Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
greg3473
Swing Joined: 5/23/11
#1Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 1:38pm
From Networks site: http://www.networksontour.com/current-shows/mary-poppins.html
Its gonna be horrible!
#2Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 1:52pmI know it's doing a one week engagement in Tuscon. I can't see this show just doing a one week engagement unless they are really going to scale back that magnificent set. I wouldn't say it is going to be horrible though. Just smaller.
#2Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 2:55pmAre the La Cage and Memphis tours going to be non-eq? Or does NetWorks produce equity tours, also?
#3Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 2:55pmYes!!! The next stop will be in my backyard using my sisters doll house as the set and when Mary flys, its going to be a action figure of Mary tied to a toy parachutte and thrown into the air, until she makes her way down. It's going to be Brilliant!!!
#4Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 3:06pmI don't believe I know the show you're talking about Marry Poppins?
#5Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 3:09pm
Or does NetWorks produce equity tours, also?
Yes, they do.
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#6Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 3:30pmNETworks does sometimes produce Equity tours, but I'm going to guess that if Disney is selling the touring rights to them then the odds are that this tour will indeed be non-Equity.
#7Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 3:44pmAll I can think of now is Disney selling the rights to Beauty and the East to NetWorks. That production was the worst thing o have ever seen on a stage in my life.
#8Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 5:26pm
La Cage and Memphis are going to be equity however La Cage will be SETA (I'm guessing the same for Memphis)
NetWorks produces Equity tours too.
I would say it would still be Equity just on a SETA or Production C/D class (as with The Addams Family and Hair)
#9Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 5:36pmThe Memphis tour will also be SETA. Could the Poppins tour simply be going SETA, too?? It's not scheduled to play the usual one nighters that non-equity tours usually play.
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#10Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 5:40pmIt could be transitioning to the SETA contract, but I would think Disney would remain onboard as the producer as long as they feel there is any life left in an Equity tour. NETworks will sometimes send their non-Eq tours out as 1 week/split-week bookings, as opposed to just a string of 1 nighters, as they did with Oklahoma and The Wedding Singer back in the day (though of course those were also the "first" nationals for those tours).
DeNada
Broadway Star Joined: 7/7/07
#11Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 5:47pmRemember that it's not just Disney, it's Cameron Mackintosh, and the Networks tour of Les Mis is supposed to be pretty classy (if it's anything like the UK tour with the same design and direction). So I guess it COULD be better than the usual Networks stuff.
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#12Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 5:51pm
That's true, I do often forget about Mackintosh's involvement with Mary Poppins.
And I will also say that NETworks, just like any producer, has their hits and misses. Yes, some of their tours, especially their warhorses like Annie and The Wizard of Oz, do often end up looking pretty tired and threadbare, but they have put out some good things as well. I loved their Cinderella, though I admit that I'm a bit biased since I worked on it way back in the day.
gypsy4
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
#13Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 6:11pmI would have to say that Networks has put out some pretty good Tours there cinderella and Hairspray were nearly perfect.
gypsy4
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
#13Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 6:11pmI would have to say that Networks has put out some pretty good Tours there cinderella and Hairspray were nearly perfect.
#15Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/23/11 at 6:16pmTheir recent non equity Spring Awakening tour was one of the best productions I have ever seen.
tourboi
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/15/05
#17Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/24/11 at 1:24am
Tourboi- Do you happen to know if they will be scaling back the set at all and or/changing it? The only reason I ask is because you are always in the know about the sets for touring shows 
ThankstoPhantom
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/05
#18Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/24/11 at 9:39amNot even a week- North Charleston is going to have a FOUR-day engagement. This must be super scaled down as of next year.
#19Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/25/11 at 1:07amThey are definitely scaling back. Heard that their truck numbers will be less than half of what they are now. Didnt love the show to be honest. Will be interested to see what networks will do with it.
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#20Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/25/11 at 1:31am
Well, let's be fair about the assessment...
The number of trucks are being cut in half? Accounting for the way Networks prefers to handle shows, we can safely assume that the first thing to be altered will be automation.
No doubt they will cut the show deck and will relying on manual scenic movements via cast members, costumed / hidden crew and push sticks moving scenic units.. the platforms for an automated show deck take up a TON of truck space.. add in the winches and power supplies and cable (which has to be restrung each load-in). This will remove a LOT of required storage / transport space and a LOT of load in time.
After that, we can assume that the lighting rig for the show will be simplified.. This too, would require less truck space, especially if they cut shin busters and shrink the size of the side light ladders.
Networks also has a tendency to reduce the number of swings - the right there should cut a few costume gondolas from the trucks. If they reduce the numbers of understudies for some roles, they would also reduce the numbers of costumes and gondolas needed. the costume coordinators would probably also find ways to reduce the number of individual pieces (why would Mary need 5 identical white blouses and Mr. Banks have 3 pairs of the same black slacks?) to cut a bit more space.
They will also probably cut two or three ensemble tracks.
So right there, we have accounted for a lot of truck space before cutting a lot from the show. If you recall, the house is very substantial in size, but not a LOT else - many flat pieces, sliders and hanging goods.. some of the hanging good could be simplified without detracting, the gates of the park will probably be smaller - stretching across half the stage and not the full stage span, the Banks kitchen will probably be removed from the rear of the use unit and become less bulky for transport.. probably just one flat wall rather than a full box set, but retaining the same effects...
There. Without chopping the show to bits and ruining the look of the pieces, I have saved you three, possibly four, trucks.
#21Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/25/11 at 1:47am
What about the other 10?
And i think we were being fair to begin with. Scaling back is scaling back, regardless if its shin busters, costumes, or moving house. But thanks for saving me the 4 trucks, we're well under way. I really am interested to see what they will do.
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#22Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/25/11 at 2:03am
How many trucks does the Poppins tour currently take?
Before going further, I do want to address the "scaling back" phobia that people seem to have. Scaling back, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Most should could probably benefit from some judicious cutting in the tech departments that do not hurt or compromise the production values. Many times, producers just take an ax to the thing and hack it to dollar signs with no eye to the final product.. but there ARE exceptions to that. We shall see.
Not that it saves real truck space, but we can also safely assume an altered orchestration as a given.
the house itself may also be slightly cut down to be just a BIT shallower and possibly not quite so tall, allowing for greater venues and less truck space as well..
I never said that YOU weren't being fair. i was just taking general aim as I don't see judicious scaling back hurting Mary Poppins.
Beauty and the Beast was SIGNIFICANTLY smaller on the 3rd national / UK tours a number of years ago and while certain beats where less impressive, it was stylistically true to the original "full" production and still beautiful to look at. *(I am NOT referring to the current Networks BATB tour, which I have not seen yet. I DO enjoy some elements and detest other elements that I have seen, however.)
#23Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/25/11 at 2:33amI wouldn't be surprised of they somehow cut the house unit all together. The Beauty and the Beast third national tour cut the entire castle unit.
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#24Marry Poppins Going Non-Equity?
Posted: 5/25/11 at 2:43amYes, but ultimately the west wing unit, the stair / platform unit and the columns sliders and drapers in front of the castle drop and Natasha Katz' lighting still managed to create a beautiful castle that felt eerily empty and quiet and entirely appropriate.. so it didn't have nearly as many layers.. ultimately the show still played. I was only let down by the "Be Our guest" stair unit.
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