Cruises and Equity Cards
Cruises and Equity Cards
#1Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 12:40pm
I just back home from a cruise and thought id share..
The host of one of the many cheezy shows was asking the dances/actors what they thought of there job they all did the traidtional "I love it" type of thing and one guy said "oh what i'll do for ane equity card" me and my friend laughed..
anyways they introuduced the main chick..her name was autumn and according to the host she is "on callback number six for a main part in wicked" and thats all she said..hmm...
#2re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 12:46pmAny chance you can go back to the cruise?
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
ashley0139
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
#2re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 12:49pmWhich cruise were you on? Because I have been on several, and have asked performers on many different lines how Equity deals with them, and they have always said that since it is international water, they don't recognize it. So it doesn't get you your equity card but if you have one you can still perform.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
#3re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 1:00pm
Ive recently done an 8 day cruise around the Med and the shows were amongst the most tacky ive ever seen- talk about 'non-equity'. I sat in the most beautiful 1220 seat theatre on the high seas on 3 or 4 nights and almost brought back my 7 course dinner! Talking to them in the various bars later they all seemed to have their arms chained for 9 months once that contract had been signed. Not a happy bunch of performers but they did the best in a bad situation.
A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!''
Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'
Updated On: 8/13/07 at 01:00 PM
#4re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 1:28pm
anyways they introuduced the main chick..her name was autumn and according to the host she is "on callback number six for a main part in wicked" and thats all she said..hmm...
Is this her?
https://autumnhurlbert.com/
One cruise I went to that went from NZ to Australia had a pretty cheesy "Broadway" show, but the performers were pretty good. I didn't get any of their names, but there was a John Barrowman clone among them. 
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
Dover
Leading Actor Joined: 4/29/06
#5re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 6:31pm
I have a number of friends who do cruises, some Equity, some not. As ashley said, it's outside the US so it's not Equity's jurisdiction.
Some of my friends really like it. Apparently it depends which company you work for and what kind of non-performing duties the actors are expected to do. If you like traveling you can get to visit some cool places, at least.
#6re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 6:33pmA friend of mine went on one for a year and is still doing it 9 yrs later.
A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!''
Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'
#7re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 6:37pmi worked on one about 9 years ago as a dancer before i started doing musical theatre and it was bloody awful (shudder)
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
#8re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 6:40pmlol i should have done one put thought better of it 5 days before starting. I did a tour of Oliver! instead -much more fulfilling.
A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!''
Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'
#9re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 6:45pm
Cruises are a great way of making some money (if you're a singer) early in your career.
Technically Equity has no jurisdiction on ships, however, there is some gray area.
Let me explain: 3 years ago I was offered the European Tour of Tommy (I am a member of AEA). It was produced my Big League Theatricals, which at the time was a company that all Equity members were supposed to boycott. I called The touring business rep for the Union and she said that I shouldn't take the job. I asked her if I was not allowed or if it was just a bad idea because of big leagues previous record of anti-union activity in the U.S. She said that Members are allowed to perform in Europe without an Equity contract since the work was out of Jurisdiction. The one caveat was if the job was rehearsing in the U.S. Then I wouldn't be allowed to take it because I would be working without a contract. I told her this shouldn't matter because the show was not under Equity Jursdiction anyway. I brought up the two cruise ship contracts I had done preciously as examples (both gigs rehearsed in FLA . She had very little to say in response but again warned me that my Union Status would be in Jeopardy if I were to take the job doing TOMMY. She then said that Equity has been looking into getting a contract for Cruise ships and asked me if I was interested in doing some commmittee work in that area which I agreed to. Nothing ever came of it and I didn't take the show.
That being said, having worked ships-I think that equity will have a hard time getting any company to agree to its rules so the idea is moot anyway. However, one of my itineraries on ships was in ALASKA, so we were definitely not in International waters. I think that the Union looks the other way in such instances.
As per the shows-some were amazing and some were downright awful.
But If you are used to Musical theater and acting, you will be let down as an audience member and as a cast member if you are looking at cruise ship shows as a viable entertainment option.
Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?
#10re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:39pm
I haven't been on any proper cruises but on the mini cruise (ferry) from Portsmouth (England) to Bilbao (Spain) there was a caberat show each evening. I avoided the first 2 but went to the Broadway one. The performers did their best but it was odd having Cell Block Tango with none of the dialogue and (not sure of a better way to word this) a black guy with a speech impediment singing Raoul's part in All I Ask of You while dressed as the Phantom, with Christine in a wedding dress.
It was interesting to say the least.
#11re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 9:10pm
I literally just got back from an Alaskian cruise two days ago.
Since they were in international waters, they weren't Equity. Good talent, nothing spectacular, but great for the cruise.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#12re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 9:10pm
I literally just got back from an Alaskian cruise two days ago.
Since they were in international waters, they weren't Equity. Good talent, nothing spectacular, but great for the cruise.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
SweetQintheLights
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/12/05
#13re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 9:24pm
The main singers (dancers) on the ships make quite a bit of money. Plus, they can eat 'the passengers food' as opposed to the food that the lower end staff eat. *Did that make sense?*
It's hard work and a long contract but it's a good way to see the world, room and board for free with some good food.
Then again, there are the 'guest entertainers' who just come on for a short period of time- sometimes just for a couple days but I suspect most of them make A LOT.
2 cruises ago, one of the guest entertainers was Todd Pettiford. He was in RENT a few years back but was just recently an understudy for...Collins (I think).
"How bout a little black dress?"~hannahshule
"I have a penis, not a vagina." ~munkustrap178
Updated On: 8/13/07 at 09:24 PM
#14re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 10:44pm
My parents just got back from a Baltic cruise and saw Dale Kristien. She was on their previous cruise, too.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#15re: Cruises and Equity Cards
Posted: 8/13/07 at 11:34pmDidn't Jennifer Hudson perform on cruise ships before american Idol?
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