Missed Performances

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 1:08am

How many performances can a performer miss before they are financially responsible for each performance? Is this something that depends upon each individual contract or are there equity rules governing this?

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 1:13am

If your missing that much i'm pretty sure they would just fire you.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 1:16am

As an example: A performer (not necessarily a big name) who plays the lead in a musical or play misses eight performances in a two month period plus took a week's vacation during this same time period.

I'm just curious how many performance an actor/actress can miss before they are financially punished.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 10:02am

it depends on the performer's contract, most do not lead to financial penalty. as with any job, that will usually simply mean termination.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 10:59am

I think it depends on the performer and the reason they are missing. Ruth Williamson missed several performances of "The Music Man" and finally had to leave the show, but I don't think they held her financially responsible because she had legitimate problems.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 12:46pm

I was wondering about this because I know of instances of performers who have a habit of not showing up. I've had tickets five times since mid-September to see TMO. Each time, Daniel Sunjata has not shown. I was told that he didn't do any performances from Tuesday to Thursday of this week. I can vouch for Wed. and Thursday.

I've had tickets for TMM three times where Sutton Foster hasn't shown. And judging from posts on this board as well as comments in the theatre, this is not unusual. Since both performers don't have their names above the title, it's extremely difficult to get your money back or exchange your ticket for another date. Since I'm not an actor, I thought that there was a penalty for excessive absences like they were docked a percentage of their weekly salary. In Sunjata's case, the understudy is performing as much as he is!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 1:27pm

CML: Your post shocked the hell outta me, and I thought I was already pretty cynical about absences. In the case of Sunjata, is it due to a film commitment -- a contractual out? It seems odd for a young, healthy man to come/go like that without some reason. As for Sutton, it just sounds like more of what we hear again and again: the old tradition of performing when you're not up to snuff is mostly dying. There are exceptions, Harvey F. Jane K., Alice Ripley, and even the venerable Lauren Bacall. Bacall played APPLAUSE and WOMAN OF THE YEAR without ever missing. Forget any appraisal of her vocal skills -- she carried those shows on her back and knew people paid to see her. She must've played with colds, etc; she continued in APPLAUSE with a knee injury, amending a dance number rather than take a month off. I rememer when the ladies of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' started to be no-shows -- it was seen as a (temporary) aberration. But now, clearly, there's a generation who've followed Nell and company and not felt it's critical to show up.

The same rule applies to runs, by the way. As soon as Toni Braxton showed up in AIDA, they started advertising "last weeks to see T.B.!" It's a big deal for a star to run 6 months. The deal Hugh Jackman made -- a year -- is unheard of. And watch -- I bet he will go on when he's got the sniffles or worse.

Updated On: 11/16/03 at 01:27 PM

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 2:01pm

I wrote an angry letter to Mr. Sunjata's message board stating how many times he has failed to show up for a performance in which I had a ticket. Mr. Sunjata apologized for my missing him and stated that he didn't make the performances (Wed. and Thursday)because of "scheduling conflicts," but that he would be performing on the weekend which meant nothing since I was leaving Friday atfernoon. He is filming a pilot for F/X so I assumed that he was out to do the pilot. However, this only accounts for TWO of the five times he hasn't shown when I've had a ticket. In talking with other audience members as well as on the internet, he's missed between 10 to 15 performance since the end of July. And that's not counting his week's vacation.

I don't know much about Sutton Foster's absences except what I read online, and it seems she has a habit of not showing up for certain performances. I can only vouch for the three times I've had a ticket, and she's failed to show.

I live in Ohio, and it's a hell of a lot of money to waste when the performers don't show up. I go to Take Me out to see Mr. Sunjata and Mr. O'Hare. I have wanted to see Sutton Foster in TMM, but the woman never shows up when I'm here.

