At the End of a Broadway Run

Summary

Podcast Summary: What We Spend – Episode: "At the End of a Broadway Run"

Introduction

In the episode titled "At the End of a Broadway Run," hosted by Courtney Harrell, What We Spend delves into the intricate financial life of Olivia, a seasoned Broadway actress navigating the precarious balance between success and financial uncertainty. Released on May 7, 2025, this episode offers an intimate glimpse into a week in Olivia's life, highlighting her income streams, spending habits, and the constant flux that characterizes her career in the performing arts.

Olivia's Background

Olivia, a 38-year-old actress from Manhattan’s Upper West Side, brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. Her resume boasts performances in three Broadway shows, numerous regional theaters, guest roles on television series like Instinct, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Law & Order, as well as roles in four feature films. Despite her apparent success, Olivia candidly shares her ongoing struggle to maintain financial stability in an industry marked by uncertainty.

Career and Financial Landscape

Olivia’s career trajectory paints a picture of both achievement and the inherent instability of acting. “Most of the time I’m doing other things like babysitting or I have a pretty successful video editing business,” Olivia explains (02:21). Her income fluctuates between $60,000 and $70,000 annually, with approximately half derived from her current Broadway engagement. However, this income is counterbalanced by significant expenses and the ever-present need to secure the next role.

Financial Snapshot

Courtney Harrell provides a detailed breakdown of Olivia's monthly expenses:

• Housing: Mortgage ($1,098) and maintenance ($989) totaling $2,122.
• Utilities: $35.
• Phone Bill: $50.
• Transportation: $200 for subway fares.
• Fitness: $17 for a Class Pass.
• Streaming Services: $60.
• Groceries: $400.
• Insurance: One-time annual payment of just under $2,000.
• Entertainment: Regular Broadway tickets and other leisure activities.

Olivia reveals a sophisticated credit card strategy, maintaining 15 cards to maximize point accumulation for future travel, particularly to Asia. Her disciplined approach has earned her an impressive credit score of 829.

Daily Spending Diaries

The heart of the episode lies in Olivia’s daily financial diaries, chronicling her spending over a week as her Broadway show approaches its closing. Each day offers insights into her budgeting strategies and the sacrifices she makes to sustain her lifestyle.

• Day One (14:39): Olivia reports minimal spending of $8.70, primarily on subway fares and home-cooked meals.

• Day Two (19:04): Total spending reaches $940.89, largely due to significant credit card payments, including an Amex Platinum payment of $100, Barclays $100, and Chase $562, alongside an electricity bill of $167.

  “I have an astronomical amount of points right now that I’m hoarding so that I can go to Asia.” – Olivia (18:37)

• Day Three (22:17): A modest expenditure of $11.70 covers transit and a slice of pizza post-show.

• Day Four (27:54): Spending totals $73.20, including $26 on cab fare and $34 for movie tickets.

• Day Five (30:26): Olivia spends $25.80 on items from Temu and avoids additional expenses despite temptations to join a bowling event.

• Day Six (34:42): A more substantial total of $184.80 is recorded, with $179 on a theater ticket and additional subway costs.

• Day Seven (36:27): End-of-week expenses amount to $156.90, including three Broadway show tickets and associated transportation.

Overall, Olivia’s weekly spending sums up to $1,401.99, reflecting a careful balance between necessary expenses and discretionary spending.

Insights and Reflections

Throughout the week, Olivia emphasizes her resilience and adaptability. She acknowledges the instability of her profession but demonstrates a proactive approach to financial management.

“I've never been stressed about money like that. No.” – Olivia (31:42)

Olivia attributes her financial stability to early savings from child acting earnings safeguarded by the Coogan Law and a strategic credit card system. She maintains that her upbringing instilled a strong work ethic, allowing her to navigate financial uncertainties without significant stress.

As the Broadway run concludes, Olivia reflects on the bittersweet nature of her current situation. While she cherishes the stability her role provided, she anticipates the return to unemployment with a pragmatic outlook. Her ability to remain unfazed by financial fluctuations stems from a deep-seated confidence in her ability to secure future opportunities, whether in acting or alternative employment like catering.

