national tour vs. Broadway- preference for actors?

[Harpz2006]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 9:02pm

Just curious- is one considered more prestigious than the other? Would an actor typically be just as happy to land a role on tour as one on Broadway? I just saw Jersey Boys in DC and read that Joseph Leo Bwarie has been starring in the tour for over four years... people at the theatre were talking about how much they enjoyed him the last time the tour came to DC a couple years ago! Do you think he has ever been offered the role on Broadway but just prefers touring? It seems like it would be rough to be traveling that much (but definitely exciting)!

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 9:17pm

Broadway is more prestigious, but touring is usually more money when you factor in per diem and free lodging. It also depends on whether the actor has a family in NYC.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 9:20pm

Isn't the per diem to COVER their housing?

And yes, B'way is more prestigious.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 9:36pm

Joseph is originally from California and most of his family is there, so it's possible he just likes being closer to them (at times) than he would be in New York. Then again, I don't think either of the Broadway Frankies are going anywhere either!

And dramamama, I think you're right, but if an actor doubles up with another actor at a hotel, or stays with family/friends for cheap or free, they can pocket whatever's left over from the per diem.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 9:39pm

I was speaking with some friends back stage once and someone said they'd never tour and my friend who has toured with Wicked said "What?? You make more money. Kyle bought his apartment after one year on tour. Nothing to sneeze at!"

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 9:53pm

Dramamama, that sounds right lol

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 11:17pm

Nasty, that is a tour of WICKED though. If I'm not mistaken, the ensemble for that show get paid a nice salary because the show is such a success. Or at least thats what I heard. Some shows do not have all the nice perks WICKED, Jersey, Lion King and other bigger tours have.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 11:18pm

Are you talking about the production contract vs. tiered?

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 11:46pm

The contract. I have no idea if its reliable but from what I have heard the ensemble in WICKED tend to have higher salaries just because the show can afford it. Again, I have no real knowledge in terms of contracts and stuff so I could be 100% incorrect.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 12:13am

Yes, if tour actors agree to have a roommate (i.e. a fellow cast member) in their hotel room, they get to pocket what's left of their per diem. In that regard, touring can be quite lucrative for performers who don't mind sharing a room.

Different tours operate under different contracts, and so actors on the larger tours (Wicked, Lion King, etc.) will get paid more. However, if you think the Wicked ensemble gets paid more just because David Stone has money lying around, then you're mistaken.

Updated On: 1/14/12 at 12:13 AM

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 12:34am

Oh no no I know it's not because of that. I know it's because the shows are bigger and such.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 10:30am

I know several actors who have banked a large amount after a year or two on tour. With the way that per diem works (it's often negotiated, in addition to their being tax advantages), and how the tours get incredibly preferred rates at hotels, this is entire possible. Often they will stay with friends or family in various cities on tour and that doesn't cost them a penny. That's not to say that everyone does this because there are certainly individuals who like to party, shop, play poker, etc. who don't end up saving much but it's certainly possible.

I'm not sure that anyone would actually prefer touring over Broadway, honestly, but it's a very different atmosphere. You're together with your castmates all the time and there's a certain comeraderie that exists that rarely exists in a Broadway show. If you're living in NYC and doing a show 8 times a week, you're much more likely to go home right after the show and also have other friends and other interests that occupy your free time.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 12:48pm

I personally want to do a tour quite badly THEN go to Broadway. Like others have said, it seems to be a great way to save money, get a feel for the job, and prepare to live in NYC lol.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 1:09pm

Fingerlakessinger, if only it were that easy to book a tour and a Broadway show lol. People can audition for them their entire lives and never get either.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 1:18pm

^OH Gawd I know! I was just saying that would be a dream option LOL

[junkyard]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 4:55pm

touring........UGH.....
Production per diem is OK unless, like me, you like a private room in a nice hotel

going to a laundromat or hotel laundry room sucks at 2AM

try to find a decent restaurant at 11:39PM

hotel room service usually stinks and is very expensive.

Very boring life style unless you drink a lot and like gay dance clubs

the theatres are usually located downtown and these days cities close up at 6PM....even hard to see a movie during the day

Who will take care of the cats while you are away for 6 months

Thank God for direct deposit....bless the man who invented debit cards.

