Sunday in the Park with George at The Axelrod Performing Arts Center — Page 2

Broadway Flash said: "Okay well a cheap production at a theatre that normally does community theatre."

Having worked there since it's close for me, they turned professional in 2017. Prior to that they did community theater. They're allowed a few equity contracts, otherwise everyone else is non-equity. They rehearse for 3 weeks in NYC, then a week of tech at the theater followed by a 3 week run. All acotrs are houses in Asbury Park. Some of their shows have bombed(La Cage, The Prom).



When they did community theater, their shows frequently won several awards(West Side Story, Rent, 42nd St). So don't knock a theater company without knowing it's history.

Often, smaller non-union professional or community theaters with aspirations of growing will use Equity special appearance or guest artist contracts to employ one or two AEA members for a show. It gradually can ease them into them into becoming full union theatres. Axelrod used Guest Artist contracts when it was starting out, as well- I’m not sure if they’ve since gone fully union, though.

Just to be clear, I was not talking about Axelrod. I was talking about the American Theatre Group’s production of A little night music starring Kate Baldwin and directed by Hunter Foster.

I don't know if Eamon Foley had to seek permission per se to utilize the ballet dancers. The ballet dancers have no speaking lines. My understanding has always been that only music and line changes need official approval. Choreogr as phy, blocking, adding in extra side characters as long as they don't speak - they say this is all at the directors discretion and imagination. They said at the box office that several years sgo Foley sent some video of his plan to the late Sondheim to get his opinion. Steve liked it. Had he disapproved, I would think Foley would've dropped the idea, though legally he could've done whatever. I then asked how long this production has been worked on for. The answer was that Foley has been working on this for 10 years. Wow. Presumably on and off. Eamon graduated from Princeton University 10 years ago. I would think most would say it was worth the wait, a masterpiece of a show, a kaleidoscope of art and form and timeless music that Seraut would applaud.