Cameron Mackintosh Asks Understudies to Stop Tweeting Their Upcoming Appearances

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:14am

http://www.playbill.com/article/producer-cameron-mackintosh-asks-understudies-to-stop-tweeting-their-upcoming-appearances

Interested to hear opinions from this board. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:16am

That PBOL headline actually should be past tense, since it's already been established and people just weren't following it. (See original article here. https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2016/cameron-mackintosh-understudies-twitter/ 

 

Previous discussion elsewhere:

https://theatreboard.co.uk/thread/1480/understudies-forbidden-reveal-dates

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:41am

I haven't been following the discussion but I knew this had happened. I feel like this is a very British thing and if producers tried to impose this rule here it wouldn't fly, or they would have much more trouble.

The reason I say it's a specifically British thing is they don't really advertise understudies on the West End. We have the Equity rule where it has to be posted, in the playbill, and announced (two of the three) and I don't think they have that in the UK? Also, programs cost money there. I've only ever seen small printed signs by the box office in the UK. So they're really drawing attention to understudies over there for the first time with twitter, it seems.

Updated On: 9/14/16 at 11:41 AM

[Sunny11]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:43am

If the regular performer is suddenly unable to perform then I think that they should be able to announce it themselves and give their explanation. It's them that could get a mark on their reputation from an unexplained absents. 

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:48am

In my opinion, if there are scheduled absences the understudies have a right to announce they'll be performing. It helps friends, fans (of theirs and the show in general), directors, and casting agents an opportunity to see you. When I interned for a large casting agency they found out an understudy they LOVED was going on in the principal role for the first time and several of them changed their evening plans to go see her, which honestly only has helped her career. 

[asmith0307]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:49am

Nonetheless, they have a point. It may be in their commercial interest that understudies don't post ahead of time. I say that with a caveat though as I know many people would love to see certain understudies on (I so wish I was in the city for Jenn Colella's Elizabeth and would have been paying full price in a heart beat). However, it can cause others to not want to see the show on a certain day - see all the 'will X be out on this day' threads.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:50am

Sunny11 said: "If the regular performer is suddenly unable to perform then I think that they should be able to announce it themselves and give their explanation. It's them that could get a mark on their reputation from an unexplained absents. 

"

What if they're not on twitter? And no, they don't need to explain why they're out. (Though many do.)

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:52am

"In my opinion, if there are scheduled absences the understudies have a right to announce they'll be performing. "

 

I agree with you, but I think this is a very American point of view.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:52am

If it were to be written into their contracts, then so be it.. although we know it would never fly over here with AEA. Until that happens, no producer can legally ban actors from making announcements via personal platforms (social media/phone/email/etc.). 

[ageorges3]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 1:30pm

Idk about this.  It goes without saying that actors covering leads in certain shows have followings, fans who would want to know when they're going on for a lead so that they can go out and purchase tickets for that performance.  There are people in the Phantom fandom - fans a bit more crazy than I - who want to know when one of the covers is going on.  Cam Mac is easily the most successful MT producer of our time, and I'll be forever grateful to the man for bringing us Les Mis and Phantom - but he also has a history of being a bit of a hardass.  

He canned half the cast of the Broadway company of Les Mis in the 90s, he was behind George Lee Andrews and David Cryer being asked to leave Phantom (he had an understandable desire to get some fresh blood in those parts, but those two gentlemen were pros, they nailed Andre and Firmin nightly, no matter how long they had been with the company), and with this - I don't know.  I'm sure there will be people who feel every which way on this, look at stuff with equity rules and say "technically, this can happen" - but as a matter of principle, he wont be loosing any money if, in a hypothetical, a Phantom cover lets their fans know they'll be going on for Barbour that night.  

It's not like Hugh Jackman's cover in a hypothetical production is saying "Hugh's out tonight, come see me"  on Twitter, with the end result being a horde of customers asking for refunds - this rule should be firmly limited to productions with an A list star where knowledge of a cover going on would result in a big loss for the production monetarily.  Difficult issue (especially if it makes it over here from the West End), and Cam Mac probably has a dozen other reasons for asking understudies to do this, but that's my two cents.

