should Broadway stars do 8 shows a week? | thoughts on the expectations on theatre actors in 2026

Summary

should Broadway stars do 8 shows a week? | thoughts on the expectations on theatre actors in 2026
MickeyJoTheatre Podcast | July 27, 2026
Host: Mickey Jo (MickeyJoTheatre)

---

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Mickey Jo addresses the ongoing debate about whether Broadway performers should be expected to do eight shows a week. Sparked by recent industry commentary—especially from legendary director Jack O’Brien—Mickey Jo explores the evolving landscape of actors’ working conditions, audience expectations, the cultural shift in performer well-being, and innovative models for scheduling. He draws on real-world examples and his own interviews (including with Laura Benanti) to propose why fewer weekly performances for stars might actually benefit artists, productions, and audiences alike.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Expectations vs. Modern Reality

Timestamps: 01:25 – 06:30

• Mickey Jo opens with a quote from The Producers:
  “In spite of the protestations by Max Bialystok, Leo Bloom is correct in the second act of The Producers when he says actors aren't animals, they're human beings. And that is, I think going to be the guiding principle of this entire conversation…” (01:25)

• Discusses Jack O’Brien’s recent remarks lamenting that current Broadway stars lack the “resilience” and “professionalism” of past generations because they’re “unable to consistently perform eight shows a week.”

• Examines generational nostalgia (“older generations always think the next has no discipline, no work ethic”), but counters that society, Broadway contracts, and the actors’ sense of empowerment have evolved.

  “Because actors in the years since the golden age… are now sort of differently empowered, both by their union representatives … but also socially… via the influence of each other via role models, via sort of mutual empowerment.” (05:29)

• Notes that the rigid eight-show structure is more tradition than necessity, questioning why this format persists.

2. The Stigma of Missing Shows & Audience Expectations

Timestamps: 06:30 – 11:09

• Institutionalized misogyny leads to the conversation focusing on leading ladies (e.g., Ethel Merman vs. today’s Elphaba), but the “work ‘til you drop” ethic is a relic of another era.

• Improved public conversations about understudies and illness:
  “We also have a responsibility as audience members not to be obnoxious about understudies going on, because the reality is… the only choice that's being made here is whether the show will even continue or not.” (08:38)

• Praises actors like Megan Hilty and Karen Olivo for being open about vocal/physical injuries and taking public leave for health—contrasting with the silence or stigma of previous decades (e.g., Laura Benanti’s back injury in Into the Woods).

• “Injuries are more likely to happen if you are pushing yourself needlessly to do eight shows a week.” (09:58)

3. The Real Impact of Actors Missing Shows (on Audiences and Business)

Timestamps: 11:09 – 18:20

• Uses Leslie Odom Jr.'s recent absences in Hamilton’s West End run to analyze the audience’s dilemma: Are tickets bought for the performer or the show?

  “If you were booking tickets to see Adele in concert and you found out at the last minute it wasn't going to be Adele… you would be understandably disappointed.” (12:16)

• Discusses Broadway vs. West End policies: refunds for missing “above-title” stars are only a Broadway feature; West End operates under a 'see the show, not the star' premise—but marketing often revolves around celebrity names.

• Highlights the inconsistency in policies: critics and award voters may get their tickets rescheduled for star absences (e.g., for Tony/Olivier-nominated performances), but regular audiences do not.

• Introduces the concept of “alternates,” which schedule certain principal cast members for fewer performances. Successful examples include:

  • Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard
  • Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera
  • Sally Bowles in the West End’s Cabaret
  • Legally Blonde UK tour: Amber Davis & Hannah Lowther

4. The Case for Scheduled Alternates and Reduced Performances

Timestamps: 19:30 – 24:56

• “Here is my pitch. I am not advocating for performers randomly not doing two shows a week … My suggestion is that more and more shows should implement an alternate model and that performers in particularly vocally challenging roles … ought only to be scheduled for six shows a week...” (19:30)

• Argues modern scores are more vocally punishing, citing roles like Elphaba in Wicked, which lack official alternates on Broadway (but have them in London). This increases injury and burnout risks.

• Outlines benefits:

  • Increased certainty for audiences about who’s performing (scheduled six vs. random absences)
  • Better health and work-life balance for actors (more rest days)
  • New opportunities for alternates to build visibility and fanbases.
  • Heightened fan interest: some fans prefer alternate/”debut” performances and will book tickets specifically to see different performers.

