Broadway performers salary question — Page 2

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

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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

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.

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OMG URE TOTALI RITE.

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.

margo i admire your intellect

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.

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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).

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.

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

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

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

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