I'm loving all of your responses! Guy and Jerry, you crack me up.

Obviously there's a difference between what is possible to perform with and what isn't. Some circumstances (in my opinion) are just too critical - a severe head-splitting screaming crying migraine, or SARS, emergency surgery, or a death in the family - that sort of thing. And it obviously makes a difference if you are performing as part of a team or if you are the central figure, without whom nothing much can happen on stage.

I hate to think that a person's reputation could be marred by such incidences, but I suppose this is the real world. Pretty sad, though.

But I ask again -what if you're the main act, with supporting players (as I tend to be)? Would it be customary to pay my backup players out of my own pocket, in case of a cancellation? I think not, but I'm asking the question anyway.

~b.w.