Conclusion

"At the End of a Broadway Run" offers a compelling narrative of Olivia’s financial life as an actor in New York City. It highlights the duality of financial success and insecurity that often accompanies careers in the performing arts. Olivia’s story underscores the importance of strategic financial planning, adaptability, and resilience in managing an unpredictable income. Through her candid disclosures and disciplined spending habits, listeners gain valuable insights into the financial realities faced by working actors, making this episode both engaging and educational for anyone interested in the intersection of personal finance and the arts.

Notable Quotes

• “I have an astronomical amount of points right now that I’m hoarding so that I can go to Asia.” – Olivia (18:37)
• “I've never been stressed about money like that. No.” – Olivia (31:42)
• “I know that I will go clean a toilet or I’ve done every job. I’ve been on Broadway three times, and I’ve literally gone to clean houses.” – Olivia (32:22)

Attribution What We Spend is an Odyssey original podcast, written and hosted by Courtney Harrell. Special thanks to the production team, including producers Margo Gray and Kristen Torres, editor Jonathan Menhivar, and executive producers Maris Brunkhyser and Leah Rhys Dennis.

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*If you’re inspired by Olivia’s story and wish to share your own financial journey, What We Spend invites you to reach out at [e-mail].

Transcript

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[Olivia]

There a heads up before you this podcast is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. We are not financial advisors. You should always do your own research and consult your own financial advisor before spending or investing your money. Please note that all income, financial information and expenses in what we spend are self reported.

[Courtney Harrell]

Will you walk me through what your resume looks like on paper?

[Olivia]

Let's see, I've done three Broadway shows. I've done a lot of commercial work when I was a child. I've been on TV as a guest star on Instinct. Maisel, FBI. Great News. Odd Mom Out, Younger Good Wife, Big C Law and Order. I've done like four feature films as small roles. One I had a big role in. I've done a shit ton of regional theater because they're so short. One national tour which was actually a big reason why I actually have some savings. I'm pretty successful I guess on paper, yeah. But yeah, I'm still completely have no idea what I'm doing from one day to the next.

[Courtney Harrell]

This is Olivia.

[Olivia]

I'm 38 and I live in the Upper west side.

[Courtney Harrell]

Are you from New York City?

[Olivia]

Born and raised Manhattan. Yes.

[Courtney Harrell]

Olivia is an actor, which means that.

[Olivia]

Most of the time I'm doing other things like babysitting or I have a pretty successful video editing business, but I've literally done everything from waiting tables to working at a shoe store. When I was doing the Audio Diaries, I was in a Broadway show which was for the past four months.

[Courtney Harrell]

For Olivia, being an actor living in New York means her financial life has been unpredictable. Like she said, she's doing what every actor dreams of she's been on Broadway, in TV and films. She has made it. But being a working actor means you have to just keep working, keep looking for the next thing, and you have to figure out what to do when there is no next thing. That means. Olivia's financial picture is a mix of things we usually associate with success and things we associate with hardship. I mean, she owns an apartment in New York City on the Upper west side and she has a platinum AMEX card. But she's also been on food stamps. And in the past she's had to rely on unemployment. In fact, when we talked, she was about to be on unemployment again this week. We're going to follow Olivia through her last week in her Broadway show, and we'll hear how she feels as she gets closer every day to another phase of uncertainty. I'm Courtney Harrell and this is what we spend. What was money like growing up?

[Olivia]

I was unaware of what was going on, so I don't really know. One of the things that I remember my mom telling me was that when I was born, they didn't have insurance. And this sounds. This sounds like something out of a movie. I don't even if this is true, but she claims that my dad handed the doctor who delivered me a envelope of cash.

[Courtney Harrell]

Oh, wow.

[Olivia]

Because they didn't have. That's how they paid for things. So I'm like, okay, that sounds very dramatic. But like that, but even that story like that would kind of, I guess, personify like my childhood.

[Courtney Harrell]

Olivia's dad was a sushi chef who moved to the US from Japan in his late 20s. Her mom was a stay at home parent who moved to New York to be a ballet dancer. And when Olivia was growing up, they all lived together in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan.

[Olivia]

We went on vacations, we did nice things. I was never. Wasn't a fancy childhood. You know, we didn't go to Paris and the Hamptons, but I now understand that there was absolutely no cushion.

[Courtney Harrell]

Yeah.

