If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're SafeAccording to Playbill, the shows will go on this week.
The League of American Theatres and Producers released a statement in which Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin is quoted:
The League does not want to see Broadway go dark, and we have no present plans to initiate a lockout. But we are committed to achieving a fair contract [with Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E)., the stagehands union], and in an effort to do so we have offered significant wage increases.
We are seeking an end to antiquated rules that require us to hire more stagehands than we need, and pay workers who have no work to do…
The Stagehands Union has rejected our offer, and instead, has announced it will take a strike vote on Sunday, Oct 21st. So while the Union considers whether to darken Broadway, come see a show. We hope that before the Union calls a strike they will consider these issues that are so crucial to the health of the industry, as well as the impact such action will have on our city, our industry, the actors, musicians and all the others who work on Broadway.
So if you're anxious about whether your show will go on this week, you can relax. But after this Sunday's strike vote -- which I would not be surprised to see authorized -- anything can happen especially as the League seeks to demonize the union in the eyes of the public.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, October 15, 2007
10 Comments:
Thanks for the update, Steve. Maybe this will have the opposite effect from what we all dread, as hundreds of theatre goers rush to buy tickets for this week before the strike vote on Sunday...
OOooooo
Good Cop Bad Cop...
They want to lock out the crew
Now they want the show to go on.
Now the stage hands are the Bad Guys.
What Crap,
They should nominate themselves for a Tony
I work in a successful Cable TV studio, yes a Cooking show!
I on occasion work as a Bway Stagehand (I am Nonunion, I do have an Equity Card)
I have never seen a "NO SHOW JOB"
It's Crapp.
Everyone’s working; Crews are all over the building in the basement/ on the grid/ pulling cable / unloading trucks. Preparing dressing rooms,
I hear by Nominate the League of Producers for best "CRYBABY ON BROADWAY"
THEY RAKE IN BIG MONEY
They freely talk about what a stagehand makes (which I don’t believe)
But they refuse to open there books
Ever wonder what a producer makes?
Producers only show up on opening night
(is that a NO SHOW JOB)
And I must add Thanks to Steve (SOB)
For TELLING IT LIKE IT IS !!
Boy Its really great of the League to be so nice to us.
At $150 dollars a Ticket.
I wonder what they Pay Charlotte ST Martin
Eric, I'm not sure I follow what you mean about having the opposite effect. I guess I'm concerned about any audience member who may already be holding tickets for dates beyond October 21.
Worker Bee, It is rather suspect how the producers helped fan the flames of panic among the theatregoing public that they might actually lock out the stagehands, along with the audience, only to now act as if that never occurred. I mean, did they really think that no one would report on it?
I have tickets to little mermaid
are the disney shows affected?
Im going in november.
How Approate That The Grinch that stole Chrismas is Comming to broadway
Theatre Lover,
The Little Mermaid is housed in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, which is not owned by Disney, but by the Nederlander Organization.
In both 1999 and 2003, the Nederlander Organization broke ranks with other theatres and negotiated its own pact with the stagehands union.
Having said that, according to Campbell Robertson in The New York Times, "Though the league includes most of the Broadway theater owners, the only ones who are being represented by the league in its negotiations with the union are Jujamcyn and the Shuberts, accounting for 22 of the 39 Broadway theaters. The Nederlanders, who own eight Broadway theaters, are also at the negotiating table and have an agreement with the union that their contract, while separate, will reflect the contract reached with the league."
According to Adam Hetrick of Playbill, "The Nederlanders, representing 9 Broadway theatres, are under a separate contract with Local One and are at the table as observers. Only the Broadway productions housed within these negotiating theatre umbrellas will be affected by a potential strike or lockout."
I read that as The Little Mermaid would be impacted by a lockout and/or strike.
Broadway Grosses: Stars Shine in Plays as Sales Perk Up
Broadway box offices perked up this past week, as almost every show experienced an increase in grosses and attendance (a notable exception: Curtains, which dropped more than $240,000 in a week that its Tony-winning star, David Hyde Pierce, was on vacation). Spring Awakening continued to do near-sellout business, and two star-powered revivals, Pygmalion (starring Claire Danes) and Cyrano de Bergerac (with Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner), topped 90% of capacity in previews.
FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. Wicked ($1,433,557)
2. Jersey Boys ($1,272,077)
3. The Lion King ($1,156,289)
4. Mamma Mia! ($971,415)
5. Mary Poppins ($969,635)
I see the Producers are hurting
Be warned,
these Greedy Producers wont stop!
Watch and see
When they Void a collective Bargaining Agreement
Trying to be Passive,than they will blame it all on the Working man
These guys are making millions/
And they think people that work for a living dont deserve to make a living
Imposed on - I just hope that your union will be able to reach a settlement soon, especially before the busy holiday season begins.
It's easy enough to throw out the numbers of successful shows. What about the much larger percentage of Broadway shows which fail and lose millions? When I read the list of sticking points, I have to side with the producers on most points. Why would any employer have to pay an employee to come in to work, and then not be able to give them work? The union isn't doing anyone any favors by refusing to relinquish these antiquated rules. We need more Broadway shows, not less. It should cost less to get a show up and running, but successful ones should have to pay back to the unions that made them a success at some point. Personally, I think everyone needs to put their books on the table: producers and the union.
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