non equity broadway tours

What does "equity tour" and "non-equity tour" mean?

Broadwaydetroit.

Swing Joined: 1/25/06

#0 What does "equity tour" and "non-equity tour" mean?

I was doing some research about some shows coming to my area and was wondering if you guys could help me. What do these terms mean?.... thanks.

Yankeefan007

Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04

#1 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

non-equity: with cast members who aren't union workers (the union is Equity) Equity: with cast members who are union workers.

muscle23ftl Profile

Broadway Legend Joined: 12/19/04

#2 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

alright...that explanation was poor. Usually Equity tours are shows with bigger budgets than the Non-Equity tours.

Broadway Legend Joined: 1/21/06

#3 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

non-equity: actors get sh*t on by the producers. equity: the audience gets sh*t on by the union.

LizzieCurry Profile

Broadway Legend Joined: 3/7/05

#4 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

La la la... http://www.actorsequity.org/TheatreNews/tour_list_0402.html

Broadway Legend Joined: 12/15/05

#5 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

The thought that actors get s*** on by the producers of Non Eq tours irks me. I've worked on them in the past, and on Equity tours. And while there are some producers that might pay low, and really produce miserable tours to work on...that its the norm, is a misconception. Do they pay as much as Equity tours? No. Do you fly to every city? No, but you do to some. Generally Non Eq tours do pay decent wages for up and comers though, and are an excellent work experience for the resume. Companies like Troika, and Networks have provided many positive experiences for myself, and many of my friends. Now...as for the others (Big League, Dodger) that produce non eq tours, I've no experience with them but they've not been favourable in what I've heard. While the perks of Equity (insurance, pension, etc) are not there...Equity is something actors (not all though) aspire to. Non Eq tours can be great. The difference is that these actors haven't joined the union. And reguarding bigger sets on Equity tours...also, not always true.

TheEnchantedHunter

Broadway Legend Joined: 6/27/05

#6 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

I've seen abysmal productions by Equity tours and fabulous productions with non-Equity tours. It all depends on the quality of talent involved. And that is a roll of the die. Captain Nemo 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

HOUFlip04 Profile

Broadway Star Joined: 3/27/04

#7 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

I agree. The first time I saw A Chorus Line, I saw with a bus and truck non-equity company at the opera house in Galveston, TX and I LOVED the show. A few months later, I went to NYC and bought a ticket for A Chorus Line on Broadway and was very disappointed. The non equity tour had more heart than on Broadway and that's what made the show for me.

ThePinballWizard

Leading Actor Joined: 1/25/06

#8 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

You know this whole thing has always been a problem for me. Here's my honest opinion and some people may not agree with me but here I go. For a Union that I should and want to strive to be in, I've never felt so segregated in my life. Here's the shining example: Went for a callback for a Broadway show at the Actors Equity in Downtown Manhattan and I was non-equity. I understand that there is an equity lounge. You earn that and it's part of the union. BUT little did I know that you had to be part of the union to use the SAME RESTROOM. I was waiting, and it had already been a couple of hours and I wanted to use the restroom. Since I had never been there before I went up to the front desk to ask them where the restroom was. They told me it was across the street in the Hotel where Millie was playing. I asked if I could use the restroom in the building and was told that it was reserved strictly for Union Members only. NOW for a Union that wants me to be part of them and something that I should strive for...THAT I didn't understand. So I had to make the decision to either hold it and not miss the audition or to go and use the restroom and risk them calling us in and me not being there. Why should I have to choose over something that we all just "naturally" need to do. It wasn't like I was going to lay a giant stinkbomb or something. In any case... I have taken part of in a non-equity National Tour and it was my first. AND it was with Big League Theatricals. Let me just say this...we didn't fly around all the time BUT we did and we stayed in really nice hotels and sometimes 4 star hotels most of the time. It was such a great experience and I was very grateful for the job. I just wanted to perform and this was a great way to do it. One story I remember was when the AEA Representative came out and tried to help us fight for better benefits including housing.... ....this was amusing considering he/she was talking to us in the lobby of our hotel....which happened to be the 4 Star Hilton Hotel. I don't ever remember a Hilton to be poor accommodations...let alone cockroach infested... To sum it all up. I am pro union. I understand what the union does for members and I understand why they're around. They're here to help us. But some processes they do I don't quite understand or get...sometimes I think they just want to do it just to raise a stink...but I'll never know... Equity or non-equity...what happened to just performing? Whether or not it's non-equity doesn't matter..just know these actors make a choice to be there...and hopefully it's for the love of performing because I know that's what it is for me....everything is a stepping stone for learning and to get from the next point a to point b...we all want to reach our dreams right? alright now i'm stepping off my soapbox...feel free to criticize if you'd like...

children&art Profile

Broadway Legend Joined: 3/31/05

#9 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

so, um for instance.... i saw the touring company of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in Dallas and i'm assuming it was an Equity tour - it played the Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park (Matt Cavenaugh was in it). but i am going to see "Millie" in Richardson on Friday as what I thought was a non-equity tour through Theatre League Inc. does this mean that the non-eq show is gonna be amateurish in set and costume and performance compared to the national tour which was almost identical to the Broadway version>?????

