Actors/Musicians/Creative Staff Contract question!

[Jovie24]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:00pm

I was thinking about this the other day. Do producers have to buy out someone's contract (actor, musician, creative staff, etc) if the show closes before their contracts are up?

Example: Actor/Musician, Creative staff, crew etc, sign a one year contract, but the show closes after 3 months, does the producers then have to pay those people what they would have made to finish out their contract?

[BobPopa]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 8:06pm

It depends on how its closes and the length of time a closing notice is posted.

If the closing noticed is posted within enough time (I want to say 2 weeks but I am not sure) then they don't owe anyone a penny (unless a star has a specific clause which is unlikely)

If a show opens and closes within days, then they could have to pay up to 2 weeks, but nothing more.

It is understood that your open ended Broadway shows are not guranteed to play the length of your contract