Equity Tours becoming Non Equity Tours- Page 2

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 8:43pm

At my local theatre we have paid a max of about $60 for Non-Eq tours.

[PReeves2]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 9:23pm

i like the mass market paper back edition comment. seems like these productions are just overly watered down and still charging the same price as if it were a more experienced group of performers.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 9:36pm

Preeves, did you read the thread at all? Most Non-Eq tours DON'T have the same price as Equity tours. Most of the time they are a good $50-60 less.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:38pm

Actually... PReeves2 is not that far off base... There is no rule of thumb that says that the lower-budget shows will cost less for the ticket-buying public. In fact, in a given year, a market like San Francisco or Atlanta where "Broadway" subscriptions are sold at larger theatres, the audience may see 2 shows in a season that are 1st National and 4 shows which are 2nd tier. I'm sure that they can attest to the fact that every year their subscription price increases and yet as little as 10 years ago they might have seen 4 1st National tours and 2 smaller tours in their season.

The distinction between Equity and Non-Equity is also becoming increasingly irrelevant as the pressure on the market for these cheaper tours has forced the unions like Equity, AFM and IATSE to negotiate 2nd Tier agreements. The majority of touring shows are in fact union but the conditions and pay have been eroded in these contracts to accommodate lower budgets. Sadly, the entire industry has been shifting toward a larger and larger number of jobs every year being paid these lower rates. There are less big-budget 1st National productions every year...

Personally, I think that the ticket-buyer is the biggest loser in all of this but certainly the people working in the industry are facing a shrinking paycheck!

[PReeves2]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:44pm

living in atlanta and seeing shows that come through the fox theater. i only now this to be true. you can tell when it's a 1st national and when it's watered down. I'd only expect this to be a problem at a theater with close to 4000 seats in it. Shows are either top notch or not.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:48pm

eastlasagna... You are correct. "spit-weeks" in the touring business are a fact of life primarily as a means to allow a small market to see a show on tour. The smaller cities can't support an 8-show engagement in terms of ticket sales and so the show plays for as long as it is cost effective - sometimes only for a night. The routing of a tour also can play a role - i.e. getting the trucks from a stop in one city to another one 1000+ miles away can be an issue. Planning the tour so that you can play in cities which are closer together can make a big difference to the bottom line and this requires the flexibility to play for less than a week in some cases.

Touring for "one-nighters" or "split-weeks" is something that is accomplished through careful planning and by building the infrastructure with the schedule in mind. Theatre tours which play for short stops are rarely more than 3 or 4 trucks worth of equipment. The scenery, lighting and sound are kept to a minimum and the load-in is restricted to 8 hours typically with a show the same night. It can be more of a grind than longer stops for certain but if a tour is well planned, moving frequently is not a problem.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 11:01pm

"The smaller cities can't support an 8-show engagement in terms of ticket sales and so the show plays for as long as it is cost effective - sometimes only for a night."

While that is mainly true, it's more of a matter of the theatre goers than it is a matter of the city's size. The city I live in is the same population size as Greenville, SC... but the quality of shows and the lengths of runs that Greenville gets are a lot higher than where I live. Greenville gets equity tours, some of which first run tours, that sit down for 8 shows. Even though it is not a hugely populated city, their theatre goers are active enough to pave the way for better shows to stop through town. Where I live, which is about as populated, we can barely fill out a 2 night run of "The Wizard of Oz".

[roadmixer]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 11:56pm

...Jazz22 - Thanks for the correction but I wasn't talking about population size, I was talking about market size. As you've pointed out, it doesn't correlate to population or square miles or most tall buildings or the size of the theatre... it's based on how many bums can be put on seats and for what price

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 12:02am

In many cases, it would be great if these were the mass market paperback editions. Instead, they're often grainy 3rd generation Xeroxes of the mass market paperback editions.

"Bottom line- don't get caught up in what kind of show you are seeing. Don't go for a preconceived notion, or you'll be let down one way or another more often than not."

Seriously? I'd just wait to see a community theater production and support the arts that way.

[PReeves]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 1:52pm

do you consider it false advertising to show clips or commercials from the original cast of broadway shows and then put on tour something that isn't even a union contract for the performers?

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 4:02pm

It's believed that the A Chorus Line tour is going non-eq. starting in Sept.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 5:14am

Namo, I disagree with your comment. I did see the NETworks tour of Sweeney when it came through my college town last year and the talent on that stage was still very good. I do think that it is wrong to assume that just because your about to see a non equity touring production that it automatically means that your going to see a crappy show or one with bad performers.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 7:11am

The ticket prices are determined by the local theatre operators/presenters. They likely base the prices on what they feel the market will support.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 10:08am

"I did see the NETworks tour of Sweeney when it came through my college town last year and the talent on that stage was still very good."
I, too, saw that tour that came through town and I was throughly impressed. That being sad, I've experienced a mix bag with these non-eq tours. Just like any form of theatre, you really never know whether or not it will be good or bad... but more so with non-equity.

Updated On: 3/31/10 at 10:08 AM

[stagewright]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 10:54am

From what I've seen, non-equity tours tend to start out in their first year out being quite good productions, oftentimes with "known" names attached in lead roles. As the tour goes on year after year, the tour stops playing "B" (and occasional "A") markets, and starts playing the "C" and "D" markets, meanwhile hiring less experienced cast and maybe cutting down the set/lighting/costumes, most likely to save themselves one more truck.

It's funny that so many people really enjoyed NETwork's tour of Sweeney -- it only lasted a single season. I guess the market wields its hand in funny ways sometimes. Unfortunately, it's all about what people will pay to see, not about how good the show is.

[TMedeiros17]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 10:57pm

Mamma Mia is going non-equity, as well as Fiddler on the Roof. Being Billed as Just "Fiddler on the Roof" without another big named attached to it like Topol or Harvey. A Chorus Line is surely going non-equity. As well as Spamalot and Legally Blonde, but I'm sure those have already been noted.

The Color Purple's non equity tour is the same set however with a new cast. As well as I'm sure the Legally Blonde's new non eq tour will be. Is it possible to water down that show any further? As for A Chorus Line, now that can easily be watered down. No further comment as to why.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 11:01pm

Mamma Mia? I have to say that is a shock.

[TMedeiros17]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 11:03pm

I thought so too until it booked Pensacola, FL and Baton Rouge, LA for one night only. Either they lowered their standards tremendously, or it's simply non-equity. I've heard talk of it going non eq too. I wonder what they are going to do with the equity tour.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 11:29pm

The Mamma Mia tour will be equity.
Equity Cal

[TMedeiros17]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 11:34pm

This is a shock. 2nd National Tour I'm guessing?

[southeronbway]

Posted: 4/14/10 at 10:23am

Mamma Mia is not going non-equity anytime soon, the tour cost's them nothing anyway and they make tons of money

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 4/14/10 at 11:54pm

Yeah, the recent Non-eq tour of Beauty and the Beast had the same prices in Chicago as all the equity tours, and not worth that at all.