Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Did Critics Enjoy Sorkin's Invention?

Did Critics Enjoy Sorkin's Invention?

Last evening, Aaron Sorkin's first play on the Great White Way in nearly twenty years opened at Broadway's Music Box Theatre. Directed by Des McAnuff, The Farnsworth Invention pits Hank Azaria against Jimmi Simpson in the supposedly true story on the race to invent television. Critics were lukewarm at best.

Calling this "vintage Sorkin and crackling prime-time theater," Linda Winer of Newsday offers about the most glowing review I could find: "Breezy and shrewd, smart-alecky and idealistic, the quick-moving drama presents two sides to the still-contentious story behind the invention of television....For all the double and triple casting, nobody is generic. Sorkin can pile more details than the mind can process about the mechanic versus the electronic TV. But he makes sure we get it. He also can set the stage for the Great Depression and the moonwalk with a few miraculously brief bursts of information."

Noting how "Sorkin has gotten some -- possibly a lot -- of his facts wrong," New York Post's Clive Barnes still offers two and a half stars: "Sorkin's take on the Farnsworth/Sarnoff standoff would be better suited to a screen, either big or small. Even now, while crackling with crisp dialogue, The Farnsworth Invention often has the air of a clumsy stage adaptation of, say, 'Citizen Kane.' Its very busyness detracts from it as a stage play -- plus the fact that all but two of its 19 actors play multiple roles....(McAnuff)'s helped by the smartly minimalist stage design of Klara Zieglerova, and the general performance of his Protean cast, particularly Simpson as the innocent genius, a Jimmy-Stewartishly rumpled Farnsworth, and the smoothly opportunistic and charmingly ruthless Azaria as the nicely tailored Sarnoff."

Eric Grode of The New York Sun offers this middling review: "Mr. Sorkin...has brought over some unfortunate habits from the left coast, including a tendency to create dramatic parallels where none exist and a weakness for soupy background music. But he has also imported his shrewd ear for plotting and his unmistakable flair for well-crafted paragraphs caroming off the halls of power. And he has found in Des McAnuff the rare director capable of turning all those painstakingly assembled anecdotes into a breezy parable, one about two men with huge dreams and the invention that proved bigger and more rapacious than even they could imagine."

Calling it an "information-crammed, surface-skimming biodrama," Ben Brantley of The New York Times is dismissive: "you’re likely to leave The Farnsworth Invention feeling that you have just watched an animated Wikipedia entry, fleshed out with the sort of anecdotal scenes that figure in 're-enactments' on E! channel documentaries and true-crime shows. This two-hour play is a fast-moving sequence of reflex-stimulating information- and emotion-bites. It never pauses long enough to find depth in any of them. Mr. Sorkin clearly had higher intentions."

Referring to "Sorkin's ingratiating approach" and "manicured dialogue," David Rooney of Variety is quite critical: "Farnsworth never fully moves beyond its stream of overexplained factoids. What's worse is that it's morally questionable....Sorkin wants to have it both ways. He depicts Sarnoff as single-minded in his focus on personal glory and corporate profit to the exclusion of all other concerns. But then after crushing Farnsworth and consigning the true inventor of television to obscurity (in lengthy legal proceedings reduced to a single perfunctory scene), Sarnoff gets to imagine the rapprochement between the two men and acknowledge the underdog's achievement. He also gets to show tearful remorse and big-picture perspective in a manipulative closing speech."

Discounting the show that "seemed to have everything going for it," Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's Daily News is also negative: "So why is Farnsworth disappointing and ho-hum enough to make you want to change channels? Sorkin's framework -- Sarnoff and Farnsworth co-narrate the story -- automatically adds a layer of distance. And though the play is informative, it's seldom deeply involving....Both stars give fine performances, but their characters often don't rise much above one dimension....Dramatic license is one thing. But a play about the invention of television that fails to blaze in living color is another."

