An Actor's Tips For Traveling On A National Tour with Carissa Fiorillo

Performing in a National Tour is one of the most exciting opportunities an actor can have. Getting paid to do what you love, travel the world, and perform in a world-class production is an actor’s dream.

Carissa Fiorillo

Carissa Fiorillo is an actress currently on the road with the North American Tour of Aladdin. National Tours: Bullets Over Broadway, Radio City Rockettes and Guys and Dolls. Regional: Argyle Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse. She's appeared as a dancer on television in “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”, NBC’s “Upfronts”, and Saturday Night LIVE, and in numerous commercials and print ads. She trained in Musical Theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). 

In episode 74 of the Actor Aesthetic Podcast, Carissa chats with host Maggie Bera about touring, dating within the industry, moving to NYC, survival jobs, and the differences between working on the stage and on screen!

Here’s a snippet of our conversation.

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You’ve done both non-Equity tours and Equity tours. Can you talk to me about the differences between the two that you've noticed?

Yes, of course. I think every performer should experience a non-Equity tour. You learn so much about yourself and about the type of performer and the professionalism it requires to maintain this career. The non-Equity tour that I started with was Guys and Dolls. It was a bus and truck tour which means we travel on a bus and everything is carried behind us on trucks. We would stay in a city typically for one night, get on the bus in the morning, and then travel to our next destination. We usually didn't get a lot of sleep the night before because we would sleep on the bus.

You're on the bus all day long. You go to the hotel, you probably have about an hour, maybe two to get some food. Try and go to the gym, get yourself pumped up for the show. You enter a new theater, a new space that you've never been to before. You see the backstage area, meet the locals, the dressers. You do the show. You give the best performance possible because these small towns need it. You go back to the hotel, you get some sleep, and then you do it all over again the next day. Insane, one nighters. Crazy, but so worth it.

And now, on the other side, I'm on my first Equity production contract. People would always say, “oh, a production contract is amazing!” No one told me all that it entails. And it's spectacular.

You have to have a “sit-down” in one city no shorter than two weeks. The Aladdin tour, for example, was first in Chicago for six months. Then it moved to LA for six months.

You’re very taken care of. We have a physical therapist in the theater at all times. There are a lot of rules and regulations on how long you can go between having a rehearsal. You can travel a trunk with you. The company provides the transportation of a trunk so you can pack your cookware and your winter clothes. You're getting paid a really good amount of money to do what you love and share your craft with the world.

Any touring hacks that you've picked up along the way since touring couple times?

I make dates with my friends via FaceTime. It really keeps me remembering who I am as a person… because on tour, you create this tour bubble. Everything involves just the people around you and you forget that you're a grounded human.

I recently started doing the Five Minute Journal. I totally recommend it! It keeps my mindset really, really positive. When you're doing the same work over and over again at times, it can be difficult.

I try to dedicate my show to someone in the audience. And I want to do it for that person, like the little girl in the front row dressed up as Jasmine or whatever it may be.

I try to treat myself to like a really good local meal in every city.

And I always bring my pillow with me! My mom told me said, when I first started this adventure, “always bring your pillow because it'll bring a sense of home.”

Did you ever try AirBnB on tour?

Yes! We get a certain amount of per diem every week. And with that per diem you choose to stay in the company reserved hotel, which differs from city to city. You can also stay in an Airbnb.

Airbnb has totally changed the game. I always feel like I'm at home. I'm currently in an Airbnb with two other roommates… we cook breakfast, we walk home together, we even watch the bachelor. It just gives a sense of home and freedom from being in a hotel. It's kind of fun to find those gems of spots in the next city because it can totally change your perspective of the town. Most of the time, it’s even cheaper than a hotel!

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To hear the rest of the conversation, head on over to Episode 74 of the Actor Aesthetic Podcast.