Hadestown to tour under SETA contract

[bear88]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 3:58am

I don't know all the nuances of the various touring contracts, but I believe SETA deals are less expensive for producers, and worse for the actors. Others who are more knowledgeable can enlighten me. I'm surprised, mostly because the musical is a Tony winner and has been a huge financial success on Broadway. The decision is already already drawing anger and disillusionment, including from Patrick Page.

https://twitter.com/pagepatrick/status/1209720469970149377

Updated On: 12/25/19 at 03:58 AM

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 5:52am

While the show is making a killing on Broadway, this may be the smart route to go for a cheaper cast as Hadestown is simply a harder sell on your. Go with a cheaper cast and set and you can make up for potential loss in $. Just my guess to why they’re going this route

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 7:24am

Why would it be a hard sell on tour? Harder than what?

Its about $....but only how to line greedy pockets.

[inception]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 8:05am

It seems like the whole touring schedule still follows the same Schubert Vaudeville circuit from 100 years ago. When rock bands tour the West Coast they will usually follow some sort of geographical order, either North to South, or South to North. But when shows tour they go on these convoluted schedules that make no sense. They'll come out all that way to play Seattle, but then head back east, not circling back to the coast for a year or two, if they make it back at all. I do realize that there are more people involved in touring a show than a band, so especially when crossing borders is involved there are additional logistics. But, why are they bothering to still tour to places where it is struggle to sell, instead of looking at the markets where things do well and going there?

[trpguyy]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 8:31am

This is one of the most egregious cash grabs I’ve seen. AEA members should picket outside of the auditions, but of course they won’t do a thing to fight for themselves beyond a social media rant or two.

As far as touring itineraries go - booking a tour is a very complex operation, and you’re ultimately stuck going wherever you can on any given week. It often seems like it was decided by a monkey throwing darts at a map (especially when you’re the one in the bus driving by the same landmarks every few weeks), but booking agents really are doing the best they can.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 10:25am

Patrick Page has already voiced his displeasure. I have a feeling this may change.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 11:13am

Yeah, there’s no reason that a recent multi-Tony award winning show which is one the biggest hits of its season needs to go out under a SETA contract. This is nothing but greedy producers trying to save a few bucks. I hope they rethink this - actors deserve better.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 11:30am

To clarify before rumors fly -

SETA *is* Equity. It’s just a lower tiered contract.

https://www.actorsequity.org/resources/contracts/SETA/

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 11:34am

The Bands Visit also went out on a SETA contract. Not sure why this is so surprising

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 11:56am

Call_me_jorge said: "The Bands Visit also went out on a SETA contract. Not sure why this is so surprising"

So did Come From Away. 

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 12:08pm

dramamama611 said: "Why would it be a hard sell on tour? Harder than what?

Its about $....but only how to line greedy pockets."

I don't think it's greed, I think they made a calculated business decision. In order to use a SETA agreement, you have to have a lower guarantee (the amount of money the theater guarantees you'll bring in each week, regardless of what the gross actually is.) Most shows would rather not go out SETA because it means they aren't getting high guarantees. 

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 12:11pm

i remember there was an uproar about KINKY BOOTS and NEWSIES going out on SETA contracts as well. I doubt the contract level will change just because Patrick Page tweeted his displeasure.

Also, there are cases where actors on SETA tours can actually make more money than actors on production contracts due to overages. It’s complicated, and I don’t feel like explaining it, but a SETA contact isn’t as terrible as it may sound. A show like HADESTOWN will probably recoup on the road pretty early, which means larger overages. LES MISERABLES is on a SETA contract, and those actors are making bank, trust me.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 12:19pm

Yeah a friend did Sound of Music on a SETA tour and they made overages pretty much every week. I wonder if the overages ever equal out to a production contract though?

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 12:25pm

^On some shows, like LES MIS, they do. Just depends on the show. Since I can’t imagine HADESTOWN will be too expensive to tour (simple set, smaller cast), and the fact that it’ll be the newest Best Musical Tony Winner on tour, I can see them making great overages that could equal or even surpass what people on a production contract make. I wonder how THE BAND’S VISIT has been doing on the road. That could be a good comparison, though I think HADESTOWN will be a slightly easier sell on the road.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 12:30pm

SouthernCakes said: "Yeah a friend did Sound of Music on a SETA tour and they made overages pretty much every week. I wonder if the overages ever equal out to a production contract though?"

Depends on the tour, but yes, they can. 

This is all also going to be moot pretty soon into the tour, though, as the current SET contract expires in November of 2020 and Equity and the League have committed to creating an entirely new touring contract that will fold all tours back into the same contract, as opposed to the current model of Full Production, Tiered Production, and SETA. Both sides have finally agreed that the current contracts are based on very outdated tour models and need to be rebuilt from the ground up.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 1:02pm

The Broadway set is simply amazing with all the moving parts. It really is another character and surprises and adds an added dimension that furthers the story and action. I would imagine any touring production would have to simplify it to some degree, but would a SETA tour have to simplify it even further? I know that touring audiences experiencing it for the first time wouldn’t notice the changes, but I could also imagine they’d wonder what the big deal was. Thanks in advance for any replies. I’m truly clueless about this stuff.