This trip was specifically to see these two performers, and I wasted nearly a thousand dollars this time to see two understudies. The understudies were fine. I have no complaints with them, but I didn't pay for airfare, a hotel room, transportation, tickets, and meals to see an understudy. I was so angry that I put my Take Me Out tickets and the notices of an understudy going on for Mr. Sunjata into an envelope (along with a letter) and I handed it to the guy at the stage door. I doubt I'll get a response, but I felt I had to make a gesture.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 2:22pm

Your post should be read by every actor in every show. Maybe these are unusual situations ... but the idea of your flying in from Ohio to see Sutton and missing her 3 times is a sad and unsettling statement about the current work ethic. Does she know this? I'd write to her. Foster gives a lot of lip service to her humble origins and MILLIE being her big break. It's startling to learn she's possibly indifferent to her fan base.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 2:34pm

I did write Ms. Foster a letter, but I couldn't determine where the stage door was, and the box office line was usually long so I just kept it. I should send it on Monday. I need to find the address for the theatre.

I know the management of both theatres don't care about what happened to me. I was told to my face at 7:00P.M.Wed. that Mr. Sunjata would perform. I come back at a few minutes to eight. and the board is up. The management knew he wasn't going to show up. He hadn't been there for the Wed. matinee. I've been lied to so many times by the box office at the Walter Kerr. I've paid $369 for tickets to TAKE ME OUT to see Mr. O'Hare and Mr. Sunjata, and Mr. Sunjata never appears.

The management at the Marquis theatre gave me trouble because my ticket had already been torn. How else do you find out if Ms. Foster is in the show? The ushers tell me "to check the board." You can miss the board because it's right above the bar.

I'm so fed up with the whole thing that I canceled a trip I had for early December. I had tickets for GOLDA'S BALCONY, THE VIOLET HOUR, and WONDERFUL TOWN. I'm exhanging WT for a performance later in December, but I'm selling the two at a substantial loss. I'm not willing to waste anymore money. I've calculated that I've lost $3,000 total to see understudies perform.

I also bought a ticket through Broadway.com (so I could choose my seat) for Mr. Sunjata's last performance on Jan 4. On his message board, he couldn't even confirm that he would make it to his last scheduled performance. I'm trying to get my money back, but so far I haven't been successful.
=========
"Your post should be read by every actor in every show. Maybe these are unusual situations ... but the idea of your flying in from Ohio to see Sutton and missing her 3 times is a sad and unsettling statement about the current work ethic. Does she know this? I'd write to her. Foster gives a lot of lip service to her humble origins and MILLIE being her big break. It's startling to learn she's possibly indifferent to her fan base. "
Updated On: 11/16/03 at 02:34 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 5:23pm

CML: Your posts continue to shake me. May I suggest you write an abbreviated version of this, summarizing these legit grievances, to the producers of both shows? And cc: the NY Times, maybe. They ought to comp you in. You have had a run of extraordinarily rotten luck ... but again,I'm seeing a bigger story here about the current commitment to a contractd run on the part of stars. This is about that other category of performer -- not the Bernadettes -- but the next tier. Award winners/nominees who aren't "names" per se but whose audiences expect to be in attendance. I'll try to hunt down addresses for you and send them in a private message. Your tale is harrowing.

Very much on this topic: I hear John Stamos was out of NINE all weekend. It may have been a contracted out, but I'll be damned if there wasn't an ad with his photo in the Friday NY Times. That's pretty cheesy. The irony is: he went to LA, and will appear on several shows like Ellen de G's to promote NINE.

Updated On: 11/16/03 at 05:23 PM

[jcr279]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 5:35pm

I also have been to Millie twice and Sutton was out both times. I went the second time specifically because I missed her the first time and ended up seeing her understudy again....they wouldn't exchange my ticket either! Come to find out the 2nd time I went and miised her she was seeing Wicked!! I wish she would've waited till the next might because thats when I saw it!

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 5:43pm

I'm a novice when it comes to Broadway and buying tickets. My first trip to Broadway was back in July, but my experiences so far have been disillusioning at best. I now know the name above the title rule. I'll give you an example of the trouble I have had with the Walter Kerr Theatre:

I asked specifically about Mr. Sunjata's appearance on one occasion. I was buying a ticket on Thursday for a ticket for the Sunday matinee. I was assured that he would definitely show up; the woman at the box office acted like "Of course, he'll show up." I was made to feel like an idiot for asking the questions. I asked her Thursday evening when I bought my ticket and Sunday at 11:00 before I went to the flea market. This was the Sunday of his scheduled vacation. He had not appeared all week. He didn't appear that day either of course. I cut short my Broadway Cares flea market excursion to see the matinee, and Michael Duvert was performing.

