Bcakstage Passes- Page 3

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 10:27am

I was under the impression that you only "got a dresser" if you had costume changes during the show's run. that if it were pre show or during intermission (where you have plenty of time) that you were on your own.

I cannot imagine they can afford a dresser for every actor in a production.

(Note: I willingly admit that my thoughts above might have no relationship to reality whatsoever.)

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 11:54am

I went to London in June with my parents, and the week after we got back, Alex Jessop (West End's Boq) emailed my mom saying he was a fan of hers (she writes a column for a Disney parks website, long story) and that would have taken us backstage to see everything / meet everyone, had he known we were in London. Still bitter about that...


So yeah, basically the only way to get a good backstage tour anywhere is if you've got connections.

Updated On: 10/4/09 at 11:54 AM

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 11:54am

Some dressers cover more than one cast member. I know a dresser for Billy Elliot and he said he covers four ensemble characters. You can see the names of all the dressers for a show in the part of the playbill where they have to list all the unknown people who work for the show. My N2N playbill says they only have about three dressers. Oh, and when I went backstage at Billy Elliot, I didn't try on costumes. Although, they would probably be too big on me.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 2:22pm

On a Union show, every performer has a person to dress them. Some dressers may get 4 to 6 people to take care of, but, no, you are not allowed to dress yourself.

Also, considering the ONLY person that really played an instrument in Hairspray was the Male Authority Figure (Glock)and Penny (Harmonica), they are the only ones that get the extra pay. Link and Velma mimed playing. The organ Velma played is a prop and not a working instrument at all.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 2:26pm

Yup. A dresser is usually assigned to several actors -- they're not exclusive to just one actor.

Also, I remember visiting one particular actress in her dressing room and her paging for her dresser once she was ready to be dressed. Her dresser was waiting/sitting outside the dressing room waiting. Even though the actress could have easily put on her own costume without any problem (it wasn't anything complicated), she said she was forbidden to do so. Her dresser puts it on her and takes it off her. Period.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 2:30pm

Being a star dresser, yes, that is exactly right. I sit right outside the door of whomever it is I am dressing and wait for my cue to do my job.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 3:47pm

Link and Velma mimed playing.

Not true. At least for Link. I can't vouch for Velma. But as they were both credited as "Onstage Orchestra," I'd imagine she was really playing, too.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 4:06pm

"Not true. At least for Link. I can't vouch for Velma. But as they were both credited as "Onstage Orchestra," I'd imagine she was really playing, too."

I just checked my Playbill and Yero is correct. The persons who play Link and Velma are considered onstage musicians. Why would they list someone under "onstage orchestra" if they aren't playing instruments?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 12:53am

I was the star dresser on the first national tour.

Link and Velma mimed it.

I don't know about NY, but none of the pictures I see have the electric guitar connected to anything. The link to the video shows that the cord coming out the bottome of the guitar is just a short piece, that was attached to the back of the prop.

They may have been listed, but they were not playing.

Video of Link miming...

Updated On: 10/5/09 at 12:53 AM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 2:20am

I have to imagine that they're listed to simply just to keep up appearances.

[Tag]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 1:32pm

The Musician's Union requirements for the Broadway production of Hairspray and the 1st National Tour were most likely different.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 2:33pm

TheatreDiva, were they listed as Orchestra in the tour Playbill?

I'm genuinely curious, because I'm 98% sure they were both playing live on Broadway. I'm sure Tag is right, that the union requirements are different.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 3:34pm

In any dispute, I will defer to Mr. marc Shaiman, but having seen both the 1st National Tour and Broadway productions of Hairspray more times than I should admit to, I figured that I would chime in here.

As far as actual pit musicians go, Hairspray on Broadway had 15 musicans and the 1st National Tour had 12 - 5 who toured and 7 pulled in locally.

1. Keyboard 1 (en tour)
2. Keyboard 2 (en tour)
3. Keyboard 3 (local)
4. Guitar 1 (en tour)
5. Guitar 2 (local)
6. Bass (en tour)
7. Woodwind 1 (local)
8. Woodwind 2 (local)
9. Trumpet (local)
10. Trombone (local)
11. Percussion (local)
12. Drums (en tour)

On Broadway, but not in the revised (and now lisenced) orchestration used on the 1st National Tour::
13. Violin 1
14. Violin 2
15. Viola

Penny and always the Male Authority Figure always played the Glock and harmonica live, but I can NEVER recall Velma's Keyboard or Link's Guitar being hot/live on stage... they were always mimed. You could actually press the keys on the keyboard, but it wasn't a powerd instrument. Link's guitar actually did have the cord that would be used to attahc to a mic pack/amp, but was never on to the best of my memory. In fact, in front row lottery seats, you could actually hear the faint powerless strum of the strings from lottery seats. Some had guitar playing history and mimed better than others, but it wasn't live. Several times I remember seeing the guitar with a broken or missing string...