[Olivia]

And the first time anyone ever spoke to me about money in any way that made sense to me was when I was 19 years old. I was in Mamma Mia. The Broadway show. And I met someone there who has pretty much been my best friend since then. And she, she said, well, you always have to have $10,000 in the bank no matter what. And I had never heard anything like that before. And I don't know where she got that number. I don't know any. But it literally be from that day on. That was my rule. And that was. That was her Advice to me as an actor, so. Yeah. Wow.

[Courtney Harrell]

And that's still your rule that you go by?

[Olivia]

Yeah. I mean, now I have a little. Now I like it to be more than that, but that was kind of the first time I had anybody talk to me about that kind of stuff.

[Courtney Harrell]

Let's go into Olivia's numbers. Olivia's income varies from month to month and year to year, depending on what acting job she gets. But for now, she's making between 60 and 70,000 a year. That's before taxes and health insurance. And about 50% of that money is from her most recent Broadway show. She lives alone, so all of her expenses are on her.

[Olivia]

My mortgage is 1098. My maintenance is 989.

[Courtney Harrell]

Utilities.

[Olivia]

I wrote 35 because that's what I was billed last month.

[Courtney Harrell]

So that's $2,122 a month for housing related expenses.

[Olivia]

My phone bill is $50. We're on the family plan. We each pay 50 bucks.

[Courtney Harrell]

Transportation on the subway, about 200amonth. Class pass for exercise classes, $17 a month.

[Olivia]

Streaming stuff.

[Courtney Harrell]

Gosh.

[Olivia]

I have, like, every streaming service. I literally have, like, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount, Disney. Do I have anything else? Hb. I have every single streaming service, which is basically also because of my editing business. I need to have access to, like, everything, and I let my friends use them. So I'm nice, I guess. Like, literally I have all these people using them.

[Courtney Harrell]

I'll say, fine, you're doing a community service.

[Olivia]

I'm doing a.

[Courtney Harrell]

Her streaming services are about 60amonth. Groceries, 400amonth.

[Olivia]

When I have money, I do subscription services for, like, Butcherbox and Misfit Markets. But I didn't. I only did that actually, the first two months of the show. And then I was like, oh, I have enough meat in my freezer now for, like, a year.

[Courtney Harrell]

She already paid for her insurance for the year in one big payment. That was a little under $2,000. So. So that's not a monthly consideration. But there is one more thing. She regularly buys tickets to Broadway shows.

[Olivia]

That's actually a necessity. I would say. That's up there with food. Like, I don't ever not spend money on theater.

[Courtney Harrell]

It's up there with food.

[Olivia]

Yeah.

[Courtney Harrell]

Tell me why.

[Olivia]

Because I have to see theater. Or I can't justify doing theater or feeling inspired or, like, living in New York. If I don't invest in art, I don't see why I'm even here.

[Courtney Harrell]

Was there, like, a moment in your life that you knew that that's what you wanted?

[Olivia]

To do? No, I was a child actor. My parents put me in modeling and stuff and commercials.

[Courtney Harrell]

Oh, and how old were you when you started?

[Olivia]

Like a child? Like very little, like a baby. I was on Sesame street for a bit.

[Courtney Harrell]

Oh, my God.

[Olivia]

This is another reason why I was able to buy my apartment when I was youngish. People were always like, I don't understand how you bought an apartment when you were that young. And I'm like, well, two factors. I was in an extremely successful long running Broadway show, but also had I received a check when I was 18 years old. So that was like, essential in, like, my down payment.

[Courtney Harrell]

Olivia got that check thanks to something known as the Coogan Law. It says that 15% of a child actor's earnings have to be placed in a trust until they turn 18. How big was that check?

[Olivia]

I don't. It wasn't massive. It wasn't massive. I actually don't remember how much it was. But there was a. But it was enough. Combined with like my savings that I had to do to do what I needed to do to secure that. And then I had the mortgage. I actually couldn't get a mortgage. A few months prior to booking Mamma Mia, I was doing an off Broadway show and nobody would give me one.

[Courtney Harrell]

Wow.

[Olivia]

And then I got one. Once I had Mamma Mia, it was very easy. So it was all extremely fortuitous.

[Courtney Harrell]

Do you primarily do stage acting?

[Olivia]

I. The question that. I always find the question so funny because it's like there's no picking and choosing at all. I'm Asian, I'm a woman. I don't get to choose what I do. So I don't have a preference. That's a privilege reserved for famous people.

