← How Much Can I Make? — Real Jobs. Real Stories. Career Insights
How Much Can I Make? — Real Jobs. Real Stories. Career Insights
Broadway Actress - Career Insights.
00:45:04
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- [00:04]
A
You arrive at 6am and there's a line of people on the street just sitting there. People would always walk by and say, what is this? Like, this is a fashion call. Is there some sale happening? No, it's just a bunch of actors.
- [00:16]
B
Welcome back to How Much Can I Make? I'm your host, Mira Vozeri. Ever dream of Being on Broadway? The lights, the costumes, the applause. Well, today we're talking with actress Lauren Blackman, whose Broadway credits include hello Dolly, Anesthesia, Lempicka Ragtime, and the Music man with youh Jackman. So let's dive right in and hear all about it from Lauren. First of all, Lauren, thanks a lot for doing it.
- [00:44]
A
Oh, my pleasure. Thank you for asking.
- [00:46]
B
Of course.
- [00:47]
A
Happy to be here.
- [00:49]
B
So let's dive right in and tell us how and when did you discover your love for theater?
- [00:55]
A
I think you'll learn from a lot of theaters. We were born that way. We. I mean, I knew it probably from my mom having me watch old movie musicals, but from the moment I saw from, you know, what's called the golden age of Hollywood, as soon as I saw a movie musical, I was done for. Like any white dress with feathers on the rim. That was tap dancing. That was. That was it for me.
- [01:18]
B
How old were you?
- [01:19]
A
I can't remember when I first fell in love. I know I had my first solo when I was four and singing Someday My Prince Will Come. And I was already done for then. But I did not admit until very much maybe my senior year of high school, how serious I was about it to my family. I just knew, I'm gonna be on Broadway. It's so easy, right? I'm gonna be on Broadway. And then I think my family thought, okay, yeah, sure. It's just one of those dreams. And then as I got like, what are you gonna study in college? I said, I'm gonna study theater. And are you sure? Really? Are you sure? That was a question for a long time, all throughout my freshman year of college. Are you sure?
- [02:01]
B
So, okay, so. Well, you did end up on Broadway. That shows them.
- [02:06]
A
I did.
- [02:06]
B
You also did regional theater. I saw you in Maine.
- [02:10]
A
I did a lot of regional theater. I actually didn't even end up on Broadway until a lot later in my career, which was perfect timing for me. But some people may have given up by that point. But when you don't have, you know, you're met with faculty and friends and family that inevitably actors, performers, especially theater performers, hear the phrase, if there's anything else you want to do, anything else in the world do it because it's so difficult. And so it really took me a while to get my stride, which I had known from a young age. Casting had said, if you can hang on to your 30s because you're a leading lady, you have an older soul, you're gonna. You will be successful if you can hang on. And I think what they mean by hang on is when you move here is get those regional theater jobs and have a good day job, a good side job, and keep your passion, and you don't get too negative, you'll succeed. A lot of this career is perseverance. And so I was very fortunate to be swooped up by a few regional theaters that gave me some dream roles and beautiful communities that I got to meet. Like you said in Maine, also here in New York, there was a theater called Westchester Broadway Theater that really started the career for me. And then. And another theater called the Fulton. There's a little bit of a family that I've worked for, family of theater, a family of theater directors, artistic directors. And then that spawns off into actors that I feel the most fortunate to have created. Because when a Broadway show's over, what do you do?
- [03:47]
B
I know we're going to get into that. We're going to get into that. But before we do, tell me the difference between regional theater and Broadway.
- [03:55]
A
Okay, so the biggest difference is the budget and the address and the pay. And I would say the business of Broadway and regional theater is different, mostly monetarily. The heart of it all is, for me, no different. I. The audience is no different. I don't do any more or less, depending where the location is. It's always, you know, regional theater is done a lot quicker. You have sometimes ten days of rehearsal. Broadway, you have what is still very small. You have four weeks usually of rehearsal, sometimes six. And then you have one month of previews before you open. But it's still for huge productions. It's all very fast and furious. Whether you're doing a regional gig, there's a certain theater that you've got, I think, six days to put up the show. And they just.
- [04:48]
B
Rehearsal and everything.
- [04:49]
A
That's rehearsal. That's tech. You do maybe two nights of tech. Technical. That's when you go into the theater. You've staged the whole thing, and you no longer work on the show. You work on the technical aspects, the set, your entrances and exits, the. The pieces that have to come on and off, the lights, lighting, everything. And so you lose your show as an actor. For in regional theaters, two days and then you have an audience on Broadway. The tech process is much longer.
- [05:17]
B
Is it nerve wracking when you first night when you have the audience?
