Ushering A Broadway Show

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 7:51pm

I have always wondered what it was like ushering a Broadway show.


How do people get that job? Is it a lot of fun? Or is it boring? I was just curious...

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 8:00pm

i also wonder that!
i'd love to do it as a summer job or something, but what age are you allowed to be an usher at?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 8:02pm

I assume you have to be 16 or over because on the Broadway in Chicago usher application, it asks if you're over 16.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 8:40pm

Can anyone apply for the job, and does anyone know what the pay is like? I've always wondered.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 8:58pm

You need to be a member of the union.

And the dues aren't exactly cheap to join.

[WickedMuzzy422]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 9:07pm

Like Foanatic said, you need to join the union. It's been tough for me. I started submitting my app to Shubert about two years ago, constantly updating my info, and still no answer. Perhaps, it's cause i'm young.

I have ushered at the biltmore, though. That was fun. And I've worked a bunch of shows off-broadway. I suppose it's not entirely boring for me since I see a different show each time, so it doesn't get old. you should try it someday. you get to see the show for free!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 11:50pm

It helps to know someone--it can be competitive to get in. You'd want to apply with each theatre owner: Nederlander, Jujamcyn, etc.

You join the union after you get hired--after you work 30 performances. It is not an expensive union to join or to pay fees on. An usher basically brings home about $270 a week or $35 a show. Thus, very few ushers can live on ushering alone.

[LI Larry]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 12:22am

I've volunteered ushered at the roundabout which is always a lot of fun. Better to be downstairs though. I've always gotten really good seats and you see it for nothing.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 12:56am

This is what I know. Don't know if anything has changed.

Ushering for Broadway:
You can pick up an application at the Theater's Stage Door or wait til they post an ad (Playbill.com/jobs)
Pay is about $10 - $12 per hour.
Require "punch in" time is an hour before curtain.
You are expected to join the Union. $350approx in total. After a certain amount of performances you are required to pay $150approx. The rest you can pay off.
If you are a full time, you get premium pay if you work in the weekend and holiday pay.

Alternative:
You can be a sub. You can work a smaller amount of shifts and or no dedicated shifts and if an usher needs to miss a shift, he/she can call a sub to work that shift.

[PJ]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:05am

Like someone else said, you basically have to know someone who can get you the job. Otherwise, it's quite difficult.

And I can honestly say that after working at a Broadway show for a while, you become very jaded. It's no where near as glamorous as you may think.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 8:58am

You only have to join the union after doing 30 or so performances, but this doesn't always happen. I get paid about 40 dollars per show (usually net is $40.23). As for how I got the job, I knew someone who made a call and got me an appointment. I personally love ushering - I feel like I'm part of the show, almost, and I enjoy helping people out. I also enjoy politely lecturing rude audience members. It's gotten to the point where, if I see someone taking a flash picture in the street or something, I almost tell them photography is not allowed. But yes, I find it a lot of fun. And Jerby is right - you need to apply to the theatre groups like Shubert, Nederlander, etc. I work for Jujamcyn, and as a sub I can be put in any of their five houses. I'm usually at the St. James or the Hirschfeld, though.
Updated On: 9/1/06 at 08:58 AM

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:03am

Just don't do what I did. I was a "volunteer usher" for "Bright Lights, Big City" at it's NYTW premiere.

I was with a friend of mine, and after we got everybody seated, we sat near the back and watched the show. It was horrifyingly bad, and we were laughing hysterically. Unfortunately, we were seated next to the composer's mother. She complained, and the house manager reamed us a new one. I believe the words "You'll never usher in this town again" were uttered.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:16am

bwayleadman--things have changed I guess because much of that is not how things currently work.

-you pick up an application at the theatre chain's offices (nedelander, jujamcyn, etc.)

-you don't get paid hourly. you get paid for the performance

-as with equity, when you join, you pay an initiation fee. then, you have dues 4 times a year (currently $36.45) and 2% of your pay.

any usher, full time or sub, gets more money if you work on a sunday or a holiday. and vacation is paid every check-a percentage.

ushers can not call other ushers to work for them. at least, this is the way jujamcyn works. the manager call the sub list.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:23pm

"You join the union after you get hired--after you work 30 performances. It is not an expensive union to join or to pay fees on. An usher basically brings home about $270 a week or $35 a show. Thus, very few ushers can live on ushering alone."

After 30 performances, if you do not join the union, you are no longer permitted to work. The initiation fee is $350 (or something like that...), plus the quarterly annual dues. There is no additional 2% of pay, I'm not sure what jrb actor is talking about. It's not cheap, particularly if ushering is your only job (for whatever reason, and despite the above statement, most ushers have only that job, or occasionally supplement with another menial theatre job). Really the only way to be an usher is to know the head usher, or someone the head usher works with (and is a reliable employee). And then you'd only be hired as a sub (at first anyway). It's a difficult job to get if you don't know anyone, because there are friends of people who are already working in the theatre who are also trying to get those jobs. So in this case it really is who you know.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:38pm

check your paycheck, fosse. union ushers have 2% taken out of their paycheck.

compared to aea and other theatre unions, it is cheap.

most of the ushers I know have more than one job. there was a time when I was able to afford living off ushering alone but it depends on your current cost of living.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:51pm

"compared to aea and other theatre unions, it is cheap."

That's a false comparison, since the type of work is extremely different (that's like comparing insurance premiums of a nurse to that of a doctor, where of course one is higher than the other, but when not compared to the other is still expensive).

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 4:46pm

well, I'm sorry my comparison doesn't work for you. It worked for me when I joined. And, it's not like it's an option if you want to be a Broadway usher so what are we really quibbling over?

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 5:45pm

Can you switch from ushering one show to another show? Like in the Nederlander group, can you switch from like RENT to Hairspray or something or does it not work like that?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:53pm

Sub ushers usher shows within that organization's theatre, though working with the union office, ushers can possibly get work at other theatres.

Full time ushers usher one theatre only, but can usually make arrangements with other ushers via the manager to switch to see another show.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 10:10pm

Ushering for Broadway IS NOT a "need to know an insider to get the job" type of job.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 10:15pm

In most cases, it actually is.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/2/06 at 1:27am

"Ushering for Broadway IS NOT a "need to know an insider to get the job" type of job."

Ask ANY usher on Broadway how they got their job, and I guarantee you they'll say they got it through someone they knew.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/2/06 at 7:54am

shbrtalley- you lucky person for ushering at the Hirshfeld
that is my dream job haha
:)

[kenmarksnj]

Posted: 9/2/06 at 10:20am

ok so i work on the merchandising team at jersey boys and hairspray. we work harder than the ushers!

merchandise reps. arrive 1.5 hours before the show. so for an 8:00 show, i need to be there at 6:30.

we count the money, copy all of the figures from the previous night's ending totals onto a new sheet for the current day's starting totals.


we "run the line" on numerous deposits every night. then, we pull merchandise from the stock rooms if our counter is low.

restock all the counters, and THEN the house opens. we sell stuff until the show starts. restock on anything else we might need for intermission.

we make deposits at the banks in the area. we process deliveries and do inventory on all stock rooms every sunday.

so after we finish selling merchandise at the end of the show...

we have to count every last piece of merchandise that is in the counter and write all our numbers on a sheet. count all the money and total it in every denomination. see if we are short or over for the performance.

and THEN, we exit through the stagedoor. because by that time... 11:15, all other doors are closed.

not so easy, huh?

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 9/2/06 at 10:56am

Bway, do you love the house or the Wedding Singer?