[Courtney Harrell]

It may not be up to her, but Olivia says if you can get it, even a few days as a guest star on a network TV show can keep you afloat while you keep doing the theater that doesn't pay as much. But it's hard to know when those jobs will come.

[Olivia]

It's extremely difficult to plan anything. I guess I would say it's difficult to plan. It's difficult to put things on, like automatic payments because, like, you don't know if you're gonna have money. The moment I'm off a job, I'm on unemployment. Hopefully I qualify for unemployment. And I've worked enough. Like right now I have, which is great. But when that runs out in six months, I just hope I have another job or I go get a regular job. Like I go cater or something.

[Courtney Harrell]

Sometimes even when she does get a gig, it doesn't last long. Like the job Olivia had during the week of her audio diaries, she knew that would be temporary because the show had a limited run. For that job, she was offered the role of the understudy for one of the main characters. As an understudy, Olivia got the same base pay as she would have if she were performing on stage. So there was no financial downside to taking it. But it did mean she wouldn't be acting every night, which is what she loves. What do you love about it?

[Olivia]

I mean, I think that, you know, I've gone through periods, to be honest, where I didn't want to do it because it is difficult. And when you. When it's going well and you're feeling really fulfilled, it's great. And then when it's over, it's like the highs are so high and the lows are so low. But I think that. Okay, that the very, very, very, I guess, very specific answer to the question is that, like, basically a year ago, I was doing this production of Hair in New Jersey, and it was. I've talked about it nonstop pretty much since it ended because I said it was the most alive I've ever felt in my life. And I think that would be what I would say. I told my mom last night, I want to get a tattoo that says, I'll be gaga at the Go go. And she's like, I don't get what that means. There was a moment in the number Hair where I was, like, in the back but dead center, just, like, twirling in a gigantic circle. And it was, I'll be gaga at the go Go. When they see me in my toga. And I was just, like, spinning in a circle. And I remember being like, well, if I die right now, I'm dying happy. But I've had so many moments like that that have been like, oh, that's why I keep doing this, because nothing's ever given me that feeling.

[Courtney Harrell]

After the break, we'll dive into Olivia's week.

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[Olivia]

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[Olivia]

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[Courtney Harrell]

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[Olivia]

Okay audio diary day one I am almost back at my apartment. So today I got up, I went to my job which is a Broadway show. We have a matinee at 3pm but on Sundays the dresser of the show, they they they make a brunch for us. So I just took the subway which the subway is 290 and then I went to the brunch which was super great. And then the show happened. After the show my castmate, he drove me home because I'm moving all the stuff in my dressing room back to my apartment and then I made some food at home. I have my groceries. I do my grocery shopping generally on Saturday so I had my groceries already. I made some chicken, took the subway which was another 290 to go to a show. I bought the tickets to the show two months ago it was swept away on Broadway. An evening Sunday night show which was nice because I have a Sunday matinee of my show. And then I went to see a Sunday evening show and then I took the train. So another 290 to take the train to my friend's birthday. It was at a bar. I was interested having to like, spend a bunch of money on drinks, but actually he ended up getting drinks for everybody. And then after that, a friend of mine was there and she was like, oh, I'm getting a car home and she lives right near me. So we just ended up sharing this cab and it was on her corporate account, so I ended up getting a free ride home. But yeah, so now I'm outside of my apartment building and just going to like, go watch some TV and chill. So today was kind of a. A low key spending day.

[Courtney Harrell]

Total for day one, $8.70.

[Olivia]

Okay, audio diary. Day two. It's early. Is in the morning. I woke up to a few things being taken out of my account. So a lot of my automatic payments went through today. So I'm looking at them now. It's looking like the payments that went out this morning were mostly credit card payments. An amex payment for $100, a Barclays payment for $100, and a Chase payment for 562. And then my Con Ed, which is my electricity, for 167. That all came out this morning. I was anticipating all that. So there was definitely enough money in there. Another thing I'm thinking about is that I should probably explain that I have a lot of credit cards. I actually have. I think it's 12. I only use about three at a time. The rest stay in my desk and I rotate them. And I don't carry balances on most of them. I have so many. I have the Marriott Envoy card, the Alaska Airlines card, the Delta card, the Southwest card, the World of Hyatt card, the Wyndham card, the Hilton card, the American.

