Riding In On A White...Mouse?
Riding In On A White...Mouse?Apparently, if there's any organization to thank for yesterday afternoon's announcement that The League of American Theatres and Producers will finally go back to the bargaining table with Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.), it's Disney.
The House of Mouse holds a 99-year lease on Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, which as the current home to Mary Poppins remains one of the eight houses still open for business during the stagehands strike. But with The Lion King and The Little Mermaid languishing unperformed at the Minskoff and Lunt-Fontanne Theaters, respectively, Disney is losing a lot of money. Missing just four performances last week, Disney's gross on The Lion King alone was down more than one half million dollars.
Compounding the strike issues, Disney had just begun previews for its fragile Little Mermaid production, while scuttling its long-planned November 11 gala performance to celebrate The Lion King's 10th anniversary on Broadway, widely credited with helping revitalize Times Square and 42nd Street.
According to New York Post's Michael Riedel and Kaili McDonnough, Disney's worried about the other shoe to drop -- the all-important touring productions that could be potentially struck.
Riedel and McDonnough write:
The entertainment giant is dispatching its top labor lawyers to the table for the talks, which are scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. The meeting will be the first between the union and theater producers since the work stoppage went into affect over the weekend.Say what you want about Disney, but if they can truly help broker a deal, I say, give The Little Mermaid a critical pass.
The stagehands consider Disney a good employer and believe it would be a neutral mediator in their battle, the sources said.
"We trust and respect Disney," a union source said.
Meanwhile, the producers also welcome Disney's involvement and think the company to bridge the wide gap between them and the stagehands.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Finally, Back To The Table (November 14, 2007)
Will The Strike Go On Tour? (November 12, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Disney, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Refunds, Stagehands, Strike, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Thursday, November 15, 2007
6 Comments:
We can Hope!
The New York Post reported that Disney's top labor lawyers WILL BE PART of the meetings, which are scheduled to begin at 10 AM Nov. 17 at an undisclosed venue
pressured the stagehands union ?
According to playbill.com
The Stagehands have been asking to get back to the table
The league has not been...Ready.
statement from Charlotte St. Martin, the executive director of the organization. The press statement, said, in part, "[Local One] left the negotiating table and abruptly went on the picket line.
We left the Table Thursday night at 7 pm!
We did not Strike till Saturday at 11 am,I guess thats Abrubt?
If She had not attended the Opening Night Preformance of Young Frank.
She could of read it in the Wall Street Journal,or seen it on NY1
The battle came after a record-breaking season at the box office for Broadway, when grosses reached $939 million. But statistics provided by the producers league underscore the rising costs of the theater business and, by extension, the high rate of failure: 19 of the 30 shows that opened during the 2005-6 season have closed without recouping investments, posting an aggregate loss of $96 million.
Now Lets See;
$939 million
$96 million Loss???
These people are either really Horrible Managers
or
JUST RUN THIS BIZ OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THERE HEART!
How come Disney can run a profit?
maybe the League Pays Producers too much?
You Dont see the Stagehands arriving in chauffer Driven Black SUV'S
Wonder what Charlote makes?
Wonder what the rest of the League Takes home?
Goodness of there Heart
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