Broadway Actors - How is their pay determined?

My friend brought up this interesting question, and I was wondering how actors on Broadway are paid? Is it a set amount, per performance, seats sold, how well-known they are, or a combination?

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Equity scale is $1422 per week.

Above the marquee actors get paid a range of prices. Nathan Lane and Matthew broderick are getting $100 grand for Odd Couple.


There are a lot of threads on this already :).

Updated On: 12/28/05 at 10:55 PM

one would..

Yankee Fan: Don't spread rumors. Lane and Broderick have repeatedly said that they are not making anything close to what has been reported. Interestingly the same salary was reported for the second run of the producers AND for Lane's turn in the U.K. None of those reports are true. Just because the press prints it, doesn't make it so.

Yes, they are making more money because they their names are over the marquee and because their contract sets their take, but contracts can be negotiated for a % of the B.O. or for lots of other salary 'adds'. No one knows the particulars of their particular contracts except the producers, their lawyers, agents and the actors. And in many cases, contracts forbid them from discussing the particulars.

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respeck - you are mistaken. There are only TWO types of minimum salary on Broadway - "Principal" and "Chorus". It doesn't matter how big the role is. If you play a character with a name and lines, you are a principal. There is no minimum salry for lead roles versus supporting roles.

Yes, they do make a quite good bit of money, but then again, living in New York isn't the cheapest thing either...

yup i would definately take Andrew's word for it she knows this stuff, wow that is soooo weird that Eponine, Marius, Cosette, and the Thenardier's are on chorus contracts...i would imagine they all would love to be doing some negotiating

but it could apply differently for every show, could it not?

hmm...i find this so very interesting! It probably is a money thing, those producers and their money...*shakes head*

hehe

I always wondered about the role of "Eponine" since she is also onstage before Eponine's entrance as one of the hookers in "Lovely Ladies". Was there a lack of ensemble or was it mandatory the actress performing "Eponine" appear as a hooker as well. (Now I am thinking on contract/salary lines...)

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Understudies and swings on Broadway make at least the Equity minimum of $1422 (as I said, EVERYONE on a Broadway stage makes at least that). They make more when they actually go on (not a LOT more -- there's a certain amount per show that they get; I can't remember exactly what, but I recall that it's less than $100). Standbys often make more, depending on experience and "name."

Off-Broadway has a lower pay scale than Broadway (as do regional Equity houses around the country). It's based, more or less, on the number of seats in the theatre -- the rates for each theatre are negotiated individually with Equity, though there are certain basic guidelines. There are LORT (League of Resident Theatres) A, B and C contracts which you can learn more about through Google, if you're really interested.

Actors typically make less than $1000 per week for commercial off-Broadway, though some make more (again "names" can demand a couple of thousand) and, depending on the theatre and the contract, many make much less, especially with the not-for-profit theatres. Making $500-800 per week is not unusual.

There's also something called the Equity Showcase contract which allows Equity members to be part of a play with a limited run, for little or no compensation. Equity-approved "Showcases" are generally only allowed in certain major cities (NYC, LA, Chicago) which have thousands of actors and very little paying work. Equity limits the number of hours of rehearsal time a production can require of its members and the number of weeks of performances an actor acn be contracted for (5, I believe -- if a show is a hit and extends, the producers have to start paying the actors at at least the Equity minimum rate contractually determined for that theatre), but in return, showcases give Equity actors a chance to work, be seen and build their resume. Some shows that went on to success in commercial off-Broadway and Broadway began as showcases and have given many actors their "big breaks." But obviously, the vast majority are just opportunities to act. And I've had friends who ended up winning or being nominated for Drama Desks, Lortel Awards and Obies from their participation in Equity showcases, who made just a few hundred dollars for a couple of months of work.

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Updated On: 12/30/05 at 04:35 AM

There are small Equity regional theatres that pay Equity actors as little as $200 a week. However, they only do 5 performances or less per week, not 8. They are also very limited as far as rehearsal hours, so the perfomers can "keep their day jobs" as the expresson goes.

I work at a theatre that's on a CAT (Chicago Area Theatres) Tier 3 contract. The tiers are determined by potential weekly gross (number seats x ticket price). Equity minimum us $319.75, but we typically pay $350 to $500, depening on the sixze of the role. We are only allowed to do six performances a week, and can only rehearse a total of 30 hours a week (larger theatres on higher pay tiers can rehearse up to 48 hours a week).

Clarification: We COULD add more performances or rehearsal hours if we needed to, but we'd have ot pay overtime.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 09:15 AM