Frankly, as much as I enjoyed the first act, I felt very cheated by the second, which clearly should have been labeled "The Sorkin Invention." Newsday's Linda Winer is right to point out that there are plenty of people questioning Sorkin's conceit in adding a contrived confrontation between Farnsworth and Sarnoff when it admittedly never happened. She's also right to question where all the outrage was when Frost/Nixon used a similarly fictitious 11 o'clock device to propel its story (she clearly wasn't reading my review in which I said, "[S]uch flagrant abuse of the facts borders on an abrogation of artistic license.").

You can view my full SOB Review for The Farnsworth Invention by clicking here.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
The Farnsworth Invention (The SOB Review) (December 4, 2007)
Don't Touch That Dial: Farnsworth Invention Opens (December 3, 2007)
All Of Great White Way Gleams Tonight (November 29, 2007)
Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question (November 12, 2007)
Television Comes To Broadway (June 21, 2007)

Labels: Aaron Sorkin, Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Des McAnuff, Hank Azaria, Jimmi Simpson, La Jolla Playhouse, Play, The Farnsworth Invention

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, December 04, 2007 0 comments

The Farnsworth Invention (The SOB Review)

The Farnsworth Invention (The SOB Review) - Music Box Theatre, New York, NY

** (out of ****)

With nary a boob tube in sight, it's astonishing that the backstory on the invention of television is playing out on the unlikeliest of all living art forms: the stage.

But against Klara Zieglerova's unimaginitive set, which, let's be honest, inexplicably looks more like a retread of her dual-level Jersey Boys design gussied up like a retro Japanese steakhouse -- I'm not kidding! -- Des McAnuff wisely keeps all channel surfers at bay by focusing their attention on his two outstanding principle actors in Aaron Sorkin's second Broadway play The Farnsworth Invention.

The two exceptional actors -- Hank Azaria as the irascibly boorish David Sarnoff, legendary founder of NBC, and Jimmi Simpson as the boyish man who went down in history as the asterisk, the titular Philo T. Farnsworth -- complement each other perfectly with enough yin and yang to feel more like you're caught in a quick moving giant yo-yo of one-upsmanship: one moment one of them is up in the race to "invent" television, the next moment he's down and vice versa.

There's a particularly captivating moment during the First Act when the initial promise of a televised live picture crystalizes that's positively electrifying. It hints at just how great this show could have been. The irony is that McAnuff never allows his audience to see that picture. By deliberately keeping the one single prototype to be found in all of The Farnsworth Invention turned away from us, we're never truly allowed in. Faster than you can say "photon," the magic Sorkin had succeeded in building gets zapped away.

Making matters worse, in the Second Act, Sorkin resorts to sheer melodrama bordering on pure fiction. It's a pity Sorkin chooses to veer so far from reality in the climactic dust-up between Farnsworth and Sarnoff. It's an exposive scene to be sure, but the moment is ruined by an 11 o'clock admission that what we were to believe constitutes a first attempt at reality TV is instead as bogus as a Jerry Springer episode. Just like with Springer, we feel had. Only here, we didn't see it coming.

Even more frustrating is Sorkin's feeble attempt at a misty-eyed finale. Given what a certifiable SOB Sarnoff is made out to be throughout the proceedings, how can anyone believe he'd shed anything but crocodile tears for Farnsworth. Apparently Sorkin does what he does "best" for television -- he signs off with a hackneyed, melodramatic conclusion.

Maybe that works for a made-for-TV movie, but on a Broadway stage, we just need a better picture with finer tuning.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Related Stories:
Don't Touch That Dial: Farnsworth Invention Opens (December 3, 2007)
All Of Great White Way Gleams Tonight (November 29, 2007)
Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question (November 12, 2007)
Television Comes To Broadway (June 21, 2007)

Labels: Aaron Sorkin, Broadway, Des McAnuff, Hank Azaria, Jimmi Simpson, Play, The Farnsworth Invention, The SOB Review

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, December 04, 2007 8 comments

Farnsworth Invention To Be Turned Off

Farnsworth Invention To Be Turned Off

Last night, it was announced that Aaron Sorkin The Farnsworth Invention has posted its closing notice. The play about the race to build the first television will shutter at the Broadway's Music Box Theatre on March 2.