I've tried to calm myself about all of this, but it's a hell of a lot money to waste when the person doesn't show up and the box office ocntinually lies to you.

I liked the way the Henry Miller Theatre informed me of performers who were out. I asked if anyone was out. They told me the truth, and asked if I still wanted to see the show. That's the way it should be done.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 5:43pm

it is so very, very odd. I have been so very lucky in my theatergoing life. there have been only a few times when there was an understudy on for someone I was EXPECTING to see, and I don't ever recall a time when someone was out that it bothered me. As I said I have been very lucky.

[Hank]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 5:59pm

CML: 3 times at Millie and no Sutton! Wow, that's really bad luck. Before planing a trip it may help to check a shows' web site (modernmillie.com) for news, or in this case, Suttons fan site (geocities.com/suttonfosteronline). From her site we know that last week she was in her home state of Michigan to receive an award and next week she'll be on vacation.

I'm also wondering about all those people making plans for Lane and Broderick in The Producers. I seem to remember they were both out a lot last time around.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 6:11pm

Hank, thank you for the info about Sutton Foster's website. It'll be helpful (hopefully) with my January 3 ticket. I have had such an awful experience with the people who run that theatre.

I really want to see Sutton Foster perform, but not if I have to shell out thousands of dollars to it.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 6:32pm

Wow. That's awful. Actually, it's *worse* than awful. I agree that you should send something to the producers of both shows. Who knows, maybe something good will come of it.

This thread made me realize that when I go to a show, subconsciously, I half expect someone to be out. I alway breathe a sigh of relief when no little white pieces of paper fall out of the program. Illness and injuries I can tolerate, but it would totally piss me off to find that one of the leads was out because they were seeing another show.

[alterego]

Posted: 11/16/03 at 10:16pm

Here's an amusing story about missed performances.

Some years ago in the Australian production of 42nd Street two of the girls decided that that they needed a break (it had been running about 4 months) so they went to their resective doctors and got a medical certificates claiming injury, giving them a week off .The girls then went to Bali for a week came back with fabulous tans and were promptly fired from the show.

Then there is the story of a local actress/dancer who not too long ago appeared on Broadway in Chicago. About six months prior to the Broadway appearance she starred in a not too well received revival of Man of La Mancha. Audience numbers were poor she claimed serious injury during the rape ballet, missed many performances and would never dance again. She must have found a miracle cure as next we hear of her she was on Broadway dancing!

There's no business like show business...

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:06pm

CML: This is strange, but after reading much here, I stumbled upon your presentation of this crisis at that other website (where I wasn't accepted, as an AOL subscriber, and couldn't post...) They jumped on you for not "expecting" absences. Pu-leeze. You gave as good as you got, and offered a persuasive case as to why you deserve to see the person(s) billed as stars of the casts. The poster who told you it's like booking a trip to the caribbean and being smart enough to expect a hurricane found a ludicrous analogy. And I couldn't believe how patronizing they are to your living out of town. As though Broadway exists mostly for NYers. It's one of the biggest industries this city has (and anyone here during 9/11 knows how scared B'way was of losing tourists...)

I've been thinking about my own experiences with this. Before I moved to NY, I trekked up to see the closing weekend of the original company of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'. At the time, the 5 of them were considered the gold standard for synergy among cast members. I had Saturday matinee tix, and Nell Carter and Armelia McQueen were BOTH out -- two of the 3 women. Yet both played the evening performance. This was NOT a posted substituion. I was devastated, and you know what? The understudies were okay, but just didn't rock.

Nell Carter returned in AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' 20 years later, with the original company. She apologized most sincerely in the press, to all those who missed her before. I saw the show, and guess what -- it was the performance I wanted to see in 1978.

I wonder if Sutton will come back in 20 years, perhaps as Mrs. Mears, and make the same apology. If she's missing now to attend WICKED, as has been reported, or to film a sitcom pilot, then MILLIE isn't exactly a priority. And if it's not her first priority, then why is she in it? I see the TV ad daily here in NY -- and it's full of Sutton strutting herself. If delivering that performance to the folks who see the commercial means so little to her, why should we fork over one hundred bucks in hopes of seeing her?

I read her brother took the night off from LSOH to go to the opening of TABOO.

This is a serious issue. Keep fighting the good fight.

