Do Original Cast members make profit from Original Cast Albums?

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:39pm

This has been sitting on my mind for awhile and I was wondering if Original Cast members make some sort of profit from the recordings of the Original Cast Albums

Like does Idina and Kristin and the OC of Wicked get a profit from the Album.

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:43pm

My initial reaction is 'no'. It's a straight buy-out for cast albums.

Anybody got any other info?

[kelzama]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:48pm

Depends on how your contract's worded (and how good your agent is, perhaps.)

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:48pm

I'm wondering if the question actually means a share of the profits. Really, since they are paid for their work, they are turning some sort of profit, but I'm guessing that wasn't the question. As most albums don't even turn a profit, I'd say probably not. In a case like Wicked, where the album was a huge success, the girls still probably don't get what they were paid beyond recording it, unless they negotiated something else. Performers are generally just paid a flat fee and make no royalties from it, so the answer is most likely no, unless it's a special circumstance.

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:49pm

Wow...good question. I never thought about it.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:52pm

I believe the cast members receive two weeks salary for the cast recording (it's either one week or two, but I'm pretty sure it's two). Unless they specifically negotiate in their contract for anything else, they do not typically share in any profits.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:52pm

Didn't it used to be that they were paid their week's salary for the cast recording?

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:52pm

Like in the cases of albums that are making good money like...

RENT the movie soundtrack
Wicked
Spamalot
The Phantom of The Opera..OBC
The Lion King
and there are many more.

Like regular music artist make money from there albums and I was wondering if the same goes for Broadway Show Casts. To me it seems only right that they should.

[Craig]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:56pm

No, unless it's been negotiated in their contract - which I would be surprised if anyone has actually done.

Also take into consideration that most cast albums are produced at a loss and never recoup let alone turn a profit.

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:59pm

Cast members are paid for the rehearsal/recording sessions and like what others have posted, it depends on the actor's contract with the production company. The actors I know get a very small percentage of every album sold.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 12:59pm

It's still just ONE week's salary for a cast recording, but a performer can make more than that if he/she has solos. You get $182 for each solo or duet you do. And if any song is longer than three minutes and 10 seconds, then it's considered a song and a half, and the performer is paid accordingly.

[Yeah, um, no.]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 1:01pm

The original cast does get paid. Here's an article from Equity on a recent settlement, and below is a link to the Cast Album rider:

http://www.actorsequity.org/theatreNews/archive/04_7_06_Royalties.html
Equity Cast Album Rider

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 1:01pm

Cool thats Awesome to know...so if you have a solo you get paid alittle more.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 1:04pm

Just a clarification, performers are paid a full week's salary for every eight hours of recording, so -- given that many shows take longer than that to complete -- performers often do end up making significantly more than one week's salary for a recording.

[theatreboi11]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 1:08pm

What is the typical one week salary range?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 1:10pm

Broadway Equity minimum is $1422 which is what ensemble members typically make. Salaries obviously go up from there (into the tens of thousands for major stars).

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 1:13pm

As you can see it is very expensive to record a cast album. Not only do you have to pay for the studio time, technicians, and equipment but all of the performers as well (the amount defined by recording time, number of solos/duets, etc). This is another reason why bryan will never see cast recordings for Lennon, Good Vibrations, and In My Life!

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 3:41pm

A very interesting discussion indeed.

I know that some performers receive residuals, albeit generally small, every so often from album sales. I'm not sure how common this is, though. Maybe someone else will have more information on this.

- Charlie Piane
[e-mail]
Updated On: 2/22/06 at 03:41 PM

[lovinlife]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 4:41pm

Good question.... no real answer. It really varies. I know some who are getting tiny and I mean tiny residuals. Mostly, No beyond the pay at the time of recording.

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 4:54pm

I think Frontrowcenter will have a view on this subject.

[dancinfan]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 7:40pm

On a major cast album that actually does turn a profit (many don't), cast members receive residuals in any year when it makes money. I knew a woman from the OBCR of Cats who, 20 years after its release, still made anywhere from $25 to $300 a year.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 10:51pm

Joan Roberts reported a few years ago that she still gets payments for her OKLAHOMA! cast album, but in the early days Decca contracted each performer individually. (This allowed the label to change performers they didn't like or who were under contract to other labels. So Kitty Carlisle is on SONG OF NORWAY, Eileen Farrell on UP IN CENTRAL PARK etc.)

[iliketheater]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 11:02pm

While we're talking about pay, I've always wondered if actors get paid every week or every other week. I would guess it's every week, does anyone know for sure?

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 11:04pm

Every week

[iliketheater]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 11:13pm

thank you