Directed by Des McAnuff and starring Hank Azaria and Jimmi Simpson, the show scored mediocre reviews when it opened in early December (I gave it two out of four stars). Sorkin has been put through the proverbial wringer for twisting historical facts in fictionalizing this true story.

No matter now. The cold hard facts as we know them are this. During the February winter doldrums, The Farnsworth Invention's box office take last week was down to $186,343 for a total capacity of just 43.2%, while the average ticket price was $53.65. The only show to pull a lower capacity crowd was the 11 year old revival of Chicago (42.8%), and the only shows to pull in lower grosses were the very funny Is He Dead? (which at just $165,165, sadly appears to almost be caput) and cult favorite Xanadu ($153,328).

When Sorkin's drama finally closes, it will have played a total of 104 regular performances. Then on March 2, it will be history.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
Sorkin "No Tracy Letts" (December 14, 2007)
Did Critics Enjoy Sorkin's Invention? (December 4, 2007)
The Farnsworth Invention (The SOB Review) (December 4, 2007)
Don't Touch That Dial: Farnsworth Invention Opens (December 3, 2007)
All Of Great White Way Gleams Tonight (November 29, 2007)
Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question (November 12, 2007)
Television Comes To Broadway (June 21, 2007)

Labels: Aaron Sorkin, Box Office, Broadway, Closing Notices, Des McAnuff, Hank Azaria, Jimmi Simpson, Play, The Farnsworth Invention

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, February 08, 2008 4 comments

Sorkin "No Tracy Letts"

Sorkin "No Tracy Letts"

After last week's rapid-fire round robin of five Broadway openings -- four of which were placed on fast forward to make up for lost time in the wake of the stagehands strike -- Tracy Letts' August: Osage County is clearly the major winner.

According to New York Post's Michael Riedel, the 3+ hour play on dysfunction took in a whopping $600,000 in advance ticket sales the day after the near unanimity of critical praise, and it's had a daily advance take of around $200,000 per day ever since.

Riedel notes that coming out on the short end of the stick is Aaron Sorkin's prefab play The Farnsworth Invention, which received the least favorable reviews of any show opening last week. To quote Riedel, Sorkin (pictured left) is "no Tracy Letts" (pictured right). Since opening, the show has earned an advance of about $50,000 per day. Riedel says that castmembers have already been advised that unless business picks up, the show will shutter.

Yet you'd never know that the shows were in different leagues from looking at last week's box office totals. Capacity was about the same, with August at 51.9% versus Farnsworth at 50.8%. August earned $327,133, while its next door neighbor to the east took in $267,480. Tables were slightly turned in the per ticket average with Farnworth outshining August $65.54 to $54.81.

Expect that last figure to flip next week.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for August: Osage County tickets.
Click here for The Farnsworth Invention tickets.
Related Stories:
More Than One Critic Letts August Esteem Show (December 5, 2007)
Did Critics Enjoy Sorkin's Invention? (December 4, 2007)
The Farnsworth Invention (The SOB Review) (December 4, 2007)
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) (August 19, 2007)

Labels: Aaron Sorkin, August Osage County, Box Office, Broadway, Michael Riedel, Play, The Farnsworth Invention, Tracy Letts

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, December 14, 2007 4 comments

Don't Touch That Dial: Farnsworth Invention Opens

Don't Touch That Dial: Farnsworth Invention Opens

Nearly three weeks after it was originally scheduled to open, Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention finally gets its opening night this evening at Broadway's Music Box Theatre.

The November 12 opening night was the first casualty of sorts during the recent stagehands strike.

The drama stars Hank Azaria and Jimmi Simpson as the legendary David Sarnoff and Philo T. Farnsworth, respectively, who raced to build the first functioning television.

