Carnegie Hall Crew Draws Big Pay

The New York Times reports:

Some of the highest-paid people at Carnegie Hall will never have their names on the big posters outside or sit in its executive suites or stand next to famous conductors. They are members of Carnegie’s permanent stage crew, the self-effacing men in dark suits who glide out to tote a podium, shift a music stand and make sure that concerts start on time, or at all.

The men — Dennis O’Connell, properties manager; James Csollany, carpenter; John Goodson and John Cardinale, electricians; and Kenneth Beltrone, carpenter — were identified on Carnegie’s tax return for the 2007-8 season as being the hall’s leading five earners after its top executive, Clive Gillinson. Their annual compensation ranged from Mr. O’Connell’s $422,599 (with an additional $107,445 in benefits and deferred compensation) to Mr. Goodson’s $327,257 (with $76,459 in benefits and deferred compensation), the return showed.

Famous soloists can earn that much in a matter of days or weeks, given recital fees that go anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000, classical music managers say. But the vast majority of artists on Carnegie’s stages earn far less. In fact, many musicians toiling in the trenches have to lay out their own money to rent the main auditorium or Carnegie’s smaller halls, Zankel and Weill. The Carnegie stagehand salaries outstrip compensation at Lincoln Center and elsewhere. At a time of belt-tightening at Carnegie, they stand out in greater relief.

The average stagehand annual salary and benefits package at Avery Fisher and Alice Tully halls is $290,000, said Eileen McMahon, a spokeswoman for Lincoln Center. At the Metropolitan Opera stagehands rarely figure in the top-earning echelons, although the properties master, James Blumenfeld, was listed as earning $334,000 two seasons ago, said Peter Clark, a Met spokesman. He said the money included a payout of built-up vacation time.

Imagine that.