[Courtney Harrell]

You have the most intricate credit card system I've ever heard. I think that I counted 15 cards.

[Olivia]

Oh, it's 15. I don't even. Well, I know. I know how many. I know how many I have. But I know also I literally have a zero balance on almost an. On everything right now. Except my Amex Platinum has a zero.

[Courtney Harrell]

Wow.

[Olivia]

So I don't. I don't use. But I have an astronomical amount of points right now that I'm hoarding so that I can go to Asia. So it's like, it's like very strict. It's extremely strategic.

[Courtney Harrell]

Basically what Olivia does is she finds a credit card that has some kind of big Points offer, like, open this card, spend $3,000 in the first three months, and you get 100,000 bonus points.

[Olivia]

I can pay my maintenance with a credit card. So if I just put my maintenance that I would normally pay out of my checking account on a credit card, all of a sudden I have what, you know, 50,000 points on Japan Air.

[Courtney Harrell]

Once she's collected her bonus points, she pays that card off. Then she puts it in her desk and mostly stops using it.

[Olivia]

And the one thing that I know is you're not supposed to just cancel any of them. So I just try to keep them. And sometimes I try to use them for small things. Sometimes like this one, it looks like it owns. The only thing that I use it for is Netflix. So it's like $7.89. And this one looks like the only thing that I use it for is Dropbox.

[Courtney Harrell]

Eventually she switches to the next card that has something to offer. She usually only really uses about three cards at a time. It's all just a points game.

[Olivia]

It's a points game. And every. And my credit score is 829 right now, which is extremely high. So I think, yeah, because 850 is the highest. So, like, I'm actually found some sort of hack. And I don't know why more people don't do it, honestly.

[Courtney Harrell]

On day two, Olivia bought some eggs, some cheese, and paid for one subway ride, bringing her days total with her credit card payments to $940.89.

[Olivia]

Okay, audio diary, day three. I took the train, so that is 290 to go to my Orange Theory fitness class, which Orange Theory is. You know what? It's too expensive. I'm just gonna say it. The thing about orangetheory, though, is that it's great. And I was really into Orange Theory when I was doing this production of Hair. And I had two unused classes. So I'm just trying to use them because I don't want the money to go to waste. However, this is the kind of thing that I really can't afford. Even when I am in a Broadway show. I shouldn't be spending $35 a class on something that I don't need desperately. So. So I'm gonna do these two classes this week and probably then just go back to my regular exercise, which is running in the park, which is free. Yeah. So I did that and now I just came across a farmer's market. Farmers markets are my weakness, but they're also really great for inexpensive produce. So I just spent only $3 on tomatoes and avocados. At. At this local stand that I like to frequent. So that was unexpected, but also $3. And I'm noticing that my spending this week knowing that the show is coming to a close on Sunday is I'm being a little bit more cautious. I'm kind of trying to go, do I really need that? Because in a week I won't have a job and then I'll be back on unemployment. My unemployment is, is not bad. I get about half of what I was making on the show. But it's still going to be a drastic change. So anyway, that's where I'm at today. Rest of the day, who knows what will bring once again. But I do know I have to be at the theater in a few hours. So I'm planning on mostly just taking the train there. But again, anything's possible.

[Courtney Harrell]

With a couple more subway rides and an after show slice of pizza. Olivia's total for day three was $11.70. Day four.

[Olivia]

Okay, so I am now at my show basically this morning I took a subway 290 subway to yoga class class 290 subway home and then 290 subway to my show. I was going to see if I had time to get a coffee, but instead I'm just gonna have the coffee at the theater because I was running a little late. So this particular show, I'm not on stage. I am what's called a standby or understudy for the mean woman. So when I get to work, I mostly just sign in at the call board, which is where we all sign in to let the stage managers know that we're in the building. And then I trek up to the fifth floor where I have my own dressing room. And I honestly just hang out in my dressing room. And that's my job. If the girl who I cover was to get sick or needed me to go on for her, I'm in the building and that's why I'm there. But yeah, it's pretty much just like that. So my days are pretty chill. I come to the theater and I basically just hang out. And there are three other guys who are also not on stage who are under studies and they hang out with me. Today we're gonna watch a movie, I think, and then we're gonna probably just play some Uno. That's pretty much what we do at work. But there is a level of anxiety. So it's not just. I mean, a lot of it is hanging out with your friends, but there's also a level of anxiety of never Knowing if you're gonna have to do it. And then the danger aspect. And the danger aspect is like, the hardest part because.