Updated On: 9/14/16 at 01:30 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 1:38pm

Are understudies really costing any noticeable decline of ticket sales by tweeting about their upcoming performances?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 1:39pm

Especially in very long-running shows.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 1:52pm

Even pre-Internet, one former standby did this via telegram and called the press offices directly.  This standby was Lainie Kazan who was Barbra Streisand's first Fanny Brice standby during the original Broadway run of FUNNY GIRL in 1964. 

 

When Lainie was first informed that she would be going on, she quickly sent out telegrams and made phone calls to ALL media (newspapers, TV, etc) to inform them that she would be going on for the highly popular Barbra Streisand.   As expected, Lainie received glowing notices which humbled up Barbra in realizing someone else CAN do a good Fanny not just her.   

 

Lainie Kazan was let go a few weeks later and Barbra had it contractually stated that under no circumstance would her (future) understudy notify any media of their upcoming performance.  The standby track was also eliminated.  

 

At 22-23, La Streisand already had full control of things.  LOVE IT!   

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 1:53pm

I agree with this, because he's saying they can still announce that they are performing, but they have to do it after the official announcement. Isn't this how replacements work?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 1:56pm

Not really. This is about preventing so-and-so from merely tweeting "Hey, I'm on as Eponine next Tuesday and Wednesday." Not about people jumping the gun and tweeting replacement info prior to a press release.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 2:21pm

Nice to have further confirmation that Cameron MacIntosh is a total dick.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 2:27pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I agree with this, because he's saying they can still announce that they are performing, but they have to do it after the official announcement. Isn't this how replacements work?

 

You really think the show puts out a press release every time an understudy goes on? This is about trying to stop understudies from tweeting, "I'll be on as Christine tomorrow for the matinee!" 

 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 8:36pm

Personally,  I think it should extend beyond this. I think those ridiculous Saturday Intermission Pictures and other tweets and posts that are linked to a production need to be halted. I find them incredibly unprofessional and they reflect on the company and the production. Many of them are adolescent or sexual in nature. 

I think performers contracts should include that they can't facebook, tweet, etc on behalf of the production. It's cloying and very needy. 

Some people will say its free promotion for the show, but lets be honest. The people interested in these type of posts are theatre nerds. This isn't reaching the masses. 

Updated On: 9/14/16 at 08:36 PM

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 8:44pm

Careful not to clutch your pearls too tightly, bettyboy72. I didn't know that a SIP could offend you SO greatly.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 9:32pm

I didn't say they were offensive, I said they are unprofessional and I believe they are. It's only my opinion. There's no clutching of anything going on. 

Updated On: 9/14/16 at 09:32 PM

[whatdoesntkillme]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 10:53pm

I feel like the real solution to this is to stop giving out refunds/exchanges if the "star" is sick. You bought tickets to a show, not a [insert performer name here] concert. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:09pm

whatdoesntkillme said: "I feel like the real solution to this is to stop giving out refunds/exchanges if the "star" is sick. You bought tickets to a show, not a [insert performer name here] concert. "

That's part of the issue here -- hardly any of Cammack's shows have stars, much less ones above the title. The "star" term is fluid, of course, but it's not like they make it a regular occurrence to offer refunds if your preferred Valjean or Phantom is out, so why is he making a big deal about it now? (While... probably not still offering refunds?) If he wants the show to be the star, then don't treat the understudies as something hush-hush and instead as something that just happens.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 9/14/16 at 11:10pm

whatdoesntkillme said: "I feel like the real solution to this is to stop giving out refunds/exchanges if the "star" is sick. You bought tickets to a show, not a [insert performer name here] concert. 

That usually doesn't happen in the UK anyway, we don't have the 'above the title' rule.

Updated On: 9/14/16 at 11:10 PM

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 9/15/16 at 1:18am

First signs of senility ?

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 9/15/16 at 4:28am

If they're going to have any policy regarding Twitter, it should be that these "Twitter take-over" things by cast members should be stopped immediately.