Only 8 Performances — Page 2

I haven’t said that artists do more than 8 performances a week, but to use your unused understudies and employ more artists, sure this could work for Wicked, The Lion King and Hamilton.

Conversely this would not work for a star driven show such as Bette Midler’s Hello Dolly, where the majority of people didn’t go to see Hello Dolly, but to see Hello Dolly with Bette Midler. The demand was there to do more than 8 performances a week with grosses touching $3m a week, but unfortunate Bette couldn’t sustain more than 7 performances a week, so clearly it wouldn’t work for star turn shows.

Saying that as others have alluded to on here that cast do rehearsals to introduce new cast members, a star such as Bette wouldn’t do this.

Phantom of London said: "B.JAMES said: "For one,it's notChuck E. Cheese. There shouldn't be around the clock performances. As people have stated, supply and demand may have something to do with it. But more importantly, I think you are diminishing and underestimating the work that goes on before and after the actors take the stage. The laundry that needs to be done. Costumes that need sewn and repaired. Television appearances. Rehearsals for swings and understudies, etc.

I just want to be super annoying and make it clear that I am super appreciative of all the hard work that goes into making 8 shows happen. These people bust their butts."

Actors don’t really ‘work their butts’, when a show lasts a mere 80 minutes. Even then it’s not like they’re doing 12 hour shifts to get minimum wage."



I gave multiple examples, not just the actors efforts. And what show are we talking about that is 80 minutes, because the vast majority of them are not.

*eye roll*

I don't have a scientific survey in front of me, but I don't believe Phantom of London is right that "injuries are rare". Just because injuries aren't publicized like they were with SPIDERMAN doesn't mean they don't happen.

It varies with the show, of course, but there's a reason they have that system of multiple--and overlapping--understudies, stand-bys and swings. Putting on 25% more shows per week, much less 50%, would require hiring as much as 25%, or 50%, more cast members. And it would be hard to find quality performers for the additional cast if you only hired them for a peak month a couple of times per year.

I worked a long-running revue here in Palm Springs and we did as many as 10 shows per week, but only for a limited number of weeks in "high" season. And the show only ran 7 months of the year and there were LONG times of the show when the dancers weren't on stage. But even when we did extra shows, the cast still had to have two consecutive, full days off during that week.

It's popular to speak of unions as time- and money-wasters, but it is for issues like the health of the workers that unions are essential.

Fosse76 said: "GavestonPS said: "I don't have a scientific survey in front of me, but I don't believe Phantom of London is right that "injuries are rare". Just because injuries aren't publicized like they were with SPIDERMAN doesn't mean they don't happen."

Yeah, Phantom of London's claim was nonsense. Injuries happen all the time. They may not be severe, but that doesn't make them no less serious. Although the more severe injuries are much more common in dance shows, they are fast from rare."

Can you substantiate my claim was “nonsense”.

Actors have minor injuries, it’s an occupational hazard, like any job. However injuries are rare, I wouldn’t think Hamilton would get that many injuries? I am not necessarily saying actors do more than 8 performances a week, which I am getting tired of saying. I am saying employ more actors and revert back to 8 shows a week in the off season, give your artists their vacation there, even give them more vacation, if they have put additional performances.