By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- What do a Broadway version of a Will Ferrell Christmas comedy and a documentary on a Byzantine landmark in Istanbul have in common?
They are the first projects seeking to benefit from an expansion of Rhode Island's "motion picture tax credit" program, which lawmakers this summer opened to lower-budget films, documentaries and certain theatrical productions.
Many involved with the program hope the expanded tax credit sparks a year-round economy for film and the performing arts, even as critics say the program is wasteful and the new provisions will only benefit a select few.