Raising Curtain on Rentals

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When Megan Duckett was growing up, Olivia Newton-John was one of her idols. So she was excited when members of the singer’s production and design crew approached her earlier this year, seeking a special stage drapery as a backdrop to set the mood for the singer’s upcoming U.S. tour.

So Duckett rented the drapery for the tour. That’s because Duckett, after more than a decade making and selling theatrical draperies, recently launched a spinoff called Rent What Inc. that rents the draperies. It has become popular with cost-conscious producers in a down economy.

Duckett started a manufacturing company, Sew What Inc., 13 years ago with her husband, Adam. That business, which is still around, developed a niche of designing and making drapery backdrops for stage productions, both for theatrical performances and concert tours.

But the recession that began in 2008 hit the stage production sector hard. Ticket prices plunged, putting the squeeze on budgets. Tours were shortened and concert promoters tried to jam more concert dates into shorter periods of time. As a result, it made more sense for many producers to rent instead of buy.

“As we saw the shoestrings being tightened, that’s when we started the rental business,” Duckett said.

Rent What snagged work for concert tours by Beyonce, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson, among others.

For the current Newton-John tour, which ends this month on the East Coast, Duckett rented out a silver satin drapery backdrop.

“It’s meant to give the stage a look of yesteryear,” she said.

For the 40-year-old Duckett, the Newton-John tour is more than just a chance to pay homage to a childhood idol. Newton-John is a cancer survivor and has used her prominence to raise money and educate people about the disease. Duckett lost her mother to cancer earlier this year.

“Her willingness to bring attention to the disease really spoke to me during the last several months,” she said.

— Howard Fine

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Howard Fine
Howard Fine is a 23-year veteran of the Los Angeles Business Journal. He covers stories pertaining to healthcare, biomedicine, energy, engineering, construction, and infrastructure. He has won several awards, including Best Body of Work for a single reporter from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers and Distinguished Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists.

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