Bless the person who invented suitcases with wheels and handles

Believe me it's hard to stay completely healthy on the road....you are usually your own doctor......pray to stay healthy

Try to establish a friendly relationship with someone in the company that can iron.


difficult to rent a car for longer engagements unless you own a vehicle back in the city and have insurance. The daily insurance cost for a rental is awful even when you share.

Even Marriotts can get bed bugs.

Don't forget to tip good

I'm lucky enough to have a nice comfy condo in the village, nice neighbors, nice neighborhood foodshops and restaurants and all the conveniences of a large NYC neighborhood......so my biggest bitch about touring is I MISS HOME......however you usually do travel with some very nice people......

I thank God for a good agent who can keep me in NYC most of the time.......

THE EXCEPTION.......I find working out of town for a short period in a regional theatre to be a fun and rewarding experience even though the pay is not up to a production tour....I can usually get a cat sitter for the 5 weeks.

Best of luck to all

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 5:03pm

Now that's what I call an illuminating post. Thanks, junkyard.

Here's wishing you (and your cat) a long, long run in NYC.

[junkyard]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 5:04pm

Sorry, don't want to hog space but I forgot one important thing.......stay away from tours with children (They and their traveling mothers are so obnoxious) unless you can find a mother, who can iron.......took me months to grow my hair back and to mentally recoup from a tour of ANNIE.....

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 5:31pm

Everybody seems to be ignoring the elephant in the room: revolving beds/sex with your tour mates. I've never known anyone to go on the road and not come back with a lot of stories...

[junkyard]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 5:50pm

nasty, nasty.......on the road, doing your laundry is more importnt than hooking up.......you can always recognise the bed swithcers, they show up at the theatre looking like **** and having cat fights with their castmates......when y ou are my age you enjoy the comfort of going back to your nice private hotel room and watching jimmy fallon......

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 6:04pm

Agree with junkyard. Sure, some people use tours as excuses to behave in ways they might not at home, but a tour (most tours, anyway) is scarcely a seething hotbed of promiscuity. As others have said, while the road is not without its charms, I think most actors would prefer the cachet of a solid run on Broadway and the comfort of their own bed at night.



Updated On: 1/14/12 at 06:04 PM

[tourboi]

Posted: 1/14/12 at 10:00pm

Sorry to hear junkyard had such a bad experience.

But on most of the tours I've done (quite a few), the majority of cast/crew enjoyed it.

I've not yet had any of the problems mentioned above, and I'm on my ninth (or tenth?) tour. Except the occasional challenge in finding a restaurant.

[Tsao5]

Posted: 1/15/12 at 12:39am

There are different factors that play into what is more desirable.
Take the international tour of West Side Story which goes to some fantastic spots o the globe. You are being paid doing what you love doing AND seeing the world. In WSS's case, most of the actors are young and have not been to many of the places they perform. It must be very exciting and a lot of fun as you are traveling with many of your friends. I had a friend who did it a while back, and I was quite envious seeing her facebook pics of the theaters they played in and all the sight seeing opportunities she had. Are you paid a lot on this tour? Not really. Are you seeing the world and doing and trying things you could not if you are in New York? Yes.

In addition, with touring it is more likely that past friends and family who are spread all over the US who cannot make it to New York, can see you locally. Your friend who lives in Denver who cannot afford to fly in to see you in the Broadway production of Wicked COULD see you when the tour were to come into Boulder for example.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/16/12 at 12:11am

Great insight, Junkyard. Thanks.

I do think it's a personal preference -- I know many people who love traveling the country and staying in hotels, so it's a great experience (especially for 20-somethings). I do know a few people who are fairly young and have chosen to share a room on a tour, sublet their NY apartments, choose not stay in the 5-star hotel, and watch what they spend on "extravagant" things and have done quite well financially. Great way to meet new people, too.

[Justin D]

Posted: 1/16/12 at 7:42am

I find it interesting that "back in the day" the Broadway 'star' of a show would eventually tour with the show. These days tous of the big shows, to me anyways, just seem as a nice way to rehearse people to take over the broadway roles.