- [05:20]
A
I try not to get nervous anymore. You know, it's so interesting. I get more nervous when I'm doing smaller things. Because you have less responsibility, which is such an odd thing to say because everybody in the show has a huge responsibility. But I. I find if I'm in a show where I've got four lines, I'm horrified. I'm gonna miss it. I'm gonna forget it. I'm gonna, you know, when I'm saying everything, say when I did Mary Poppins. When you have every line, it just has to keep flowing. You don't have time to think or be nervous. It just has to keep going. Whereas if you're sitting there for a whole show and you go, this is my one moment. Better get it right. And I'm sure I've had nights where just gibberish has come out of my mouth and you just laugh because other people, you get it. This happens.
- [06:10]
B
Wow. Okay. Does an aspiring actor needs a formal training?
- [06:15]
A
There are a lot of people that are naturally born with talent, that are just natural actors. They know how to bring a lot of themselves to any character or just a natural ability to be relaxed into any character. There are natural singers. I was sort of blessed. You are one.
- [06:30]
B
I mean, I've seen you perform.
- [06:32]
A
I was a natural singer. And my mom, when I decided to go this direction, really wanted me to go into opera because that's where my voice lived. And I was wise enough to know. And I was a scaredy cat. I didn't go away to summer camp. I didn't want to leave my family. I sleepovers, I did, but I did not. I grew up in California. I loved it there. And I knew two things. If I didn't go east for college and if I didn't study acting, I was never going to go to New York. And that was because I needed friends on the east coast to make me make that transition into New York City easier. And I already knew how to sing, so I was smart enough to know you're scared of acting. You don't think you can act, so you need to go to an acting program and forget the singing. I mean, and then you get through it all and you're like, oh, I still do need voice lessons.
- [07:19]
B
And did you go to acting classes?
- [07:21]
A
I did. I went to Syracuse University for musical theater. And then I continued to do classes when I graduated here in Manhattan. But more that was more audition and performance than like continuing education. It wasn't necessarily going to the Meisner Studio or the Adler, you know, it was. We at Syracuse had to. The musical theater students had to get an acting degree first. So I had to do all my Shakespeare, all my Linklater, all my Meisner all, anything you can think of. We were introduced to it all. And there was a lot of importance based on. Musical theater is not at Syracuse. At least it's not just singing and dancing, which I appreciated and I had learned before I accepted and decided to go there. I thought, this is where my. I'm going to get pushed. And I was. It was not an easy four years for me by any means. It got easier. I ended up really succeeding by senior year, being very fortunate in roles and in support. And that was like another decision I made. All my friends went abroad for a semester, which in hindsight I really wished I had. But I also knew while they're gone, I had not been cast in a show yet. And it was junior year. And I went, while they're gone, I'll get a show. So they're gonna leave and they're gonna have to put me in the show because no one's here, you know.
- [08:43]
B
And they did.
- [08:44]
A
And they did just ensemble of Secret Garden. But it was great. And I got to know the teachers better. And by senior year, I had formed relationships with the faculty where they had really pushed me.
- [08:54]
B
You mentioned before that you had to move to the East Coast Coast. Why is it easier to make it in theater in the East Coast?
- [09:01]
A
Well, you know, I'm not sure anymore because during COVID everything kind of switched to zoom. So you have. There's so many more opportunities. But when I was. When it was time for me to move to New York and try Broadway. Broadway's only in Manhattan, so the auditions were only in Manhattan. Maybe you'd audition in LA sometimes, but you'd eventually have to fly out for your final, which is still true, but you still wouldn't have even an ounce of getting seen unless you were here. And I used to wake up, there are these things called open calls or chorus calls or Equity principal auditions where you would have to wait. Say they'd start at 9. You'd have to wait until 8am Maybe it was 7:30 to sign up on a list. And you'd. You'd arrive at 6am and there's a line of people on. On the street just sitting there. People would always walk by and say, what is this? Like, this is a fashion call. Is there some sale happening? No, it's just a bunch of actors sitting on the street, on the ground, desperate for a job starting at 5.30am desperate at this point for just a slot to audition, you know.
- [10:02]
B
Now how do you find about auditions?
- [10:03]
A
Well, they're always online. There's a few outlets. There's things called Actors Access, There's Playbill has auditions, there's the breakdowns. Breakdown Express is where we used to get all of our auditions. Those are the public ones. There's a few casting offices that you needed to have appointments for. A lot of Broadway shows you have to have appointments for, but they are, are also required now, those appointments, I mean being through your agent or a manager, but they are also required to do an epa, an Equity principal audition and a chorus call. So that means you have to sit outside or. I, I'm not. I think it's online now, to be honest. That's how dated I am. You have to get up and early and try and get your slot for the audition. Now every show is still required to do that just so that people that don't have representation have opportunity. But nowadays there's a couple casting offices that have true transparency. And so they're announcing on their Instagram what they're casting and what they're looking for, which is great. I don't know how you're supposed to get those appointments, even if you have that information. If you don't have an agent. But self submission, most likely.
- [11:10]
B
You mentioned before an agent. How does one go about getting an agent?
- [11:14]
A
There's a few ways. There's self submission, there's never. You're never gonna lose by self submitting, you know, yourself even.
- [11:23]
B
You mean by just sending query letters.
