Friday Matinees

[Distant Dreamer...]

Can anyone help? I'm in London for an evening show on Friday 15 July and I'm looking to see if there are any matinees anywhere: I know an unusual day! I've had a look and the Globe are doing a play of Midsummer, but as Meow Meow isn't performing at that date I'm not interested. Anyone know of anywhere else?

[Phantom of London]

Didn't In The heights do a Friday matinee?

[anita]

"The Stripper" @ St . James theatre does a 5 o'clock show on Friday.

[Phantom of London]

Okay they used to do a Friday matinee.

Oddly enough Book of Mormon are doing a Friday matinee this week and one more at the end of the month, don't know the reason?

I am seeing Guys and Dolls in Cardiff this afternoon, they also doing another matinee tomorrow, both matinees are nearly sold out, where the evening performance isn't nearly sold as well. Never underestimate the drawing power of the matinee.

[Phantom of London]

I get it maybe money, not that they haven't got enough already!!!

This would be an additional performance to their already scheduled 8 shows a week, I thought theatre isn't allowed to do more than 8 shows a week, some agreement with Equity. Could it be that Mormon is testing the water, as the Wednesday matinee has been their weakest show sales wise? It's not one for the traditional matinee ladies.

[shady23]

If Joseph is running near you they do early matinees and THREE shows every Saturday.

[Phantom of London]

Jul 6, 2016 17:21:36 GMT @theatremonkey said:

Money is all.

Also, many shows often have "performances in hand" where Christmas / Easter dates are cancelled and used later ("We Will Rock You" used to save up all its 'no midweek matinee' weeks then make the cast play 12 or so shows a week at Christmas). Or it can be that they are using a needed tech / understudy or whatever run as an extra show.

Or just demand, under a clause in the contract. Doubt many actors are going to turn down an extra show once in a while, I guess.

Okay thanks.

i always assumed with Christmas performances, that the 1st week of Christmas they do less shows, because of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but these lost performances get made up for in the second week of Christmas, with lots of additional performances, with extra double show days?

Even though Mormon are doing an additional performances, will this take them over the 8 show week, or will they lose the show somewhere else in their schedule, later on? Do Equity then allow more than 8 performances a week? Or do your schedule have to add up to 8 shows a week, so 416 over the year?

[Phantom of London]

Thanks for that again, all very interesting.

So Equity will allow more than 8 shows a week, if you compensate the staff with overtime?

On Broadway it seems the performances are rigid to 8 a week, unless there is a one off benefit. They never perform Christmas Eve or New Year Eve, Broadway goes dark, but there is some shows on Christmas Day, no such thing as Boxing Day in the U.S. and back to normal schedule, on New Years Day, sometimes with an additional performance for the matinee, to again play catch up.

[shady23]

Wicked often add an extra show during school holidays, so nine shows a week. Not sure how it works for the ensemble but the two leading ladies both get a different matinee show off during those weeks.