Broadway performers salary question- Page 2

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:32pm

The profits go to the investors and producers -- NOT the actors, except for a couple of occasions when major stars like Peters, Lane, Broderick and one or two others demanded and were given a percentage of the weekly profits as part of their contracts (which is EXTREMELY RARE). Only those whose names sell tickets have EVER gotten that deal. Bean simply doesn't have that kind of clout.

Again, there's no sane producer on Broadway -- remember they're not a bunch known for their generosity to actors -- who would EVER pay Bean even HALF of that $50,000, let alone give her a percentage of profits. Producers only pay that when they HAVE to have a certain star and HAVE to pay that much. The Wicked folks don't need Shoshana Bean.

Updated On: 7/8/05 at 07:32 PM

[kangaroo]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:32pm

seems like a bit much for some replacement stars... even if they are in Wicked

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:33pm

wow, i was under the impression that even leads (as in wicked) made more like 3,000 a week. i guess i was really off.

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:34pm

if Shoshana answered that question while she was still a standby, she could very well have been refering to what Idina made. especially if the answer was 'up to $50,000'
Updated On: 7/8/05 at 07:34 PM

[gymman]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:34pm

I would bet that Applegate makes way more than Bean; she sells tics;. The "Wicked" producers can sell out with anyone in the role-the shows the star, and always has been.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:38pm

IM SORRY BUT ALL THESE R ASSUMPTIONS...PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ, I THINK NOT EVEN STARS LIKE JULIE ANDREWS,TONI BRAXTON,AL PACINO MADE THAT MUCH,-AND IDINA IS BIG ON BROADWAY BUT NOT A HOLLYWOOD NOR A WORLDWIDE STAR- SO I DONT BELIEVE THAT AT ALL....AND SHOSHANA BEAN IS NOT MAKING 50 K A WEEK! THATS TOO HARD TO BELIEVE...I THINK THE ONLY PERSON WHO MADE THAT KIND OF MONEY WAS PROBABLY BILLY CRYSTAL WITH HIS ONE MAN SHOW.

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:39pm

seriously if an ensemble member is making about $2,000 i think it's safe to say the leads are making 3,000-3,500 a week.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:46pm

OMG URE TOTALI RITE.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:51pm

Crystal was also producer of his show and weekly running costs were minimal, so of the weekly $1 million+ gross, his weekly take was well into the hundreds of thousands.

muscle--
The numbers for Lane, Broderick and Peters are not assumptions, but were widely reported in Variety, The Times and elsewhere and were confirmed by their agents -- they were, in fact, making $50,000 plus a percentage of the gross.

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:52pm

wow Broderick and Lane did really well for themselves. Not to say they didnt' deserve it, but I always thought that Broadway stars made virtually no money, considering the prices of things in NYC.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:53pm

Buckley received overages during SUNSET.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:53pm

margo i admire your intellect

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:56pm

OK...I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT NATHAN LANE WHO IS A BIG STAR...IM JUST SAYING I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE KRISTIN CHENOWETH AND IDINA MENZEL MADE 50 K A WEEK...BESIDES....DID LANE AND PETERS MAKE 50K A WEEK OR A MONTH?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 8:05pm

Lane, Broderick and Peters made $50,000 per WEEK plus a percentage of profits. Star salaries over $20,000/week are really not that unusual these days. Heck, if you go back to the 80s, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton made some $35,000/week EACH for a revival of Private Lives.

Remember some of these shows are grossing over a million dollars a week -- giving $50,000 of that to a star who's a large part of generating those ticket sales (Lane, Jackman, etc....) is not that big of a deal.

[adamnyc]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 8:45pm

So what do you all think Cheyenne makes? I am thinking he gets in the 10-15K range although it might be higher now since ASU has really made him well known

[mpaosong]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 8:47pm

The performers in Wicked Do NOT make 50,000 a week. Like Margo said Lane and Broderick @ 100k a week is TOTALLY different. I know Bernadette Peters agent and she doesn't even have enough "draw" to command over 45,000 a week.(or at least she didn't pre-gypsy) Both Shoshanna and Idina were relative Nobodies when they signed the initial contracts. We all know who they are because we love theatre but the rest of the tourist theatre going public doesn't know an Idina Menzel from a Stephanie Block.
I think a zero was added. I bet Shoshana doesn't make any more than 5,000 a week. 8,000 tops. My agent friend at William Morris says she would be VERY lucky to be making 6-8,000. And he represents very big names.
Also... The show only grosses 1,100,000 a week. You mean to tell me they are going to shell out 10% of the total gross to two relative unknowns? That would be financial insanity.
I enjoy all of the performers mentioned in this discussion, and I would be very happy for them if they got paid 50,000 a week. For all the joy they bring to people and the amazing talents they possess I think they are worth 10 times what a Movie actor is worth. But,if Broadway paid that well, you wouldn't have so many actors leaving shows to go be on TV(Mathew Morrison).

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 8:57pm

::cries:: I was only repeating what I was told. IT'S NOT MY FAULT REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::hides in corner::


lol sorry then guys.

[NYAgent]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:00pm

First off, Broadway Minimum just went up to $1422. Very rarely do ensemble make more than that unless they are on a term contract or have other duties like understudies, dance captain, fight captain, set moves etc.

There is no way that Shoshana is making $50,000 a week. Not possible. She is not a star, she was the replacement, replacements always make less. She has one other Broadway credit. She is lucky to have this job. I am sure she is being paid well. Probably making around 6,000 or 7,500.

As for Cheyenne, you are way way off on what this man is probably making. He was originally cast as the Understudy. Dont forget that. He is maybe making 5,000.

Broadway economics are not what they used to be. People are making much less than they used to. When Livent existed they offered you $3,500 as a starting point to negotiate up from. We are now in an economy where some major Broadway shows are going on tour with minimum salaries of $850. a week.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:02pm

I would not at al be surprised if Menzel was making $50K a week in Wicked. After she won the Tony, I'm quite sure she was making at least $35-40K a week. Then, came a point where she renewed her contract...I would not be surprised if they raised her pay even more. Considering Menzel and Chenoweth were much better received by critics than the show itself, the producers may have pushed a little for them to stay longer. Obviously, Chenoweth did not, but when it came time to ask Menzel, I wouldn't be surprised if they offered her a bit more to stay. How were they to know at the time that the show was to continue selling as well as it did without her?

As far as Cheyenne Jackson...I'm thinking he'd make $6-8K.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:05pm

how much more could an ensemble member make if they had additional duties (i.e. understudies, standby, swing)?

[mpaosong]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:07pm

Thank You NY Agent! I would hate to think all of the young future actors would show up to bwy and think they were going to make that much money.

[NYAgent]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:08pm

Understudies for a principal role get 33.00 per week
Dance captian is like 150.00
swing incriment is like 75.00
set moves are usually like 10-15
risk 15.00 (smoke,fog, raked stage)
part payment ( ie:grandma tzeitl) 15.00

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:10pm

Obviously, people don't go to Broadway for a rich-quick scheme...

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:14pm

.....woah. I make more sometimes in 2 hours then that list makes in a week and I'm 14..

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:16pm

SallyBrown...that means how much is ADDED to the weekly minimum salary, plus any other additions they have have by contract. No just how much they make per week.