#10 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/03

#11 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

"Whether or not it's non-equity doesn't matter..just know these actors make a choice to be there..." Just as a paying ticket holder, being charged Equity priced tickets, makes a choice to be there...or NOT. That does matter.

Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69

#12 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

oooooooooo...this is SUCH a sticky thread!! here goes.. first of all mr pinball..i am sorry that you couldn't use the bathroom! thats a little extreme..BUT when you've paid thousands of dollars to join the union and have use of that lounge..including its facilities...you will be glad that people have to show a card to get in..have you SEEN the people in NYC??!!! i didn't pay thousands of dollars to have homeless people sitting in the equity lounge..and while i KNOW that you're not homeless (or maybe you are and thats fine) trust me..you'll be glad when not just anyone is allowed in. when you have starred in a broadway show and you're sitting there waiting for your audition appointment, for what you desperately hope will be your next job, you will be glad that little tom who just got off the bus from wherever can't just come in and sit down and start chatting with you because he really doesn't know any better...anyway..i don't mean to sound like a snob..but yes, i feel i have earned and i PAY for the use of that lounge....end of that story. next...as far as equity and non-equity goes..i have a huge issue with non eq tours...i honestly feel that non union actors have every right to work..by all means. however..i do not feel that a tour should be misrepresented as anything other than what it is. it concerns me when someone write that they are going to see a show and they don't even know that its non equity!!! it needs to be advertised as such..in LARGE PRINT! people are paying top dollar and they are assuming that it is an equity tour. i also have a problem when there is an existing EQUITY tour out and they CLOSE it to make it non-equity...it puts union workers out of a job and the producers charge the same money and pay everyone less. it shouldn't be allowed. equity has made better rules regarding this and like i said..i think all actors should be allowed to work regardless of union affiliation. the tour thing is just a sticky subject because producers get away with a lot. no one really wins in the end. yeah..maybe the non union actor IS working and making a paycheck..but NOT what they probably SHOULD be making and not getting benefits and not really working TOWARDS anything. i strongly feel that when an actor completes a certain number of weeks on a non eq tour, they should be granted their equity card if they so desire to have it. i could go on and on..and on...i should stop now. i hope i haven't offended anyone and if i have...don't BLAST me here.. lets have a mature exchange of ideas..

#13 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

I understand your point Andrew and if I paid a thousand dollars to be there I would agree right along with you. Being the way NYC is that's just the way it is, I'm just saying what happened to me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but in the end it's all about money...after all money makes the world go around and everyone and anyone will do anything to get their hands on alot of it. Same story that's been going on for hundreds of years...everything else in between is all just politics and opinions. Card no card...benefits no benefits...talent no talent...I wish that everything could be fair but the world doesn't work that way. I agree with your comments in regards to producers misleading people. They should just let the audience decide and as far as the actor goes, they should be offered their card if they wanted it. But for producers it's a business, always has been and always will. They're there to make money right along with the investors. But you're right it's a sticky situation...there are alot of kinks that need to be worked out...but for me...I just want to keep performing aside from all of this...and just hope it gets better with time...

Leading Actor Joined: 12/31/69

#14 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

and i hope that one day you get to use the bathroom in the equity lounge! hahahah!!! ya know..the fixtures are made of gold and they serve "i can't believe its not butter" in there!

