Touring Cast Absences

I've noticed a trend that unless it's the first date of a tour run, there is at least one or more understudies on. This seems to be more than on Broadway.

How many days off do touring actors usually get off, besides travel and Mondays?

One trend I've noticed touring performers posting about is that, frequently, their "day off" is spent traveling. One of the ensemblists in the Hadestown tour posted on Instagram about being exhausted since they didn't really have any time to rest between the Sunday show in Kansas City to the Tuesday show in Madison, WI.

The next time the cast has an extended break in the schedule of zigzagging across the Midwest is from 6/12-6/26 and then 7/2-9/12 - which is many months away.

No. People need to understand touring is a lot. Yes they signed up for it, but most of the time-again, *most* of the time, I have seen very good attendance from the performers. Traveling takes a toll and ALSO most are not used to that. Give them a break. Don't just say "suck it up".

hearthemsing22 said: "No. People need to understand touring is a lot. Yes they signed up for it, but most of the time-again, *most* of the time, I have seen very good attendance from the performers. Traveling takes a toll and ALSO most are not used to that. Give them a break. Don't just say "suck it up"."

You're absolutely right that touring is a lot. That's why a lot of people aren't cut out for it and that's fine. But performing in a touring show isn't just about getting up on stage and doing the show--you have to be able to have hardly any off time with lots of travel days included. And that's completely fine if you can't do that, but it's part of the job requirement, so if you can't handle that part of it, don't do the job. If I wasn't okay commuting an hour each way for work, I wouldn't take a job an hour away. The travel and the things you have to do to get ready for a job are part of the job.

And sorry if this was unclear, but I wasn't at all trying to say they can't use their sick days--of course they can. I was referring to the complaining about not having more days between tour stops, etc.

I believe touring casts are more susceptible to catching Covid, due to the nature of traveling so often. They have to get on a plane with random’s and don’t travel within a bubble.

I wonder how much longer equity is going to require the Covid tests and what not.

Call_me_jorge said: "This doesn’t really have anything to do with the main topic, but something of note is that AEAs current unite the road campaign raises the issue that on some tours the cast, crew, and orchestra don’t get a true rest day. If, for example, they have consecutive 1 week stops they are always traveling on their one day off from the show. The argument is a travel day should not be the same as a rest day, or something across those lines.

I’m curious what the remedy to this would look like. I know for the larger tours, like Wicked and The Lion King, they can take up to the next Wednesday for performances to begin. So, the actors technically have Monday and Tuesday off. Obviously not all tours are able to afford this, especially when they’re doing single week engagements."

I agree, I feel like schedules can definitely change! The only thing I can think of is that less people would be happy with a Wednesday tour production matinee. I'm not sure they'd sell enough tickets?

Call_me_jorge said: "This doesn’t really have anything to do with the main topic, but something of note is that AEAs current unite the road campaign raises the issue that on some tours the cast, crew, and orchestra don’t get a true rest day. If, for example, they have consecutive 1 week stops they are always traveling on their one day off from the show. The argument is a travel day should not be the same as a rest day, or something across those lines."

That's a great idea in theory, but then these productions almost assuredly lose a performance and lose a day's ticket sales when they're already struggling right now. So the only way this could work is if the actors agree to pay cuts in exchange for the rest day, which we know Equity will never agree to.

ColdClimateDude said: "Giving the cast an extra "rest" day between tour stops is good, in theory. TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL just arrived in MN and while productions often start on Tuesday, this one opened on a Wednesday with a built-in Thursday matinee. Opening night, both Tinas were out (one is on extended leave and the other was ill/not available), and so the u/s for both had to go on. The entire matinee had to be canceled because she couldn't do two shows in a day the following day. My friends even said on Wednesday there were cast members wearing masks onstage -- which I've never heard of before."

Masks onstage isn’t common but does happen.

Add in, tours play FOUR shows every weekend. Every weekend, aka, the end of their work week, is the longest haul they have each week. It’s a difficult schedule. I plan my subscriptions on Saturday matinee’s as most leads are on then since it’s normally a very well sold performance. That being said, the schedule is so tricky especially with Covid, there are so many factors to why a performer may be out.

Broadway61004 said: "quizking101 said: "One trend I've noticed touring performers posting about is that, frequently, their "day off" is spent traveling. One of the ensemblists in the Hadestown tour posted on Instagram about being exhausted since they didn't really have any time to rest between the Sunday show in Kansas City to the Tuesday show in Madison, WI."

I don't mean to sound insensitive here, but that's what they signed up for. That's literally how just about every tour has worked for at least the past 25 years. Not at all saying it isn't difficult or that either working or traveling all 7 days a week isn't exhausting, but if you don't want to or simply can't handle that, don't do a tour. It's part of what you sign up for when you take the job, so complaining about it now isn't going to elicit much sympathy."

Yes, it's not 25 years ago. Contracts for touring are very different post-Covid. Don't expect it to be the same ever again.

ColdClimateDude said: "Giving the cast an extra "rest" day between tour stops is good, in theory. TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL just arrived in MN and while productions often start on Tuesday, this one opened on a Wednesday with a built-in Thursday matinee. Opening night, both Tinas were out (one is on extended leave and the other was ill/not available), and so the u/s for both had to go on. The entire matinee had to be canceled because she couldn't do two shows in a day the following day. My friends even said on Wednesday there were cast members wearing masks onstage -- which I've never heard of before."

That's interesting. I saw Tina recently (Naomi Rodgers was incredible) and there are two Tina understudies listed.



What RippedMan said is a good point because I walked away thinking Tina probably takes a similar toll as a role like Effie White. Both are vocally and physically demanding roles. When I saw Dreamgirls on the West End, Effie was shared by three actresses (Marisha Wallace, Moya Angela, and Karen Mav). Their schedules were posted online and it seemed like a great move for a role like Effie.

Updated On: 3/4/23 at 10:23 PM

Actors Equity has approved an impending strike for actors on touring contracts with the broadway league. Unless the league is able to come to an agreement with AEA actors will likely strike. When that will be is still TBD.

The understudy for Heidi Blickenstaff, Bligh Voth was absolutely phenomenal in JAGGED LITTLE PILL.