AMAZING GRACE National Tour?!

[tobiasragg]

Wut.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/How-Sweet-the-Sound-Broadways-AMAZING-GRACE-to-Launch-National-Tour-in-Washington-DC-20171024

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Appears to be non-Equity. Smart to have it play at this "Bible Museum" as a sit-down though.

[Kad]

Honestly, it will probably do alright on tour. It probably just should've done this to begin with.

[raddersons]

So happy the whole country gets to see this hot mess.

[TheSassySam]

Wow, these one-night performances. 

 

Are they going to do it concert style? The best part about the show was the underwater scene, I hope they include that.

[newintown]

That is a Hell Schedule that just may kill those poor non-union performers - an unending cycle of show-bus-bed-show. And almost no days off.

The only thing worse than the schedule is the show.

[I'm In Tech!]

MY WORD! The schedule is MEAN to these performers. Holy crap.

[dramamama611]

how is that even legal?   The go nearly a full month with NO days off!   You had better believe its non-union!  Fools that do this.

[Call_me_jorge]

Even for a non-equity that schedule is just disgusting. Do they even have time to sleep in a bed?? 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

I did a non-Equity tour once, and finding ways to sleep on the bus is an art form all by itself.

[gypsy101]

let’s all send our thoughts and prayers to that poor cast that has to perform that awful show in the most disrespectful way imaginable 

[bowtie7]

Are the producers of this self-presenting the show at some/many/nearly all of the theatres listed on the tour? (By self-presenting I mean renting the theatre outright rather than working with a local theatre or presenter.) In St Louis, (where most national tours play 2 weeks at the Fox Theatre) it is playing one night at the Peabody Opera House but isn't listed with the Peabody's own, limited Broadway season (1 or 2 nights of Elf, Kinky Boots, Buddy Holly Story, & Gentleman's Guide). It is actually scheduled the night after Gentleman's Guide is playing. All of this seems very strange.

[RW3]

I kinda know the guy that is playing John Newton and the schedule is definitely some bs. 

[trpguyy]

That's hateful. I never thought there'd be a tour in which the company looks forward to playing Macon Georgia.

[@z5]

Just...why? I honestly always forget that I even saw this show. Just so forgetful.

[IronMan]

Those posters who are appalled by that schedule have obviously never done a non-eq tour.  The last one I did (20+ years ago) was 6 months on the road with NO golden days (meaning no show/no travel), a couple 2-nighters, and I think one 1-week sit-down, but mostly what we called 'hit-and-run.'   Often our bus would have to go directly to the theater for that night's show as there wasn't time to check in to a hotel (which they paid for).  And yes, a few times due to long distances between cites we'd have to get on the bus immediately after the show and do an overnight drive.  We did get a week off for Christmas, so there's that.  But because of that I can still fall asleep in nearly any position. 
Yeah, the schedule is horrifying, but it also paid 3-4x more than any other non-eq gig.  I don't even want to know what we would have been paid for those conditions if it had been union. 

EDIT: I'd also like to say that during that 6 months, only three actors called out- once each.  We were young, tough, and did our damn jobs. 

[Famebroadway2]

That tour schedule is INSANE! These actors are going to drop like flies. 

[HeyMrMusic]

According to the casting notice, $450 a week is what they’re being paid.

[seaweedjstubbs]

I did a non-eq tour three years ago, and I can say that this schedule seems especially brutal. I think the longest string of one-nighters that we did was 13 shows in a row. Plus, we had multiple layoffs. I don't think I would've stayed with my tour very long if our schedule was as terrible as this!

[RippedMan]

It sucks, but that's why the lead is literally right out of college. They don't know any better. Non-eq sucks but there will always be some talent willing to work for less! 

[markypoo]

This is serendipitously playing in at least two locations relatively close to where I live.

Something tells me I shouldn't miss it for the world...

 

[newintown]

Only if you suffer from insomnia and seek a cure.

[dramamama611]

IronMan said: "Those posters who are appalled by that schedule have obviously never done a non-eq tour. The last one I did (20+ years ago)was 6 months on the road with NO golden days (meaning no show/no travel), a couple2-nighters, andI think one1-week sit-down, but mostly what we called 'hit-and-run.' Often our bus would have to go directly to the theater for that night's show as there wasn't time to check in to a hotel (which they paid for). And yes, a few times due to long distances between cites we'd have to get on the bus immediately after the show and do an overnight drive.We did get a week off for Christmas, so there's that. But because of that I can still fall asleep in nearly any position.
Yeah, the schedule is horrifying, but it also paid 3-4xmore than any other non-eq gig. I don't even wantto knowwhat we would have been paid for those conditions if it had been union.

EDIT: I'd also like to say that during that 6 months, only threeactors called out-once each. We were young, tough, and did our damn jobs."

Just because you survived, doesn't mean it's right. Then or now.  It's unhealthy and unreasonable.  And as has been noted: they aren't making a lot of money.  This is sweatshop-esque.

[musikman]

Having worked in the past for booking agencies that represented several non-eq tours, I can tell you that schedules like these are not out of the ordinary, and nothing really can stop it.  Producers often pressure their booking agents to secure as many engagements as possible per week in order to at least hit their weekly running costs through guarantee payments from each theatre, even if it means traveling 400+ miles by bus to another city overnight.  

Many of these theatres are small venues that can only afford to pay small guarantees for a performance or two, which often accounts for why there are so many engagements. You will rarely see a smaller non-eq tour like this play longer than 3 or 4 nights in one city.  

[HeyMrMusic]

I’ve toured with non-Eq shows in the past (not as an actor, so I was paid considerably more since other departments/unions actually look out for their members) and I couldn’t understand how the actors did what they did. This schedule is far worse than anything I’ve ever seen and I feel so awful for the crew in particular who probably won’t get any sleep at all (or have time to even shower) with the load-ins and load-outs.