- [11:25]
A
Like it used to be that you could send hard copies. Nowadays, I'm sure everything is digital. There's also, if you go to a program, a theater program, you. There's what's called a showcase at the end of the year for the seniors and they bring the talent to New York City and the whole class will showcase. They'll do. Whether you're in drama or musical theater. You'll do a song, you'll do a monologue, you'll do a scene, you'll do something that showcases your talent. They've really turned into these events and agents that are looking and casting directors will all go. I mean, when I did it, there were soap operas that showed up and that's. And Guiding Light was a huge New York City soap and that it was so funny. I got absolutely no bites for musical theater or anything, except an opera manager. Thank you, mom. Who was like, you should go into opera and soap operas. So two things I do not do.
- [12:22]
B
So you never went to the soap opera?
- [12:24]
A
No, you know, it was. So I never knew how. There are these things called under twos, which is two lines in a show. And they used to call people and say, we want you on the show for an under two or an under five. I'm not sure. And I didn't realize the game that it was. Whoever called back first got the job. The audition for Guiding Light was an interview with the head of casting. I didn't read anything. It was an interview, and then it was these phone calls that would just come to be basically an extra with a couple lines. But if you didn't call back first, you didn't get it. And I never called back first because in those days, we had service numbers. So we didn't have cell phones. So you would call your service number maybe every hour, but they called, you know, a minute after you had last checked, and so somebody else got it.
- [13:09]
B
Do they ever call you after an audition, even if you don't get it?
- [13:12]
A
Or you.
- [13:14]
B
Theater in general? Not so.
- [13:15]
A
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I didn't get Music man, and they called me months later, and I had offered me the job so I didn't have to re audition. Yeah. Isn't that crazy?
- [13:25]
B
Crazy. So let me ask you something. How do you recover from rejection?
- [13:29]
A
You know, I think that's my superpower, is I have never been upset. I had a casting director once say to me, it was the same one who said, if you can hold out until you're 30. She had said something like, you're not competitive. And not in a bad way, because we all need a competitive edge. But I wasn't upset to see somebody else get the role. I just realized I'm five' nine and a half. Like, well, maybe she's five' seven. Or maybe they can't imagine me with blonde hair and that girl was blonde. Or maybe she was more talented. Who knows? But it's not. I had enough faith in my talent. I don't think I'm the best. I didn't think I'm the best. I think I'm wonderful at certain things.
- [14:07]
B
Yeah, I think you're the best, but that's okay.
- [14:09]
A
Well, parts of us have to believe we're the best. There's certain things. Yeah, I'm the best at that. It's my superpower to not let rejection get me down. It's not Being rejected, it's just a different direction. And when casting will say to you, we just were going another direction or it just didn't fit the mix, the mix didn't fit. I do believe, and maybe this is me just being naive, that most of the time that's true. The biggest part of auditioning is make sure they like you enough to ask you to audition for something again. I audition for to stay on casting's mind to keep momentum happening in my career. So it's always casting first. I audition to impress that office and show them my versatility and show them I'm dependable like and prepared that I'll. If my manager calls for something I didn't get an appointment for, they're going to say yes, bring Lauren in.
- [14:59]
B
So usually when they announce audition or they publish about an audition, they tell you the details of the role and how do you prepare for that.
- [15:07]
A
You are sent a, what's called a breakdown where it lists all the characters, a very short paragraph, few sentences about the character. Sometimes the script is attached. Most often now, at least my auditions have always have music from the show attached that I have to learn that come with the accompaniment of the song you have to learn or to. It comes with a plunk track so you can learn it. And the sheet music, sometimes it'll come with a demo. This is like the feel of what we're looking for. I mean, you're getting a lot of information now. And it's also usually first rounds are done as self tapes.
- [15:43]
B
Still, what's your favorite genre? Is it musicals? Or is it because I've seen you in a comedic role and you were hysterical. Your comedic timing is perfect.
- [15:51]
A
I'm a goofball in real life. Like, I'm very quirky. My mom, every time I would come home from a long visit, my mother would always say, oh, Laura, you're so funny. And I finally realized, just like you're a little strange, you're a little weird. I would just come like running downstairs, slide across the floor. Oh, you're so funny. It's not like the rest of us. I love, I'm very sentimental and so I personally love a role that is going to let me be comedic and at some point let me break your heart. That's a dream. Yes, that's a dream role. And then kind of lets you sing everything. Which now that I'm thinking about it, did you see Music man, that role?
- [16:33]
B
Yes. You were amazing.
- [16:34]
A
Kind of allowed me to do that. That it really let me. And that's not always With Marian, that was this production that really promoted her playfulness and I love that. And you've seen me do other comedic roles where I get to dance too. And comedy is hard for me. With comedy, it has to be something I can relate to as a person where I'm like, where I can see this is something that suits what I do in daily life. I'm not as much of a comic genius to be able to like Essen snl, like improv. I can improv. But there's many levels of comedy. And musical theater comedy is something I love. I love the Carol Burnett world. You watch Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews do a show together. That is my dream mix of me. I don't know if I've achieved it, but my dream is to be half Julie Andrews and half Carol Burnett in one in every show. That would be. You get to belt, sing the high stuff, be, you know, the late, the grand dame and then the grand dame of comedy. That is the dream.