[Courtney Harrell]

Wait, what is the danger aspect?

[Olivia]

Because you don't get to rehearse with the actual people in the set and stuff. So it's dangerous.

[Courtney Harrell]

So, like, you're just going out there cold.

[Olivia]

Well, you rehearse, but you on a stage with no. So in this particular show had two turntables and a whole bunch of moving pieces. We never got to work with those. You never get to work with the lights. You never get to work with the sounds. So, like, the anxiety that comes with it is the one thing. It's like the chillest job ever. But it's also very stressful because you don't know if you're gonna get there and suddenly someone's gonna be like, oh, they're stuck underground in the train. But you're here, so you gotta go on and you don't. And then you're out there and you're like, oh, the light is blinding me on this side. I don't know where it's dark, so. Which sucks because it has nothing to do with your talent. Okay, so in between shows, got a big break from about 3:30 to 7:30. A lot of times I go home today, I'm not going home as the trains aren't a little messed up. And I don't want to get stuck. Just went to Big Apple Market is this grocery store that has these incredible huge sandwiches. And the sandwiches are only $4 and 50 cents, which I discovered via my friend EJ because she was like, oh, my God, the best sandwich in New York is four dollars and fifty cents. So eating my sandwich, going back to the theater, catch up on some.

[Courtney Harrell]

I loved hearing how you spent your days at the. At the theater. And I was curious if being a standby was like, oh, hell yeah. I get paid to, like, play uno with these guys that I have fun with. Or if it's like, man, I really wish I was on stage. Or if it's something in between those.

[Olivia]

Things, it's whatever you make it. A lot of people go into it like, I wish I was on stage. There's a woman named Isabel Keating. She. She won a Tony Award for the Boy from ma and she was just an understudy off offstage standby in a Broadway show called Doubt. And yeah, she was. She was an understudy. And people. People had an opinion on it. And everyone I know, like, meaning, like, I think people who don't understand the business was we're basically like, well, I'm so glad that she did this, because then it gives us. It gives us the authorization to want to do it as well and to be okay with it. Like, I was like, well, I. I'm gonna go be an understudy. Cause Isabel Keating did it. So I think I'm better than a Tony Award winner. Like, no.

[Courtney Harrell]

Olivia had never been in understudy before COVID But the first time she took an understudy role when she really needed a job, she actually loved it.

[Olivia]

I guess when I was younger, it was very much like, I'm gonna be a star. When I was 19 to 25, I was convinced I was going to be a star and all the things that come with that. Like, you know, I was going to have a mansion and live by the beach and, like, I was going to have. I was definitely going to have a Tony Award or at least an Oscar or something, you know? At least. You know what I mean? Like, I had those aspirations. I also didn't realize when I was younger, you know, the limitations. I didn't really see, oh, like, how many Asian women are out there being super famous. There's like, maybe two. Lucy Liu and Sandra. Oh. When I was younger, I just definitely thought the sky was the limit. And now at this point in my life, as I get closer to 40, we're a little bit more realistic now.

[Courtney Harrell]

After her second show, Olivia took a Cab home for $26. She also spent $34 on two tickets to a movie, which brings her total for the day to $73.20.

[Olivia]

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[Courtney Harrell]

60% off other retailers prices on your favorite spring finds. Day 5.

[Olivia]

I am on the subway. I woke up this morning. I spent about 20 bucks on some stuff from Temu. I wasn't planning on it, but they had a really good ad that popped up on my screen, and I really wanted these silicone storage things for avocados. This is very specific. I know, but they were having a deal. And I got, like, a bracelet and some underwear and, like, a. Another pair of sunglasses that I don't need. And I got my silicone avocado things. Okay, the train's coming, so I should. This is gonna be very loud, but, yeah, so far, that's how much money I spent. Today, the train is 290, and now I'm gonna Have lunch with my mom. She's taking me to lunch, so that's nice. I'm at the show now. There's about 30 minutes left of the show. I'm in my dressing room. Took the train here, 290. You can hear the show kind of in the background on the loudspeaker. Yeah, that's it. And then later tonight, I might go to bowling, but I'm gonna go home first, so we shall see, because Broadway bowling doesn't start till 11.

