Sean Cercone has resigned from Broadway Licensing Global, according to a report in Variety and confirmed by Playbill. No reason for the abrupt departure has been given. Cercone was the licensing conglomerate's founder and CEO, a title he held since its launch in 2017.
Former Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization head Ted Chapin and Broadway producer Dan Markley will step in on an interim basis in Cercone's absence, with Chapin serving as interim CEO and Markley as interim COO. The staffing change has already been added to BLG's website.
Since its creation in 2017, BLG has absorbed a number of theatrical licensing imprints, including Broadway Licensing, Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Stageworks. BLG's consolidation mirrored that of Concord Theatricals', which combined The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, Tams-Witmark, The Musicals Company, and Samuel French in 2018. The corporate shuffle has left the licensing world with just four major players, including Music Theatre International and Theatrical Rights Worldwide in addition to BLG and Concord.
Cercone was previously the chief business officer and senior vice president of professional and international licensing for Theatrical Rights Worldwide. In 2020, BLG added Broadway On Demand to their roster of subsidiaries.
The group's large licensing catalogue includes such titles as Diana, The Cher Show, Head Over Heels, Ride the Cyclone, and See What I Wanna See.