A Word from President Smolik
In recent months we have seen a trend of traveling Broadway shows
closing and reopen-
ing without AFM contracts. We understand Actor’s Equity is experiencing the same
problem with many of the same shows. In the last few Pamphlet B negotiations we
were
told by the League of Theaters if we had tiers in the Alternative Touring
Agreement we
would not see shows being licensed to non-AFM producers. This has now proven to
not
be true. Here are the shows that we believe will be traveling without an AFM
agreement:
The Color Purple, Spam-A-Lot, and Rock of Ages (still touring with AFM agreement
through July 21, 2011), all produced by Phoenix Entertainment. Also, Spring
Awakening,
In the Heights, Shrek and South Pacific all produced by NETworks Presentations,
LLC.
La Cage Aux Folles will be traveling under an AFM contract.
We need you to be aware of the shows coming to your area without an AFM
agreement
in place. We need you to talk to your fellow theater musicians and Local
Presidents and
make sure they are aware of these shows and who the show’s producers are. We
need
you, your family, and friends to write the theaters, and the producers and tell
them you
want to see professional productions with AFM professional musicians
accompanying the
show under AFM agreements.
The other issue we continue to face is the use of reduced orchestrations.
Audiences need
to see and hear the shows that go out on the road the way they were originally
written.
The audience is paying the full price to see the production. Once again, we need
you, your
family, and friends to write the theaters, and the producers and tell them you
want to see
professional productions with a full orchestration of AFM professional musicians
accom-
panying the show under AFM agreements.