How much do leads of a show make a year?- Page 2

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 5:45pm

Is seriously doubt Cheyenne Jackson is making 10,000 a week. Probably closer to 5,000-7,500.

He isn't exactly a ticket seller.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 5:45pm

I love how the 'per week salary' gets multiplied by 52 and all of a sudden that's how much they make.

Just out of curiosity, how many of these people making 'all that money' work consistently at that rate of pay? What roles did Ms. Clark have before PIAZZA that garnered her such a dependable salary? And for how long?

There seems to be a bit (if not a lot) of naivete here.

That IS how much they make for that year.

There is NOT naivete here. Maybe on YOUR part.

Let's use the figure $520,000 pre-tax.

An average worker making $26,000 would have to work 20 years to make the same money. And alot of people make that in NYC, lest we get into counter arguments about how expensive it is to live in NYC.

And even if you bump up the salary to $52,000, I'd have to work 10 years to make that $520,000.

And yes, we know they make tons more on TV and movies.

We're talking about how much these "stars" make relative to some of regular folks like me.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 5:47pm

Updated On: 5/7/09 at 05:47 PM

[Neverandy]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 5:54pm

Well, we at least made it to a second page before we started to make sociological salary comparisons. I guess that's progress.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 5:55pm

Neverandy, thanks for bringing up the plus 10 factor. That's a very common practice and most producers these days expect to pony up an extra 10% on top of salary so the actors don't have to pay the commission themselves.

Also, there are other special considerations. If we have a client in a Broadway show and they go do Encores! or something similar, we won't take their Encores! commission. We have every right to, but there is such a thing as goodwill.

Updated On: 4/6/08 at 05:55 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 7:10pm

David Hyde Pierce was making around $350,000 per EPISODE during the last few seasons of Frasier. 22 episodes a year = $7.7 million a year (for less than 6 month's work).

He probably earns more in residuals from reruns than he is earning in Curtains.

[Trish2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 8:03pm

Beleive it or not, the leads in South Pacific are making around 600 per week ( favored nations) because of the theatres status with the League. This is for the original run time, but once it gets extended( which it has) the salaries will shoot up to the typical 5,000-10,000 depending on part, etc. It's the irony ( and sometimes glory) of working at Lincoln Center.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 11:51pm

The numbers being bandied about here are definitely exaggerated.

Also, it's silly to multiply a weekly amount by 52 and conclude that this is what actors are making annually. How many shows even last a year? Very few.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 2:43am

Most of these expensive performers also paid their "dues" before becoming big stars. Names sell tickets and provide jobs for all of the other people who depend on popularity to keep their jobs. I would like to see better distribution of wealth in a show but that rarely happens.

In a perfect world and in some shows, the differences aren't so widely spread. I would think that in most shows this is the case. It depends on experience and what the role demands of the performer.

So to just throw up a figure and say, this is what all leads make doesn't make much sense. It isn't going to bring down the price of a ticket. That is why we have Playbill and Tkts. It only bugs me when wealthy people take those discounts. Some may argue that is why they are rich but I have no respect for that argument. I know many who aren't who will reach in and pay a lot for a great show. To me, it is worth it. I wish that was the case for the mass public.

It seems this is more motivated by the lack of business you are getting for website design? Sorry to hear that.

Fans make websites so that other fans can get information and share their experiences with those who also enjoy their work.

Very few Actors feel comfortable creating their own websites and most probably do pay others to maintain them so this argument seems kind of weak. If you want more Actors to employ you, I would try using the technique of fancy designs to wow your audience, rather than complain about how much money they are making and not giving to you.

[jrb]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 9:44am

Alright - let's try to clear up some of these myths...well, at least 2.

Chorus members do indeed make at least 1,509 a week. While it is the minimum, almost every producer is going to pay as little as possible, so don't count on a chorus member making much more. This is before taxes, dues, and Agency fees however. Once all of this is factored in, your average chorus member is making about 900-1000 a week. Now, this might sound like a lot, but then you have to factor in that these individuals are living in NYC or Jersey and that their employment is in no way guaranteed. Monthly subway passes are $80, food is overpriced, and rent runs from 1,500 - 3,000 a month. They can be dropped with very little notice - and finding a new job isn't exactly cake.