- [17:34]
B
All right, I want to talk about money, but before we get there, I want to know what is your day like? When you prepare in rehearsal and then.
- [17:42]
A
In performance, they are usually eight hour days, ten to six, and you have about an hour lunch. And it really depends. The ensemble is almost always called every hour of every day, whether you're working or not, because you are. I like to think you're the engine of the full machine, the ensemble. And so there's a lot of times in a Broadway show and a regional show where you're. They don't know when you're going to be needed or not. And I think for the most part, every director and choreographer does their best and stage manager to not waste people's time. But if you're an understudy, you're going to be at every rehearsal all day. And we work six days a week. So one day off during rehearsals, that's usually Sunday. During performances, that's Monday.
- [18:25]
B
Do you get overtime for the sixth day?
- [18:27]
A
No, it's a lot of hours. But you're also. Well, I want. Usually you're working with people you love. For me, it flies by. I love rehearsal processes the most. I've always loved the thought of creating. And then there's this great relief when the show is frozen and they're not allowed to change anything anymore. Even if you want change.
- [18:45]
B
Oh, it's called frozen.
- [18:46]
A
And that's it? Yeah, it's called Freezing a show. Yeah, the show is frozen. So it can no longer change, which is technically every single opening night, the show has to be Frozen directors usually try to do it, especially on Broadway, a couple nights before opening. But I was in a Broadway opening where we changed one of the biggest dance numbers, went in with new wigs, new costumes, new choreography on opening night O and never was tested on an audience. And then it was stuck.
- [19:10]
B
And how did it work? Was it a success?
- [19:13]
A
I think they still never figured that one out, but it might have been the best version we had done.
- [19:19]
B
But let me ask you something. So you actually have to start preparing before rehearsals start.
- [19:23]
A
You do, especially principals. As an ensemble, unless you're understudying, you don't have much information about what you're going to be doing unless you did what's called a workshop or a lab where the choreographer has selected certain people to start doing pre production and testing material out on what they want to do. But when you're in the ensemble, you're really focusing on being in shape for whatever the job is. If you're dancing, you want to make sure your body is healthy and your voice is healthy. If you're an understudy, you're trying to. At least for me, I'm trying to get ahead of the game and have almost all my lines memorized and material. But you want to know as much as you can. If you're regional, you're going to have your stuff memorized before you get there. Almost all memorized. Because the show's not going to change. They legally can't change a show. When you're in a regional, it's the legally. Because they've licensed a show. So they license Ragtime and you can't change it because it's licensed from the writers. Written that way. But when you're on Broadway, they're creating. And so it can be frustrating. If you come off book for something, your lines are going to change all the time. It's really a matter of if you've done out of town versions of it before and it's basically stayed the same or which songs. I know when I just did Lempicka, I worked on two songs for months before we ever got into rehearsals because they were vocally not natural to me. You know, I was. I'm a natural soprano, but this was a lot of theater belting. And I just had to build that muscle and have that ease for the terrifying moment of when you have to go on. So I built. I made sure those muscles. As an ensemble member, I wanted my vocal muscles for those two songs to be solid before I started. So I guess it's to prepare each show is going to ask something different of you, and just to prepare what you think is going to be the hardest. What is your biggest challenge to overcome?
- [21:14]
B
So you mentioned memorizing. Did it happen to you that you forgot your lines on stage?
- [21:18]
A
Oh, yes. I.
- [21:20]
B
What do you do?
- [21:20]
A
Eventually it comes, and you just have to trust like, something's going to happen where it will come. And sometimes it doesn't. I call it. You walk into the white room. You know, the white room, the white padded room where you just. Everything goes white and blank. You don't know what's happened. It happened to me in choreography a few times on stage, where I just went into the white room and went. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing with my body right now. So then you hope you just don't injure anyone. I have a harder time not on stage, but when I do concerts, especially if I'm performing with a friend. And we are really enjoying each other in our. Whatever duet or moment we're doing. I recently did one with my friend Natalie. Natalie Joy Johnson, another incredible performer. We sang this song together, and I thought for sure it was her who messed up the lyrics. And she just. I watched the video. I went back and watched the video. No. Sure enough, she is, like, trying to feed me the clues, and I'm staring at her, why aren't you singing? Why don't you know this? She had learned the. She had learned the lyrics two days before we had to do this concert. I had learned them a week or two before, and I just was so sure it was Natalie's fault, and it was all my fault. And we just started laughing, and the audience really was into it, and we finally came back around.
- [22:37]
B
But what do you do about physical, challenging roles? I mean, you dance, you sing, you act. I mean, that's physically challenging. What. How do you prepare for that?