The Des McAnuff-helmed play enjoyed its world premiere last summer at the La Jolla Playhouse, just north of San Diego. McAnuff had been the playhouse's artistic director until Christopher Ashley took over later this year.

Find out tomorrow whether critics enjoyed tuning in when I present my critics' capsule. I'll also be providing my own SOB Review then.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
All Of Great White Way Gleams Tonight (November 29, 2007)
Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question (November 12, 2007)
Television Comes To Broadway (June 21, 2007)

Labels: Aaron Sorkin, Broadway, Des McAnuff, Hank Azaria, Jimmi Simpson, La Jolla Playhouse, Opening Night, Play, The Farnsworth Invention

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, December 03, 2007 0 comments

Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question

Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question

Yesterday, I reported how Duran Duran: Red Carpet Massacre shifted from the Ethel Barrymore Theatre to the Theatre District's Roseland Ballroom for the remainder of its limited New York City engagement minus, of course, the stage elements.

That transfer became the first casualty of sorts of the stagehands strike. Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) initiated its strike yesterday against The League of American Theatres and Producers, which includes the Barrymore Theatre.

Today, it looks like the next domino to fall may be previously scheduled opening nights for two high profile plays -- Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention at the Music Box Theatre (scheduled to open on November 14) and Conor McPherson's The Seafarer (scheduled to open on November 15) directly across the street at the Booth Theatre.

According to Playbill:

[P]roducers of those shows are contemplating rescheduling the official opening nights.

"If the strike continues," a spokesperson for both shows told Playbill.com, "the openings will be changed." If those dates are revised, the producers are asking critics to hold their reviews until the new opening dates.

UPDATE (November 13, 3:42 pm EST): The opening night for The Farnsworth Invention has been postponed indefinitely.

Stay tuned for the latest developments related to the strike.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Related Stories:
Strike Day Three: The "F" Word (November 12, 2007)
Union Of The Snake? Duran Duran Moves Remainder Of Broadway Gig To Roseland (November 11, 2007)
Strike: Day Two (November 11, 2007)
STRIKE! (November 9, 2007)
A Broadway Stagehands Strike Appears Imminent (November 9, 2007)
Roll Up Your Sleeves And Get To Work! (November 7, 2007)
Now That The Union Has Spoken... (October 22, 2007)
It's Unanimous! (October 20, 2007)
D-Day Indeed (October 21, 2007)
$5 Million Per Day (October 19, 2007)
Nederlanders: On Their Own Again? (October 18, 2007)
The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
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: Duran Duran, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike, The Farnsworth Invention, The Seafarer

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, November 12, 2007 0 comments

August: Best Time Of The Year

August: Best Time Of The Year

The more appropriate title for this story really would be August: Osage County is Time's "Best of the Year," but no matter.

The point is that the theatre critic for the venerable news magazine has selected my personal favorite show of the past year as his top choice for theatre. I couldn't agree more.

But the list itself is a bit suspect to be honest. I know everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, including Richard Zoglin, but c'mon.

I'll give Zoglin a pass on The Farnsworth Invention and I may even agree with him on Pygmalion, but how could the Broadway revival of Grease possibly make any discerning critic's list? Zoglin says, "Even with reality-TV stars, a stylish, happy, underappreciated revival."

Still, it's in his top ten?

Do Grease and best go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong?

Zoglin's full top ten list for 2007 includes:

#1 - August: Osage County

#2 - Journey's End

#3 - Fuerzabruta

#4 - The Overwhelming

#5 - Wooster Group's Hamlet

#6 - Pygmalion

#7 - Grease

#8 - The Farnsworth Invention

#9 - Eurydice

#10 - Intimate Exchanges

Of these shows, only the Broadway shows, Fuerzabruta and The Overwhelming remain open (Pygmalion's limited run closes tomorrow).

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: August Osage County, Best Of Lists, Broadway, Grease, Pygmalion, The Farnsworth Invention, Time

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Saturday, December 15, 2007 11 comments

All Of Great White Way Gleams Tonight

All Of Great White Way Gleams Tonight

Every show that had shuttered during the 19-day Broadway stagehands strike will reopen for business this evening.

