Touring Broadway shows in Philly will go on, as traveling actors’ union ratifies a new contract

Touring members of the Actors’ Equity Association, some of whom passed out fliers at the Kimmel Cultural Campus last month warning of a potential strike, have ratified a new contract.

The union, which represents thousands of professional actors and stage managers, reached a new touring agreement with the Broadway League, the organization that represents show producers.

“Creating a new, unified touring agreement has been a long-term goal, and it was a massive undertaking,” said Kate Shindle, president of Actors’ Equity Association, in a statement announcing the agreement April 28.

Before reaching the agreement, 95% of touring members had voted to authorize a strike, which hasn’t happened for Broadway shows on tour since 1968, according to the union.

Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said the “agreement provides much needed flexibility and cost-savings in key areas for our touring producers while addressing the core concerns of the union.”

Actors and stage managers from Six and Into the Woods, both of which were performing in Philadelphia at the time, were among the Actors’ Equity members who spoke out about the possibility of a strike April 7. At the time, Shindle said there was a 50-50 chance a strike would actually happen.

The union had sought increased pay, better producer-paid housing, more per diem to cover food and living expenses on tour, and more reliable backup for actors and stage managers when they’re sick or injured. While many touring Broadway shows are staffed with Actors’ Equity members, many are nonunion shows and do not have to follow the same contract.

Three of the next four shows in the Kimmel Center’s Broadway series are Actors’ Equity tours, according to the union. Beetlejuice, Moulin Rouge, and The Lion King, which will stop in Philadelphia this spring and summer, are all Equity shows, but Jesus Christ Superstar, currently performing at the Miller Theater, is not, according to the union.

Kimmel Center Inc. gets most of its revenue from venue rentals and ticket sales, including Broadway shows, which are critical to the organization’s business model.

Arts and entertainment activity in Philadelphia increased last year but hasn’t reached pre-COVID levels yet. In 2022, daily visits to the Kimmel Center were 67% of what they were in 2019, according to the Center City District’s most recent State of Center City report.

Philadelphia City Council last year appropriated $21.3 million for arts organizations in the city to speed up their recovery.

“The new contract contains advances in equity, diversity, and inclusion; paid sick leave for everyone in the Equity company; and safeguards for those who need reproductive and gender-affirming care,” Shindle, a Moorestown native, said. “Touring is hard, and living on the road full time presents unique challenges,” she added.

Staff writer Peter Dobrin contributed to this article.