5. Exploring Job Shares and New Scheduling Models

Timestamps: 24:56 – 27:00

• Discusses Mickey Jo’s conversation with Tony winner Laura Benanti about whether she’d return to Broadway as a parent—if it was a job share, sharing four shows a week with someone like Kelli O’Hara.

  Laura Benanti: “She and I have actually been talking about doing that with a different show, going to a producer and saying, we want to split this, whether it be four and four or a week on, week off, because we are moms. And eight shows a week is really time consuming.” (25:27)

• Suggests this model not only appeals to working parents but could encourage celebrities (e.g., Emma Stone, Matt Damon) to do theatre without the punishing intensity of eight shows per week.

• Notes recent precedents, such as Danielle Fiaman and Georgina Honora’s joint Olivier nomination for sharing Brigadoon—contradicting the idea that two stars can't share a major role due to awards eligibility.

6. Marketing Upside and Cultural Shifts

Timestamps: 27:00 – 32:00

• Dual casting or alternates can increase demand:
  “If Laura Benanti and Kelly o' Hara were sharing any kind of a role on Broadway, I personally would feel as though I had to go and see that show twice… If people happen not to like this person as much, then they'll go the following night and they'll see somebody else. Or they'll like both of them and they have to buy twice as many tickets.” (25:56 – 26:25)

• Cites the “toxic Tony question” (which shared star deserves the award) as a hindrance, but insists both Oliviers and growing audience acceptance show solutions are possible.

• Broader societal factors: A more humane industry is a healthier one. “Calluses only form on the skin as a defensive barrier to immense pressure. And if … we aren’t churning out stars with the same … resilience … is an indicator of less toxicity at a training level … I can only bring myself to think that that's a good thing.” (31:02)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On actors’ humanity:
  “Actors aren’t animals, they’re human beings. I do not need Broadway actors to be eight show a week superhumans if it means destroying them in the process.” (31:19)

• On audience responsibility:
  "Complaining about the understudy going on is just slapping the face of the person who's making sure that your afternoon or evening isn't about to get ruined." (08:49)

• On generational change:
  “An actor can advocate for themselves vocally versus the days when Judy Garland was being used as a human pharmacy.” (05:42)

• On schedule flexibility and family:
  Laura Benanti: “Eight shows a week is really time consuming … we want to split this, whether it be four and four or a week on, week off, because we are moms.” (25:27)

• On the business opportunity:
  “Why not dual cast these things [with celebrities]? So there is twice as much interest … Or they'll like both of them and they have to buy twice as many tickets.” (26:12)

---

Structured Timeline & Timestamps

• [01:25] – The guiding theme: Actors are human; debate context and Jack O'Brien’s comments
• [05:29] – The evolution in actor empowerment and union rights
• [08:49] – Stigma, audience attitudes, and the ethics of calling out/injury
• [11:09] – The impact of missing performances on audiences, critics, and box office
• [13:00] – The alternate performer solution; examples in London and touring shows
• [19:30] – The case for scheduled alternates, especially for vocally taxing roles
• [24:56] – Discussion with Laura Benanti on four-show job shares and family life
• [25:42–26:25] – Expanded vision: multiple stars sharing and the marketing benefits
• [28:18] – Awards eligibility for dual roles; recent Olivier joint nominations
• [31:02] – Final arguments for culture/industry shifts and well-being

---

Conclusion

Mickey Jo argues persuasively that the standard of eight shows a week is neither sustainable nor necessary for top-tier theatre, especially as vocal demands, social expectations, and artists’ needs have changed. He proposes a future where alternates, planned job sharing, and scheduled absences are standard, improving performer well-being while potentially even benefiting marketing, box office, and audience experience. His final call is both practical and humane:

“I do not need Broadway actors to be eight show a week superhumans if it means destroying them in the process.” (31:19)

---

For further conversations, reviews, and theatre commentary, follow MickeyJoTheatre across platforms.

