Making It On Broadway - th truth?

Broadway is a business, and you cannot forget that. Screw art and talent and all that -- it all comes down to business, pure and simple.

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That book made me sad and angry. Look at all the people on this board who would love to someday be in a Broadway show and are working toward that, or who would have loved to have done it but never made it. It's a business, yes, of course it is, there's tons of money at stake, but for the performers, they're ultimately getting paid good money to sing, dance, and act onstage in front of an appreciative crowd every night. To become as jaded as most of the people in the book are about it, and not realize how great it is to have been in even one Broadway show, is pitiful. Quite a large percentage of the population of this country works at jobs they hate every minute of, barely making enough to support their families. The perspective of most of the actors in that book is very, very off, to say the least. And this is coming from someone who worked in that business for over a decade. I've seen it all, believe me. But I've also spent enough time in the real world to know what perspective is.

An interesting thread that ran through it was actors stating that such and such "would never be allowed in the corporate world." If they truly believe the corporate world is sunshine and lollipops, why don't they work in it? Because they know that performing is more fun, better hours, and generally better pay at similar education levels. No profession is perfect.

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Updated On: 11/7/04 at 09:34 AM

>> Because they know that performing is more fun, better hours, and generally better pay at similar education levels.

Not to quibble here, but do you actually work on Broadway? There's little fun with the endless rounds of auditions looking for work, having to settle for some low-end job just to pay the bills. Better hours? Rehearsals can go on for 14-hour days sometimes. Better pay? A line job in Detroit pays far better and has far less stress.

Yes, those of us who work in this field work long hours for minimal return, but we do because we love the end goal of doing something creative and (sometimes) unique and that people will (hopefully) love: you cant get that kind of instant reaction in any other field, unless you're a professional politician. But let's not delude anyone with how wonderful a career it is. It's not. It's one of the worst if you're looking to make a decent salary and have any sense of job security. Those tales of cast members in CATS staying long enough to buy homes on Long Island are great anecdotes, but your average Broadway worker, whether performer or technical staff, stands about as much a chance of that actually happening as a college football player has of getting into the pro leagues. Professional theatre is a rough job, and like any other rough job, the longer you're in it, the more jaded you're gonna become at the minimal returns.

It's not art, kids. It's a business, like any other.

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No, I did not work on Broadway, and the very reason I chose not to shortly after moving here to try was the reason of job insecurity, which every person going into that field is fully aware of going in, by the way. I stayed on the other side - working for producers, managers, agents, and actors. I had no more job security, as it turned out, than any of my actor friends. The longest job I held was two years. And I worked far more hours and made far less money than any of them. Rehearsals are for 4 - 6 weeks, then you work three hours a day for the remainder of the run, excepting the rare put-in rehearsals. I was putting in 8 - 10 hours a day in the office, then working second and sometimes even third jobs to pay my rent. And that was every week - not just "rehearsal weeks."

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would you like to share that great story with us?

Still...acting isn't such a horror house that everyone's abandoned the profession, is it? In the end, the best you can do is look at as many of the facts as you can and talk to people who are in the business- if you're going to rely on anecdotal evidence, at least go for a large sample size- and make your own decision.

Knock on doors and be ready to get down on your knees. Sean, I think, gave the most intelligent answer to this question.

This thread should not discourage you from buying the book, or from reading it. It will however, tell the the brutal facts. Most actors, who are successful now, will tell you that before the galm, and tony noms, and red carpets... they went through a lot of crap. Living 4 to a room, long dance calls, crappy jobs ect...
I do not think that anyone going into this business was told "just move up to new york, and get yourself one of those fancy smancy broadway jobs, here is an agent, it will be easy..." If you were, you were lied to. I do believe however, that if you are here long enough, and stick to it, hone your craft, and work on your art. There is a chance for you. So take the bitter truth, put it in your pocket as fact, and persue your dreams. "There is gold in them there hills, and I'm gonna find it or die trying..." TMM enough said!

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Work is work.

In theory, art and commerce meet on Broadway, but the reality of menial, depressing dayjobs is just as Sean and Rath and others have said....the sad thing is, so many of us have moved here from wherever because "you can't make a living as an actor in ________." But the thing is...how many actors are making livings as actors in NY? Not many. You can work constantly, but that doesn't mean you will be paying the bills that way. I have very few friends who live soley from their acting work, and if they do it's under-fives and day player jobs, not non-equity tours that barely pay a living wage! And obviously, that's at a lower level. But even if you "make it" and you're making around $1388 a week or whaever AEA min. is right now, there is no guarantee of the next job, and then you're pounding the pavement again.

On the other hand, the corporate world sucks. I highly recommend trying out BOTH paths in life for process of elminiation. Had I not led a soul-sucking, depressing life in corporate PR and Marketing (with a degree in Theatre, mind you) I never would have had the resolve and certainty to go back for my MFA and start going for it. And god knows I haven't "made it." But I've been working, and I have tried other things with more regular pay and know that this is what I have to do...at least "for now."

There are also a lot of opportunities to make theatre, be an artist, be a performer--outside of the commercial theatre. Let's be honest, very few of us "make it." You have to determine your priorities, face the reality of it as a BUSINESS, and do what you can live with and what makes you happy.

Updated On: 11/7/04 at 02:10 PM

I read this book, and it is rather depressing. Still, I think that one of the most important things it is telling you is that you shouldn't just move to New York thinking you'll get into a Broadway show and become rich and famous. It's telling you to have a sort of back-up plan....this book is also the reason I want to get a University Degree instead of just a diploma, so that I won't work in a restaurant my whole life if I don't make it on Broadway. That's the point I believe this book is trying to get across. Also, you may notice that no matter how many complaints the actors in the book have about the business, they are still in it because they have a true love of Broadway, which is incredibly inspiring.

I aspire to be on Broadway one day and the book did not turn me away. It is the truth. Everyone wanting to be on Broadway should read it IMHO.

I've gotten through, "Hey, lady, aren't you whoozis?
Wow, what a looker you were!"
Or better yet, "Sorry, I thought you were whoozis.
Whatever happened to her?"