‘Carrie’ producers sued by New York advertising agency

The producers of a recent Los Angeles production of “Carrie,” a musical based on the popular Stephen King novel, are being sued by the advertising agency that created the show’s local and online promotional campaign.

In a breach of contract complaint filed this week in a New York court, Creative X Media claims that the producers of the musical have failed to pay nearly $228,000 for the company’s services, which included advertising art, website design and a billboard near the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights Boulevard.

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“Carrie” opened at the historic Los Angeles Theatre in downtown L.A. in October. The musical was mounted by the Transfer Group, a Southern California-based live entertainment company, and was backed by Broadway producers Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman.

Producers of “Carrie” didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A version of the production was seen earlier this year at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Creative X, based in New York, said in a release this week that the lawsuit commenced after the producers “separated from their general manager and then ignored multiple attempts ... to work out a payment plan and avoid litigation.”

It remains unclear who the producers’ general manager was, and if and how they separated.

The complaint names Transfer Group’s Brady Schwind and Suzan Fairchild among the defendants, as well as several other producers.

The suit details expenses including a preproduction advertising budget of $200,000; a weekly advertising budget of $15,000; a preproduction fee of $35,000; and a weekly fee of $1,000.

“Carrie” concluded its run at the Los Angeles Theatre this month. The revival production was the latest attempt to resuscitate the much-maligned musical, which was first seen in the 1980s and was a commercial flop.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT