Is it the same cast (more or less - I know sometimes understudies step in) in each city? We saw Wicked in Dayton, Ohio in February and are seeing it again in Columbus, Ohio in two weeks. They obviously did other cities in other states in the meantime, so I wasn't sure.
The woman who played Glinda in Dayton was AMAZING! I think I prefer her to Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda. She brought so much humor to the part.
Anyways, if anyone knows the answer to my question, I'd appreciate your response!
Yes. My friend is a Broadway actor and has been on tour. He's done various tours for several months to 2 1/2 years:
Mamma Mia & starred in
The Full Monty in the lead role.
Some casts may tour a certain region of the country, say the south east, while another cast may tour the North west. but, most likely, if the same show is appearing in the general vicinity within months, it's probably the same cast.
That's sort of true and sort of not true. There are certainly people who tour before they appear on Broadway (many in the chorus), but many, many people who take the leading roles on tour either covered them as a standby or an understudy on Broadway.
Yes, this is true of my friend. He started on Broadway. When the composer of
Civil War heard him sing at the audition, he wrote a special song for him in the show. After that show closed, the same composer got him in as a replacement in
Jekyll & Hyde.
He did some other shows (and independent films?) in between then decided to go on tour in
Full Monty &
Mamma Mia.
Touring is a different animal than someone who gets to play a show 8 times a week in the same theatre. Some people are cut out better and more resilient to live a gypsy lifestyle, living out of a suitcase, being in a bus with the same people, day in and day out, being away from home for literally a couple years with no breaks, which is what being on tour requires. Others are not. It's not about being less talented or experienced.
There are only so many Broadway theatres with show running with the
right kinds of parts one can actually be cast in. If one truly wants to work as an actor, touring is a great steady gig for some. Back in the old days, many of the great stars actually toured their own shows they made famous. (Robert Goulet in
Camelot.)
And yes, some actors may have the option to come back & play the role on Broadway after the tour. It depends on when the current lead's contract ends. If the current lead leaves before the tour is over, it might not happen. They don't want to bring in someone else for the tour for only a few weeks. It disrupts that touring cast. My friend would have taken over the lead in
The Full Monty on Broadway, but 9/11 happened, and his tour closed early. He ended up going on tour for
Mamma Mia instead, in which he was contracted for longer than
The Full Monty lasted on Broadway. So while it's a shame he doesn't have that Broadway credit on his resume, it actually turned out financially better for him and he got to perform longer overall.
He later on went to understudy one of the leads in
Ring of Fire on Broadway and actually played the role on certain nights.
Now, he's into doing independent films. But, I think his voice will bring him back to Broadway musicals. The first time I heard him sing, I said, "That is magic!"
