“Time to Tour?”

If your child is pursuing professional roles in musical theater you can’t help but notice the number of auditions posted for touring opportunities. Some of them are equity tours, some of them are non equity tours, some are for 6 months plus, some are for shorter holiday gigs but anyway you slice it, touring is an adventure. It is one of those things that people talk about with much excitement; “what a great opportunity!”, “Imagine all of the places you will get to see!”, “Someone is paying you to travel and to perform? You’re so lucky!”. These are all true statements and the opportunity is awesome in terms of being able to perform,and to do so on so many different stages, but let’s not overlook the amount of work involved.
First of all, I myself would not have my child sign on for a non equity tour unless he/she had a very experienced agent or manager who could hammer out every last detail prior to signing. Zack and I are currently out on an equity tour and I am SO grateful for the conditions that have been negotiated by equity to ensure the work/travel conditions that we have while we are on this adventure. I was certain that touring was not an option for us with our larger family and the need for a guardian to travel with Zack leaving our family short an adult at home. The fact that it is an equity tour allowed some peace of mind and ultimately made it manageable for one of us to travel with Zack and give him the great credit for his resume. We will move forward from an equity tour perspective here but keep in mind that there are also non equity tour opportunities out there as well.                                                                                       Think about the organization and details that go into planning a family vacation for a week or two. Now imagine those details for a company,consisting of dozens of cast and crew, touring for a production for a year or more. Transportation, lodging, salary, cost of living, work hours, and basic needs that have to be found in each new and strange location. On an equity tour there are things that you can count on the company arranging; flights and buses, offering two affordable housing options that when possible include amenities that have been negotiated, and they will provide transportation i.e./ rental cars to be shared by the cast and crew if the lodging is more than a certain distance from the theater.
The company has to make all efforts to offer walking distance lodging, laundry options, workout options, access to dental and medical, and recommendations for groceries and dining at each stop on the tour. Although the company needs to offer you these options, it is generally not mandated that you utilize them. Many people on our tour find apartments to rent and share through Airbnb, VRBO, or Craig’s list.
When you sign a contract for a tour, information re/ salary , money for cost of living or per diem, etc., will be included in the details of the contract. Before embarking on tour there is certain information that you will want to know that isn’t included in the contract details. How many suitcases can each of you bring? Is there a weight limit for the suitcases? How about carry on items? Do you have a “trunk” or personal storage container that will be kept at the theater and loaded in/out at each stop on the tour? Can you initially send a box or two of belongings to the theater to place in your personal storage container? I would have made significantly different choices in how I managed our belongings before moving to NYC for the month of rehearsals had I known to ask these questions before we left our home.
One of the questions I was asked most leading up to our departure to NYC was “how are you going to pack for 6 months and every climate?”. Well, that was a very good question and certainly one of the biggest challenges. Let’s face it, two suitcases each weighing less than 50lbs a piece can hold a lot of stuff….but what 12 year old boy is going to be able to manage his 2 suitcases independently while mom handles hers and everything else. It was time to take a minimalists approach. Underwear and socks are VERY important! Those can be the limiting factor if there is not laundry on site. As a society we tend to be quick to wear clothes for a few hours and then throw them in the hamper. We have learned that a pair of pants , barring any unusual activity, can be worn twice before really needing to be washed. With our new found concepts of clean and prioritizing, we were able to fit enough pants , shirts, tshirts, shorts and underclothes into only 3 suitcases and 2 backpacks to manage our needs, even moving from West Palm Beach Florida one week to Detroit Michigan the next. This is also where our “trunk” that we have at the theater comes in very handy. During our time in Fla. we were able to stash our winter boots, shoes, coats, hats, and heavy sweaters in there to allow us to move with less weight until we headed north again, at which point we switched the summer clothes for the winter clothes. The trunk is also a great space for mementos that accumulate in your travels, as well as anything that can be bulky or heavy especially when flying. We have learned to carry small bottles (3 oz or under) of our shampoos etc…when moving to a new location and we place the bigger bottles in the trunk. This significantly lightens the suitcase. Many people also have things like crock pots, blenders, hot plates, and some of the kids even have scooters in their trunks.
As you review the housing options offered to you it will become easier for you to choose where to stay as you determine which amenities are most important to you. For us, being able to walk to and from the theater vs. having to share cars and coordinate schedules is truly most important. Being able to come and go as we please allows some of that anonymity that can be lost when touring in such a big group. The walkability of the lodging is followed very closely by having laundry on site and that is also followed very quickly by having the capability to prepare meals in the room. Today most hotel rooms have refrigerators and microwaves, and it is really amazing what you can prepare having even them in your room. Twice we have had the pleasure of both free laundry on site and a full kitchen in our hotel. It was like heaven! Some of the things that are lesser important to us are a pool, a workout room, parking, or the ability to have your pet at the hotel. There is also the issue of smoking vs. nonsmoking which can be very important to someone who has allergies. A strict non-smoking facility can be rare, often disguised with the line “non smoking policy” or “fee for smoking in the room”.
Another piece of information that would have been valuable for us to know ahead of time is that a tour will typically have a “point of origin”. Many times it is NYC. This is important because once cast, if you do not live in commuting distance to the point of origin, it is your financial responsibility to travel to the point of origin, and you are also responsible for your housing during rehearsals prior to leaving on tour. You will not be paid a per diem during rehearsals. The per diem typically does not kick in until you have left the point of origin. We were not aware of this and had to scramble to make our own living arrangements and find the money to pay for all of it.
A few other pointers to get you started. It is worth a trip to your bank to let them know that you will be traveling. Many banks , particularly the smaller credit unions, will lock your accounts if they notice a lot of unusual activity in different places, assuming that your information has been stolen. Traveling can be hard enough without suddenly being unable to access any of your funds. Everything we read emphasized bringing things from home that would make your hotel feel more like home. Of course the mom in me loved this idea, for the first week, and then it was just more stuff that had to be moved and packed and, frankly, it didn’t make us miss home any less. Zack has his bear and we have one small picture of the family and it’s enough. Keep track of all of your expenses that are not reimbursed by the company. Meals, transportation, supplies, training activities etc…you will need them for your taxes, particularly if you are receiving a per diem for cost of living. I have both a journal and a pentaflex filing system I carry with us with one pocket just for receipts and I maintain them diligently. Your smart phone will become your life line. We have found Google Maps to be our new favorite app! Learn to Uber if you haven’t. The idea intimidated me with recent news headlines but we have had only positive experiences and at stops in bigger cities where you don’t have a rental, the easy access of an Uber allows you to take advantage of what the city has to offer. Take pictures, each tour is a once in a lifetime experience for both you and your child. It may be hard and overwhelming at times but some day you will cherish the memories made.