Transcript

[Boost Mobile Announcer]

He's dribbling the ball with everything on the line. He's driving down the pitch. He's facing price hikes and cuts past him. Carrier contracts, tries to block him. Oh, he leaves him in the dust. He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the nonstop group chat, trash talk. He clears on goal. He shoots. Go unlimited data for $25 a month

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

forever Visit your local Boost Mobile store today to get unlimited data with a price that never changes. Boost mobile after 30gb, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost $25 Unlimited plan could AI help

[Workday AI Advertiser]

you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to do's. It's a new workday.

[Michael's Party Shop Advertiser]

Is your kid's birthday coming up? Don't stress the prep. The Party Shop at Michael's is your one stop shop for every theme from Bluey to Rodeo. Transform your space into a birthday wonderland with dream worthy tablescapes and decor starting at $0.99 plus get free helium inflation on select balloon styles. Whether you're crafting a one of a kind bash or grabbing the essentials, Michaels has everything to make their big day legendary. Shop now and order ahead for delivery or in store pickup. Michaels everything to celebrate anything.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

In spite of the protestations by Max Bialystok, Leo Bloom is correct in the second act of the Producers when he says actors aren't animals, they're human beings. And that is, I think going to be the guiding principle of this entire conversation as I attempt to convince you it is not only reasonable and fair for actors to miss a Broadway show during their working week, but it may even be the best possible thing for Broadway. Oh my God.