#15 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

OH lord...a few things I have to reply to... "i also have a problem when there is an existing EQUITY tour out and they CLOSE it to make it non-equity...it puts union workers out of a job" Well, why? I understand that Equity artists are out of a job. But many first, and second national tours last for a long, long time. At least a year. Not every show can run forever. One of the reasons a tour closes is to downsize to play shorter runs. Er go, a first national will be the set most like the Broadway counterpart. It will run in the biggest cities, hopefully with an Equity cast (I do believe that shows "direct from Broadway" on first/second natls should be Equity), and for a longer run (2-3 weeks or longer) because the set costs so much to move. When that closes (or in some cases before) a second national with a smaller set is sent out to play one weekers in smaller markets that the first national couldn't afford to hit. Next step down is the third national, which lately has been non-eq. And WHY shouldn't it be? They close the previous tours not to put Equity artists out of work, but because the shows need to be able to go into smaller markets for some 1-2 nighters along their route, and thats just not possible under the Equity contracts. And, yes, by hiring Non Eq actors, the overall budget goes down with it. It is not as vendictive. It is a business. NOW some Producers send shows out immidiately non-equity, which I don't agree with. But if a show has had a full Equity tour or two first, what is the problem exactly with it going non eq to be able to play smaller markets? And... "Just as a paying ticket holder, being charged Equity priced tickets, makes a choice to be there...or NOT. That does matter." Does it? Does it also matter that PRODUCERS don't make the ticket prices? The PRESENTERS, i.e. theatres, do. And you would be interested in knowing that while I was in Boston with a show a few years ago I took a look at their board of upcoming shows. The upcoming Equity tours were all priced between 80-90.00 a ticket top price. THE MUSIC MAN Non Eq tour was also listed, at 65.00 top price. The forthcoming RENT tour as well has an avg price on the road of 65.00 US (even 45 in some markets), while Equity tours are getting more. Your comment is misguided. There are presenters who will try to charge more, but it's not as bad as Equity would have you believe.

#16 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

i guess my problem with trying to distinguish, as an audience member not an actor, is that i paid almost the same for both - so if a non-equity tour is lower quality then why am i paying equity prices to see it???

BwayTheatre11 Profile

Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03

#17 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

The current Millie tour has the same costumes, but different sets, lighting, choreography, etc.

#18 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

whoa! different choreography???? NO! they didnt change the opening did they or the typewriting tap dance...UGH!

best12bars Profile

Broadway Legend Joined: 6/29/05

#19 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

"i guess my problem with trying to distinguish, as an audience member not an actor, is that i paid almost the same for both - so if a non-equity tour is lower quality then why am i paying equity prices to see it???" ...Check the producers' pockets for your answer.

#20 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

Actually check with the presenters, who, as stated, set the prices. Not producers.

showinoff Profile

Featured Actor Joined: 9/23/04

#21 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

This is an ongoing argument, and I do not know that there is a right answer.. depending on what side of the tracks you are standing on. Mr. Pinball, as far as your bathroom situation. Been there done that, and I totally feel you. But rest assuared, once you are in your audition, they will allow you to pee. I have been on both equity and non equity tours. This does not make me an expert on the situation, but I do have an opinion. I will say that the non-eq tours that I have been on, I was treated like a GOD. The producers did everything in their power to make sure that we were taken care of. Within reason. Offering us comps so family and friends could see us cheaper, ect...We always stayed in nice hotels, and did not always fly. We never drove more than 5 hrs. All and all we were taken care of. On the flip side, my equity tour was a lil different. Now, I did not expect to be treated like gold, I was in for a rude awakening. There were no comps, per diems were cheaper, hotels were not as nice, and the theatres were not up to par with the theatres on the non eq tours. It was my understanding that the theatres just did not care about us. Not that they have to, but it is always a great working enviroment when you know someone cares. We were however paid more, and health insurance and other things were included. The actors also led much to the imagination. They were bitter and had obviously forgotten why they were there. I have done other EQ shows that have been wonderful experiences. The union I have to say works for its members, the producers however do not. To some, you are the gift that makes thier show a success, to others, you can be replaced by someone who will work for less and harder. It is a toss up. As far as the Millie tour goes, you will not be unsatisfied. It is a wonderful production and the actors are fantastic. They have been treated well, and work hard for it.

Stand-by Joined: 9/12/03

#22 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

Basically, as you can see from our expert and oh-so-knowledgeable members here who have worked for some of the best community theaters in the Tri State area, Non Union tours mean that the whole thing is absolute crap. They have wisely told you to avoid these fire traps because it is a known fact that once a person enters a theater for a Non Equity show, they will automatically be subjected to torture and horrific scenes that have never been witnessed on stage before. As you can gather, one should only frequent Equity tours because once a performer joins Equity, they receive the talent chip implant. The chip allows these performers to be the absolute best in singing, dancing, acting. Equity productions can only hire the absolute best person for each an every role. These performers are the best because..well..um..because they're EQUITY! That's all you need to know. It's like when you buy that "New and Imporved" Folgers Coffee, you know it's the best cause it says "New and improved". You will never, ever see a bad Equity show. That's a given. If, for some reason, you don't like the Equity show, it is obviously your fault and not due to the overtalented performners. So, what have learned? Never ever go see non Equity shows because they are poison. Only see Equity shows cause, as our friends here have stated, they are the only ones you will ever find quality and talent.