Without missing a beat last evening, the 11-year old production of Chicago announced that it is hoping to lure audiences back tonight with discounted seats offered at just $26.50. If you ask me, all shows should be doing something along those lines and for longer periods of time. Producers need to really roll the red carpet out for the people paying the tickets.

Meanwhile, rescheduled opening nights are in the news:
The Farnsworth Invention will now open on December 3.
August: Osage County's limited, but already extended run opens on December 4.
The Seafarer will open on December 6.
Is He Dead?, which was originally scheduled to open this evening will now open December 9.
The Little Mermaid has now pushed its opening all the way into the New Year to January 10.
The net result is one crazy busy week for critics, especially considering that one of the eight shows that remained opened for business during the strike was Cymbeline, which officially opens this Sunday, December 2 at Lincoln Center.

I'll be providing my reviews of The Farnsworth Invention and Cymbeline over the next week as well.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Thursday, November 29, 2007 1 comments

Add August To The List?

Add August To The List?

According to NY1, Tracy Letts' August: Osage County may join Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention and Conor McPherson's The Seafarer in needing to reschedule opening nights due to the ongoing Broadway stagehands strike. Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) has been striking against The League of American Theatres and Producers since Saturday.

Yesterday, the announcement came that The Farnsworth Invention's opening, originally slated for this evening at the Music Box Theatre, would be indefinitely postponed. I understand that the announced postponement for the opening of The Seafarer is imminent since it was scheduled to open tomorrow evening at the Booth Theatre, directly across the street from the Music Box. UPDATE (November 14, 12:45 pm): All theatres currently being struck by Local One will be dark on Thursday, including the Booth, home to The Seafarer.

And talk about a cluster you-know-what for shows that may not open as planned. Right next door to the Music Box is the Imperial Theatre, where August: Osage County is currently scheduled to open on Tuesday.

The primary reason why opening nights are being postponed, of course, is because there is no end in sight for the strike. After all, if the theatres remain dark, they have no choice.

But another reason is that most critics attend preview performances, and if there are no preview performances to attend, well heaven forbid a critic would actually have to attend an opening night performance itself to review a show.

Here is a list of the only Broadway shows not impacted by the strike. These shows remain open and will perform this afternoon and evening:

Cymbeline at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre (in previews at Lincoln Center, no review posted)
Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre (click here for The SOB Review)
Mauritius at the Biltmore Theatre (click here for The SOB Review)
Pygmalion at the American Airlines TheatreStudio 54 (click here for The SOB Review)
The Ritz at Studio 54 (click here for The SOB Review)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Circle In The Square Theatre (Click here for The SOB Review of the Chicago production)
Xanadu at the Helen Hayes Theatre (click here for The SOB Review)
Young Frankenstein at the Hilton Theatre (click here for The SOB Preview from Seattle.

There's also an enormously wide selection of Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows from which to select, as well as the 75th Radio City Christmas Spectacular and cabaret acts ranging from the sublime Broadway legend Chita Rivera at Feinstein's at the Regency to the ridiculously hard-working men and women at Don't Tell Mama.

Now, if only The League would get Local One back to the bargaining table.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: August Osage County, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike, The Farnsworth Invention, The Seafarer

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, November 14, 2007 0 comments

Cold Opening Possible For August: Osage County?

Cold Opening Possible For August: Osage County?

The scheduled opening nights for Broadway's The Farnsworth Invention (Music Box Theatre) and The Seafarer (Booth Theatre) were jettisoned this week due to the stagehands strike.

But Variety reported on Wednesday that there still may be hope for Tuesday's scheduled opening for Tracy Letts' August: Osage County if Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) can hammer out some sort of settlement or an interim agreement with The League of American Theatres and Producers by Sunday evening.

The two sides are slated to finally meet again on Saturday morning at 10 a.m., this time at an undisclosed location.