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

Hey.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

Welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel or hello to those of you listening to this conversation on podcast platforms. My name is Micky Jo and I am obsessed with all things theatre and I am once again engaging in daily discourse which is something that I tend to do from time to time as a content creator and a theatre critic here on social media. If you're meeting me for the very first time, I have discussions just like this one as well as sharing reviews, theatre going, vlogs, interviews, features, all sorts every single week on YouTube as well as other social media platforms. You can find me just about everywhere across the Internet and something else that I tend to do across the Internet in the rare moments when I'm not talking to a camera is pay attention to the conversations that, that everyone else is having. And over the past couple of weeks, there has been some debate about comments made by the prolific legendary theatre director Jack o' Brien on a podcast appearance on the I Want to Be like youe podcast, which I think, by the way, is excellent and has been generating, I think, some of the most exciting interview conversation. There's some brilliant recent episodes. Go and check out this podcast. But the specific sort of incendiary comment that Jack o' Brien made in response to a question about whether we aren't making Broadway stars the same way we used to, not in terms of their talent, but in terms of their resilience, their professionalism. Jack o' Brien said that it's terrible that stars these days on Broadway aren't able to consistently perform eight shows a week in the way that they used to. That understudies and swings and standbys are going on so often now. And it's a real problem because people don't have the requisite training. And there have been a great many responses to this. Some brilliant people have weighed in on this, some talented people have weighed in on this. It has been discussed plenty. And I would like to have some of that conversation here today. But also I want to transpose that entire conversation somewhat and pitch to you whether it may actually be an even better idea if people specifically didn't do eight shows a week for multiple reasons. This inspired by a conversation I recently had with Tony Award winner Laura Benanti. I will explain myself, but first, let's talk about all of this. Now, as always, I'm going to share my opinions at you, but I would love to hear yours. Please share all of your thoughts about this topic in the comments section down below. And of course, if you enjoy listening to this and would like to hear more of what I have to say, then you can subscribe here on YouTube, you can follow me on podcast platforms, you can find me anywhere. I am Mickey Joe Theatre. And this is why Broadway performers plus theatre actors elsewhere around the world shouldn't do eight shows a week. So first of all, I want to respond to the thing that really catalyzed this conversation and these comments made by Jack o', Brien, who, due to the length of his career, has been able to see the evolution of theatre in New York, has really seen a shift in the industry. And so there is so much truth and validity to the comments that he is making. And he does speak to a bygone era and a different time on Broadway and in entertainment. But if this has changed and it sort of speaks to a wider cultural conversation about, like, older generations always thinking that the generations beneath them have no discipline, have no work ethic, etc, until the end of time, if this has changed, what has changed about the world, about society, about Broadway, that has made this the case. Because what we're basically talking about here, and I regret to make this instantly about leading ladies, but that is where this conversation very often tends to go because of the institutional misogyny in the theatre industry. A conversation that we can have at another time, but we're talking really about the difference between Ethel Merman and the actress who's currently playing Elphaba on Broadway. I say that conceptually, I know the name of the actress who's currently playing Elphaba on Broadway. Modern Broadway perform Performers vs Golden Age musical theater stars. The stars of yesteryear, the icons, the legends, the ones who were doing all eight shows a week, even if a car hit them on the way to work, they're gonna get a limb reattached in the wings and then they're gonna go on and belt without a microphone and they are going to let you know about it until the end of time. Because on a certain level, anyone who has ever existed within a particular environment is always going to have a fond nostalgia for it and think