Stand-by Joined: 12/31/69

#23 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

zoom, i disagree with everything you wrote and i, personally, NEVER said that non-equity performers don't have talent and only equity actors do and, BTW, i am LONG gone from my community theater days, darlin and DO have EXPERIENCE enough to post my thoughts. my thoughts and opinion do not have to match someone else's...thats why we all have our own thoghts, opinions and ideas and are individuals. i get that your post was sarcastic ...but i didn't see that anyone said that non equity actors are crap...and if someone did, don't lump me in there with them. i was once a non equity actor and i had LOADS of talent...its what got me to the Broadway stage. not to say that PLENTY of Broadway actors are terrible cause some ARE, for sure!! we've all seen 'em! ANYWAY...i do NOT believe that non-equity = non-talented!!!!! make no mistake. my ONLY problem is ..is what producers can get away with...and that is MY opinion! i am entitled to it. there is not enough work for actors as it is..so equity, non equity..there is room for all if the job is meant to be yours....i wish everyone success no matter what their union affiliation is. period.

#24 re: What does 'equity tour' and 'non-equity tour' mean?

Ahh...honey. Did anyone single out your comments? A little selfish to think that your post was so fascinating that I couldn't wait to respond. But you know what they say about the person who cries then loudest....

Recommended For You

See American Idol winner Nick Fradiani and TikTok’s Fav Amber Ardolino in A Beautiful Noise!

My Take on Non Union Tours: Part I – A History

By Ken Davenport

I was but a wee boy of an actor when the Non Union national touring market exploded on the scene in the early, early ’90s.  I remember auditioning for the national tour of Grand Hotel  while I was still in college (I didn’t get it), and then getting cast in the national tour of  South Pacific just as I was graduating (I didn’t take it).

While sure, there had always been a show/event/circus here and there that toured without union performers, it was around this time when tours of shows that were recently (or still) on the big Broadway boards started making their way around the country with fresh-out-of-college-kids-without-AEA-cards.  The company behind these big shows was Troika, which was born out of the ashes of this awesome dinner theater outside of DC called The Harlequin (I saw a killer  Damn Yankees  there in 1990).

Shows like  Grand Hotel, The  Will Rogers Follies,  and City of Angels all toured non-union, and they not only did well, but audiences enjoyed them.

So that led to more shows, and more companies producing them.

For awhile, all was quiet on the touring front, as the non-union tours that were going out were  after the “1st National” tour had run its course.  The NUTs (my fun acronym for Non Union Tours) were mostly “mop-up” tours, playing the teeny-tiny one-nighter markets all over the country that their bigger brother Equity Tours couldn’t play (Harlingen, Texas anyone?).  Or, they were tours of shows that weren’t successful enough on Broadway or that didn’t have enough demand from the touring market to warrant a 1st National (like the NUT of  A Grand Night for Singing that I Company Managed in 1996).

And then the NUT hit the fan.

A couple of shows, most noticeably a tour of  The Music Man that was based on the semi-successful Broadway revival in 2000, skipped a step.  These shows didn’t put out a big tour first.  They went straight to the NUTter.

(See, the Producers of tours were starting to get the squeeze from Presenters, who were trying to keep the “guarantees” (the amount paid to a Producer for walking in the door with a show) low, because they were getting the squeeze from Subscribers, who didn’t want to pay for 6 shows a year any more, and so on.  A Non Union Tour kept costs low.)

And if that wasn’t enough, some of the more popular NUTs started stepping up to the bigger stages.  No longer were they only playing the nook and crannies of the market.  They were performing in many of the same venues as their bigger Broadway brothers, the 1st Nationals.  As a result, the Presenters and the Producers were making more money.  And most importantly, the audience didn’t seem to mind (new scenic technology and better training programs for young performers resulted in a much higher quality production than previous non-union productions).

By 2004, according to Actors Equity’s own website , 40% of the one-week touring market had gone non-Equity.

Well,  as you can imagine, this made the union and its thousands of out-of-work actors very, very angry.  (Wouldn’t you be?)

So they swarmed in, and very smartly hammered out a compromise with the Producers of many of these tours.  They introduced the SET contract (SET = Short Engagement Tours), which paid actors based on the amount of money the Producer was receiving from the Presenter (on a sliding scale), and also provided for “back-end” participation should one of these small tours play a massive stage and do gang-buster business.

