{"value"=>"<p>This series documents a musical, Fresh Air Taxi, based on the radio and television characters Amos 'n' Andy (popular from the 1920s-1950s) which Silverman wrote with composer Jabbo Smith and playwright Verner Bagneris. There was a long, drawn-out legal dispute between CBS, which had produced the original show, and Silverman, as to the adaptation rights. The result was a 1989 ruling (Silverman vs. CBS, Inc., United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) that the two characters and their catch phrases were considered in the public domain. However, any material created after 1948 (including the television series, in its entirety) was still the intellectual property of CBS. The decision allowed Silverman to move forward with his musical, using the characters, as long as he didn't use any of the material written after 1948. This legal saga, which Silverman told the press had cost him $80,000, is documented in this series with affidavits, contracts, interrogation records, court orders, correspondence with lawyers, legal decisions, and publicity covering the legal battle.</p> <p>The musical which was workshopped in the early 1990s is also documented with multiple script drafts, a synopsis, and sheet music from the score. This series contains market research conducted on the name recognition of the Amos 'n' Andy characters in American households and estimated budgets for the show, if it made it to Broadway. Silverman's correspondence with potential producers and investors document his efforts to publicize the 1992 workshop in the theatre community. The original order of this series has been maintained.</p>"}