- [22:47]
A
You stay. There's a saying that you have to be stronger than your show. So if you are doing a lot of cardio, which to me is, you know, dancing is very muscular. But if there's shows where you feel like you're kind of running around the whole show, and there's light choreography, but you never stop moving, so it can be exhausting. Anything in a show is repetitive movement. It's Groundhog Day. You're doing the exact same thing, the exact same steps, a number of steps on the same feet, or only that leg is kicking. Eight shows a week for as long as that run is. So you have to figure out if it's what I call a cardio show where you have to work on your muscle training during the week. You have to make sure your muscles are engaging and that you're strong enough because you can hurt. I have a big feet problem. You can hurt your toes, you can hurt your ankle. If your muscles aren't supporting you, then you're going to go to your tendons and your ligament. You know, it's. So you want to make sure you're physically stronger than your show. And if there is. I pay attention now. I never did before to how many times they've had me kick on the right or kick on the left and saying to the choreographer, we need to switch that leg eventually. In this show, I have been entirely right heavy, and I've got to go to my left or down the line. This is going to be a problem. And I used to be scared to say that stuff, but now I even want to say it to the younger generation. And I would have been this way, too. They're more stubborn to hear it because they're young and nothing hurts, and they want to do everything and just say yes. And I, too, want to be a yes person. Only in the room. Like, yes, I'm here. Happy to be here, easy to work with. But there are things that are going to be helpful to everyone. And so if you can be aware, I'm only turning on this foot. Um, turning may not be as much of a problem. I don't do as that much anymore.
- [24:38]
B
But jumping.
- [24:39]
A
Yeah, jumping. I'm only landing on my right in this jump. I need to switch over to the left. I have a. I got an injury from a show where I wasn't doing anything big, but. But I realized I was compensating for an older injury. And so I put all my weight on my left and I got myself a left foot injury. Everything's better now, but I would never have had to go through that had I been more cognizant of how heavy the show was in certain areas of my body. And just walking the stairs in a Broadway theater. Walking the stairs in your theater is one of the hardest things.
- [25:13]
B
What. What do you mean?
- [25:14]
A
So the stairs are metal, and you never realize the stairs to the. To the stage, stairs to the stage, stairs to your dressing room, stairs. You're doing stairs, stairs, stairs, stairs, stairs. You want to know what Broadway is? Stairs, stairs everywhere. No elevators. It's stairs. And it gets unbelievably painful to walk up and down the stairs every day. And I don't mean because you're out of shape. It just eventually starts hurting your knees, your ankles. It. People. You'll see people start walking down backwards. I remember there was an older woman and older than me, not old in the show, walking backwards down the stairs. And I thought, what is that? Why is she doing? And I. And I probably in my head was like, oh, poor her. She's not doing well. No, she was protecting herself. When you go backwards, holding onto the railing, nobody try this at home. And fall. When you go backwards down the stairs, it just takes pressure off your hip flexors off different parts of your joints. And so she would do like every other up and down, would change direction, and I would start doing. Especially on days where I hurt, you will see me walking down the stairs backwards. Wow.
- [26:20]
B
Oh, my God. What's the biggest challenge of being a working actress on Broadway? Original.
- [26:27]
A
One of the hardest challenges, you're going to think it's getting the job, which that's. That's a given. Getting the job will always be what is next is always the hardest challenge. Challenge. What is next? What's going to come next? I did a stint where I didn't work for two years in my 20s, and you would think that would be my prime.
- [26:44]
B
So what did you do?
- [26:45]
A
But it wasn't. I had other jobs. I had, get yourself a good side gig and something that makes you happy. It doesn't have to be waiting tables, but something that gives you the availability to go to auditions and have flexibility in your life and pursue your passion. My time is not over. That's the biggest mind game for a lot of actors is, am I still valuable? Do I still have a place here? Have I lost it?
- [27:11]
B
So all the insecurities come in?
- [27:13]
A
Yeah. No, it's always there and you haven't. And you have to be excited about the next phase.
- [27:20]
B
So do you remember all of this in between shows? You said you didn't work for two years. Did you freak out?
- [27:25]
A
I did. I freaked out. And I was. It was the time where I was sitting on the street and, you know, sitting on gum in the morning or whatever is on that street, and then you. You finally are led inside the building, and then you're in line in the building and there's hundreds of people there and you're waiting for your slot. And I was surrounded by a lot of negativity. And I was raised Catholic. It was the first year. You know, as a Catholic, you give up something at Lent, like sugar or alcohol or, you know, whatever. It was the first year I decided to give up negativity.
- [27:57]
B
Oh.
- [27:57]
A
Because I just thought, this isn't helping me. And why are we giving up things like candy? Let's give up something that's actually gonna. I sound so profound right now.
- [28:07]
B
You do.
- [28:08]
A
I don't think I was trying to be profound. I just thought I'm. I can't give in to the negativity because then I'm not gonna get anywhere.
- [28:15]
B
Okay, so we talked about the challenge. What is the biggest reward?
- [28:18]
A
Oh, it's always that person that you tell. You can tell you had an impact on that night. You know, I.
