What Shows Are Going Non-Equity for 11/12? — Page 3

I work for NETWorks. Last I heard SHREK was staying equity but dropping a few tiers down to SETA.

sigh

Worklight Productions will have HEIGHTS.

Rock of Ages is going Non Equity. 11/12
http://www.playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/35681.html

Memphis is going to be a SETA tour this fall.
http://www.playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/35732.html

^ The whole show will most likely go non-equity. I don't think I have ever heard of a non-equity and equity tour of the same show running at the same time.

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Here's proof that Networks is indeed taking over Shrek the musical.


Broadway Detroit

I don't think people questioned SHREK being taken over by NETworks. What was in question was its Equity status. And someone here who works with NETworks indicated that it was going out SETA.

Non-Equity this July? Wow, that's quick

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Going to have to disagree simply based on the simple economics and realities of the road in our current climate.

It's harder and harder to get guarantees high enough to cover the costs of a full production contract on the road, and many first nationals are having to do what was unthinkable for first nationals years ago and that's suppliment their route with split weeks (IE, South Pacific has done a few split weeks, Xanadu had to do a split week or two, etc). First national, right out of the gate tours.Production contracts don't allow for that flexibility.

Also, actors on tiered contracts receive overage compensation (IE Profit Share) if the show turns a profit in each city. That's not such a bad deal.

I know several actors who have done SETA and Tiered tours and said that because of the overages, they've often made more than they would on a regular contract.

Sure, a WICKED could go out full production contract. But not every show, even Best Musical winners, can fetch those prices from presenters.

Take SPRING AWAKENING. Best Musical. It's first national went tiered, and most presenters lost a lot of money on that show. Had that one gone production contract, they'd have been lucky to book 10 weeks and the tour never would have happened.

I understand the actor frustration about getting paid less... but a lot of times there's a reason for going tiered. It's not always about "greed."

Updated On: 3/12/11 at 01:26 AM

On the South Pacific website it mentions that this new production is "based off of the 2008 Lincoln Center Revival" as well as it does in the video montage. I wonder how much NETworks is going to butcher this as well as Young Frankenstein and Shrek. I also noticed that Mary Poppins was on the NETworks site. Does that mean it's going non equity or just labeled as a producer?

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I believe (could be wrong) the current tour of MAMMA MIA is still under Judy Craymer/Littlestar, and that Worklight simply holds the non eq touring rights for the non eq tour (which will probably go out when this third national equity tour wraps up).

And yes, NETworks was always producing the SOUTH PACIFIC tour, even when it was Equity. From what i've heard the changes won't be drastic. They MIGHT lose the plane (although there were several stops on the Equity tour where they didn't have the plane, because it didn't fit backstage), and the deck will be a roll up floor, and it'll be a few feet shorter. Nothing major.

Here's the thing... If you're making 650-850 a week, PLUS getting a per deum (NON TAXABLE) to cover your living expenses (hotel and what not) how are you struggling? How are you not making anything? That's still more than a lot of Americans.

And seasoned actors won't do tiered tours? Tell that to Dee Hoty and Diana DiGarmo, currently on the Tiered 9 to 5. Sure, they're making more than the minimum. But they're doing a tiered tour.

Touring life CAN be grueling, it can also be quite comfortable. In the touring world (which I'm obviously a part of) there's a saying: There's two types of person. Those who can tour. Those who can't. Many find it quite comfortable, and yes... easy.

And you missed my terminology: I said PRESENTERS want to turn profits. REmember that producers need the show to RECOUP before they earn a dime of profit. Profit in a city is not profit for the overall run of the tour.

And yes, bringing cast (AND road management! It's not just actors.) salaries down DOES help tremendously.

Here's how touring works in the Broadway world:

A Presenter (or Theatre) needs a show for their season. They book a show a Producer is putting together to send out.

The Producer charges the presenter a guarantee, which is based on how much the show costs to run each week with a little (and I stress the word LITTLE) extra for a set "profit" to go towards recouping.

IF (big if) the Presenter sells enough tickets to reach "overage/profit" for themselves (more income than the cost of the guarantee, local marketing costs, local union costs, etc) then that is split between producer and presenter (and on tier and SETA contracts, actors also get a piece of the pie).

Here's the problem. Producers USED to be able to send out tours on full production contracts. Guarantees were higher and they could pay everyone Broadway rates. It was a magical, special time.

These days the economy is in the toilet, subscriptions are shrinking as people tighten their money belts. Presenters can't afford high guarantees anymore. Producers NEEDED to bring down those guarantees. And thus the Tier and SETA tours were born. People think it's all producer greed... it's not. Plain and simple. And if you think that it's just the actors that took a "hit" you're just not right.

As for the quality being less. Last year I did work on a SETA tour. We had hundreds of die hard fans coming to see it everywhere. And a majority said the same thing to me night after night: "Better than Broadway."