What Shows Are Going Non-Equity for 11/12? - Page 2

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 1:19am

Mamma Mia is indeed now under the SETA contract. They discussed this at the meeting Equity held back in the fall about the Production Tiers and SETA contracts. Of course many of what I would term the "old guard" were complaining about the terms of the SETA contract, but, as was pointed out, without that contract Mamma Mia would almost certainly have gone non-Equity this year. With the SETA contract they were able to keep it under Equity jurisdiction this season and possibly another season or two. However, as far as I'm concerned, even keeping it this season was a win for Equity members.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 1:29am

They scaled stuff back? What exactly has been scaled down? The set is already pretty simple. I am seeing it in May. It's returning to my city for the FOURTH time and it's not even a special engagement. It was part of the regular subscription series...

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 10:44am

The set is smaller and now is more "block" like... it's not rounded like the original design. The automation is, I believe, gone, and the taverna pieces are moved by ensemble. The deck is smaller.

Even the second national that's been around the last few years was dramatically scaled down from the original tour (which still had a full size taverna, the original giant moon, the hydraulic lift board walk, a huge deck (which was raked), and the full lighting truss for the finale).

I get having to decrease size for moving the show, but it is unfortunate that they changed the shape of the taverna pieces... looks dramatically different to me.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 12:01pm

I found some pictures of the new set. Wow. There are no words for this. The tavern pieces are outright HIDEOUS. Why would they change the shape? The original show had a simple, but elegant and sleek design. This is just tacky.

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 12:15pm

Agree. When compared to Toronto/Tour One, and even Tour Two... it's just... bad.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 12:17pm

I remember how much I loved the way they moved the steps and opened the doors so it would look like a window in a room, but I can't see them doing that with these walls that are no more than a bundle of cubes and blocks.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 2:18pm

So it wasn't just me then. I saw this tour of Mama Mia and I kept thinking that it looked kind of sparse and cheap.

[DvnMichael]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 2:40pm

The non-equity tour of Spring Awakening was in Huntsville Friday night. The show has a lot of rookie cast members in it anyways, so it still works. The set seemed a bit scaled down from the production that was in Atlanta last year...And the show didn't use hydraulics...which was explained by the on-stage seating coordinator...who also doubles at the understudy for the adult women. It would apparently take another truck and 4 additional technicians to run the few scenes where the stage rises and drops. The swinging of the platform during "I Believe" was really the only place where it was kinda missed for me. She said the show only uses 2 trucks now.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:27pm

^ I saw the non-equity in January. One of the best shows and casts I have seen. This tour totally blew the first touring company out of the water. I actually liked the scaled back set. I thought it worked much better for the show.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:29pm

Excuse my ignorance, what does Equity/Non Equity actually mean?

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:33pm

Is 9 TO 5 been confirmed to be going non equity?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 5:27pm

Phantom, it essentialy means Union / Non-Union.

I have yet to see the current Spring Awakening tour, but I WILL say that while I enjoyed the Broadway lighting design, I thought a "smaller" Spring Awakening off-Broadway seemed somehow more... appropriate. It seems that this tour is able to capture a bit of that..

As far as Mamma Mia goes, I have read through the SETA contract and can see why it angers the "old guard", but I honestly find that to be a good thing... and the new items introduced in the SETA contract to be for the better.
The physical model for this tour was first used, if I recall correctly, on the second Australian tour. It is hideous. The curved walls are what make the design workable, and quite frankly, in genious. I'd be curious to read the tech riders for the original 2nd National tour, revised 2nd National tour and this tour to see how much is REALLY saved in load in and trucking. To be honest, I enjoy the 2nd National's physical production, and though I was not fond of the "automationless taverna walls" (I detested the new ladders and handles for moving them), I was okay with it because that is how the walls were when it first opened in London. The new ones are ugly and take away the beauty of the design, the cleverless of it's use and rob the show of several of the fun moments and sight gags.
IMO, they should have kept the curved walls and saved truck and load in space by cutting the 3 inch(ish) show deck and replacing it with a roll out dance floor. They had already cut all automation and the 2nd National has (sadly) never included the light up stone work, so there was no real purpose to retaining the deck, which takes up quite a bit of room.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 5:37pm

I guess 'Non-Union' production costs are a lot lower than 'Union', this is the bit I don't understand; why would a producer/s want to do a 'Union' production, after all they want to recoup and go into a profit margin as soon as possible?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 6:02pm

Be VERY careful opening that can of worms.. lol..

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 7:11pm

Being British, I really not sure what you are saying?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 9:22pm

I am seeing the tour of Mamma Mia! in May. I like the show and the original set is one of my favorite sets ever so I am not sure about this one. I agree with broadwayguy, the scale backs to an already simple set are just not a good idea. The automation is what made the set changes so sleek and almost cinematic.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 9:47pm

Sadly automation also adds in the most expense and time in load ins and will always be the first thing to go when attempting to cut costs.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 10:37pm

^ sad, but true. They still could have kept the same curvey tavern units though.

[julesboogie]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 3:19am

Sad to say but Shrek is definitely going non eq. Networks will have it i believe. It will no longer be Dreamworks presents... And it will also no longer be good.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 6:25am

^ source?

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 11:30am

Saw the tour in Chicago of SHREK and... well... hated it. Mind you, I hated it on Broadway too.

But the audience response was tepid and I didn't think they'd get more than a year-year and a half of bookings of an Eq tour. THe show was (to their credit) still a rather large physical production. Can't be cheap to tour. I think it'll benefit by going non Eq, from a longevity point of view, and I don't think it'll make it any less "good."

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 11:50am

I don't know how Shrek would survive Non-Eq. It's a big production.

[julesboogie]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 3:22pm

@ bwayphreak My source is my source. Youll just have to settle for my word... or not. But by the end of this year...there will not be an equity tour of that show around anymore.

@tourboi I gotta disagree. I think it will be "less good". Where are you going to find a non eq girl who sings as well as Burton? There arent many equity girls who can hold a candle to that girl. Just my opinion...but the quality of the costumes/makeup and talent will decline. Less money spent dictates.

@ rippedman Dont know if it will survive either...but

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 4:47pm

The quality won't decline because they'll be exactly the same costumes... when shows go non eq the non eq producers usually buy the existing sets, costumes, etc.

As for Haven, yeah, I agree. She was the brightest spot. However... there's just as many uber talented girls who might not have their precious equity card yet. To suggest that only people with Equity cards have a talent like that is, kind of, naive. I've worked both ends of the spectrum and sometimes you're right, and sometimes you're very mistaken. A card doesn't dictate talent or ability.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 5:22pm

Youll just have to settle for my word...

I will take your word for it :). I guess it would only make sense since it has already played all at the major cities this season.