National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
#1National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 7:24pm
According to a recent casting notice, the National Tour of John Doyle's SWEENEY TODD is going Non-Equity. Rehearsals begin in the fall.
NETworks is taking over the tour and is currently casting for the re-launch at the end of September, with booking currently scheduled through June of next year.
http://www.playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/21560.html
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CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#2re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 7:38pmThat kinda sucks. wasn't it inexpensive enough?
#3re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 8:40pmIt's better than nothing. Still hoping to catch the tour again in either Chicago or Denver. It's definitely worth seeing if anyone out there has the opportunity.
#4re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 10:52pmDamn, I don't play any instruments and I would love to be in a production of Sweeney!
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winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#5re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 11:04pmSo, its going to be run by a production company that doesn't take a lot of care in its shows and the cast is going to be a non union one. I am still glad that this production of Sweeney is still going to be touring.
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#6re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 11:14pmI personally wouldn't go to see a show that is non-Equity. After all, I'm a union member: American Federation of Teachers / AFL-CIO. "Look For The Union Label"....from RC in Austin, Texas
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#7re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 11:48pmI can see why they would go non-equity, the pool of equity members who play a bunch of instruments can't be that big.
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RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#8re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/21/08 at 11:49pmWell it's coming to Huntsville, AL, so I guess I'm not suprised it's going non-equity. But we're also getitng Spelling Bee and Spamalot (are they going non-equity as well)?
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#9re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:16am
I THINK spelling bee is going non eq but I am not sure about Spamalot. It depends on when it is coming to Huntsville. Keep in mind that right now the spamalot tour does have actors that are equity. For example Gary Beach is in the touring cast. Granted its only for a few stops (and I am hoping that he goes to Broadway after he is done with the tour) and I am sure there are others.
The reason why I am in favor of non equity tours is that it gives people the chance who aren't in big cities to see broadway theatre. I know that the casts aren't part of a union and aren't always treated fairly. But, I know that they know that going in and that if you are smart you would negotiate yourself a good contract and you will be fine.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#10re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:29amI'm surprised NETworks wanted to keep the tour going in the first place. It doesn't seem like attendence has been all that high to begin with...
Dolly_Levi
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/8/04
#11re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 9:02amEven Patti Lu was once non-eq RC ...
Laughter is much more important than applause. Applause is almost a duty. Laughter is a reward.
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Vespertine1228
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/30/05
#12re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 9:25am
I don't really understand where they're going to get a bunch of non-Equity people to memorize a Stephen Sondheim musical and be able to act and sing it and play it eight times a week.
Unless they go with people who are more traditionally musicians. Still, I would think this would be a hard one.
#13re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 9:27amI don't know about elsewhere but I saw it on a weekday night in LA and the big Ahmenson Theatre was pretty much full. The show got a great reception too - the quickest standing O in memory, which is not always the case in LA.
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RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#14re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 9:55am
True Winston, I'm just not sure how the Spamalot tour is going to go Non-Equity and still keep a lot of their design elements like the projections and the guy who flies in in Act II.
Is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Non-Eq?
BkCollector
Broadway Star Joined: 2/6/08
#15re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 12:27pm
"I don't really understand where they're going to get a bunch of non-Equity people to memorize a Stephen Sondheim musical and be able to act and sing it and play it eight times a week. "
Are you SERIOUS?
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#16re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 12:43pm
BK,
That made me laugh as well.
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Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#17re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 12:48pmThere are tons of professional-level actors not in Equity. However, there are also many talented, experienced people who are not getting work because of non-Equity tours. Why can't there be some kinda compromise?
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Dolly_Levi
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/8/04
#18re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:02pm
Chitty Chitty is an Equity tour.
Spamalot will remain Equity as well.
Spelling Bee is becoming non-eq.
Laughter is much more important than applause. Applause is almost a duty. Laughter is a reward.
Carol Channing
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#19re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:34pmAwesome, thanks. I assumed Chitty couldn't sustain a non-eq tour.
#20re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:11pm
There should be a compromise, Borstal, like for the European tours.
That being said, I have done a couple and several people from those tours are making their Bway debuts as we speak--GYPSY, SOUTH PACIFIC and GLORY DAYS all have Grease tour alumni in them, so plenty of talented people work in Non-AEA tours.
I do think casting SWEENEY will be tough, but it's tough anyway. And you know how musical directors are--they think they can pull performances out of actors, and usually they can't, but that line of thinking allows them to justify a musician-actor rather than the actor-musician.
#21re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 5/16/08 at 12:48pm
Well some actors can be in equity and non-equity shows they are called "Financial Core" but they have to pay a fee.
There is a description of it on Kathy Halenda site under theatre.
http://kathyhalenda.com/
misto625
Broadway Star Joined: 11/10/05
#22re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 5/16/08 at 1:09pmIt's not an entirely new creative team as Adam John Hunter was the Production Stage Manager for Sweeney Todd on Broadway and probably was Associate Director for the tour, and David Loud did the music supervision for the show before as well.
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#23re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 5/16/08 at 1:46pmNo this tour going on on is Equity but will soon go Non-equity.
#24re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 5/21/08 at 12:29pmSpamalot is a full production tour, and is scheduled to play Huntsville in that manner. Spamalot is currently booked for many months, and with the Vegas company closing, many markets have just opened up for the tour to play extensive sit downs.
logan0215
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/05
#25re: National Tour of Doyle's SWEENEY TODD Going Non-Equity
Posted: 5/21/08 at 12:48pm
I believe Sweeney and Bee will be under the Phoenix Entertainment group.
http://www.phoenix-ent.com/shows.htm
I just saw their production of Ring of Fire this past week in Dallas as a friend of mine is performing the female ensemble. I can't say the show itself has changed in quality from Broadway, but the talent was outstanding.
It's absolutely preposterous to assume that a non-eq tour would not encompass talent. Lea Salonga will be performing a non-eq tour of Cinderella touring through Asia with non-eq actors, is she not talented?
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