[Courtney Harrell]

Broadway bowling is a weekly event when actors and staff of Broadway and off Broadway shows go bowling together. So should you find yourself in Midtown at midnight, you could go watch Team Hamilton and Team Chicago face off.

[Olivia]

So we'll see if I end up coming back to Midtown. Stay tuned. Might just go home and stay at home. So my castmate drove me home after the show. I have a lot of stuff in my dressing room that needs to go home before we close on Sunday. We brought a bunch of it home, and then I did not go back to Midtown. It was pouring rain, and as much as I wanted to go to Broadway bowling, I just stayed at home. And that means I didn't spend any more money. I really did want to go, but it was just raining so hard. And once I got home, I was like, oh, I'm just going to get in bed and lay down. And then that was that.

[Courtney Harrell]

Without any bowling expenses. Olivia's total for day five was $25.80.

[Olivia]

Day six, so the show's closing on Sunday. So this just kind of feels interesting because I'm basically being prepared to be unemployed. It's very interesting. But this job has been a gift, and it's allowed me stability for four months to actually know exactly what's coming in and how much money I'm gonna have. And it's been a wonderful time, and I really am gonna miss it for a lot of reasons. I'm really gonna miss my. My friends. I'm really gonna miss my cast. I'm gonna miss my castmates so much, especially the three men who I've been sharing all my time with, who are the other understudies. And I'm really also just gonna miss the financial aspect. So this coming to a close is really bittersweet. I'm so glad that it happened, but I really wish it were longer. And in these moments of actually having stability and having this steady paycheck, that's a decent amount to actually live off of. In New York and Manhattan, it feels like the biggest gift. The thing is, it feels like, such a gift because it's not the norm.

[Courtney Harrell]

How does that kind of instability feel?

[Olivia]

I'm completely used to.

[Courtney Harrell]

Feels like you're used to it. And actually, I had the experience listening to your diaries. I was like, oh, wow. She is, like, talking about this really big shift coming in a very matter of fact way.

[Olivia]

I'm completely used to it. Completely used to it. And not worry, because, like I said, there are people that I know who are worried. And I think it's because they come from certain backgrounds where they're like, what would I do if I'm not on Broadway? And it's like, I. I've basically been told my whole life that, like, I cannot be lazy, I cannot be complacent, and if you were always proud of you, no matter what you're doing, as long as you're doing something.

[Courtney Harrell]

Yeah.

[Olivia]

So, like, I don't. Like, I know that I won't, I guess, to say I've, you know, I've gotten this far never actually being in trouble financially. I know myself, and I do know people who don't have that. And those are the people who are kind of screwed, who. Who are like, I'm so specific. Selective and specific about what I'll do to stay afloat that they end up not afloat. So the instability is not. Not bad. I also have a cushion now that's a lot bigger than the cushion that I used to have. You know, I have options, and there's all kinds of things I would do if things got to the point where I was like, oh, gosh, I'm freaking out about money.

[Courtney Harrell]

I guess I'm curious, though, for you, like, when you are stressed about it, what is it that keeps you up at night?

[Olivia]

I've never been stressed about money like that. No.

[Courtney Harrell]

You've never been stressed about money like that?

[Olivia]

Like that, where I can't sleep? No, not like that. I have a lot of perspective about things, so that's not something, you know, I think in my youth I was. I would worry about, oh, when my unemployment runs out, what am I gonna do? And then I'd just go back to catering. I'm the child of immigrants, and I will do whatever it takes to take care of myself at all times. So I don't actually worry because I know that I will go clean a toilet or I. I know I've done. Like I said, I've done every job. I've been on Broadway three times, and I've literally gone to clean houses. So I know that I've gotten this I've gotten this far. It's not like I'm 20 and like, oh, God, you know, So I think it's like it's never not worked out, and it's always more than worked out. So I'm at my show. I did just spend $179 on a ticket to Hadestown on Broadway, which I'm gonna see next week when my show closes. So that was a big expense for today. I wasn't expecting to spend that much on it, but I'm going with a group of people and they wanted to have good seats. And I spent 290 to get here on the subway to my show.

[Courtney Harrell]

With one more train ride home. Olivia's total spending for day six was $184.80.

