I can only speak from past experiences.

One touring show I was on was an "extended tour" which lasted three weeks in a another city.  Since it was a vacation city (Miami) the theater was able to arrange unused, furnished 2-bedroom apartments (condos) that were donated for this use by their big-money patrons.  The performers (actors & musicians) doubled up -- two to a condo.  The show was popular and the tour was extended an additional week.

Another tour (for a different show) consisted of two-or-three-day gigs before moving on to another city.  Here the performers were put up in hotels (again, two to a room).  On the final night of the tour, the producer either got very generous (not likely) or struck a deal with the hotel (more likely) and each performer got their own room!  A luxury to be sure.

Early in my career with a very small bus & truck show we travelled to smaller towns throughout the midwest.  In a few instances, the performers were put up for the night by "host families" who had a spare bedroom. 

Let me stress that in all these instances where roommates were required, men and women were separated unless they were legally married to each other.  Although I'm sure liasons were made frequently with other company members.

There are larger theaters that import actors from out-of-town (ie: New York) for the rehearsal period and the run of the show.  These theaters often have their own housing (a block of apartments) that they rent back to the performers (and not always at reduced rates, I might add!)  or they assist the performers in finding suitable housing (typically a furnished house) to rent.

The dressing room question is dependant on the performance facility.  Larger (newer) theaters have adequate dressing rooms for large casts.  Smaller theaters often do not.  Then there are the historic vaudeville houses that have been reclaimed and refurbished.  Often the dressing rooms in these places are tiny!  Barely a closet big enough to hold a chair and a mirror.  Actors had to rotate shifts to get in and out without sticking an elbow (or something else) in your face. 

In my experience I have had to share common dressing rooms with members of the opposite sex, change in public restrooms when no dressing room was available, or change in the back of a moving bus (You try pulling on tights at 50 mph!) because we were running late to the gig.

The only time I've experienced where the dressing rooms for the "main actors" are separated from the chorus or other parts is when the role is being performed by a celebrity who has requested it (or their agent insisted on it).  The more famous one is, the more clout they can wield when it comes to working conditions.  For a bunch of unknowns, it's every man for himself.

Costumes are responsibility of the costumer and are kept hanging on racks with the performer's name (or the characters' name) taped above them.  The costumer (presumeably have just finished cleaning or pressing) either brings in the rack for the ensemble and everybody grabs their stuff, or if there are individual dressing rooms, then the costumer places them there and are hanging before the performers arrive.  Sometimes the costumer is late tacking on a loose button or ironing a hem and will deliver the costume directly to the performer backstage.

Make-up (including wigs) is the responsibility of the individual performer.  If there is specialty make-up (like "Cats" or "Into the Woods") the make-up designer has instructed the performers on its application earlier in the rehearsal process.  Very rare does a make-up or hair person travel with a tour unless -- once again -- there is a celebrity on board who has requested it.  As a rule, producers don't want to pay for the travel and housing for anybody who doesn't need to be there.  If there are wigs that need to travel, the costumer will tote them, but will not care for them (it is rare to find a costumer that also does hair.)

Holy Mack! This was a useful place to discover!

You've answered all my questions and I've learned that just because one is a member of a national touring company of a Big B'way show he/she isn't treated like royalty. This doesn't sound a whole lot different than our little community theater. I was especially surprised they don't have a make-up person but are expected to do their own. It seems there would be a supervisory hairdresser or something to make sure all the make-up was uniform in appearance.

The housing was the part that stumped me. Had to make sure it rang true.

As for when and where this book will be published, who knows.
I have a number of books e-published with online electronic publishers. Now I'm trying to take the next step and get into the print world. Working on securing an agent to help me do that.

This novel was inspired by watching the movie version of Rent then seeing the traveling production of Phantom the same week. It occurred to me what an artificial microcosm of society there must be in a traveling show, with the enforced intimacy of people who might never socialize under normal circumstances. I could see a lot of possible storylines for characters, not just the obligatory backstage romance. I have three main storylines going, plus the story in the musical they're performing.

