Billy Elliot the Forum

ALLMIXEDUP wrote:It's very difficult to get good seats unless you buy them as soon as they go on sale and they are not discounted. So the tour is staying in many cities for too short a time. Maybe the only solution is for the tour to close as SETA and open as non-union.

That could be difficult. If the idea were seriously mooted, it is possible that the London production could be disrupted through the threat of industrial action if Working Title Films/Universal (and others who own the rights and royalties to the play) allow a non-union production to be licensed elsewhere (with royalties being paid to them). American Actors' Equity ('Actors' Equity') and British Actors' Equity (Equity) may have a pretty tight agreement over this, and could see the use of 'scabs' in a non-AE US production as unacceptable while an Equity production is run in London. I would think Elton John and David Furnish would have strong views about this, too. SETA is about the best one can do to reduce costs and stay within the 'rules'.

It would be ironic if Billy Elliot the Musical ran into industrial problems over the use of 'scabs'!

Ellen is right - this Forum has no pressure to apply, but one hopes that, from time to time, those who do might see what is being posted (I know several of the cast, and parents, do look at it). One could take the other viewpoint: that an absence of any concern from this Forum might - just might - indicate to one or two with authority that we are not particularly bothered if the Tour ceases. So while we may not have pressure to bring to bear, we are a group of opinions that could, perhaps, play a small part in some way.

kport wrote:It would be ironic if Billy Elliot the Musical ran into industrial problems over the use of 'scabs'!

That would indeed be ironic

By far, the best way to pressure the decision makers to continue BETM in North and South America is for all of us to 1)continue to fill the seats and 2) pass the word to everyone we know so that they can request Billy Elliot The Musical.

Note this announcement from Proctors in Schenectady: "The most requested show from Proctors Facebook fans is now a reality...this season! June 4-9, 2013 ...BILLY ELLIOT the Musical. On sale February 21st."

"The most requested show"!!! Don't make my mistake in other cities; Mark your calendar for February 21st, or the best seats will be gone and you will be stuck in the "nosebleed section" of this huge theater.

I just returned from the Ruth Eckerd Hall to pick up my tickets. I also have a party of about 45 from my church who will be going tomorrow night. I agree - our job is to help promote this great show.

The lady at the ticket booth said ticket sales were very good for Clearwater and the whole theater was very enthusiastic about tomorrow's show..... I just wish the local media would spell 'Elliot' correctly! A friend of mine at Tampa Airport reports a number of suitcases with 'Billy Elliot' luggage tags arrived ca 4.30 today.....................

I find it hard to believe this show has no legs left after June (in the US). And it should be in Clearwater for a week. Why not Sarasota? The Barbara Mann in Fort Myers? I could see an entire month of well attended shows in the west coast of Florida when the snow birds are here. I wonder if the snag is not good audiences, but theater availability?

I stumbled upon this article about the business side of touring. Though it's not a new article, I believe it's still pertinent and I thought might be of interest to this discussion.

http://www.actorsequity.org/newsmedia/n ... ing102.asp

Ummmmmmm, my brain started to bleed about 3 grafs into this piece.

I mean, since when are they letting accounting geeks write things that might be seen by innocent civilians?

tzwicky
(does anyone have a spare stack of surgical sponges?)