When a tour city cancels?

[Joshuabonnett]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 10:38am

Hi all -

Last week our venue in Louisiville was doing repairs on its metal roof. One of the construction workers was using a welder or a grinder that sparked a fire on the roof. The good news is the fire was fairly quickly contained and confined mostly to lobby and common space (no details of damage to the performance spaces have been reported).

But ... next week we were scheduled to have Waitress here for the week. The venue determined they could not accommodate, and Broadway Across America cancelled the show. Refunds are forthcoming - but my question is about the cast and crew.

When a show unexpectedly cancels one stop like this, is the cast and crew made whole, financially? I’m hoping the team isn’t left high and dry or have to apply for temporary unemployment. Figured somebody on here knows or may have experienced something like this. B

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 10:47am

Yes. They are still paid regardless. Not sure how Equity handles the unexpected vacation/break/time-off but the production still gets paid for the dates that were scheduled.

[rjm516]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 10:59am

^ yes I assume that's the kind of thing they take out insurance for

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 1:20pm

From the sounds of it from what the cast members have said it sounds like it's like a week's paid vacation. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 2:28pm

^good for them!! Hope Louisville will be able to get Waitress before the tour closes, though!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 3:31pm

Musicals that have large sets that require days to load-in and build in each city gives the production basically paid vacation breaks between cities.  

The 1996 1st US National Tour of SUNSET BLVD took 10 days to load-in and have the sets built at each stop so after every city the entire production had a solid 10 day paid break to enjoy their next city.  Many in the cast either continued staying at the city they were in (using their break per diem money as the show didn’t pay for their continued stay only their next city stay) or went home.  The show had a 2-3 month run in each city which validated the 10 day load-in time.   

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 3:36pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Musicals that have large sets that require days to load-in and build in each city gives the production basically paid vacation breaks between cities.

The 19961st US National Tour of SUNSET BLVD took 10 days to load-in and have the sets built at each stop so after every city the entire production had a solid 10 day paid break to enjoy their next city. Many in the cast either continued staying at the city they were in (using their break per diem money as the show didn’t pay for their continued stay only their next city stay) or went home. The show had a 2-3 month run in each city which validated the 10 day load-in time."

With the exception of long sit downs, set tours are now built to come down in one city on a Sunday and be up and ready by Tuesday afternoon in the next city.

 

Updated On: 6/21/18 at 03:36 PM

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 4:53pm

JSquared2 said:"...With the exception of long sit downs, all set tours are now built to come "down in one city on a Sunday and be up and ready by Tuesday afternoon in the next city."

While I'm certain that's almost always the case, I recall that Hamilton saying that they were building touring sets in both SF and LA and would "leapfrog" each other to alternate cities. That may have been just for the first go-around, and the set may have been designed for a 2 day turnaround with the second used for the second tour this year.

However, your point remains. The economics now are such that they can't afford those extra days for load out/in and the productions are designed for it. ...but "all" is always a dicey adjective. Updated On: 6/21/18 at 04:53 PM

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 5:06pm

Call_me_jorge said: "^good for them!! Hope Louisville will be able to get Waitress before the tour closes, though!"

The tour isn't closing anytime soon. 

[Tag]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 5:07pm

^It's called a jump set.  Phantom (original) and Lion King used to use them in their heyday.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 5:29pm

What an interesting thread!  (Seriously)   I'm not sure I would have thought that was the answer!   I have to ask: whose insurance is covering this?  The production?  The venue?   The construction company?

 

What a shame for the theater and its patrons.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 5:32pm

Tag said: "^It's called a jump set. Phantom (original) and Lion King used to use them in their heyday."

Thanks Tag! Learn something new every day (hopefully) Updated On: 6/21/18 at 05:32 PM

[Jakeevan942]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 5:53pm

Hamilton may be the exception, but most of the large tours today (Wicked, the reimagined Phantom, the new Lion King tour, Aladdin) use a variation on the full jump set. Instead of duplicating the entire show, they just duplicate the first 3-4 trucks of equipment that need to go into the theater. 

Instead of needing a full week to install a full jump set, the advance set arrives on Monday. The rest of the set comes from the previous city to be loaded in on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is why the large tours will generally start a city on Wednesday, versus a smaller tour which starts on Tuesday, without an advance set.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/21/18 at 9:58pm

Tag said: "^It's called a jump set. Phantom (original) and Lion King used to use them in their heyday."

Exactly, Tag, none of this is new. A CHORUS LINE (surprisingly more complicated than it looked from the house because Michael Bennett demanded the original Broadway set--built for a long, long run--be duplicated at each stop) did so in the 1970s, as did EVITA, IIRC.

