Les Miz tour in Boston this winter: equity or not

[DoubleDown11]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 1:41pm

Hey guys. My wife and I want to check out the touring Les Miz in Boston this winter but first we have a question. How can we tell if this is an equity tour or not? We've both seen non-equity tours and have been throroughly disappointed. We don't want to sit in full price seats for lower quality. We will never see a non-equity tour again. So can any of ya'll help me?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 1:44pm

a.) this is an equity tour.. it is still teh 3rd National Touring company and features many alumni of teh bway cast

b.) I don't like that you pretty much say all non-equity actors are talentless.

[DoubleDown11]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 1:56pm

Thanks Broadwayguy. So I assume all special effects (baracade, revolving stage) will be used too. It'll be great to maybe see some of the actors I saw in NYC.

And about the non-equity actors. I didn't say they were talentless. They have a lot of talent. Incredible talent. I just have a problem that I am paying for and expecting the "best" actors outside of Bway and I'm getting less. For $80 I want the best. Hey if they want to use non-equity the price should reflect that. I assume most non-equity actors have incredible talent but not yet on the caliber of the creme de la creme.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 1:59pm

then take issue with producers... not teh actors.. you say you were dissapointed.. that hints that you were dissapointed by teh cast memebers. they can be non-equity and still eb well seasoned..

Yes.. the show is all there

[DoubleDown11]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 2:08pm

I just expect to get what I pay for. I will never again see a non-equity tour that charges the same price per ticket as an equity tour. I enjoy seeing all kinds of shows on every level (community, university, regional, tour, Bway etc) as long as the price is reasonable. I will pay $100 to see a Bway show but won't pay that much for an equity tour. Does this make sense. Producers of these non-equity tours that charge the same price as an equity tour are stealing my money. Hey I wish I could act and sing and get paid for it but you need incredible talent for that no matter what level. Just please...charge me a reasonable price. So I guess you're right...my beef is with the producers and because of that I will never see a non-equity that charges equity prices.

[sheekala]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 2:12pm

Believe me, being Equity does NOT classify you as being the "creme dela creme", not by a long shot. Like young BG2 said, it's more often the overall production team that is wanting, since non-Equity tours skimp in areas like sets,scenic design and sadly treatment of the performers.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 3:54pm

DD11, it's the venues you should give flak to. If your city is popping non-Eq tours into their Equity houses and charging you Equity prices, you should complain to the venue. It's a scam and a blight and everything awful about the world.

[DivaMommy]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 6:08pm

Isn't the Actors Equity Association a UNION? I don't believe they require auditions to get in. I mean, I can see what you are saying about production quality maybe, but I've always been told (as an actress) to stay non-equity as long as possible. (Of course, that won't be a problem for me!)

So, I guess I'm trying to say that you don't have to be talented to get in to equity, just meet certain requirements.

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 10/23/03 at 6:14pm

I saw the RENT non equity and was more impressed then the bway i saw (it wasnt the obc)

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 2:57am

the RENT non-equity tour was the BEST version of the show i have EVER seen. I saw all of the previous tours as well as the broadway show 3 time with three different cast...

[King Stevos]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 3:11am

I Third the Rent motion, it is a great Non equity tour. But luckily Rent doesnt have any type of Lavish set, I could never imagine seeing a non equity tour of Millie or Unsinkable Molly Brown....well Molly Brown should never be done as a tour anyway, since it has what 16 different full Sets?

STEVOS

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 11:22am

RE: Les Miz~ Randall Keith is heading the tour as Valjean and James Clow ,formerly of JCS (Peter),J&H (Utterson), will play Javert. Haven't check the rest of the casting yet. It visits Philly Mar.2,2004.

I agree that if venues are presenting non-equity shows, they should charge the audience accordingly. They'll never formally tell you it's non-equity. It's always a 3-ring circus in front of the theater of a non-equity show. While I totally aggree with their (equity actors) view, I think it's a little late to expect ticket holders to tear up their tickets and go home. There should be some kind of mutual guidlines between the venues and the touring productions and the Union, to avoid this scene.

I know the Canadians are starting to boycott certain touring shows( Miss Siagon) from being booked in certain houses.

[WSS2]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 10:42pm

The best idea is too stay non-Equity as long as you can.

The days when producers were forced to have a big budget tour are slowly going away. We can thank ALL the unions for that.

A simple call or visit to the box office of a theater can tell you if it's Non Eq or not. And if you don't want a Non Eq tour, that's fine.

Just be prepared as in the future, that's what the majority will be.

[WSS2]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 10:43pm

PS - I think a non Eq Les miz will not be too far away.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 11:45pm

How is it you know so much about everything except spelling?

[WSS2]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 3:18am

Why Namo, thanks for the complement. It's a little something called intelligence.

Perhaps you could get your head out of your dictionary sometime (or is it the NY Times..hmm) and see that.