that it was better than whatever came to replace it. But amongst that, there have been many tangible change changes to Broadway as an ecosystem and the world that exists outside of Broadway. One of them is a real changing ethos in the entertainment industry. Because actors in the years since the golden age of Broadway and theater are now sort of differently empowered, both by their union representatives, who have earned them better workers rights over years of ongoing contract negotiations, but also socially, also via the influence of each other via role models, via sort of mutual empowerment. It's a very different time in entertainment now where an actor can advocate for themselves vocally versus the days when Judy Garland was being used as a human pharmacy. Within this changing ethos, there is empowerment. There is also a shift in expectation as well, because here's the thing, there is no inherent law within the world of theatrical performance that dictates, you know, you must do eight performances a week and you aren't a real actor if you don't. It's only because of history and expectation that we do things this way at all. Why do we even do eight performances a week? Why are there however many dark days? Why are the matinees on the days that they are, you know, things about this are beginning to evolve and shift somewhat. But there is such rigidity in the theatrical structure, in the theatrical calendar, especially in institutions like Broadway, that, you know, it's taken years to even begin to rethink. And when I say expectations, I don't just mean the ones coming from above, coming from directors, creative teams, producers, management, company managers, whoever it may be. I also mean the ones coming from outside, coming from in front of the stage, coming from audience members themselves. I feel like the way that we talk about understudies going on has improved so much. The language that we use is a small part of that. When we talk about someone understudying a role rather than understudying an individual, when we talk about someone who is the understudy for the role and not an actor saying like, that's my understudy, because, you know, you don't own them, they're not property. That's very strange. They aren't a small dog who sits on the chaise in your dressing room and waits for you to come back at intermission. Unless, of course, you are also a dog performing on Broadway, which does happen on occasion anyway. We also have a responsibility as audience members not to be obnoxious about understudies going on, because the reality is that the only choice that's being made here is whether the show will even continue or not. At this point, it's moot. And the person who you may have been expecting to see in the role, the principal performer, is out of the building regardless. And so complaining about the understudy going on is just slapping the face of the person who's making sure that your afternoon or evening isn't about to get ruined. And one improvement I want to highlight over the last couple of decades is the way that audiences respond to long term illness and the disclosure of long term illness and vocal illness by actors. You know, and often when this happens, they say there is still such a stigma around disclosing particularly a vocal illness. But we are hearing ironically, more and more people talking about these things, sharing about these things publicly. I thought it was very inspiring and wide reaching in its industry impact when Megan Hilty disclosed the reason why she was taking some time away from death becomes her in the months after a very busy Tony Awards campaign because of physical strain that it was causing her. Karen Olivo spoke about a similar physical toll that performing a Satine in Moulin Rouge had taken on the body. And while this is what only 20 years later, it all feels Kind of a lifetime away from the ordeal Laura Benanti, to name check her again, had to go through in the Broadway revival of into the woods when she injured her back doing a prat fall as Cinderella. We've heard about a lot of back and neck injuries since, a lot of ongoing physical challenges for performers. And while nobody thinks about this when they're dreaming of being on stage in their youth or auditioning for a job or accepting a job, the reality of life as an individual, and particularly as a theatre performer, is that injuries, and that is something about which we have to be realistic. And guess what? Injuries are more likely to happen if you are pushing yourself needlessly to do eight shows a week. So I want to talk about why people shouldn't do eight shows a week. But first, let's identify all of the problems with actors missing shows.

[Workday AI Advertiser]

Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to dos. It's a new work day.

