Salary for the not-so-Misbegotten: Spacey's Hefty Paychecks

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:30am

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01102007/entertainment/theater/moon_and_star_theater_michael_riedel.htm

According to Riedel (say what you will), Kevin Spacey is trying to get a $25,000/wk paycheck with 10% of box office take over $350,000.

Thoughts? Is he worth it?

[D2]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:33am

Were Lane and Broderick worth $100,000 a week?

$25,000 - $100,000. Is anybody in any field worth that kind of money?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:37am

I'm more interested in what Riedel had to say about GREASE. He says that the producers are keeping their eyes on The Palace if LEGALLY BLONDE "goes the way of HIGH FIDELITY" since the tickets are selling so well and it's a much bigger theater than the Brooks Atkinson. It is true that they haven't *officially* announced a theatre yet. We shall see, I suppose.

Updated On: 1/10/07 at 08:37 AM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:39am

It makes it very difficult for a show to recoup. If the producers are willing to give it to him - if they think his name is big enough to do that kind of box office - it's their call.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:44am

Personally, I'd say at this point Kevin Spacey's name is about as big as Julianne Moore's. But MOON is a well-known play, so it has that going for it, even if it was here just 6 years ago.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:47am

Personally, I'd try to find someone else. But I'm not the producer.

Updated On: 1/10/07 at 08:47 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:07am

I agree with the Moore comparison completely.

Kevin is a well-respected star... not a "lines around the block" star.

Respect is worth $1.50.

Lines around the block are worth $35K a week, plus a cut.

[stephen3]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:44am

Personally, I've had it with the abject greed of "celebrities" in the theatre, which forces the rest of us to work for pennies on their dollar under these circumstances.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:02am

25k + 10% over 350k is market rate for a star in that role.

Kevin Spacey is a star.

He is also an egomaniacal horse's ass, but that is not the question.

This salary is built into the budget for the show. Breakeven could be 250-300 which is low and then having 50k or so per week net profit before a star's plus ten kicks in is reasonably good business.

Its what a star costs these days. Look at film and tv salaries and compare them to a Broadway salary.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:03am

You can't compare them - film and TV are completely different from theater. They have advertisers, studios, networks and huge budgets.

Updated On: 1/10/07 at 11:03 AM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:10am

I am actually parroting 'agent logic' on that last point. "They could be making X thousand on that tv series/movie, they have to make something approching that on this play."

Agent logic is often oxymoronic.

I'm not wild about salaries that high either, but that is what the demand is and producers pay it. Also Spacey is the raison d'etre for this production since he had a big success in London with it.

I'd rather see Mourning Becomes Electra myself.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:13am

Well I agree with that - the agent logic thing. I also find it laughable when people laud actors for coming to Broadway because it's a big "pay cut."

[Neverandy]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:17am

I just posted on the other thread-
Remember that thread a few weeks ago claiming that the leads in WIcked were getting 40k?
Just wanted to bring it up again.
HAHAHA

[kyle.]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:23pm

This is one of my favorite plays. I really hope Kevin does the Broadway run. I have always wanted to see him live. I only wish I could have seen Cherry as Josie.

I pray they have student rush of some kind.
Updated On: 1/10/07 at 07:23 PM

[Danielm]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:57pm

Cherry, Byrne and Dotrice were all fantastic. What a wonderful production.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:59pm

Ditto Danielm

[BobPopa]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:39pm

First of all Kevin Spacey was a theatre guy first. So its different then Hollywood people taking their first turn on stage on broadway

2nd, if someone is going to pay you it, then there is no reason..none..not to take it.

Its the same thing in entertainment or sports, if someone is willing to pay it, then someone is going to be willing to take it.

He had an extremely successful run in THE ICEMAN COMETH revival so dam* give him the money

I would be more likely to so Moon with Spacey the then without

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:44pm

He had an extremely successful run in THE ICEMAN COMETH revival so dam* give him the money

His run in COMETH was immediately following his Oscar win for American Beauty. Since then he's done............?

[keen on kean]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:47pm

That Bobby Darrin thing...

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:48pm

Actually, it preceded his Oscar win by months. According to ibdb and imdb, he played in Iceman from April 8th to July 17th 1999, while American Beauty didn't open until September 8th of that same year. His Oscar, then, wasn't awarded until February 2000.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:58pm

Oops.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:25am

He was in Superman.

I don't think it's outrageous, but I think they should look to see how tickets are selling first, and if they have any chance at awards, etc.

If Grease is selling tickets, where does one buy them if they don't have a theater yet? Just online?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:26am

http://www.ticketmaster.com

Updated On: 1/11/07 at 01:26 AM

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:51am

Of course, he was already somewhat of a "name" actor even then, having won a '91 Tony for Lost in Yonkers, a '95 Oscar for The Usual Suspects, and '98 Olivier for The Iceman Cometh. None of those honors really shot his status up like his Oscar for American Beauty did, however.