- [28:26]
B
You mean the person in the audience?
- [28:27]
A
The person in the audience. You see them sometimes. Yeah.
- [28:30]
B
Wow.
- [28:30]
A
Or when you leave the stage door and you meet. Or if you have a repeat audience member that comes a lot and you've. You're making a difference in their life. But when you hear people laugh, that is. That is hugely fulfilling. And when you see that somebody is invested in the show, it's usually in the first few rows. You can feel it too. Even if an audience is quiet, you can feel when they're with you. And knowing that you are letting people. This is also an age old phrase. That you're letting people escape for a couple hours from their own life. And just everybody's experiencing one thing at the same time in the same moment. And when you know you've had an impact or you can make eye contact with somebody, that's just either. I just did a show, Lempicko, where you could tell people were going through. People felt seen. There were audience members that felt very seen by this story. It was a queer story and a queer community really came out to support it. And there's that where you feel like you are giving people something they've been missing and they feel seen. And then there's the little girl. There's the little Lauren in the audience, which I get weepy every time I talk about it. That loves it so much. I used to feel sick. I used to feel nauseous and kind of heartbroken after every show because I wanted it so badly. I remember seeing Carol Channing in hello Dolly on the national tour. She had to be in her 80s and I saw it twice and I cried the whole ride home because she just gave me something I didn't know, you know, visibly she popped out of the movie screen and I saw. Saw that thing that fills me with joy. A lot of people will think, we love the applause. We love the applause.
- [30:10]
B
That's what I thought you were gonna say. Standing ovation. Applause.
- [30:13]
A
Oh, God, no, no, no. It's it's giving the dream back to somebody else. It's like paying it forward, inspiring somebody else and letting them know they can do it or inspiring them through the story that you're telling. And I can't name a Broadway show that has a bad message, right?
- [30:29]
B
Well, of course not. But, you know, you mentioned Lempicka and I had a lot of friends that wanted to see it, really wanted to see it. And it closed all of a sudden because the mistakes of the producers. How do you feel after something like this so out of your control? You invested months in that.
- [30:44]
A
Yeah, I don't know whose mistake it was in the end. I think there's a show swept away right now who is closing this weekend. And they got critics pick from the New York Times.
- [30:54]
B
Why are they closing?
- [30:55]
A
And they are closing same as us, exactly a month after their opening date. And they got their notice. They only had a week and a half notice. We had two weeks notice. Everything's heartbreaking. We're in a different time now where it's. If you don't even have the budget to market hugely. And I say that, and at the same time as I'm saying that I keep thinking about this one show that I do see their commercial every day and they too are closing. So there's a lot out there and the audience is not fully back the way everybody thinks we are. After Covid, ticket prices are high. It's very expensive to come to Broadway. So the families that are coming to Broadway are going to the family shows. They're going to what they know there were shows that. That closed opening night back in the 30s and 40s, 50s. They closed opening night. That's why the break a leg came from. You want to break a leg, you want to get past the wing. You want to break the wings in the. On the stage were called the legs. And if you broke the leg, you got to opening night and it happened because you might be closed by the end of the show.
- [31:58]
B
So you mentioned that they didn't pay you. I want to talk about money as an actress on Broadway and in smaller theater, how much money can you make?
- [32:05]
A
Oh, gosh. I mean, that runs the gamut. The range is huge. I think if you're depending on the role, if you're a star, if you have won a Tony Award, if you're a movie star, it could be kind of endless. I know that our union creates a minimum.
- [32:21]
B
Are you in the union?
- [32:22]
A
I'm in the union. You have to be in the union to be on Broadway. Or a certain level, regional theaters. Anything that's equity, you have to be in the union. And it's. I'm a big union fan. We are so protected by simple things like you have to take breaks. You know, if you're. When I was non union, you don't ever have to take a break. You don't have to be paid anything. You.
- [32:41]
B
They know you love it.
- [32:42]
A
Yeah. One thing on Broadway there's a minimum and that salary gets negotiated, I believe every three years. It might be two years.
- [32:49]
B
What's the minimum now?
- [32:50]
A
The minimum I cannot tell you for sure. I think it's 2,600 is the minimum a week.
- [32:56]
B
That's all.
- [32:57]
A
You can look it up online. But that is all for eight shows a week. That is the minimum. So every. The ensemble member will start there. Every principal will start there. There's no principal minimum. But principals usually get a bump immediately and then it's up to negotiations.
- [33:14]
B
Do you get more if you are in a musical and have to sing as well as acting.
- [33:19]
A
The production contract, so this is called a production contract, is the same across the board. The minimum Broadway is production contracts.
- [33:26]
B
Do you have any negotiating power or your agent or you just have to go by the union?