Bottom line: if you are the Show of the Decade (ACL, PHANTOM, HAMILTON, etc.), you can afford to build two sets (or partial sets) and jump them during the early national tours.

Less successful Broadway shows, and later bus-and-trucks of even the biggest hits, are scaled down to be struck, trucked, and set up again in a day or two. Hence, ROBBER BRIDEGROOM (1977-8) toured the upper Midwest in winter, with a single set, which I'm told didn't always get put up in time for an opening. SWEENEY TODD left the "foundry" behind when it went on the road.

[LesMisRulz]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 12:52am

mailhandler777 said: "Call_me_jorge said: "^good for them!! Hope Louisville will be able to get Waitress before the tour closes, though!"

The tour isn't closing anytime soon."

The Kentucky Center for the Arts representatives announced they are refunding patrons for the cancellation, but they do not plan to reschedule the show in the near future. The 2018-19 season has already been announced and a waiting list exists.

As a Broadway series season subscriber at the Center, I consider it very disappointing but understandable due to the timing. Fortunately, I am heading to New York in a few weeks and have added the show to my list. However, I realize a similar solution is sadly not possible for most.

 

Updated On: 6/22/18 at 12:52 AM

[musicaltheatrechick]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 9:54am

When the tour cancels a location, does the cast and crew go ahead and go to the next city after the cancelled one? Or do they get a vacation in that cancelled city?

[trpguyy]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 10:07am

dramamama611 said: "What an interesting thread! (Seriously) I'm not sure I would have thought that was the answer! I have to ask: whose insurance is covering this? The production? The venue? The construction company?"

This is something that will likely be answered by lawyers and arbitrators, but I imagine the bulk of it would fall on the construction firm assuming everything else in the building was up to code.

Updated On: 6/22/18 at 10:07 AM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 10:14am

musicaltheatrechick said: "When the tour cancels a location, does the cast and crew go ahead and go to the next city after the cancelled one? Or do they get a vacation in that cancelled city?"

There isn't one answer to this question, as this kind of stuff changes on a case-by-case basis. In the case of Waitress, the company was offered transportation to and from their Point of Origin, as if it were a scheduled layoff. I imagine that if someone didn't actually have a place to go "home" to, they'd have the option of staying in the current city or going to the next city and receiving appropriate per diem. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 10:18am

I was told they stay in the city due to the accommodations arranged far in advance. The following city’s accommodations were also arranged far in advance as the odds of finding last-minute accommodations for the large crew is slim.  I’m sure many will use this break to go home (saving their per diem money).  Overall, it sucks for people who bought tickets but an expected plus for the cast and crew for this unexpected paid vacation break.   

[ggersten]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 3:46pm

Lawyer answer here:  The producers and/or the event site could purchase "event cancellation" insurance.  Major concert tours generally purchase this (it cost one insurer quite a bit of money when a Michael Jackson tour got cancelled).  If the cancellation was caused by a third party - such as a contractor whose negligence caused a fire, for example - then the insurer providing the cancellation insurance might make a claim against that third party for reimbursement.  The event site's property insurer likely provides "business interruption" insurance which may pay the event site for the lost rent from the cancellation.  Keep in mind that the loss to the producers/event site is not just the extra expense for paying the cast/crew, nor just the lost income from tickets already purchased, but all the expected other ticket sales as well as ancillary income from concessions and merchandise, which could get a bit contentious in the negotiations.

[David10086]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 8:06pm

On a similar note, what happens when a tour closes down while touring (for whatever reason)? Do the cities who were planning on it coming through their venue have a back-up plan ? Or is that week or two (or more) lost for the venue?

If I'm not mistaken, didn't the first US tour of SUNSET BLVD close up shop mid-tour, due to expenses?

So what happened to the venues who were left with no show?

[ggersten]

Posted: 6/22/18 at 10:20pm

David10086 said: "On a similar note, what happens when a tour closes down while touring (for whatever reason)? Do the cities who were planning on it coming through their venue have a back-up plan ? Or is that week or two (or more) lost for the venue?

If I'm not mistaken, didn't the first US tour of SUNSET BLVD close up shop mid-tour, due to expenses?

So what happened to the venues who were left with no show?"

Lawyer answer: It depends.  (1) is there cancellation insurance for the venue and what does it actually cover (2) what does the contract between the venue and the producer say? There likely is some provision - it may be a "liquidated damages" provision which sets forth the amount the producers must pay the venue, no less and no more.  I'm guessing that the contracts do have a provision or someone is not doing their job correctly!   (3) the venue can try to minimize its damages/loss - and may be obligated to try in the absence of a liquidated damages provision - with such revenue decreasing the amount owed by the producer. 

In short, the lawyers for the venue and the lawyers for the producers will bill lots of hours trying to resolve the dispute, with some accountants also earning fees.