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. Twas a lovely suv, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. Tonight we feast. An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. Now, while I want to make it very clear that actors as individuals have the right to call out of a show whenever they may need to, there is demonstrably an impact. I'm saying this in the days after Leslie Odom Jr. In his very sold out limited run in the West End playing Aaron Burr, right now, with some slightly inflated pricing, missed one and a half before performances, I believe, at the Victoria Palace Theatre. He is now back in the show, but obviously people who booked during this time were doing so especially to see him in the role of Aaron Burr. Now, the company of Hamilton in the West End are absolutely fantastic, phenomenal talents who are going to be able to guarantee those audiences a fantastic show regardless. But what they were booking for was something quite specific. And the argument always comes around, you know, you're booking to see the show, not one person. But that can be a difficult idea to straddle in the world of in person entertainment because if you were booking tickets to see Adele in concert and you found out at the last minute it wasn't going to be Adele, it was going to be a different singer performing her material, you would be understandably disappointed. Meanwhile, it's one thing in a show like Hamilton that has a large cast. If you're going to see something like O Mary and you've seen the show before, and you're specifically going in order to see a new starry replacement cast member, because they have, throughout the history of their time on Broadway and in the West End, been engaging with exciting sort of celebrity replacement casting, then chances are that is what has drawn you to that show. And while we're talking about the West End and Broadway, there is an interesting distinction here, because on Broadway, if a star's name is listed physically above the title and they are out of the performance, then you are technically entitled to a refund. In the West End, that doesn't exist. Resting once more on the notion that you didn't book tickets to see the star you booked to see the show. Except for the fact that the marketing is often, in instances of starry casting, synonymous with that person's performance. Come see Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard. Come see Eddie Redmayne in Cabaret. Difficult then to act surprised when people are upset if they can't. And even harder to justify, I feel, in instances when the dynamic ticket pricing has been affected by the starry casting, if prices have gone up with a particular performer, or even if from one day to the next, one show is more expensive than the other, then it gets really hard to justify it just being the price of the show. And you get who you get, because if you are paying inflated star prices, then you are expecting a star performance. And interestingly enough, while we generally tell audience members that they have no control over this and they have to just get what they get, this isn't necessarily the same thing for theater critics or awards voters, because within the realms of possibility, and this happens more often, I think, in New York than here in London, because they have a wider array of press performances over there. If a principal cast member is out of a press performance, press tickets will, I believe, be rescheduled. That's also happened to me here in London when I happen to be reviewing a non press night performance after press night. This also tends to displace awards voters and nominators because they need to see the Tony eligible or drama desk eligible individuals. Same for the Olivier Awards. Meaning once again, with all of the respect in the world for understudies, it's very hard to say to audiences, general audience members like, oh, well, this is exactly the same show. So, you know, you're not going to get a refund, while at the same time you're reallocating a whole bunch of tickets to people who need to see the real version of the show. Do you see the problem? And I would argue this entire problem speaks to unpredictability and the uncertainty of whether a performer will be on. When you go and see the show, you hope they will be, you expect that they might be. Perhaps they've been very consistent in the however many years they've been doing this part. But you don't all the way know until you get to the theatre or perhaps even until they walk on stage. Something that reduces that uncertainty, though, is the use of alternates. When shows have scheduled performances at which certain principal cast members won't be appearing, but those roles will be played by an alternate. We see this occasionally in certain star led show. I spoke about Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard, that's a great example. Sally Bowles in the West End production of Cabaret, I believe still has an alternate. Christine Daae in the Phantom of the Opera, since the show's beginning has had an alternate. This back in the 1980s, before times had changed entirely, allegedly. And it's amazing what is made available to you when you are at the time of opening a show married to the person who is writing it. Turns out that is a great way to negotiate a contract. You want to do six shows a week, that's fine. And so if for two performance a week in these massive star roles, shows utilize an alternate performer, that solves all their problems, right? Wrong. Because in 2026, Broadway exists on such a financial knife edge that there is no room for uncertainty or financial downturn. And we are now finding ourselves in this strange position where the alternates for star cast roles need to be some kind of a name themselves. There seems to be this need, need for an alternate to have some kind of recognition and stature. Of course, they can't eclipse the fame of the person who is doing the other six shows a week. But there is more and more conversation happening about an alternate who can also sell matinees. Interestingly enough, if we take a look at the UK tour of Legally Blonde, they have a great setup going over there. Because Amber Davis, who is starring as Elle woods for most of the week, is very well known to TV audiences. She's been on television a decent amount. She's also a trained, brilliant, capable musical theatre performer and a lovely person. And Hannah Lowther, who is also all of the above wonderful person, very talented actress, is the alternate Elle on the tour as well as playing Margot at all of the other shows and that provides the production a great couple of options. Because you now have different personalities creating interest at different shows, you now have a contingent of people who are huge fans of Hannah Lowthers who will be specifically booking her scheduled shows to see her performing as Elle Woods. Very possibly you may also have people who feel they need to go and see the show twice in order to of them remember that for later as well. And having utterly not solved this problem whatsoever, I realize I am going to move on and talk about the benefits of performers not doing eight

