I DEMAND...

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:13am

Anyone heard of Actors demanding rediculous things during shows or when offered a part in a play demanding certian things from the producers ( perks ) in order for them to say YES to the job? I was really intrigued when someone said thats what Laura Bell Bundy did with Wicked, and I was wondering what happened there?

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:15am

She was offered the role. It was announced everywhere she would replace Cheno. Then the news was taken down from every site. And we basically found out - she wanted better pay.

Then they asked Mandy Moore - she turned down the role - she felt she wasn't ready for it.

Then they got the amazing JLT .

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:16am

Mandy Moore?! BAHAha.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:16am

Yes. That's no joke. Mandy did do a lot of Theatre before coming a popstar. She'll be on Bway some day. She just felt Glinda was out of league.

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:17am

Im glad it worked out that way tho .. JLT <3.

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:17am

I just couldnt see her as Glinda. It .. just wouldnt fit, it doesn't seem right

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:19am

sometimes you have to make a certain amount of $$ for the time commitment to be worth it to you. i can't speak for lbb, but the wear and tear of touring is hard on some older performers i know and they ask for certain types of deals when they tour to make it comfortable and worth the pain.

asking for more $$ was a mistake for lbb i think. however--isn't she slated to do LEGALLY BLONDE?

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:20am

Yeah I know.

I do say - if they do a WICKED movie. Mandy is Nessa. She's perfect for that role.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:20am

Asking for a certain salary is now asking for a silly perk?

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:23am

If my memory serves me correctly. I think the producers wanted Laura Bell - because they knew they wouldn't have to pay her as much as Cheno. And I would imagine they weren't going to give her a spectacular pay.

Understand why they now replace the roles with virtually unknown talents? They need to pay the real names who play Morribe and the Wizard.

[Patronus]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:24am

I think that Mandy would have probably made a very good Glinda.

She's very talented and has a fantastic voice. Just because she became popular (pun fully intended) during the Britney Spears bubble gum pop period doesn't mean that she isn't great.

My only question is her size. She's probably around 6 feet tall. That might be an opposing figure as Glinda.

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:24am

I never said Salary, In general, i ment this thread to be about anyone, but going back to Laura Bell Bundy she did ask for PERKs that Cheno got .. food in dressing room etc things like that.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:26am

^ But just because someone said she wanted all those Cheno perks, dosen't mean it's true.

Point blank - she wanted better pay.

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:26am

ITS AN EXAMPLE.

[Bdwy24]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:27am

I've heard of performer on tour who demand that they have their dressing room painted a certain color. (I believe that was Robert Goulet during Camelot who demanded that his dressing room be Brown...)

Also, some stars of concerts and music ask that there is just a certain color of M&M's in a dish in their dressing room.

Nell Carter wanted on certain kind of Turkey on Thansgiving and someone had to go all around the city/side of the state to find that kind of Turkey.

When Jerry Seinfeld plays near Canada he always wants a certain type of cigar.

Of course, they all have the jobs already. It's just all in their rider.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:33am

Y'all might enjoy reading these scanned copies of actual artist riders...

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/index.html

From Pavarotti to Blink-182
Kenny G to Ja Rule
Village People to Wayne Newton...

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:33am

Many name actors want 'perks' put into their contract above and beyond salary. It's pretty standard operating procedure.

[Patronus]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:37am

I believe I read somewhere that Jennifer Lopez demands a white leather sofa in her dressing room when she is touring/making appearances.

[Bdwy24]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:39am

White leather sofa, now thats hot.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:42am

The Smoking Gun has a whole section on this . . . lots of music stars, not broadway, but . . .

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/index.html

[ckeaton]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:44am

Cough... looks up. :)

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:45am

John Tesh used to demand that they put a wrestling action figure in his dressing room for every show -- not that he cared about wrestling action figures, he just wanted to be sure they were reading the entire contract.

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:46am

John Tesh is an fn smart man!

[FranziaRebel]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 10:55am

The Alley Theater here in Houston is doing a Ken Ludwig play this season starring Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook. Apparently there demands drove the producers crazy. Their contract even calls for a certain amout of square footage for their housing and it must have a pool.

All this for a play that is from what I have heard about it, not very good.

http://www.alleytheatre.org/Alley/Be_My_Baby_EN.asp?SnID=92443102

[DBillyP]

Posted: 8/18/05 at 11:17am

Bdwy24, your post about Nell Carter made me laugh. She sang for my church's Easter services several years ago, and one of our staff members had to drive around late one night trying to find barbeque for her!