Non-Equity Hairspray Tour?

ok...so i guess there a new hairspray tour starting...and i heard its non-equity. Now ive never seen a "non equity touring production". How is it different, besides that the acotrs arent equity. Is it usually a bad production? Do they use the same sets and costumes?

Thanks so much!

I don't like how people assume that non-Equity means bad. Non-Equity means that the actors aren't part of the union, aren't paid the same as an Equity member, and don't get the same benefits as someone in Equity. Also certain things such as sets are scaled down. Yet, the prices they charge for people to see the shows are about the same as Equity prices. Although things are scaled down, I don't think this automatically means it is a bad production. After all, actors get their start somewhere. I saw a non-Equity production of Oklahoma! and enjoyed it very much.

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I definitely would agree that non-equity doesnt necessarily mean bad. That does not mean that I have not seen a few not so good non-equity productions(ie:RENT) However, Ive noticed that a lot of times they are a lot younger and not as mature as equity casts. Partially because most of them are just starting out in the biz.

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I am very scared of this non-Equity tour. Non-Equity tours don't have a good reputation and I am worried that this show will suffer because of the change.

And Parks makes me laugh.

When I saw it again last week, they had already cut the sets in the Equity tour to a smaller vanity (only 2 faces) and no Har Dee Har Har Hut. Also, the backdrop in "Welcome to the Sixties" was cheaper looking than the first time the tour came through the Bay Area a few years ago. I'm worried about how the non-Equity show will sound. They are bound to have a smaller orchestra. I find it annoying that non-Equity tours are sent out while a show is still running on Broadway. They must be making plenty of money in NY that they could put into the tour. We never used to get non-Equity in San Francisco until a few years ago. They started with "Cats", "Rent" and "Grease" and, at first, the prices were a little lower than the Equity shows but they have been raising them lately.

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The thing is that this is a good way for actors who want to be equity become equity. If you sign a contract with an equity show and your not a memeber of the union, signing that contract makes you equity right away exepect for the fact that the deduct your pay check and give the deduced money towards your membership fee. but after that it done that thats it. Also, RENT has always had a non union tour. Sometimes its been great sometimes it's not. But, that is dpendent on if its a good cast or not. Some years the cast is great like last years and some years it is not so great and only one or two people really stand out like this years current tour.

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I heard this will be the 90 minute version that was done in Vegas. That way they can have 2 shows a night and make twice the money, but the audience will only see a condensed version of the original show.

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Not to mention Amy Spanger and Simone.

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winston, the others are right. Rent has NOT always had a non-Equity tour. The non-Eq tours started in 2001 when the Benny tour (the last Equity tour) ended. There have been several legs of the non-Eq tour ever since. They've varied in quality, in my opinion. The thing I will say is that you can't make generalizations about non-Eq tours. Some are good, some are bad, just like with Equity tours. Every non-Eq tour of Rent I've seen has had some wonderful performers and a few not so wonderful. The current tour is the most consistently good one I've seen in years. There's one major exception but that's likely to change when the contracts are up.

Yes, they earn less, and, yes, the benefits aren't what they are in Equity, however, these kids are doing what they love and earning a decent salary while travelling the country. It's a good start for their careers. Many of them are just as good as current castmembers on Broadway. I've seen both. The non-Eq tour ticket prices for Rent are nowhere near the prices they are at the Neder. That MAY be true with other touring shows but it hasn't been my experience, and I know for a fact that it isn't with the Rent tour.

Lastly, the set is the same, the costumes are the same, and the band is the same. And Winston, you might try seeing this year's tour before making your opinion known.

Updated On: 6/25/06 at 09:00 AM

anyone know who is in the cast of this tour?

Is the non-equity tour what will be coming to San Diego? It will be here Jun 5-10, 2007

Will the Non-Eq tour have a website because right now the site for the tour only list the dates up until when the Eq tour ends.

Is there any official listing of future cities to be visited on the Non-Equity tour of Hairspray?