Y is for Why oh Why Taylor? Why?

Dear Taylor,

How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t joke with the Soul Patrol. These people are going to be all over DWTS with a petition faster than you at an all you can eat BBQ.

Seriously.

*sigh*

Is it still all about the music?

Taylor’s run through Grease has been extended through June 2010. This news has not been welcomed with open arms by some members of Taylor’s fanbase, myself included. Why is he doing another year of the same show? Why isn’t he doing more shadow shows? How much longer can he keep up the facade of wanting to play music when all he seems to really want is attention? Granted, this is speculation, but why else would he sign himself up to take on another 13 months of touring city to city, singing the same tired song, wearing the same nudie suit?

Why? Well, I can only venture a guess, but I think Taylor’s moved on from his music and has gotten the acting bug. We all know he seems to have some form of ADD, so it only makes sense that he can’t keep focused on his music now that he has this shiny new job in front of him. How many times has he mentioned in interviews that he would really love to act? He wants to be in movies…and you know what? That’s his prerogative. But why even bother with a new album? Why go to the expense of recording one? Was that his last hurrah to see if he could make it in the music business? And now that it didn’t do as well as he liked, he’s added another year of playing a hopped up angel?

I remember Taylor recently posted a blog blurb on his MySpace or something that said something to the effect of, “This record will be toured.” I guess he forgot to mention that his version of a tour is one show every six weeks. I know, I know…superfans will say that he doesn’t have money to do it. I don’t pretend to know Taylor’s finances, his expenses and such. I don’t know how much Taylor makes, but these are the figures I found.

According to AEA, the minimum weekly salary for actors in Broadway productions as of June 2007 was $1,509. Actors in Off-Broadway theaters received minimums ranging from $516 to $976 a week as of October 29, 2007, depending on the seating capacity of the theater. Regional theaters that operate under an Equity agreement pay actors $544 to $840 per week. For touring productions, actors receive an additional $113 per day for living expenses ($119 per day in higher cost cities). New terms were negotiated under an “experimental touring program” provision for lower budget musicals that tour to smaller cities or that perform for fewer performances at each stop. In an effort to increase the number of paid workweeks while on tour, actors may be paid less than the full production rate for touring shows in exchange for higher per diems and profit participation.

Some well-known actors—stars—earn well above the minimum; their salaries are many times the figures cited, creating the false impression that all actors are highly paid.

I’m sure he probably has expenses we don’t know about, nor do we need to. But let’s not forget the book advance that he got for Heart Full of Soul, either. The point I’m trying to make is that maybe money isn’t the reason that Taylor isn’t doing shows. Maybe he just doesn’t want to do it anymore.

How many fans are going to hang out for the next year, waiting patiently for more music, while Taylor plays up his acting resume? As somebody mentioned in an earlier post, maybe this is Taylor’s way of purging himself from the crazy fans.