As for Lincoln Center's leads in South Pacific, they aren't making 600 a week. Favored Nations makes the pay equal throughout the cast, which means that they are getting pay equal to the chorus members - ie: 1,509 a week...thus, 900-1000 a week.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 10:09am

We're talking about how much these "stars" make relative to some of regular folks like me.

I don't think you're a regular folk at all. Based on your contributions to this thread, I would say you're an idiot.

Posted: 4/14/08 at 4:35pm

DHP was on $750,000 an ep (at least) by the end of Frasier.
Show Person: the DHP Forum

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 5:06pm

Monthly subway passes are $80, food is overpriced, and rent runs from 1,500 - 3,000 a month.

this is splitting hairs, but you can find places in Jersey that have rent under $1,000.

[elmore3003]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 5:07pm

I would say it'sthe star's business and none of yours.

[jrb]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 5:15pm

Feel free to split hairs - of course if you live in Jersey you have to deal with more trasportation. Ideally, you'll live right next to the PATH (the train that goes underwater from NJ to NYC - for those of you who don't know) and only have to pay for that and MTA (subway) costs, but if you live anywhere else you'll need to either pay for taxi fare to get to the PATH, or you'll have to pay to cross one of the several bridges into manhattan and then pay for parking.

Either way, the costs get high. People tend to forget that.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 9:15pm

Be careful about listening to salary rumors. They are typically overstated.

The rumor that Nathan Lane made $100,000 during the 2nd run of the Producers is not true but in spite of his telling the press over and over that it was not true, people still report it as verified.

Off-Broadway shows often pay very little (sometimes as little as $400-$500 per week) and most Broadway actors make less than it takes to live in NY or the surrounding area. The big names are few and far between and they have to have a long history of hits before they make really good money - though it is not $100,000 per week. The stunt casting that often takes place with TV and/or movie stars is more likely to pay the big bucks and these people often do not turn in the excellent performance of a trained theater actor. So goes the world!

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 9:29pm

jrb,

I'm pretty sure minimum salary at Lincol Center is $1209 a week, because it's not on a League contract, but a LORT one. (It's not-for-profit.)

Not a huge point, I just thought I'd mention it...

[jrb]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 2:42pm

It was changed from a LORT contract to a production contract long before it was cast. Equity forced their hand in order to allow for Paulo's involvement in the production.

[Jonny boy]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 2:58pm

A friend of mine is a leading role in a show right now and I believe he said that he made close to 3 g's a week... if I remember correctly.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 3:53pm

South Pacific at Lincoln Center is on a production contract with the $1509 minimum, unusal for Lincoln Center, but true in this case.

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 3:55pm

I just want to add that there is no way in hell that Victoria Clark was making $20K a week whilst she was in Piazza. I will say that many of the numbers on here are a bit exagerated. Leads or Principles for a typical commercial show might start at around 3500 a week and top out at 10K. Perhaps more if the person is a multiple Tony winner. I can tell you that 20K+ salaries are extremely rare, even for fairly big stars.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 1:21am

I have no idea what Cheyenne Jackson is making a week doing Xanadu, but I can tell you it's not $10,000.

He's most likely working for scale.

"Xanadu," wonderful show that it is, is playing to (roughly) 60% capacity a week, which makes the total take less than $200,000. If they were paying any cast member over minimum Equity salary, it would have closed months ago.

[Tag]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 1:30am

There is no way he is making Equity minimum.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 1:34am

Why not?

[elphaba.scares.me]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 1:46am

I heard it on very good authority that the Cheyenne rumor (which originated in Riedel, I think) is in fact true.

However, it's a completely unique situation. If you're the only guy in town who knows an entire show from workshopping it, and the leading man breaks his leg shortly before opening, you have the producers over a barrel. May as well ask for the moon.

Salaries depend on a million things: the production budget, how badly they want you, how much you need the role for career purposes, whether you will sell tickets, what you made in your last job (commonly called your "quote").

If you are playing a principal role, your salary ranges from $2000-the stratosphere, with most principals (not the stars) falling in the $3000-4000 a week range. Incremental pay raises of a few hundred each time you re-sign are common, but at a certain point, if a show is successful, they can get someone to play your role for a lot less money, and that's when people often part ways with their shows.

And Rath, I respectfully disagree...most of the Broadway actors playing leads have both agents and managers...not all, but the majority. And while 15% used to be the industry standard, most managers now charge 10%--this has been the case for the past 5 years or so.