Grease: thoughts on Equity Actors auditioning for the lead roles!- Page 2

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 11:56am

Equity or not, the best people should be considered for the roles. And hopefully America will vote for the best. There are many stories of people getting their big break in a Broadway show having never done 8 shows a week before.

The cream will rise to the top.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 12:03pm

"some hopefuls out there who wish to perform on Broadway spend thousands of dollars towards a college education majoring in Acting, Musical Theatre, and or Dance. So I feel on a college student's level it's disconcerting about all this when selected people all over the country are in training for a job hopefully on the Broadway Stage."

It would probably be even more disconcerting for those majoring in musical theatre to know that a lot of Broadway icons: Sutton Foster, Bernadette Peters, Donna Murphy etc. - didn't graduate or even attend college.

Having a degree in musical theatre doesn't really make getting a leading role on Broadway any easier.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 1:48pm

frankly, I think all these college students who are worried about losing future jobs to a reality tv star should have flown their butts out to NYC or Chicago and auditioned.

[John3]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 2:12pm

The EPAs that took place were for all the other roles except for the 2 leads. It was stated in the notice that if you want to be considered for these roles you have to go to the open call.

I think Marshall will get the ones she thinks can handle this job to the final rounds where the nation voices.

[Josephine2]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 2:18pm

Why would it be unfair for an Equity performer to audition for an Equity job? The premise of the show is "America helps choose the future Danny and Sandy for the upcoming Broadway production of 'Grease'." If someone has experience to go with their talent, more power to them!

[Neverandy]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 3:29pm

John actually they couldn't do that under equity guidelines. In the first place, it is a broadway show performing under an equity contract so there isn't much room for variation in the audition procedure, second the filming aaspect had to be covered under a rider filed with Equity so all the rights of the Union performers and the jursidiction of equity and its sister unions could be preserved
The EPA was actually a preliminary audition under equity guidelines. The open call was a preliminary audition as well. Everyone had to audition first before they got to be in front of the three judges.
If you were a Danny or a Sandy type and wanted to go to the epa you still were considered for danny and sandy. If they liked you they called you back
There also is nothing stopping an equity performer from going to the open call. Although I wouldn't want to do that considering that the equity call was a lot more organized.
There were also agent submissions for this show that the Tv show doesn't talk about. I know because I saw the breakdown.

[jaesdare]

Posted: 1/15/07 at 3:35pm

There were quite a few equity actors who did the EPA, were called back for Kathleen and then were asked to go audition on the tv show because they wanted to see them for danny/sandy. of what i could see 4 of those people i knew moved on to the academy yesterday.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 11:46am

Juliana Hansen (Thoroughly Modern Millie Tour -- Millie Understudy) being one of them.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 12:09pm

The producers also have to take into consideration insurance requirements. The lead actors are insured to perform every scheduled performance on Broadway. Part of the buzz of this show is so that people can come to Broadway and say "Oh I was rooting for that person". The producers want to make sure that the person chosen will show up and perform the scheduled performances or else the insurance premiums go up and productions cost rise.

On a side note, what companies are sponsoring the tv program? I wonder if they are considered investors in the Broadway show and entitled to a financial return?

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 3:13pm

To rehash what a friend told me, it shouldn't work that someone out of the blue decides to go onto t.v. and magically have their dreams come true. Equity actors struggle daily for their next job and it SHOULD be an equity actor who wins this. I am not planning on seeing Grease anyway, because I despise the musical, but I at least hope someone from the background, who does this as a profession gets it.

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 3:40pm

What never ceases to amaze me is the assumption that everyone in AE deserves to be there. Has it ever occurred to anyone that the reason that so many actors are out of work is because they SHOULD be out of work?

I think it's silly to think that an unknown performer is automatically inferior to an AE member. It's simply not the case.

May the best Sandy and Danny win...at the end of the day, they're all pretty much the same.

[friedrichVT]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 4:37pm

First of all, this is "Reality TV" not reality, its planned and contrived. They are focusing on certain people right now but I can assure you there are more professionals in the lot than you know of yet, they're trying to make good tv not a televised EPA down at equity. The 'winners" are only to be contracted for a month in order that they be quickly removed should they suck. The show is a joke but if it gets people to the theater, all power to them.

[mirramar]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 4:42pm

Part of the fun of the show is watching a "diamond in the rough" non-professional go through the process and learn the ropes in a short amount of time and end up giving a polished performance.

I got so annoyed with the show "So You Think You Can Dance" b/c the winners/runner ups were invariably dance students of one of the judges!

[Josephine2]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:17pm

lildogs- I agree. I hope that it didn't sound like I was saying Equity actors are "superior." I just think that since it's an "Open Call," all actors/actresses, regardless of union affiliation, should be allowed to audition. As for who gets the parts, let's hope that they go to the most suited (once again, regardless of union affiliation).