what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#1what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:06pmI stopped by the New Amsterdam Theatre last night to talk to the head of merchendise there to ask if they re hiring. They said that they were not but that I should go over the the Lunt because they are. I am going to do that after school tomorrow. But, I was wondering. What sorta things do you need to apply for this sorta job. Is it a simple fill out an application and your in sorta thing. Or is it a resume cover letter sort of thing?
#2re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:15pmI just went through the process and all I had to do was send in a resume and have an interview. Then they performed a background check. That was it. Very simple. :)
shesamarshmallow
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
#2re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:32pmHave a good disposition, be good with numbers and have the ability to multi-task. And a friend who already works there.
#3re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/28/07 at 11:42pm
Have a good disposition
Wait, that matters? A few cases coulda fooled me...
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#4re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 12:05am
A GoGo boy makes more mpney,
If you know someone in the Theatre you want to work at, that can help,
#5re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 12:07am
I knew someone...went in for an interview...demonstrated my people skills and showed them my resume (lots of retail experience). If you're a pleasant person with decent math skills, you should be fine. :)
EDIT//I worked for Dewynter's. It was great--good pay, nice hours.
bially0822
Swing Joined: 6/3/07
#6re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 12:09amBeing able to multi task. Being able to count....easy as the sounds many people seem to not be able to do it. Good disposition. Don't work for Disney, I have never heard a good thing about them. Max Merch pays too low. The one to work for is Dewynters, and they cover Phantom, Les Miz, Purple, Young Frankenstein, and Chicago.
tourboi
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/15/05
#7re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 1:20am
Disney's pretty lame... hourly wages (low) with no commission. Dewynters is great, but depends on the show. You probably won't make much on something like Chicago, but would make a mint at a big merch show like Phantom, or Color Purple.
Marquee Merchandise is another option. They've got the Off-Broadway market cornered (well, they have a lot of Off-Broadway shows, anyway). They also have a hand in Xanadu I think. They pay shift pay (which varies depending on the length and workload of the shows), and offer a good comission rate with bonuses if you cross "threasholds" in sales numbers, and more bonuses if you make a sales record for a show.
I'd go with Dewynters, or Marquee. I've worked with both, and had very pleasant experiences with them.
#8re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 7:45amMy friend recently got a job selling merchandise at the Little Mermaid, and he is pretty excited to start. The job listings on Playbill.com say you need a headshot too, not sure if anybody listed that yet. Good luck!
#9re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 8:19am
You need to have at least average level grammar and spelling skills.
Good luck.
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#10re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 10:13amIt's a really great job. Just be careful with counting and cash and adding things up. And try to be somewhat pleasent.
WOSQ
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/03
#11re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 1:10pm
You need patience especially to deal with the less-than-bright, you need to be able to add in your head and to make change, you must tolerate boredom and you will have to sleep with Mickey Mouse.
Hey, at least it isn't Goofy or all those damn dwarves.
Dover
Leading Actor Joined: 4/29/06
#12re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/29/07 at 4:14pm
It's mostly different from other retail jobs because you're selling a lot of stuff in a very short time, and having people form an orderly line while you take them one at a time is impossible -- you have to get to everyone in a finite period. If the show is slow, it can be like a regular retail job -- somebody walks up to you and says, "can I have a mug?" you say, "Ten dollars, please," and they pay you and you hand them the bag. At a really really really busy show, you might make a thousand dollars in 15 minutes.
This is also where the math comes in, as it won't be someone buying a mug, it will be someone saying, "I want a mug, this T-shirt in large, this one in small, two pins, three keychains, a hat and a poster," and ideally by the time they finish saying what they want you've got it all in the bag and have added it up in your head. Then if they have cash you also have to give them their change quickly and accurately without a cash register. I'm severely math-challenged, and I got very good at it, so it's not impossible, but you have to be able to do that, whatever way you need to arrange things in your brain to make it work.
It's a great job for people in school or theatre folk who need flexible schedules to work around their own shows, plus you get to hang around the shows and stay in touch with what's going on in the business.
#13re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/30/07 at 2:03pmhow about a big old smile and some fresh breath?
Eponine3
Understudy Joined: 12/7/06
#14re: what do you need to get a job selling merchendise at a broadway show?
Posted: 10/30/07 at 5:04pm
I actually sold Merchandise for Disney for several years while I was in New York. It is a great job for theatre fans still in school!
First advice is just show them that you are enthusiastic about theatre and that you have a desire to help give the theatre guests the best possible experience at the show. Go in for your interview with a great attitude and make sure to know a little bit about the show/shows that you will be selling for.
Second, Be Prepared for the reality that you will be selling very quickly and therefore must be very organized. Having a good memory is key and you should feel comfortable doing simple math in your head. Get to know your product and prices in your mind as quickly as possible. Selling pre and post show are easier but just keep in mind that at intermission you will have 15 minutes to get all of your guests checked out and back to their seats and believe me .. when people are paying 100 bucks or more for a ticket they will complain if there are standing in your line waiting to pay when Act 2 goes up.
Also, you will be asked a lot of questions by tourists such as "How to I get to such and such a place" or "where can I go for dessert after the show". They also will very often ask questions about other shows that they should see while in town. As a theatre fan I am sure that you feel very comfortable with the theatre district and surrounding area but it never hurts to be somewhat prepared for these types of questions.
Finally, just as a former insider I will tell you (and this is by no means to scare you ) I loved my time at Disney on Broadway. But they do have some of the toughest standards in the industry. They will have lots of rules about the way things look in the display cases, lots of rules about the way YOU look, and lots of rules about guest service standards and things such as that. All of these things are meant to protect the Disney Image and the "DISNEY MAGIC" for theatre patrons. I am sure that you are lovely person and that they would be lucky to have you on their staff. However, I just feel that before any one joins the company they should know what is required because such an environment is not for everyone.
Good Luck!
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