Everybody won!  Producers got to utilize the best talent possible.  Union actors got work.  And there was a financial model that made sense.  I was super proud of both sides when this deal was struck.

Well, ten years have passed . . . and there’s a storm a brewin’.

Actors Equity recently launched a massive campaign via social media and and some traditional media encouraging audience members to #AskIfItsEquity.  The goal?  To educate the theatergoers in the markets around the country that while they may pay the same amount of money for the tour of The Lion King  as a one nighter non-union No, No, Nanette , one employs union actors and one doesn’t.  The union believes that the Presenters shouldn’t market these non-union productions as a “Broadway Tour,” or include them in a “Broadway” subscription season.  (There are interstitial ads currently running on ChicagoTribune.com with headlines that read, “Paying Broadway Prices?  Make sure it’s Broadway!” that link  here. )

The campaign has of course had its supporters, but interestingly enough there was a bunch of backlash from a lot of the folks out there who don’t have their union cards, or choose not to have them, for being dismissed as being 2nd class.

That’s what got us to today.

What do I think?  And where is the touring market headed?

Tune in tomorrow.

But if you’ve got thoughts you can share them today in the comments below.

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here  then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)

Interested in learning more about how to work with Ken?

Ken has have helped countless others get their shows produced or become producers themselves. Click here to learn more and to see if you’re the right fit.

Keep your show organized with the Theatermaker's fool-proof management system

Improve your success rate for getting produced with daily strategy tips.

Related Posts

Should Broadway Shows Offer a Guarantee?

Ask anyone in the online space and they’ll tell you…

Broadway Grosses w/e 5/5/2024

The top 10 grossing shows from the week ending on…

Here’s a trend that will (and should) continue.

The onslaught of new musicals this spring made folks change-up…

Broadway Grosses w/e 4/28/2024

Tony Awards 2024 Nominations Full List – April 30, 2024

This morning on April 30, 2024, Tony Award winners Renée…

What a “1 for X” Deal Means In Broadway Investing & Producing.

You’ve heard it before. But maybe you haven’t quite understood…

See All News

Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.

Most Popular

10 Audition Tips for Actors. (Updated 2020)

100 Quotes Every Theater Producer, Playwright, Director, Actor, etc. Must Read (Updated 2021)

10 FAQ about Broadway Investing

The tour played its final performance in Modesto, CA on April 17, 2024. We thank the company, the presenters, and the audiences that came to see us. It’s been loverly! Stay tuned for updates on future productions.

COMING SOON

UPDATED TOUR DATES COMING SOON. Please visit venue website for more information on rescheduled dates.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY Starring Sarah Snook To Hit Broadway in 2025

Snook recently earned an an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in which she inhabits 26 characters.

The speculated Broadway transfer of the West End production of The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Succession's Sarah Snook, has been confirmed by Deadline columnist, Baz Bamigboye. 

According to Baz, the production is headed for a Broadway run in spring of 2025, with producers currently considering a number of theaters for the piece.

Snook recently earned an an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in which she inhabits 26 characters. Snook is also a Golden Globe, Critics Choice, Emmy and SAG Award-winner for her performance on the acclaimed HBO series, Succession. 

The production of The Picture of Dorian Gray made its UK premiere starring   Sarah Snook  on 6 February at Theatre Royal Haymarket. The production will run through May 11, 2024.

In Australia, Snook has won two Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for her work in film and television. She received a nomination for the Logie Award for most outstanding actress for her performance in 2015's The Beautiful Lie and a Helpmann Award nomination for best female actor in a play for her performance in Sydney Theatre Company 's production of Saint Joan. 

Snook has returned to the London stage following her searing debut in Matthew Warchus ' 2016 production of The Master Builder opposite Ralph Fiennes . She plays every character in the production.

This stunning modern reworking of Wilde's devastatingly brilliant story is adapted and directed by Sydney Theatre Company 's Artistic Director Kip Williams.

Enrapturing audiences, the acclaimed Australian premiere season in 2020 was extended twice in Sydney and played to critical and audience acclaim throughout the country.

Sydney Theatre Company 's The Picture of Dorian Gray is adapted and directed by Kip Williams, based on the novel by Oscar Wilde . The Picture of Dorian Gray stars Sarah Snook . Design is by Marg Horwell, Lighting Design by Nick Schlieper , Composition & Sound Design by Clemence Williams, and Video Design by David Bergman. The London season is produced by Michael Cassel, Adam Kenwright , Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen, Daryl Roth , Amanda Lipitz and Henry Tisch, Jonathan Church .

Recommended For You