Hoping For Miracle On 44th Street
Hoping For Miracle On 44th StreetLast evening at 7 p.m., something truly heartwarming happened on 44th Street.
What appeared to be around a hundred theatre devotees gathered outside Broadway's St. James Theatre to witness a profile in courage and strength as the cast of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! gathered to serenade the assembled crowd with tunes that Jujamcyn won't allow them to sing on stage, due to their lockout. I was there cheering them on, and for the first time in the last couple weeks, I felt thankful for being a live theatre fan.
Later this morning, New York State Supreme Court Judge Helen E. Freedman will hear further arguments from the show's producers, who contend that since they are operating under their own negotiated contract with Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) and since the stagehands have already laid down their picket signs outside the St. James, they should be able to trump Jujamcyn's decision to lockout the union and the audience in lockstep with The League of American Theatres and Producers.
I'm hoping for Judge Freedman to take a page out of "Miracle On 34th Street" and not only deftly display a hearty dose of thoughtful jurisprudence, but also some much needed holiday cheer just in time for Thanksgiving.
On this twelfth day of the stagehands strike, the following eight Broadway shows continue to perform during the strike because they are either in said non-profit houses or are covered by other contracts:
Cymbeline
Mary Poppins
Mauritius
Pygmalion
The Ritz
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Xanadu
Young Frankenstein
If you're holding tickets through Sunday for any of the other Broadway shows listed below, (click here for ticket exchange policies), your show will not be performing:
A Bronx Tale
A Chorus Line
August: Osage County
Avenue Q
Chicago
Curtains
Cyrano de Bergerac
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Grease
Hairspray
Is He Dead?
Jersey Boys
Legally Blonde
Les Misérables
Mamma Mia!
Monty Python's Spamalot
Rent
Rock 'N' Roll
Spring Awakening
The Color Purple
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Farnsworth Invention
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid
The Phantom Of The Opera
The Seafarer
Wicked
As previously noted in this space, New York City is going all out to increase business in the Theatre District by offering 15% off a dine-in lunch or dinner at wide array of the Theatre District's dining establishments via their Dining in the District campaign. The offer lasts all week long, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day.
And speaking of Thanksgiving, please please remember that this is the time of year when castmembers of Broadway shows typically make their appeal to audiences on behalf of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. To donate directly to the organization, click here.
Happy Thanksgiving.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, November 21, 2007
7 Comments:
Steve,
I'd love to hear some more about what the scene is like on Broadway. Did you see any other impromptu performances? I found some clips on YouTube of the cast of "Spring Awakening" singing some songs outside their theater a few days ago. Also, what's the mood like, how many people are picketing, did you see a lot of fans just walking by the darkened theaters? Are there still a lot of people walking around Times Square? I understand you may not be able to do it now, but it would be great to get your observations as a theater fan on what you're seeing, what it was like.
There are about 18 people at each theatre,
The people are very supportive.
Driving by hoonking.
walking up to the line chatting,giving words of encouragement.
Local resturants have been gifting us , Pots of coffee. Pasteries,
Sandwiches.
If this strike was public opinion,
We would walk away with a raise,and a stagehand curtain call.
Fantasia hasn't been out singing lately.
But most of the Equity cast has.
They know that there neck is in the noose next.
The Times square church, the old hellinger theatre Brought us Pastries and promised to put us in there prayers
There are No Gentlemen in the Biz anymore.
Its Murder on Broadway..
NY TIMES;
The Nederlander Producing Company, which owns 9 of the 27 Broadway theaters affected by the stagehands’ strike, is suing their union for $35 million in damages, claiming that the strike against the Nederlander theaters is illegal.
The producers of seven of the shows in Nederlander theaters joined in the suit, which was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan yesterday.
But Neil Abramson, the lawyer for Jujamcyn, said the minor amendments to the “Grinch” contract had nothing to do with Jujamcyn’s right to lock out workers
THE GRINCH Goes back up on Friday at 11am!!!!!
All the whos will be back in whoville
Ahh One for the Good guys
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