- [33:31]
A
You have. The negotiating power is really depends on what you're doing in that show. As a principal, as somebody who's won a Tony, if it's vocally or physically demanding, let's say on the smallest level as an ensemble member, you can always negotiate small things like for your health. You want an extra bit of money for what's called health and wellness. So getting your feet taken care of, getting massage, getting acupuncture, voice lessons. It's expensive to run a Broadway show. It's $20 million sometimes. And so you will often hear we have nothing. We have no room for negotiation or we'll give you these little things. And that's health and wellness. There's no more. There's no such thing as high risk anymore. Which would be if you were climbing a ladder or climbing. That's kind of why where health and wellness came in.
- [34:21]
B
So what happens if you. You get injured while performing?
- [34:25]
A
Well, you're. So that's part of the union. And that is wonderful. If you're injured, you. It's called a C2 form. If you're injured while performing, even if it's small, you think it's going to be nothing. Stage management will want you and producers will want you, company management to fill out a form that's a C. It's called a C2 form and that is kept on file. And if at any time it becomes worse or you need to see a doctor, it will also ask you that day, are you going to see a doctor or not?
- [34:53]
B
But let's say you out of the performance of for two or three weeks because of that, will they pay you full salary during those two, three weeks for that?
- [35:01]
A
You know, I don't want to misspeak on this. I believe so, yes. You still get paid for an injury that happened during the show.
- [35:10]
B
Did you ever have a thought of, like, oh, I should have gone to a different profession?
- [35:16]
A
Never.
- [35:16]
B
Never.
- [35:17]
A
No, I still. I'm like, I can still go to another profession if I want. I'll make it work. I don't know. No, never. I have had the thoughts of, should I have gone into tv? Should I have gone into opera? You know, you have those. Should I have done this differently? Should I go into voiceover? It's that. Where do I shift in? This is a constant thought. But no.
- [35:37]
B
Well, that's another thing I wanted to know what are the option or possibilities for an actress or an actor to grow?
- [35:44]
A
It's kind of endless as long as you're open to it, I think. But if you have any sort of bitterness towards this business, just get out completely. Just get out completely. Even if you've got bitterness towards producers and the union, get out. Because it's not going to go away. The world is never moving as fast in the direction that we want it to move. And so a lot of dancers move into choreography or they move into dance teachers or they move into stage managers. I have a lot of stage managers that have turned into. That were former dancers or even dressers in the business. Dressers. Very hard job. I don't know how to sew. I don't know how to fix things that fast. So it's not something I would go into. But you do think about it. And that's a whole union as well. You can become a producer. There's a lot of younger generation people right now that I've noticed have turned into producers while they still perform. It's really. We have a stage manager who's a producer and he's opened a fund for young children. I have a friend who's becoming a stylist for other actors while she's still performing and assistant choreographing. She's also styling, which is very cool.
- [36:54]
B
So usually people stay within the theater world not only because they love it, but because they know it.
- [36:59]
A
Yeah, it's where you've Made your connections right where it's who you know that. Where you can build the next business for you.
- [37:06]
B
Right. Okay, so what advice would you give somebody completely new who wants to break into theater?
- [37:12]
A
Always be kind. Don't become negative. Negativity will not change the outcome. Never stop being a student.
- [37:21]
B
That's good. You mean taking courses, taking schools, or.
- [37:25]
A
Learning from the people that are around you? If you can't afford to take a class, but you're in a show or you're too busy to take a class or take a voice lesson or take whatever, learn from who's around you, whoever's in front of you, you.
- [37:36]
B
What is one thing that you wish you had known before you went into the world of theater?
- [37:41]
A
Wow.
- [37:44]
B
So many things.
- [37:45]
A
I mean, there's so many things and there's. You know what I wish I had known. Your value does not matter on the number of Broadway shows you've done or what age you made your Broadway debut. Before I made my debut, everybody thought I already had just because of who I'd met at parties, like you were saying, networking, or out at functions or seeing friends readings or doing readings or doing regional shows or doing national tours. Everybody thought I'd already been on Broadway because the community just accepts you. That's what I wish I had known that you are going to be. You are a part of this community, whether you are on Broadway or not.
- [38:21]
B
What role was your favorite role?
- [38:23]
A
I don't know. There are three that come to mind. There's the show you always dreamed of playing, and I say it's your dream role only because you knew it existed. Like, when you were a kid, your dream role is that show, you know existed, and that role, you know, you wanted to play. And those for me were two roles. It was Marian, Mary Poppins, and it was Marian and Music man. And I got to do Marian on Broadway. And so that blew my mind when that happened. When they told me I was going to go on it was the understudy and that I was going to have a week. I was like. The stage manager told me, and I had to stay very. I tried to stay very cool. And I went, okay, my dream is coming true right now. We were in the middle of a show, and he called me to his office to tell me, and I just had to keep it quiet then because they had. Weren't telling the cast for like a week. And so I was just living in this, like, whole thing of this is gonna happen. Oh, my God. But also playing Mary Poppins and then the biggest Surprise is a role. Her name is Lady Jackie. And me and my girl. It was the biggest surprise and the most fun I think I've ever had. That was a surprise to me. She had to have this very quirky, annoying voice, British accent, very high pitched, very nasally. And I bring her along anytime I'm asked to do a little snippet or a very character y thing. Lady Jackie will come out. That was the most fun surprise that I did not see coming so far. And it's to this day my dad's favorite thing I've ever done. Oh, wow.
