How to Make a Living in Show Business: Become a Stagehand for $530,044 a Year

For all those out there who have ever been deterred from a career in show biz due to instability can now have restored hope, thanks to one Dennis O'Connell and his fellow stagehands. According to a report on Bloomberg.com this morning, O'Connell, who oversees props at Carnegie Hall earned a whopping $530,044 in salary and benefits during the 2008 fiscal year, while four of his colleagues - two carpenters and two electricians - had an average income of $430,543 this same year, as reported in Carnegie Hall's tax return.

To provide some perspective, according to Bloomberg.com, an international star pianist can make up to $20,000 a night performing at Carnegie, meaning he or she would need to perform at least 27 times to match O'Connell's salary. 

That is not to undermine the value or talent of the venue's stagehands.  Those seasoned in theater know just how vital this labor force (often hundreds deep) is to any production that may only showcase a small handful of people.  After all, Mary Poppin's wouldn't look nearly as good if she didn't fly.  The Lion King would not continue to amaze audiences without that magical opening entrance.

However, according to the report, part of the reason for such generous earnings is the fact that they are protected by a powerful union that has tremendous leveraging power in negotiations by simply threatening to pull its labor force.  And, this is New York: no stagehands mean no shows. What would New York be without its theater and live performance industry (notably the most profitable industry for the city)?  Broadway was given a taste in 2007 during the 26-week stagehand strike that devastated Times Square and hundreds in the business, proving (quite literally) that happy stagehands means happy industry. 

To read the full report on Bloomberg.com, click here.

Local One is the premier stagehand union of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E). We are the Brothers and Sisters who construct, install, maintain, and operate the lighting and sound equipment, the scenery and special effects which thrill and delight audiences attending Broadway shows, concerts at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall, the magnificent, spectacular productions at The Metropolitan Opera and throughout LIncoln Center, and the many entertaining broadcasts from CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and PBS. We work at numerous cable TV studios and make possible the presentation of major corporate industrials and special events. Local One does it all -- lights, sound, video, scenery and rigging, special effects. Whatever your production needs may be, however big or small, nobody can make your dreams come true better than the skilled, talented professional stage employees of Local One. We are famous for our dedication and unique abilities.