As far as the tour Playbills go, I still have numerous programs from the 1st National Tour that didn't even list the local musicians in the pit - just the tour musicians.

On a similair note - any actors that have to move set pieces (like the Corny Collins Show podium in Hairspray) during the show recieve additional comepensation because Local 1 views it as taking a position away from their crew.. you couldn't very well work a bearish Local 1 member in jeans into some show moments and it IS on stage, but hey...

Fun tidbit - you can currently catch Alan Childs, the fantastic drummer from the 1st National Tour of Hairspray playing in the band at Toxic Avenger.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 5:18pm

No way you were on the 1st Nat Tour of HAIRSPRAY, TheatreDiva!

You must know my old friend Steve who u/s Link and moved up into the role later on. Great guy and a big bright future ahead of him (his new movie looks incredible!). I was in productions of TOMMY and ROCKY HORROR with him a few years ago.

But, yeah, Link's guitar is mimed.

P

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 5:24pm

Diva was, indeed, the original star dresser for Edna. . and quite a fabulous dresser at that!

Steve? A Link understudy on the tour who took over? Ummm... On the 1st National, Link was played by Austin Miller, Serge Kushnier and Aaron Tviet. Understudies were Michael Cunio, Bryan West, Jeremy Woodard, James Royce Edwards and Darren Voros.. I don't recall ANY OTHERS and none of them used a stage name such as that..

[proptart101]

Posted: 10/5/09 at 9:05pm

"All theaters have a minimum orchestra required. If you don't need that many instruments, you have to hire the minimum anyway and have some guys getting paid to literally do nothing. (You can apply for a Special Situation, but it has to be approved by the union. [title of show] was approved to be a Special Situation.)"

Most shows opening in the last decade have applied and been granted that exception - I think there have been 3 or so requests denied over the last several years, it's pretty much a given at this point.

As far as trying on costumes - aside from the hopefully obvious hygiene issue, many costumes are specially built for the show, to the dimensions of the actor/actress. It would be very easy to accidentally damage a costume by putting on incorrectly, forcing an arm into a sleeve, etc. etc.

Costumes are worn 8 times each week, get cleaned (hopefully ) quite often, and have to endure all the action onstage. Think what shape your favorite clothes would be in if you wore them every day, washed them three or four times a week, and sang, danced, flew and whatever in them. They wouldn't last a month most likely.

All of these things mean that costumes can be fragile at any given moment - It would be terrible for the dressers to come in to prep for the evening's show only to discover that something had been torn the night before. Damage may be found during the day work, but either way it's causing extra work for somebody to have to fix it in a tight time frame.

If/when you're invited backstage - no matter what the person says, do not try on costumes, sit on the furniture, play with the props. That is 100% unprofessional for anyone to offer and if they do, you should politely turn them down.

Contrary to popular opinion, theaters are not playgrounds - they are work spaces that depend on the proper care and maintenance of the equipment integral to the show, including, props, costumes and sets.

And yes, I'm a grumpy old guy.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 12:04am

And you only speak the truth...

[legally_popular]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 12:14am

I was just going to ask about Doyle's Company and Sweeney Todd where the actors played the instruments. Those certainly must've been 'Special Situations.' Interesting to learn indeed.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 2:07am

legally,
The minimum would not be affected because the cast plays them. Either way, if the number of musicians that they want to use is less than the agreed house minimum, they'd have to seek approval for that. In the case of an already existing production being re-staged, I would say that it is easier to assume approval will come. For example, Mamma Mia's 9 member band is WELL below the Winter Garden house minimum, but the show was pre-existing, well established, and using the original instrumentations for those songs..
However, because the actors are playing their instruments, they would be required to join Local 802, the musicians unions, and would have to be compensated to match that union's requirements if (and they are) they are higher than the Actor's Equity agreements.
Updated On: 10/6/09 at 02:07 AM

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 8:55am

I think there have been 3 or so requests denied over the last several years, it's pretty much a given at this point.

While it's true that the vast majority of shows that apply for Special Situations are approved, you'd be surprised to learn how many shows the League wouldn't let even apply because they knew it wouldn't be approved and they didn't want to look like they were taking advantage of the provision.

Basically, the League only allows shows to apply that they think are definitely going to get approved, so of course the majority of shows that apply get approved.

[Craig]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 3:15pm

I could be wrong - but it could be that if you are holding a "live" instrument on stage, you have to be a member of the union/get paid appropriately regardless of whether you're actually playing it.

Which is why Velma and Link might have had additional contracts. Also - I could be wrong, but Link might have played the first chord "live"...