stanton to write the book, Frank Wildhorn to compose the music and Nathan Tysen to write the lyrics. Those additions signal an ongoing refinement of the project as its producers continue laying the groundwork for an eventual Broadway run.

For now, no official Broadway opening has been announced for Chimney Town. Even so, the title is already circulating in some of the most visible corners of the theatre industry. Its name is appearing in Broadway programs, its producers are aligning with major institutions and high-profile productions, and its strategy is drawing attention for the way it blends artistic ambition with business acumen.

In an industry built on risk, reinvention and relentless competition, Chimney Town is making an early statement. Before audiences have had the chance to see the musical itself, its producers have already found a way to put the show in front of Broadway crowds, connect it with successful productions and establish it as a project with serious intentions. Broadway has long depended on producers willing to take a chance on new work. Now, in a twist that feels distinctly of the moment, one new musical is taking that ethos literally, by investing in another show as part of its own path to the stage.

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