[Michael's Party Shop Advertiser]

Is your kid's birthday coming up? Don't stress the prep. The party Shop at Michael's is your one stop shop for every theme from Bluey to Rodeo. Transform your space into a birthday wonderland with dreamworthy tablescapes and decorations. Core starting at $0.99 plus get free helium inflation on select balloon styles. Whether you're crafting a one of a kind bash or grabbing the essentials, Michaels has everything to make their big day legendary. Shop now and order ahead for delivery or in store pickup. Michaels everything to celebrate anything.

[Boost Mobile Announcer]

He's dribbling the ball with everything on the line. He's driving down the pitch. He's facing price hikes and cuts past him. Carrier contracts, tries to block him. Oh he leaves him in the dust. He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the nonstop group chat, trash talk. He clears on goal. He shoots no unlimited data for $25 a month forever.

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

Visit your local Boost Mobile store today to get unlimited data with a price that never changes. Boost mobile after 30gb, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the boost. $25 unlimited plan

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

shows a week. So here is my pitch. I am not advocating for performers randomly not doing two shows a week depending on how they feel, whatever it may be, and planning this in advance. My suggestion is that more and more shows should implement an alternate model and that performers in particularly vocally challenging roles we spoke earlier about the many things that have changed since yesteryear. Scores have changed in a huge way, influenced by some amazing voices over the last hundred years. Looking at you Elaine Page Looking at you Patti LuPone looking at you Idina Menzel Musical theatre composers, particularly contemporary musical theatre composers, have been writing higher and higher and higher, and the challenges of these scores have been compounded by the fact that the timbre of voices for which they're being written are also changing in a contemporary landscape. As the Sound of musical theatre is shifting. It becomes a little bit more pop rock and everything is belted, everything is being sung in a less classical place, perhaps a less healthy place, perhaps a less sustainable place. And so you have roles like Elphaba in Wicked. That's sort of the quintessential example here, which is a hugely challenging sing once in a day, to do it twice a day, to do it eight times a week becomes this huge demand, somewhat of a, pardon the pun, sky high expectation, and one which has demonstrably damaged the voices of many actors. In any case, with those roles in particular, Elphaba is a prime example of this. The principal actor ought only to be scheduled, scheduled for six shows a week, which does mean that they will be paid less. That is a reality of that. But an alternate performer should be scheduled for two regular performances a week. And if chances are that the Elphabas are only going to manage to do six anyway, then this is better for everyone because they have more of a sense of certainty. They have more scheduled downtime in order to rest and recuperate and maintain their health. They end up getting paid the same as what they would have got paid anyway. Because Broadway actors have any allowance for sick days, it's very small from what I can remember, I think they may be entitled to one paid sick day a month. But if they know the six that they're going to do in advance, they go from having one day off to as many as three days off in a week, but certainly, hopefully at least two days off, like most regular human people. And, and, and it makes it easier for you to see them in the role. Now it sounds like that doesn't make sense. If they were trying to do eight shows a week and now they're only doing six, how is it easier to guarantee that you're going to see the person that you want to, to see? Well, if the role was such that they were probably going to end up having to call out a couple times in the week and only do six anyway, is it easier to try and pick one of the six shows out of eight that they're going to do? Or is it easier if you already know the six shows out of eight that they're going to do? If that makes them more consistently at those shows and less likely to have to call out last minute or by surprise, then it's easier for everyone. And the alternates also have a much better situation. I mention Wicked because for whatever reason, Wicked on Broadway still doesn't have an Alphabet alternate. In spite of shows like The Phantom of the Opera like Evita, having implemented alternates in those leading roles from day one. And as of a couple of cast changes ago, when Emma Kingston joins the West End production of Wicked, she did so as the first principal Elphaba in London to share the role with an alternate performer. Which has, from what I can tell, made everything run significantly more smoothly at Wicked in the West End. Needless to say, it's also a great opportunity for those alternate performers who get to go on for a principal role. They get to hone their skills, they get to be seen by an audience, they get exposure, they can cultivate and develop a fan base. There are a lot of fans of shows who want to go and see alternates debuting in new roles. That's hugely popular with musical theater fans. If they have scheduled performances when that's going to happen, people tend to book tickets. This is not a deterrent to that group of people. In fact, it's a very sought after reality. Reality. And actually sharing out the performances six and two is just one possible interpretation of this. Because I teased right back at the beginning of this conversation that I had recently spoken to Tony Award winning Broadway actress Laura Benanti and I asked her about the circumstances under which she as a parent would feel she was able to return to Broadway. Because she's spoken to me before about working on screen being much more flexible for her as someone who's raising kids because while they're very young, it's hugely tiring. You also want to be very present in their lives. When they going to school, they are away in the daytime, which is when theater actors tend to be around and at home. Meanwhile, theater actors go to work in the evenings, their kids come home and you don't see your kids for months at a time, years at a time, not meaningfully, only on the one day off a week that you might have half of that day if it's a Monday. And so in half seriousness, here is the question that I asked and here is Laura Bernanti's response. If in some universe Christopher Catelli was able to persuade to come back to Broadway and recreate your iconic side eye as the baroness in the Sound of Music. But because we spoke about this last year with a view to the fact that you are a parent at the same time, if it was a four show a week job share, who would you want to share that role with?