I'm sure more questions will come up as I go along. Eg. What kind of 'invited audience' on pre-opening night performance? Family members, friends, critics, local groups of some type? Maybe a reception afterward for select guests? Does this sound plausible?

New question. After the show has begun, the director's work is finished, yes? So he/she wouldn't be on the road with the company. What is the title of the person in charge on the tour, making sure everything runs smoothly at all the stops--Production Manager?

Also, if an actor must be replaced during the run for any reason, who is in charge of making personnel decisions? I realize the understudy would act in the person's place temporarily, but if the role had to be filled long term would the director be called back in for casting or would someone else do it?

Thanks again for any answers that make me sound like I know more about theater than I actually do.

Sometimes there is an additional position to fill under the title of "Company Manager."  The CM handles the business details of the tour, making sure everybody's got their hotel rooms, the trucks have fuel, the drivers have maps, watching the budget, ordering lunch, proper paperwork is filled in, etc etc etc and generally coordinates the mundane details of keeping the "show on the road."

The CM handles these details of everything that happens OUTSIDE the theater or OFFSTAGE.  The Stage Manager is responsible for everything INSIDE the theater including (but not limited to) lighting, sound, scenery, props, costumes and actors.

Because of this strict boundary, the CM and SM are considered equals and neither really out-ranks the other (However, the SM is not booking his own room, so he must remain in good graces with the CM at least).  I pity the poor SM whose producer is trying to save salaries by assigning them job of BOTH CM and SM!  However, in smaller companies this might be the case.

If an actor needs to be replaced, it's most likely the Director (who is still in New York) will cast from the place the tour originated (ie, New York) and the new actor will be transported out to join the rest of the cast at the next stop on the tour.  Most likely, instead of going through all the trouble of holding more auditions, the director will merely pick up the phone and call his Second Choice -- the actor who didn't get the part from the first audtion. (I myself have gotten more than one gig that way.  I'm not too proud to decline).

I've never heard of a Broadway tour replacing a major role with a local actor (although for dramatic license purposes it would make an interesting story).  Perhaps chorus or orchestra parts could be filled temporarily with local talent, but -- to preserve the integrity and "artistic vision" of the show -- a replacement actor is almost always flown in.

It is then the Stage Manager's job to rehearse the new actor seamlessly into the production.  It is the Company Manager's job to see that the outgoing actor (and their stuff) gets home safely.

There is little logic to the route a tour takes.  Most decisions are based strictly on money, not geography.  Whoever plans these things does so at their own risk.  The following are all factors in what cities a tour might visit:

Venue availability:  Is there a proper-sized auditorium that can support this show technically and financially?   Nobody's gonna put a Broadway musical in a 50,000 seat auditorium or a 50 seat music hall.

Hotel space:  Is there a convention (or more) happening at the same time?  Is the city's home team in the playoffs?  All this leads to overcrowding.  If it's too much of a hassle getting crew and cast to the venue, then it's possible the producers might just pass knowing it will also be a hassle getting an audience there.

Weather:  Very few tours visit the Midwest in Blizzard or Tornado season.  There's an old adage "Never do plays in months with J's" that stems from this reasoning.

Politics:  City officials sometimes vie for "high-class" entertainment.  A tour might stop at one city and not another because the Mayor and his cronies are offering incentive deals on lodging, meals or other kick-backs.

Unforseen consequences:  The theater that was booked burned to the ground two days ago.  Or there's a workers strike affecting the city.  A flood or other natural disaster.  A plague of locusts.  A rock band or a bigshot country singer who find themselves with a #1 hit offered a better deal to the venue who might try to slip out of the contract. 

And speaking of contracts ...  if your girl is injured during the tour the producers are only responsible for her until she gets better.  By that time it's most likely her part has been recast.  She may be entitled to worker's comp or her contract may have simply given her 2-weeks severance.  And unless she can prove negligence or loss-of-work she will be hard pressed to get another dime out of them outside of her medical expenses.  Producers usually have insurance to cover that.