How much do the main leads of the top 2 shows in Broadway get?

[Mantber]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 5:37pm

At the moement the top to shows in Broadway are: Wicked and Rent. I was wondering does anyone know or want to estimate how much Eden Espinosa , Megan Hilty and Ben Vereen make in Wicked and Matt Caplan from Rent might make? I heard the ensemble gets on average alittle bit over 1k each week.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 5:43pm

Equity minimum is $1422, so that's what ensemble members make.

FYI -- RENT is FAR from one of the top 2 shows on Broadway. It's barely in the top 15 in terms of weekly gross.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 5:45pm

Who says that Rent is a top show?

My estimate is that Eden, Megan and Matt make about $2500 per week. My estimate for Ben Vereen is $6500 per week.

[Mantber]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 5:48pm

Oh ok because I saw on broadway.com that those where the top 2 on the list so I figured those would be the top. :)

[Doogie]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 9:31pm

I would put Eden and Megan SLIGHTLY higher than that(2.5K), but not much.

sounds realistic for Rent.

Some ensemble members are able to negotiate, or rather, have their agents negotiate, a nice deal if they have a lot of prior credits and are understudying some choice roles. A few even make about 2.5K a week.

Posted: 2/23/06 at 10:04pm

if eden is making $2500 she needs a new agent and fast.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 10:06pm

Eden should be grateful they pay her that much. She has no name, and I wouldn't even mention Brooklyn if I were her. She probably makes a little more than that.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 10:24pm

Would the Tony Award give you a raise? For example, Norbert's win for DRS? Would he get a raise?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 11:42pm

I doubt if Tony = raise, but it'd definitely help on the game field if he (Norbert in this example) or his agent went asking for one.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 11:45pm

It's actually typical for performers to get a raise after they win a Tony. I know a couple of them who got an extra $1000 a week after winning.

Posted: 2/23/06 at 11:50pm

i know a lot of no names who make and have made more than $2500 for much smaller roles. i can't imagine ANY elphaba or glinda is making that or less than that.
its a little tough talking about salary though..and yet..we do! LOL!

Updated On: 2/24/06 at 11:50 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:29am

It all depends on the show, really. Like every business, it's how much the producers value the performer (or the actors in general). The bigger the producer, I'm sure the smaller the salary, save for celebrity names.

Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:42am

Jarrod Emmick makes $2500/week for Ring of Fire and I know for sure that the ladies in Oz make quite a bit more than that.

[arykahmarye]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:04am

$2,500 would be just over $312.50 a performance (with 8 performances a week). If each show is 3 hours, that's $104.17 an hour, which isn't too bad.

If $1,422 is the equity minimum, that's $177.75 a performance, at $59.25 per performance hour. (I like numbers, so i had to equate this)

I'm curious, do performers get paid during the rehearsal process?

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:48am

The rehearsal process is typically the same amount of money. THe weekly salary is for weeks worked, not performances.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:21am

gothampc, I don't know about the others but you're a little low for Matt Caplan.

[Jon]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:33am

The only list on which RENT is currently at #1 would be the list of theatre locations, with the Southernmost being at number 1.

Yes, you get paid the same for rehearsals. Pay is by week - so even if there is a day they don't need to at rehearsals (for example, if the whole day is devoted to a big dance number you are not in), you get full pay. There is overtime pay if rehearsals go beyond 48 hours a week (6 days a week, 8 hrs. a day)

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:49am

It's possible the OP thought Rent was #1 based on a week in January when they were, indeed, #1 in attendance % in the grosses. :)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:53am

I remember reading that the original Witches made somewhere around $25K a week....Idina was upped to $50 after she won the Tony.

[DivaD]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:05am

Wow! US Equity minimum is approx £800 a week. London's West End - it's only £360 ($630)! Scary. West End leads would get somewhere around £550 ($962) say for a young Eponine in Les Mis to £35k a week for someone like Elaine Paige. Standard main leads (Phantom, Valjean) who are not TV names would get about £4k a week.

World of difference huh!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:14am

Why do I feel so uncomfortable with this discussion of other peoples' salaries?

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:24am

Does anyone know what the sick pay and vacation policies are for leads and supporting actors?

[Horton]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:30am

I heard one place the Shoshana got paid 7k+ as the lead.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:44am

Rumors were around a while back about rediculously high salaries for Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. Who knows the truth?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 11:18am

Well, I know for a fact that neither Menzel nor Chenoweth were making $25,000+ per week. That was an inaccurate rumor spread by some of their rabid fans. The only people who have EVER made that kind of salary on Broadway are very established stars well-known nationally (usually due to film and tv work) -- Lane, Broderick, Jackman, Peters, Glenn Close, Neuwirth and a couple of others. That's it.

Menzel and Chenoweth are far from household names and are only famous to their obsessive teen fan base and to folks who read message boards. Mention either name to a random person on the street (somewhere other than in the Broadway district) and you'll get a lot of blank stares. And according to the show's lead producer, while he appreciates all the teen fan enthusiasm for the show and is glad they're enjoying it, teenagers only make up maybe 10% of the audience for the show. Teens are not purchasing $1.3 million worth of tickets every week (most are going for the discount lottery tickets). The vast majority of ticket buyers are adults who neither know nor care who's playing the leads (which is why Menzel and Chenoweth leaving the show had zero effect on the box office) and wanted to go because of they heard it was a big spectacle show about the Wizard of Oz.

The producers know that their show is the star, not whoever is playing the leads, and that they can cast whoever they want and pay them as little as they want and the show will still sell out. There's just no reason to pay some unknown (to 99.999% of the world) $10K when performers would line up for a third of that just for the exposure.

Without going into detail, it is my understanding that the leads are making in the $5K to 7K range. The originals made a bit more than that -- but nowhere near $25K or $50K.