[Grainger Advertiser]

Kelli o'. Hara.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

I mean, yeah, it would be fun to see Kelli o' Hara villainous.

[Grainger Advertiser]

I think she is such a good actress. You know, and I'm so glad people, people just got to see how funny she is in her play because she is really funny. She's another one who I think got stuck in the sort of Soprano, you know, wide eyed thing. And she's so much more than that. And she's of course, you know, broken out of it so beautifully, but I think she would be absolutely hilarious.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

Yeah, yeah, we'd all have to go see it twice.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Yeah. It's so funny that you say that though, because she and I have actually been talking about doing that with a different show, going to a producer and saying, we want to split this, whether it be four and four or a week on, week off, because we are moms. And eight shows a week is really time consuming.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

I think it's a good business model because a lot of people would have to buy two pairs of tickets.

[Grainger Advertiser]

I think that that's true. I mean, I don't relish the idea that people would be comparing us, but, you know, it is what it is. But yeah, I think should be amazing.

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

And so this is the idea that I want to explore because it's not something that has been tried out nearly enough in the professional theater industry, but a precedent for it is emerging. This year at the Olymp Olivier Awards, Danielle Fiaman and Georgina Honora, who shared equally the leading role in the Regents Park Open Air Theatre revival of Brigadoon, were jointly nominated for an Olivier Award. And the concept of a Tony Award nomination tends to be the thing that extinguishes the possibility of a job share on Broadway. Two people doing four shows a week and four shows a week. Not that long ago there was talk of a Dreamgirls revival and names were being thrown around and I was having a conversation with friends over about Amber Riley doing it or Alex Newell doing it. And both of those performers have separately expressed disinterest with doing an eight show a week schedule. They have each said that very plainly. And the only reason why it would be a problem for them to share the role of Effie in a Dreamgirls revival four shows and four shows is because you arrive at the toxic question, who gets the Tony Award? And yet the Oliviers just proved that you can both get one. Meanwhile, if Laura Benanti and Kelly o' Hara were sharing any kind of a role on Broadway, I personal, personally would feel as though I had to go and see that show twice. If I had been in town at the right time, I would have gone back to the Queen of Versailles to see Sherry Renee Scott do it. I did go back to Sunset Boulevard multiple times to see Nicole Scherzinger, to see Rachel Tucker, to see Mandy Gonzalez. If I could have seen Caroline Bowman, I would. And I know that I'm not alone in that way of thinking. Therefore, it's a great marketing idea. We go back to the idea of the alternate who can also sell shows. How about simple, simply two stars. And we keep talking about actresses here, but we can apply this to any of the roles on Broadway. Why not dual cast these things? So there is twice as much interest. If people happen not to like this person as much, then they'll go the following night and they'll see somebody else. Or they'll like both of them and they have to buy twice as many tickets. Meanwhile, all it takes is for the Tonys to say, guess what? You can have a joint nomination. And suddenly parents get to be more present in the lives of their children while continuing to work. And there are so many talented performers who have disappear from the stage for years at a time. Because currently with this expectation of eight shows a week or nothing, it is unsustainable to try and do that as a parent. Unless you didn't have to do eight shows a week because you only had to do six, or you only had to do four. And guess what? Celebrities with challenging schedules suddenly available to do more Broadway shows. A lot of high profile Hollywood names have talked about wanting to do more theatre, but few feeling put off by the intensity of it. Emma Stone has said doing cabaret was so hard and she doesn't know if she could do that again. If it was four performances a week, perhaps she could. Matt Damon, I feel like said this recently on an interview on Amy Poehler's podcast. He said that maybe he would consider doing theatre when his kids were a certain age, but also that it was so hard. The idea of doing that many performances a week and two of the shows right now where we are seeing starry celebrity casting every brilliant thing on Broadway. Broadway, which you could very easily like four nights of the week it's Emma Stone, the other four nights of the week it's Matt Damon. Because ironically they could both go into that show. The other is O Mary. And after that initial cast, guess what? They can't win Tonys anyway. So if it made it more appealing to even more actors, who wouldn't want O Mary to suddenly come out with a schedule where it's a different SNL alum every night of the week Week. At which point the chance of them being in attendance at that performance goes Way up. But moreover, I think the benefits far outweigh the limitations. And it's fantastic that a show like Omari has got to a position where they are recasting. But there are a lot of limited run productions, plays, musical revivals that don't run long enough to bring in replacement cast members. So the only reason we got to hear four or five different actresses play Norma in that recent Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard is because they had as many alternates and standbys as they did. Ergo, Broadway needs to stop. Stop insisting on eight shows a week for all of its actors and worrying about losing money when instead they could be letting them do six shows a week or four shows a week and maybe by my understanding, make even more money. If consistency is the problem, I have the solution. Finally, I want to circle back to that original idea, that thing that Jack o' Brien was talking about. And I don't want to determine attract from the actors who are enduringly capable of doing eight shows a week, which is so, so many talented people. So many people have the real discipline and the determination to do this. But another part of what was being said was that we aren't developing the skills and there are so many skilled actors. Demonstrably, we are cultivating talent on Broadway when it comes to rigor and discipline. Discipline. This idea of people being toughened and hardened by the industry calluses only form on the skin as a defensive barrier to immense pressure. And if the fact that we aren't churning out stars with the same kind of fortitude and resilience is an indicator of the fact that there is less toxicity at a training level, at an earlier level in the entertainment industry, in theatrical education education, then I can only bring myself to think that that's a good thing. I will remind you actors aren't animals, they're human beings. I do not need Broadway actors to be eight show a week superhumans if it means destroying them in the process. That for fear of making this conversation any longer is everything that I have to say about it. Let me know all of your thoughts in the comments section down below. If you enjoyed listening to mine, then you can find me everywhere on the Musical fit Internet. You can subscribe here on YouTube, you can follow me on podcast platforms. Stay tuned. More theater industry conversations reviews and more coming very soon. I have been Mickey Jo and as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day. For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Jo Theatre. Oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day subscribe

[Boost Mobile Announcer]

he's dribbling the ball with everything on the line. He's driving down the pitch. He's facing price hikes and cuts past him. Carrier contracts, tries to block him. Oh, he leaves him in the dust. He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the non stop group chat trash talk. He clears on goal. He shoots. Go Unlimited data for $25 a month

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

forever Visit your local Boost Mobile store today to get unlimited data with a price that never changes. Boost mobile after 30gb, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost $25 unlimited plan.

[Workday AI Advertiser]

Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to do's. It's a new work day.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Grainger knows. When you're a procurement manager for an

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

office park, you're not managing one building,

[Grainger Advertiser]

you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail. Filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg.

[Grainger Advertiser]

If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Granger for a quite quality

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

products, easy reordering and 24.

[Workday AI Advertiser]

7 support.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop

[Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

by Grainger for the ones who get it done.