AR,

The account that you gave makes no sense, legally--so I suspect, as often happens, the real nature of the conflict and its ramifications never was conveyed to you--there are many conflicts that occur in the production of a show, often many feet stepped on, and in the end, many questions about what could or should have been done--

I have always understood that the original Joplin score was published, in the 20's, and that copies still exist--given that, there was nothing that Lawrence could have done, legally, to prevent it's performance or recording--though the Joplin estate would have had veto power--

As to the list of things that you say could have happened, that is all speculation--truth be told, Tremonisha was never successfully produced in it's time, and may never have been theatrically viable--Joplin's rags are his real legacy, and not a bad one, at all--