Posted: 2/23/19 at 5:42pm
Okay, I just found this here (x) It was a picture of maybe the tour Sandy and Spongebob.
Posted: 2/23/19 at 5:45pm
I read somewhere that it was a non equity tour, so it could very well be the spongebob and sandy of the tour.
This could also be just marketing and they are not involved with the show.
However, If the show is non equity, there won’t be any “names” in the cast..
Updated On: 8/17/19 at 05:45 PM
Posted: 2/23/19 at 6:06pm
Posted: 2/23/19 at 6:07pm
If the tour was going out Equity, they would be able to use photos from the Broadway production, so I think it's safe to assume it's going to be a non-Equity cast. (A non-Eq tour can't be advertised using photos of Equity actors). As Three Tall Women said, these could be promotional "models" hired to create a marketing assets. Similarly, Bandstand just released a TV commercial utilizing unknown actors.
ALSO: it's interesting that they have reverted to the pre-Broadway title, The SpongeBob Musical, instead of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical. I wonder why?
Updated On: 2/23/19 at 06:07 PM
Posted: 2/23/19 at 6:08pm
SomethingPeculiar said: "If the tour was going out Equity, they would be able to use photos from the Broadway production, so I think it's safe to assume it's going to be a non-Equity cast. (A non-Eq tour can't be advertised using photos of Equity actors). As Three Tall Women said, these could be promotional "models" hired to create a marketing assets. Similarly,Bandstandjust released a TV commercial utilizing unknown actors."
This is true. when the something rotten tour went non equity they did the same fake actor photo shoot thing
Posted: 2/23/19 at 6:16pm
Posted: 2/23/19 at 6:17pm
SomethingPeculiar said: "If the tour was going out Equity, they would be able to use photos from the Broadway production, so I think it's safe to assume it's going to be a non-Equity cast. (A non-Eq tour can't be advertised using photos of Equity actors). As Three Tall Women said, these could be promotional "models" hired to create a marketing assets. Similarly,Bandstandjust released a TV commercial utilizing unknown actors."
Ah, just read your post and I agree!
Posted: 2/23/19 at 6:25pm
\_(•_&bull
_/, I miss your dog avatar. All the signs of your former troll self -- gone! (Though your name looks like a conductor, so I hope you didn't 0rchestr@te any music......)
Posted: 2/23/19 at 10:06pm
Posted: 2/23/19 at 10:45pm
andrewftw said: "Okay, I just found this here (x) It was a picture of maybe the tour Sandy and Spongebob."
This almost looks photoshopped and/or CGI-ed. Kinda spooky IMHO. Incidentally, I LOVED the show in both Chicago and NYC. Fingers crossed that it tours to San Francisco. May have to check with my spies.
Posted: 2/23/19 at 11:10pm
Posted: 2/24/19 at 12:13am
RippedMan said: "It’s kind of crazy Nickelodeon is going non-equity! How are you going to tour this show on such a small budget to smaller markets? Makes no sense."
Do we actually know yet if it is non-equity? Also, I haven't heard about the budget. Please share if you have.
And only three venues have been announced so far.
Posted: 2/24/19 at 1:34am
RippedMan said: "It’s kind of crazy Nickelodeon is going non-equity! How are you going to tour this show on such a small budget to smaller markets? Makes no sense."
Non-Equity tours can still play the same venues as Equity tours (unfortunately). Sometimes ticket prices are even the same (unfortunately). The pay grade/quality of the actors is the only big difference.
Also: Nickelodeon lost a ton of money on the Broadway production, there aren't many family musicals on the road right now, and a tour can boost the value of the IP. And it's not like these roles are Dolly Levi –– they could be played by younger/less experienced performers. So, from strictly a business perspective, a non-Eq tour would make sense.
Posted: 2/24/19 at 2:55am
Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: Do we actually know yet if it is non-equity? Also, I haven't heard about the budget. Please share if you have.
And only three venues have been announced so far."
Here's the weird thing about that. Three venues have been announced, but two more venues have also announced Spongebob as part of their 2019/2020 season as well. The Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix,AZ and Eugene Center in Eugene,OR. If you go on Spongebob's website, those two aren't listed. I'm just wondering as to why that is. They've both been announced for a while.