- [39:46]
B
Do you have any funny story of something that happens to you while performing?
- [39:50]
A
Oh, yeah. On the final preview of Anastasia, I was the Tsarina and I had a 30 foot train, right. I remember the dress was £50 and I had a. Maybe I could be exaggerating in my head It's a 30 foot train. And there is an explosion at the end of this number and we have to. Everybody has to run in. The family has to run off to escape this explosion. It happens in a blackout and so we run off and there's sort of a red light where you can see us running. And I remember thinking it was one of the teams last night and thinking, I really want this to feel dramatic. So I go to run off and the flash happens and I'm gathering my children and we're running off and I run over the front of my skirt. Oh, no. And I fall flat on my face and I don't think my feet were sticking out but the train was sticking out and I'm in this bustle. The dress is heavy. I can't get up off the floor. Mary Beth Peel is waiting to make her profound entrance as the dowager empress and I've blocked her. So imagine this, she's holding up against the wall for me to exit so then she can enter. Well, now my body is lying in front of her with a huge hoop skirt in the air and a bustle and a train on stage. And I look up and nobody's moving. Stage management is staring at me and I've got my arms out in front like Superman and I'm pulling myself with my hands because I've got gloves on too. I'm trying to pull myself. I can't bend my knees, pull myself off stage. And you're watching this train like drag off. But in my head I was thinking, just step on me. And she just stepped on me, stepped on the bush over me, made her entrance and then I looked up at stage management and I went Help me. And finally we got me to my knees and off. And everyone just. Everyone noticed it. I thought.
- [41:36]
B
You think the audience.
- [41:37]
A
Oh, oh. I mean, I know from everyone on the team that they know the thought just has the thought of me flat there on the ground. And I believe I had already done it once before where I had backed over my dress doing the waltz entrance. And the choreographer goes, well, we've learned something. The Tsarina never goes backwards.
- [41:58]
B
I forgot to ask you one question about the money. Do you get the same amount of pay in rehearsal or in. During performance?
- [42:05]
A
Oh, really? Good question. We do not. Regionally, you do not. It's very little. Less or sometimes if you do, your agent or manager gets less, so they only get a 5% kickback. And then once you're open, it's 10%. So whether it's due to a lower salary or an agent manager percentage. Yes. You make less. It's kind of minimal, but yeah, you.
- [42:26]
B
Have to give your agent 10% of your earnings.
- [42:29]
A
Always. Yes, of course.
- [42:31]
B
And a manager also.
- [42:33]
A
Managers can be more. They can be 10 to 15%.
- [42:36]
B
So you could sometimes pay 25 off your.
- [42:39]
A
If you have an agent and a manager, you are paying. You are undoubtedly paying 20%.
- [42:44]
B
Is it worth it? Do they get you a lot of work?
- [42:47]
A
Oh, yes. To have one, you must. I think you just. Yes. Unless you're so established in your career that people are calling you.
- [42:55]
B
Right.
- [42:56]
A
You know, if you're a movie star and you don't need, you know, if you're Nicole Kidman, you can probably not have your manager. I'm sure she still wants him or her, whoever it is, but I think they're beneficial. Absolutely. Especially because shows can last a second. Even if I'm doing a show that she didn't get me, she's trying to get me other work. And so I just believe while she's got to work around whatever project I'm doing and make sure that everything fits and I can get my appointments and she is arranging my audition life or dates that I need off from places or I can do this. Whatever. She's negotiating. Even if she had nothing to do with my current project, she's still having to. To work in my future around this project. So for me, it's important to honor her rate for our relationship.
- [43:41]
B
If you could have had, past or present, any role to choose from to play, what would that be?
- [43:47]
A
Oh, that's always gonna be the role I created for the very first time in the show I haven't met yet that, you know, wins all the awards. It's not even about winning the awards. I don't care about that. It's that everybody that people love and respect and cherish, being a part of the show, originating a role in a show that goes down in history as something loved and cherished. Yeah.
- [44:08]
B
I believe you could do it. I believe in you. I know it will happen.
- [44:12]
A
It will.
- [44:13]
B
Thank you so much. That was not only interesting, it was entertaining. You know, usually from the outside, it sounds like a very sexy job and incredible. But then when you start learning all the little different things that can happen, that happens, actually.
- [44:29]
A
Yeah. You have to have another job as well to support you in the downtime, to have the something else that you can invest in.
- [44:36]
B
Right. Well, thanks a million.
- [44:38]
A
Thank you.
- [44:40]
B
That's a wrap for today. Big thanks to Lauren Blackman for giving us a real look at what it means to build and sustain a Broadway career. I've added Lauren Instagram website links to the show notes so you can check her out. And until next time, please write us a review. It helps to get more listeners. Thank you and see you next time.