Updated On: 12/25/19 at 01:02 PM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 1:19pm

I don’t think the SETA has much in way of production value. Isn’t the current Dolly a SETA tour? And Les Miz.

Obviously they aren’t going to have the elevator. So I wonder is they redesign and redirect it again? Similar to Fun Home?

[VotePeron]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 1:22pm

I think Hadestown will be an infinitely easier sell on the road than The Bands Visit is.

Regarding the set, I imagine they'll keep the bar set as-is, and maybe pare it down to one turntable with a stationary center ring instead of 3. The biggest thing they'll lose is the elevator lift, but I'm sure the creative team has already thought of alternatives or ways to creatively/seamlessly get performers on stage.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 2:00pm

VotePeron said: "I think Hadestown will be an infinitely easier sell on the road than The Bands Visit is."

It may do slightly better than Band's Visit, but I still have a hard time imagining it making much money. So while it's unfortunate for those involved, I can't blame the producers for trying to save money here.

Sure it's acclaimed here in New York, but ask your average midwesterner what they're more excited about coming to their town: The Temptations, an old movie they loved on stage or a folksy musical about two pages of Greek mythology. It's just not a concept that's going to appeal to most touring audiences, regardless of how many awards it won (remember, Band's Visit was even more critically acclaimed and won even more awards, but that obviously made no difference in terms of its tour).

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 3:13pm

^thats really not how these touring houses work, though. If that local Midwesterner wanted to the temptations, they also have to see Hadestown. So Hadestown will be benefiting from ain’t to proud being on the same subscription packages.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 3:47pm

But I know at least for Oklahoma City that the number of subscriptions don’t fill the house completely every night especially after the first couple nights. We often have 400 to 1000 unsold tickets every night for the less popular shows that they have to try to sell through promotions. I don’t subscribe to the touring packages and I’m always able to get individual tickets - often great tickets - even for Hamilton although of course demand was much greater for it. So I’m guessing when people buy individual tickets to shows that the hosting venue and the tour split profits from those tickets? So, it’s nice that there is a guaranteed minimum a show can expect to make at each stop, but I’m guessing they’re hoping (and sometimes need) to make much more than that. Is my thinking faulty?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 5:38pm

Hadestown seems like one of those very artsy shows that might be an easy sell to the PBS recurring donors in a large city, but otherwise? I'm not so sure. I can kind of see why they'd go this route, though it's unfortunate.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 6:46pm

Call_me_jorge said: "^thats really not how these touring houses work, though. If that local Midwesterner wanted to the temptations, they also have to see Hadestown. So Hadestown will be benefiting from ain’t to proud being on the same subscription packages. "

Yes, subscription packages help, but like Miles2Go2 said, those only make up a percentage of the seats. My point is, most of the people who don't buy the subscription and are only interested in one show probably aren't interested in Hadestown. 

Updated On: 12/25/19 at 06:46 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 12/26/19 at 1:02am

Come From Away toured under a SETA contract? Boy, that one seemed like a sure bet given its sustained Broadway success, and when it toured in San Francisco, the Golden Gate Theater was packed.

Hello, Dolly? Did Betty Buckley get a separate deal? (That show wasn't packed, at least on the Tuesday I saw it, though it was an excellent production.)

Is The Band's Visit touring poorly? That wouldn't shock me, but BroadwaySF (the old SHN) is touting it months in advance.

I was surprised about a SETA contract for Hadestown mostly because the show not only is a Tony winner but is a big box office hit. It's in a small theater, has some unique elements (the set). By now, isn't it a tourist-driven show, almost as much as Ain't Too Proud or Moulin Rouge? I can imagine there being some caution by producers who might wonder if the Broadway box office numbers drop considerably after the original cast leaves. I'll agree that it's not going to tour as strongly as those shows, but it seems like a easier sell than The Band's Visit.

Feel free to chime in to say everything I've just written is based on a false premise or that my info or assumptions are wrong. I'm genuinely curious about how all this works.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 12/26/19 at 1:26am

Is Hadestown as much of a tourist driven show as Ain't Too Proud or Moulin Rouge? No, it's not. Yes, it's a sold out show in a small theatre. But, regarding tours I am willing to bet that the average Jo would sooner go for Ain't Too Proud or Moulin Rouge. Reason being is that those are known entities. People like and know the music of The Temptations and there are also those who have seen and love the movie Moulin Rouge. But, despite its successes, Hadestown is a tough sell. Specially in the midwest.