most obscene b-way paycheck- Page 2

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 10:51pm

8K for a week isn't bad at all. Do they get subtractions when they call out sick?

[Horton]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 10:51pm

I think somebody like Julia does not work on broadway for the money, if she is in it for the money she is pritty stupid, she is here to proove to herslef that she can be a "real" theatre actress.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 10:55pm

8k is more in line with what i would think they would get. That is about what the Phantom rumors are and.
Those Kids in Christmas Carol were getting minimun with some overtime thrown in for the extra shows IIRC. You cannot argue that the minumum B'way salary is too high when you consider that it is for people who supposedly are working at the top of their profession. 40K though is high for a non-name performer.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 10:57pm

Now that I think of it, PANTS, Maybe your source was quoting monthly salaries not weekly. That would fall more in line with some of the numbers that have been put out on this thread

[pants2]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 11:08pm

i'm positive she said weekly, but it makes sense, they had so much extra money i suppose

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 11:20pm

I cannot possibly take anyone seriously who uses the spelling "ur"
Updated On: 12/12/06 at 11:20 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 11:33pm

Yeah, Horton...Julia doesn't work in the theatre for money. God knows she has an enormous income coming in from other sources. NOT! National Tour, Broadway, Off-Broadway...anything that gives a paycheck...she's there!

News flash! Actors on Broadway make a passable living, but if a soap opera gig or TV sitcom comes a-calling -- THEY'RE OUTTA THERE! Bye-bye, Broadway!

I'm sure you know the names Chandra Wilson, Sara Ramirez and T.R. Knight who are employed by ABC Television and work on some little nighttime series called "Grey's Anatomy"? It's going to be quite some time before we see them back on Broadway AND in an regular run, if that even. They now make per episode what they used to make working in a show for 6 months.

As they say in Dubai: you want my life? Then pay my bills!

[bella cantato]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 12:28am

"I cannot possibly takn anyone serious who uses the spelling 'ur'"

Just as I cannot possibly take anyone seriously who uses incorrect grammar and misspells the word "take."

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 8:13am

Here's one way to look at these "obscene" paychecks.

If you're working at a McDonalds as a cashier you, along with the grill cook and the person who dunks the fries might bring in $1000 in sales in one 8 hour shift. McDonald's will pay the three of you $200 for the shift and give you a few free Big Macs.

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick helped to bring in more than a million dollars a week during their return engagement at The Producers. Their "obscene" paychecks actually represented a smaller piece of the revenues they were helping to generate than a McDonald's cashier gets, and I don't think they received any free meals. (My understanding is that uniforms were provided.)

[Neverandy]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 10:42am

Tech-That makes sense for Lane and Broderick, but I doubt that Gasteyer and Reinders are the reason why people are going to see Wicked. This says nothing about their talent, It has to do with their fame. Therefore I find it suspect that they could be making 40k a week.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 3:57pm

As usual, MargoChanning is right on. Even someone like Gasteyer wouldn't pull in $40K a week. Only A-list movie stars pull numbers like that. And then you have to keep in mind the deductions: Manager 15%, Agent 10%, Lawyer 2+%, Publicist 2+%, Actors Equity 2%, etc.

Also, if someone with a negotiated salary above AEA minimum misses a show, your sick day is pro-rated based on AEA Stage Manager minimum (about $2100), not your salary. So if you are sick for a week, you're screwed.

Most B'way leads make about double AEA minimum, and that's only when they are actually working.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 4:09pm

Thank you, MargoChanning, for all the information and for clearing things up As always, you 'save the day'

Updated On: 12/12/06 at 04:09 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 4:13pm

I worked for a certain Broadway Norma Desmond and deposited her paychecks during SUNSET BOULEVARD. She is hardly a movie star, yet her check (net) averaged out to QUITE a bit more than $40,000 a week. And this was quite a few years ago.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 4:25pm

There are a few non-movie/tv star Broadway and West End performers who have garnered such a large following over the years that they can demand a huge salary ($30,000+) -- Lane, Peters, LuPone, Buckley, Michael Crawford, Elaine Page, Michael Ball -- but you can count them on two hands.

[Danielm]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 4:51pm

"Yeah, Horton...Julia doesn't work in the theatre for money. God knows she has an enormous income coming in from other sources. NOT! National Tour, Broadway, Off-Broadway...anything that gives a paycheck...she's there!"

Brodyfosse--I'm not sure what your point is. Of course she got paid for appearing in that show but not nearly as much as she would for even doing a cameo shot in a film or TV show and with a lot more work--and the criticism that she had to know would come her way. Broadway critics are extremely nasty to any Hollywood star who appears on the New York stage.

Stage work does give actors some legitimacy although for an established box-office film star--which Julia Roberts definately is--it won't really lead to better roles or more offers.

I think it was brave of her to do the show and I'll be surprised if she ever does it again.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 5:07pm

"I worked for a certain Broadway Norma Desmond and deposited her paychecks during SUNSET BOULEVARD. She is hardly a movie star, yet her check (net) averaged out to QUITE a bit more than $40,000 a week. And this was quite a few years ago."

How discreet of you, Raithnait, even without the naming of names.

What in the world is wrong with these people making what the market will bear? If you want to look at what drives up the cost of tickets, look to the producers, not the actors or musicians.

[Danielm]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 6:12pm

Regarding the salaries of musicians--I don't mean this to in any way denigrate the talents of these hard working people and I do feel for them with the threats of recorded soundtracks and such--BUT traditionally the musicians union has been pretty strong and musicians are well paid. Sometimes there have even been musicians on the payrolls who weren't really needed because the unions required them.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 7:00pm

I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with it, ghostlight. I was putting in my 2 cents regarding the statement that only big movie stars make upwards of that on Broadway. And it was plenty discreet compared to other threads where names are named and exact salaries of those names are listed.

And the producers raise prices to meet the demands of the unions and theater owners AND pay their own bills/office rentals/staffs. Don't kid yourself.

Updated On: 12/12/06 at 07:00 PM

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 7:10pm

Anyone know how much Hugh Jackman made in THE BOY FROM OZ? I'm sure he got a 'raise' after the Tony's and he extended his contract... anyone have a clue on this?

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 12/12/06 at 7:16pm

i thought 8,000 a week seemed semi-low for glinda and elphie replacements. If Idina and Kristen made 25 thats odd they would not just drop it to 15 or 10

[Dover]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 4:03pm

The weekly salaries in the first post are all pretty much in line with what I've heard, except for the Wicked ones. That seems a little high even for Idina and Kristen (before the show opened, at least). No way the replacements are making that. $8,000 sounds reasonable, I guess, if they really feel they've got the best people.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 12/16/06 at 1:27am

The "norma" I assume you are referring to was pretty famous nonetheless as far as theater goers are concerned. That was a huge show and a true Star vehicle-She was the show. It also was a show that couldn't make money, mostly because of overblown budgets. So I am not surprised by a 40k paycheck. I think that things have normalized.
Julia Murney-is nowhere near as famous as the person you are suggesting.