Gordon Cox reports:

Jeffrey Richards, producer of Chicago transfer August: Osage County, said that if the labor dispute were resolved by Sunday night, he would contemplate opening August cold on its originally skedded date, Nov. 20.

Over at Broadway World, in a Michael J. Roberts interview posted Wednesday, August cast member Francis Guinan states rather hopefully:

We have all pretty much decided to wait-out the strike for now. We are fairly hopeful that it will not continue for much longer. In fact, we are still hoping that we can keep our official opening night of Tuesday, November 20.

Now wouldn't that be something? An opening night that the press would be compelled to attend for a change. David Merrick couldn't have hoped for more.

Let's hope that both sides of the labor dispute come prepared on Saturday to negotiate in good faith so the hardworking stagehands may once again turn on all the lights that make up the Great White Way.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Related Stories:
Finally, Back To The Table (November 14, 2007)
Add August To The List? (November 14, 2007)
Strike Fallout, Part Two? Opening Nights In Question (November 12, 2007)

Labels: August Osage County, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike, The Farnsworth Invention, The Seafarer

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, November 16, 2007 1 comments

Hoping For Miracle On 44th Street

Hoping For Miracle On 44th Street

Last 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

Let's Hope For The Best

Let's Hope For The Best

Right now, somewhere in New York, The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) are meeting once again -- thank you Disney -- in hopes of ultimately reaching a settlement on this the first day of the second week of the Broadway stagehands strike. Nevertheless, all Broadway shows currently impacted will remain dark through Sunday.

So if you're holding tickets for the following shows this afternoon and evening, as well as on Sunday (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

The following eight Broadway shows continue to perform during the strike because they are either in 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

Let's hope that some good news will be shared later today so that Broadway can be fully back in business. Here's wishing the best to both sides to reach a fair and equitable settlement.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Broadway, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Refunds, Stagehands, Strike, Ticketmaster

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Saturday, November 17, 2007 5 comments

With Exception Of 8, All Broadway Shows Closed Through Saturday

With Exception Of 8, All Broadway Shows Closed Through Saturday

Yesterday, the welcome news came that The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) would finally meet again this coming Saturday at an undisclosed location, although it's safe to say it's most definitely not with Vice President Dick Cheney.

Since the stagehands strike continues until they reach an agreement, all Broadway shows that have been impacted thusfar will remain dark through Saturday. So if you're holding tickets for the following shows this evening, Friday or Saturday (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

The following eight Broadway shows continue to perform during the strike because they are either in 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

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Broadway, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Refunds, Stagehands, Strike, Ticketmaster

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Thursday, November 15, 2007 0 comments

Around The Clock?

Around The Clock?

In what I can only characterize as good news, it appears that The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) are still at work according to Playbill. It's been revealed that the two sides in the ongoing Broadway stagehands strike met at the Westin Hotel at 43rd and 8th at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

While early reports indicated that no progress had been made, the two sides are reportedly working around the clock.

Update 1:04 a.m.: According to New York's Daily News, the two sides broke at 11:45 p.m. Saturday evening. No word yet on when the talks would resume.

Update 11:47 a.m.: According to both NY1 and Michael Riedel in the New York Post, talks began again this morning (Sunday) at 10:00 a.m. Riedel's brief column sounded hopeful.

Update 7:02 p.m.: Still waiting on any word from the ongoing negotiations, but so far, I'm hoping no news is good news.