[Olivia]

All right, audio diary, final day. I woke up late, didn't sleep well. It's like 10:30, and I have to make some eggs and have some coffee and get myself to the theater around. I'm gonna get there early today because I have to organize my dressing room some more, pack some more stuff up. This morning I had some stuff in my Amazon cart that I needed, so that came to $54. Okay. I had some friends at the show, so I went out for a drink afterwards with them. And because it's New York, a glass of wine is $22. So I spent $22, and now I've just gotten back on the subway, which is 290, and gotten off the subway, and I'm just walking the two blocks to get to my house and then I'll be home. And I wanted to stay out a little longer. I was thinking about it, but I didn't because. Because honestly, it is the final show tomorrow, and I want to just be all well rested and ready for all that. It's going to be really emotional having to say goodbye to everybody. Even today. I was already feeling it. So I'm going to walk in my door now and get some rest and get ready for this final show tomorrow. And then a very fancy dinner. Our leading actor taking us to a private dinner at Rockefeller center, which is going to be really great at a really nice Korean restaurant. So thanks for listening.

[Courtney Harrell]

On day seven, Olivia also bought tickets to three shows, which combined with subway rides, brought her total for the day to $156.90. Altogether, Olivia spending for the week was $1,401.99. How long do you think you'll act?

[Olivia]

I have no idea. I don't think it's my decision. There's either work or there's no work. You know, if there. If you don't work for a certain amount of time and you want to keep pursuing it, that's great. And. But I. I have very little control. I have very little control. The only thing I have control over is how I feel really about it and how I feel about the other stuff that I need to do to keep doing it. But I don't have control over. I don't wake up every day and go, what Broadway show am I gonna be in today? And very, very few people have that.

[Courtney Harrell]

So. Yeah, if you had to describe to people the, like, feeling of being an actor, how would you describe the feeling of the experience that you have an.

[Olivia]

Endless search for things and occasionally finding them? I don't know, because there are people who have been like, my. One of my best friends has been in Hamilton for seven years. So now he's definitely settled in this job, but it took a long time to get there, so I feel like. And also, it's like, how long will he stay? You know, at a certain point, it's like, do I want to stay? Because that's. The other thing is, like, you're searching for stability, but then you get the stability and then it becomes a day job. So then why aren't you just working at a bank? Because there's really not a massive amount of. When I was in Mamma Mia, there were people there who had been there for so long that it didn't feel like, to them, any different than working at the post office. And that was interesting because it's like. Well, it's weird. It's like you get into this thing because you're trying to do something different, but then you search for stability, but the moment you get stability, it's like, well, that's not as exciting. I mean, I feel like. I feel like it's a chasing some high or something. It's just so all over the place.

[Courtney Harrell]

But also, like, it's helping me understand because in part, it feels like you're not so. So stressed about the instability and the downtime. Because in part, that's like kind of where the good stuff is. Like, that's how you know that you're getting to go, like, pursue other roles where you're not going to be.

[Olivia]

It's. Yeah, it's kind of. The instability also means the diversity of what you're doing.

[Courtney Harrell]

Yeah.

[Olivia]

So, like, this past year, like, all the stuff I got to do was actually incredible. And if I had just been doing one thing, I would have just been doing one thing, but maybe I would have had more stability. So I think one of the things that was hard about the show closing on Sunday was that we all kind of collectively were like, it could have been a little longer. Like I could have done that for a year for sure. And I haven't really felt the effects of not having a job. And I think next week I'll go, oh, it's over. Like next week will be the first week that I'm like back on unemployment and not having. I'll probably be less exhausted. And then I'll be like, oh, I have nowhere to go.

[Courtney Harrell]

What We Spend is An Odyssey original podcast. It's written and hosted by me, Courtney Harrell. Our producers are Margo Gray and Kristen Torres. Our editor is Jonathan Menhivar. Our executive producers are Maris Brunkhyser and Leah Rhys Dennis. Theme song and original music by Matt McGinley. Additional music from APM music mixing by Pedro Alvira. Special thanks to Melissa Akiko Slaughter, Joel Lovell, Jenna Ysperman, J.D. crowley, Maura Curran, Josephina Francis, Kurt Courtney, Hilary Sheff, Sean Cherry, Laura Berman and Hilary Van Ornam. If you want to be on what We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at whatwe spend podcastmail.com.

[Olivia]

Do.

[Advertiser]

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