Posted: 2/24/19 at 8:50am
It's def going out Non-Union and it's def. not cast yet. They haven't even had auditions.
Posted: 2/27/19 at 6:00pm
Posted: 2/27/19 at 6:32pm
Posted: 2/27/19 at 8:49pm
Joshua Boyd-Williams said: "Sho-Tunes-R-Us said:Do we actually know yet if it is non-equity? Also, I haven't heard about the budget. Please share if you have.
And only three venues have been announced so far."
Here's the weird thing about that. Three venues have been announced, but two more venues have also announced Spongebob as part oftheir 2019/2020 season as well. The Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix,AZ and Eugene Center in Eugene,OR. If you go on Spongebob's website, those two aren't listed. I'm just wondering as to why that is. They've both been announced for a while."
Were you including Oklahoma City In that total? It’s part of our 2019/2020 Season.
Posted: 2/28/19 at 4:06pm
FOR THE RECORD
Tour houses and presenters set ticket prices and are the ones who like to market "Direct from Broadway". Go for Them, NOT the show's lead producers.
A show being Equity or Non-Equity has no bearing on the initial investment in the physical production. Also, depending on the producer, it is not at all unusual for the cast to be non-union, while the musicians and stage crew are fully union, but that is a whole other conversation.
As far as actor pay goes, yes, non-union actors are not protected by the union's collective bargaining, HOWEVER, there are absolutely cases where an actor on a non-Equity tour contract is making equal pay or even more pay than an actor on a Union tour. There are many many factors at play other than pay in that choice as well.
An actor's ability has ZERO reflection upon their union status. (Though yes, certain producers tend to hire bargain basement...)
Posted: 8/16/19 at 2:40pm
Joshua Bess is in the cast, don't know which role, but he just came off a year touring with the RENT:20th Anniversary Tour, as "Roger", and he has an a-mazing voice. Just announced it on his IG.
Posted: 8/16/19 at 3:32pm
They start rehearsals next week so there will likely be a press release with casting from Networks early in the week; otherwise, keep eyes on social media and you'll see script photos start popping up.
Posted: 8/16/19 at 4:26pm
Excuse my ignorance--equity and non-equity.
Some choose to join a union, others don't. There is actors equity in Australia but don't know if it is compulsory to be a member to perform so you could all be in the same show, member or not. Not enough population to have 2 scenarios.
Why would you choose to be non-equity and from what I gather here--2nd rate, or have I got it all wrong?
Not that I agree with some of the supposed rorts of trade unions etc but an equity card for all performers seems a protection for everyone, not dividing the talent pool.
Why? and thanks for a reply.
Posted: 8/16/19 at 6:37pm
joshua bess has announced that he’s joining the tour on his instagram. he’s previously been roger in the 20th anniversary tour cast. kind of a strange shift in characters
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1MgPS4JE0M/?utm_source=ig_web_button_native_share
Posted: 8/16/19 at 6:57pm
SomethingPeculiar said: "\_(•_&bull_/,I miss your dog avatar. All the signs of your former troll self --gone! (Though your name looks like a conductor, so I hope you didn't 0rchestr@te any music......)"
I miss it too!!! Wasn't he wearing a Best Buy employee shirt? LOL
Posted: 8/16/19 at 7:00pm
There are specifications to joining Equity: acquiring 25 (or 50) "EMC Points", which you get by working as a non-Equity actor at an Equity theatre. Or, an Equity company can buy your card for you.
Some non-Equity actors feel they can get more work, albeit at a lower salary, so they hold off on getting their card. Many regional theatres throughout the country hire both Equity and non-Equity talents, and some only have limited Equity contracts. In addition to the benefits of being in a union, there are also union dues, and it's generally a higher-quality talent pool that you're competing against for roles.
I absolutely view non-Equity as second-rate. The actors are less experienced; the production values are frequently lower; the working conditions are not as good as Eq tours; and the ticket prices are sometimes (shockingly) the same as for an Equity tour. It's a cheap and greedy cash grab by opportunistic producers.
