German tour manager DEAG Deutsche Entertainment, through an agreement with Munich-based entertainment giant EM.TV, is taking over promotional and marketing responsibility for musical tours based on EM.TV properties.

DEAG, which has handled tours for pop star Britney Spears and Jon Bon Jovi, has solid tour marketing abilities and a sophisticated ticketing system that were attractive to EM.TV, says company spokesperson Stefanie Schusser. DEAG Deutsche Entertainment will take over the marketing for the Tabaluga and Lilli show, which has been touring Germany since last fall. Schusser says musicals based on other EM.TV series or characters, including a possible tour based on The Muppet Show, are in preliminary planning stages. (EM.TV recently acquired the Jim Henson Company in a US$650-million deal.) EM.TV would handle all concert merchandising rights.

At this point, Schusser says the German-language musicals will only tour domestically, but may eventually go on an international circuit. She anticipates the first new production (which has not been decided yet) to take between six and nine months to hit the stage.