Non-Equity shows in a Broadway Series

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:20pm

This is an issue that I would like to talk about. Us here on BWW seem to be split on this topic.

A lot of people think that it is false advertising and/or fooling the public to put a non-equity tour in a 'Broadway Series'. My personal opinion is that if it's a non-equity tour with staging based on a former Broadway/Equity production then it is perfectly fine to label it at as a 'Broadway Show'. Theatre is theatre. If it's based not based off of any major production, I feel like it is community theatre on the road. That's not to say that it is bad, but audiences should be aware that it is an 'all new production'. It is still fine to put in a Broadway series, but audiences deserve to know that this technically is not a major production.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:22pm

If the show was on Broadway, then it can be part of a "Broadway Series". Equity/Non is the pool of actors they can choose from.

[singtopher]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:23pm

I say Mary Lou Smith in Pigeon Forge, TN doesn't know the difference between an equity and non-equity tour so do what you have to to sell her the ticket.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:25pm

A "Broadway show" is a "Broadway show" ...... sort of like a "hamburger" is a "hamburger" even if you don't know the quality of the meat.

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 08:25 PM

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:26pm

Singtopher:
HAHAH! Sorry I'm laughing at that because I live 45 minutes from there, and I know someone who lives in Pigeon Forge named Mary Lou Smith. She works at Dollywood. (The broadway tours actually come to Knoxville though).

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 08:26 PM

[singtopher]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:40pm

Does she know the difference?

[nydirector2]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:33pm

It's a Broadway SERIES. It's not BROADWAY. How many times have you heard even high school theatres say, "We're doing the Broadway musical ________" It doesn't mean they're claiming to be Broadway quality...it's just an adjective to describe a show. I still don't know why people make such a big deal out the use of the word Broadway...you know, only like 2 ("Broadway")theatres are even actually ON Broadway. And...the road runs from the tip of Manhattan all the way to Upstate New York...so it's not some magical thing that people make it out to be.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:40pm

singtopher I've never really asked her about Broadway, she just screams at dollywood-ers on her microphone about safety rules when before she presses the magic button that makes the dizzy disc operate.

[Jenna Maroney]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:43pm

"It's funny, I actually played Peter Pan on Broadway. Did you know there's a Broadway Street in Tampa?"

Ahem.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:48pm

Did you know there is a Broadway street in Knoxville? Did you know that it is a scary a$$ part of town and my mother left her laptop in the trunk of her car with the trunk door open (literally open) while we were at the Walgreens on Broadway at 11:30 at night?

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 09:48 PM

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:31pm

The problem is that the non-Equity tours which are included in the various Broadway series are often billed as "direct from Broadway" or in some other similar manner. Audiences are expecting to see actors who have performed on Broadway and/or the top tier regional theatres. This is not to say that being an Equity tour automatically makes it a better show, or being non-Equity automatically makes it a worse show, but there is definitely a misleading air to much of the advertising concerning non-Equity tours that are presented alongside Equity tours.

Equity and the League have made great strides in attempting to keep Equity actors working, i.e. the tiered touring contract. There is little excuse now for any show to go out on its first national as non-Equity while being presented alongside other tours that are actually under the jurisdiction of the union.

[jejr]

Posted: 6/17/09 at 12:29am

The non Equity tour of "Ave Q" will play here in Buffalo in October. I know a number of people who missed it when it played at the big theater in downtown Buffalo and will go to this production. It will be part of the season the the University special events season. The prices for tickets are a little less than the Equity tour, but not much. It will only be here for 2 nights. I've heard that they will use the original tour set and puppets.

It should be a little obvious that this is not the first class tour, in fact some people have said that it must be a student production since its at UB.

Most people don't care if it is a non Equity tour - in fact they don't know what Equity is.

I hope it will be a decent production, but it won't be great without Rob McClure.
Updated On: 6/17/09 at 12:29 AM

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/17/09 at 4:37pm

I definitely don't agree with non-eq tours saying 'Direct From Broadway'. Even equity tours shouldn't say that. It makes it sound like they took the exact same cast, set, crew, props ect... from the broadway house and put it on the road. Neither equity tours or non-equity tours do that.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 6/17/09 at 9:38pm

I have no problem with this. It's advertising, and that always means there are a few white lies involved. I don't care. I've seen some wonderful non-equity tours that were just as good as a lot of equity tours.