Kinky Boots/Newsies Tiered Contracts

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 6:59pm

I went looking to see if a thread had already been created. Don't think there has been one, or if there has, it hasn't been deemed 'relevant' enough to stay in the top 100.

Can someone clarify/explain what exactly the controversy is here and what Equity might aim to accomplish by having their meetings at the beginning of January? I've been seeing posts all over the facebook and would like to know more, as I'm sure many of you have and would as well..

thanks

[Tag]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:38pm

I believe this is the blog post that created the stir (I was surprised it hasn't been posted here yet):


http://annoyingactorfriend.com/kinky-boo-ts-boo-sies/

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 11:07pm

Equity is calling yet another meeting to go over, once again, just what the Tiered and SETA contracts are for and what limitations the producers have when they use them. Too many people simply look at it as the actors getting a smaller paycheck, but there is so much more that goes into it than that. In order for the producers of these tours to use them they themselves are getting a smaller guarantee (what the local presenters pay them up front to bring the show in) and the actors are getting a cut of the money, in addition to their salary, when the show is indeed profitable.

Look at all the uproar over the parade performance by Kinky Boots. Is it any wonder that local presenters are cautious as to how well they'll be able to sell it? It's selling out in NYC but that's not necessarily a guarantee that it can do well on the road. Look at Sunset Boulevard. That show was a very hot ticket on Broadway when it first opened and it was assumed that they would be able to sell it the same on the road based solely on how well it was doing in New York at the time. Yes, it cost a lot to put up, but the producers and initial presenters were confident that they could sell it the way Phantom, Les Mis, and even Cats, but it just wasn't the case. It wasn't able to sustain the longer runs in each city that it required to recoup just the load in and load out costs.

Equity is trying to get the member base educated and involved. So many people have passed along the various Annoying Actor Friend blog posts and seemed to think that's all they had to do. Of the number of Equity members I've seen share it on Facebook (and it was quite a good number) I could count on one hand how many of those same members go to meetings, vote in the council elections, or even bother glancing through the rulebooks of the contracts they are working under (do we need to mention Melissa Errico and her shock at learning that she could be replaced if her medical leave extended beyond a certain period of time?)