Is the cats tour going equity?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 5:09pm

The new presenters link for the troika CATS tour has a poster that advertises the show as being directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynn and is clear to make a difference between the show being presented in the 2006-2007 season and the 2007-2008 season. The current tour is non-equity and was not helmed by the original creative team. Is this changing? Are they going to add the song that was cut for the non-equity tour back in? Does anyone have any other information?

http://www.troika.com/mktcats0708.html

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 8:12pm

The advertising certainly makes it sound that way. I can't see it happening though.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:52pm

Hell - posters for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF say "Originally directed and choregraphed by Jerome Robbins" - and he's been dead for years. All it means is that they are recreating the original staging from the guidebook.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:04pm

What song was cut?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:13pm

But, Fiddler was originally directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. It just wasn't for that particular tour, and they didn't say it was. The new cats poster does not say originally directed by Trevor Nunn. It says specifically "directed by Trevor Nunn".

And they cut "The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles", ChiChi. It’s the song Munkustrap sings with the rest of the cats dressed up as dogs. It was really odd to see the tour without it as that transition messed up the flow of the first act, at least, to me.

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:13pm

That would give me reason to see it if it became Equity again!

[ChiChi]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:17pm

I was just looking at Theatre League's website. Is Hairspray a non-equity tour now?

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:22pm

yes, hairspray has joined the MAAAANNNNY other tours turning NOn-eq

[ChiChi]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:24pm

My Uncle is the Executive Director of an arts facility and he says that he brings in the non equity tours because they are much more afordable.

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:29pm

thats cause they pay there cast and crew PEANUTS!!!!!!! Working with a non union show is a HUGGGGE RISK!!!!

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:30pm

I don't like the big changes that happen with Equity going non..sometimes it takes away from the show and story, much like the non-equity tour of Aida is like, I can't stand the new set and costumes it completely ruins it for me...I wish Aida would go back to being Equity!

[ChiChi]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:31pm

A lot of facilities are though. Is it likely that that many presenters would take a huge risk?

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:33pm

many of the place that these non union tours go never have seen a union show or know the difference. And many don't care either!!! Sadly there are Major Difference both in front of and behind the Curtain!!!!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:34pm

I have a friend who's on it, and i believe it is still non-equity.


Wait, is Troika only non-equity? how can Chita go non-equity? Updated On: 3/31/07 at 10:34 PM

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:37pm

Are shows allowed to jump from Non-Equity to Equity? What would cause a show to go from Non-Equity to Equity?

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:38pm

Troika produces both Equity and Non-Equity, so Chita would be Equity.

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:38pm

I had a friend on the last millie tour, she had gone on every performance. After the MD recommended that she needed a 5 day vocal brake the non union rep said they would pull the plug on her if she took a break. with 14 songs and a new city every morning i will never know how she made it through the tour. if it were a union job she would have much more job security

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:42pm

yeah, all that driving and no sleep, I applaud her for doing it.

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:53pm

i dont know how she did it but she did say NEVER again with she work for a NON UNION company!!!!

[allvocal]

Posted: 4/1/07 at 10:19am

I doubt Cats is going Equity.. Whats the point? Its not going to bump sales or anything.. A few years ago I did the non eq tour of The Full Monty.. which was exactly like.. the broadway show.. same sets..same costumes..same staging..same choreo... said it was directed and Choreo by the broadway guys.. and I guess in a way it was.. it was re-taught by someone else.. a little sneaky..

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:24am

I took my little cousin to the Troika tour of Cats this weekend--I actually enjoyed it more than I expected (I'm not a Cats hater--I find it a charming show and saw it twice in the early 90s as a young teen but I just thought this would be a very watered down tour of a show I don't have much interest in--but my cousin knows I love theatre and really wanted to see it--she loved it). But it I doubt they got Gillian and Trevor to come in and resupervise it (though I thought the choreography largelyw as great)

I didn't realize Pekes and Pollicles was gone till I got home though lol--i don't even remember what the song sounds like--is there a recording easy to find? I'm curious now...

E

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 3:08pm

it's on the DVD and is only recorded in English on the Australian cast recording.

Posted: 4/10/07 at 9:05pm

Yeah I tracked it down on youtube--and did basically remember it from when I saw Cats in the early 90s--I have to say, and I don't wanna upset any fanatics but it really wasn't missed IMHO

E

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 9:08pm

The upcoming auditions for the 07/08 leg are Non-Equity, so it will remain Non-Equity. I can't imagine Nunn and Lynn associating themselves with a Non-Equity production, though.

Posted: 4/10/07 at 9:14pm

I can't imagine Nunn and Lynne going to the US to supervise a tour of Cats at this point in the game full stop--equity or non.

SO I knwo this deserves its own thread but what are the main differences between equity and non? From the little I know I prefer the idea of an equity (and before would often avoid non equity tours) but I have to say the several non equity tours I've seen (including this Cats, a tour of Fosse a few years back, etc) sometimes seemed to have more enrgetic/fresher dancing and performances than the equity but that was probably just coincidence...
Updated On: 4/10/07 at 09:14 PM