Working at Bway Theatres

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 6:37pm

When you work at a Broadway Theatre such as the Neil Simon, does that mean you work for the Neil Simon or for Hairspray? Does it just depend on the job? So if you sell merchandise, you work for Hairspray, but ushering is for the theatre. What is correct?

Updated On: 8/29/03 at 06:37 PM

[luluhed]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 6:45pm

When you work at a theatre, as in managing, ushering, box office, etc., you work for the house and not the production. You'd work there no matter what show was currently occupying the house. Whereas those who work for the production, such as cast, crew, creative team, producers, etc. are only working there for the length of the run. Hope this helps!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 6:46pm

I meant more merchandise retailers and people like that.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 6:47pm

If you sell merch for the show, you work for the company which supplies the merchandise. If you're an usher, you're part of the union... it all breaks down.

[luluhed]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 6:49pm

The merchandising people are usually brought in by the production and not the house.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 7:17pm

what's the relative pay for merchandising versus ushering/house managing? i've often daydreamed about chucking it all, moving to NYC, and doing that just to see more shows.

[DavidMegg]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 7:52pm

I have a friend who used to work for a company (I can't remember the name) who did the merchandising for Jekyll and Hyde and a few others.
The show (i.e. producers, etc.) contract out a company to distribute the merchandise at the show. On any given week, he would work at up to 4 shows, selling stuff.
So, in that respect, those people work for the show. But if I'm not mistaken, there are only a handful of companies like that, so let's say you work for them and all the shows that they sell stuff for close, it's only a matter of time before a new show "hires" that company to sell THEIR stuff.
-d.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 7:58pm

I think it was amneris who said she works at 2 shows. Does that mean the same company sells their merch?

[DavidMegg]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 8:02pm

Yes, unless she works for Disney, in which case maybe they only use themselves for their 3 shows... I don't know how that works, but yes, if she works for 2 different shows, in reality, she's probably working for 1 company that does more than 1 show.
Maybe just PM her... it would be a lot easier.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 8/29/03 at 8:05pm

I will, but I am not just talking about her. Who here works at a theatre? What do you do?

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 8/30/03 at 7:44am

My best friend works as a bartender for the Nederlander Theatres. She's usually at the Richard Rodgers, but if a show closes there, they move her to a different theatre in the meantime.

[Amneris]

Posted: 8/30/03 at 11:02am

i know the neder bar people! i love them! whos your friend? we have some cool bartenders at hairspray. In answer to your question, we work for the PRODUCERS of hairspray since they do the merch. Same for Little Shop..same producers. I love them. They treat us a heck of a lot better than show property. I think I heard ushers make $40-$45 a show plus weekly money for inserts in playbills... but they have to pay their union dues. Depending on which merch company you work for..all their pay scales are different.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 8/30/03 at 1:55pm

My friend was a non-union usher at Urinetown for a while. She made $35 a show if she stayed the entire time and $25 for leaving after intermission. Hardly money to live off of in NYC, but she enjoyed it all the same.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/30/03 at 10:53pm

All Theatre jobs at Broadway theatres are unionized--and the usher union is rather cheap compared. (This may not be true for you merchants--but is true for all other theatre jobs on BWAY).

=)

Updated On: 8/31/03 at 10:53 PM