Updated On: 11/17/03 at 08:06 PM

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 8:35pm

"They jumped on you for not "expecting" absences. Pu-leeze. You gave as good as you got, and offered a persuasive case as to why you deserve to see the person(s) billed as stars of the casts."

I was not going to respond, but that woman irked me. Unless I was a psyhic, I would have had no way of knowing that Mr. Sunjata was going to be absent. When you ask the theatre directly if he will appear, and they say he will, there's nothing more you can do. He doesn't list his absences on his message board. The show doesn't list them on the telecharge page (Although it does list his upcoming exit). If you sell a ticket under false pretenses, you should be held accountable. I asked if he would appear. I was told yes, and I bought the ticket.

That other board must be run with actors or producers because there's little concern for the ticket buyers/audience members. These people forget that if people like me get fed up with such deceptive practices, and don't return, they're going to loss money. They should keep that in mind. If there's no audience, what are they going to do?

"It's one of the biggest industries this city has (and anyone here during 9/11 knows how scared B'way was of losing tourists...)"

I've read dozens of articles about how the Broadway community suffered ecnomically because of 9/11 and the loss of tourists. That's why I'm so surprised that many theatres behave as if they simply deserve ticket buyers.


"I had Saturday matinee tix, and Nell Carter and Armelia McQueen were BOTH out -- two of the 3 women. Yet both played the evening performance. This was NOT a posted substituion. I was devastated, and you know what? The understudies were okay, but just didn't rock."

I know exactly how you feel. Even if the understudies were great, that's beside the point. You bought the tickets specifically to see the three women. Did you try to get a refund or an exchange?

"If she's missing now to attend WICKED, as has been reported, or to film a sitcom pilot, then MILLIE isn't exactly a priority. And if it's not her first priority, then why is she in it?"

Apparently, she was picking up an award last Tuesday when she was out. I agree with you. If these actors don't give first priority to the plays/musicals, why bother staying with the shows? If Mr. Sunjata gives priority to this F/X pilot, what does that say to a ticket buyer who made a special effort to see him in the play? If Sutton Foster had gone to see WICKED when I missed her, nothing could contain my anger. I'm angry enough, but that would have sent me over the top.

"I read her brother took the night off from LSOH to go to the opening of TABOO."

Got to be kidding. What nonsense. IT shows you how much they consider the fans so why should the fans give them any consideration? Updated On: 11/17/03 at 08:35 PM

[cmleidi]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 9:06pm

Another point I wanted to bring up is that most of the performers I've meet seem quite appreciative of their fans. Daniel Sunjata was one of the nicest performers. I've heard Sutton Foster has a great rapport with the fans. Why is it then that these performers don't realize that by not showing up for performances (if they are not sick or on a scheduled vacation) they are alienating that same fan base?

My appreciation for Mr. Sunjata's future work will always be a little diminished by the aggravation that his absences have caused me. By giving his priorities to a television show, I wasted a lot of money, and I froze my ass of on Thursday and early Friday for no reason. I feel like a fool for coming to New York to see two performers who couldn't be bothered to show up.

I get the feeling that even though performers may be extremely nice when they meet you at the stage door that they believe that they deserve an audience or fan base without having to do anything in return like showing up. Am I off base here?

P.S. The irony is not lost on me that I'm now listed as an understudy. Updated On: 11/17/03 at 09:06 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/17/03 at 10:23pm

Saw Anne Runalfson in Victor Victoria instead of Julie Andrews. She was great. Many shows we go to have someone missing

I remember one of the first shows I ever saw had the main star missing. One of the first shows I ever saw was "Hallelujah, Baby" & when I saw it Leslie Uggams was not in it & I saw it with her understudy Freda Payne. Whatever happened to her ?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/18/03 at 10:16am

Freda Payne! Didn't she appear in a show called "Doctor Jazz", as well as hit number one with "Band of Gold?" Archivists, set me straight here. Bet she was terrific in Uggams shoes. (OT,that's a wonderful score...)

I have certainly enjoyed some understudies, too. And alternates, who are more integrated in shows simply because they play them regularly. Speaking of what happened to -- what became of the great powerhouse singer, Terri Klausner, who played the matinees of "Evita" for LuPone? I thought she was damned good.