As the strike goes into its ninth day, the picket lines claimed one casualty. The Lion King stagehand Francis Levaia suffered a fatal heart attack at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday evening while picketing. My heart goes out to Levaia's family, friends and colleagues. This news is truly sad.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, all Broadway shows currently impacted by the strike will remain closed. So if you're holding tickets for the following shows this afternoon and evening, (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

The following eight Broadway shows continue to perform during the strike because they are either in 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

Let's hope that all the silence from both sides means that they're truly serious about negotiating in good faith and that a fair and equitable settlement is in the offing. I wish both sides nothing but the best.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Broadway, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Refunds, Stagehands, Strike, Ticketmaster

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Sunday, November 18, 2007 8 comments

Toxic: Jersey Boys Will Be Boys

Labels: Broadway, California, Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys, Jukebox Musical, Marshall Brickman, Musical, San Francisco, Touring Production

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, March 02, 2007 1 comments

Strike By The Numbers

Strike By The Numbers

Because The New York Times' Campbell Robertson and others are doing a nice job of crunching key Broadway numbers involved in the stagehands strike, I wanted to share some of them, along with a few personal ones:

$20 million - the total amount The League of American Theatres and Producers has been skimming off the top of Broadway ticket sales for years to pay for a fund "in preparation for a strike like this one."

$15 million - one of several "estimated costs" per day estimates of the strike on the New York City economy.

$5.2 million - total amassed in stagehands union "defense fund."

$4 million - budget for The Farnsworth Invention, which was to open Thursday night, but has been indefinitely postponed.

$1,070,494 - total box office last week for period's highest grossing show on Broadway, Mary Poppins, one of the Broadway shows that remain open, thanks to different contracts.

$1 million (or more) - cost to load-in larger Broadway shows.

$1 million - amount Local One had moved from its general fund to supplement its $4.1 million defense fund.

$200,000 - last week's increase in box office business for Mary Poppins.

$100,000 - last week's increase in box office business for Xanadu, another of the Broadway shows still open.

$67,500 to $88,500 - stagehand salary range released by Local One.

$34,151 - total box office last week for period's lowest grossing show on Broadway, Is He Dead? which only performed two shows before being struck.

$1,600 - top stagehand pay category per week for electricians and head carpenters.

$1,200 - lowest stagehand pay category per week that's also most common for those operating rigging, traps and winches.

$450 - top ticket price charged for Young Frankenstein, another of the Broadway shows not being struck even though ticket price announcement fanned flames in stagehand community.

$119.03 - highest average ticket price of last week for top capacity hit Jersey Boys (now being struck).

$40.24 - lowest average ticket price of last week for third lowest capacity show August: Osage County (now being struck).

50% - estimated decrease in business at theatre district mainstay Sardi's.

24.3% - week over week capacity increase for Mary Poppins.

20.3% - week over week capacity increase for Xanadu.

13.5% - week over week capacity increase for The Ritz, another of the Broadway shows not being struck.

9.8% - week over week capacity increase for Cymbeline, another of the Broadway shows not being struck.

8.6% - week over week capacity increase for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, another of the Broadway shows not being struck.

8% - total price of Broadway ticket devoted to stagehand pay, according to Local One President James Claffey, Jr.

4.2% - week over week capacity increase for Mauritius, another of the Broadway shows not being struck.

3.5% - week over week capacity increase for Pygmalion, another of the Broadway shows not being struck.

30,000 to 40,000 - number of Broadway patrons "who just aren't there."

3,000 - the total number of Broadway stagehands comprising Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.).

350 to 500 (approximately) - number of Broadway stagehands responsible at any given time for "building, installing and operating scenery and sound and lighting equipment."

105 - days since the Broadway stagehands' contract expired (July 31).

48 - number of Off-Broadway productions currently playing uninterrupted (the strike is only on Broadway).

27 - total number of struck Broadway shows.

8 - number of Broadway shows still open.

7 - number of days until I am supposed to see a struck Broadway show.

4 1/2 - years since last strike hit Broadway.

4 - number of days that strike by the musicians union lasted.

4 and counting - number of days the current strike has lasted.

3 - number of struck Broadway shows for which I'm currently holding tickets between now and Thanksgiving.

1 - increasingly hopeless Broadway fan....me.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, November 13, 2007 8 comments

Broadway Strike: Day Eleven

Broadway Strike: Day Eleven

Today, the Broadway stagehands strike moves into its 11th day after 25 hours of weekend negotiations between The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) failed to even produce a contingency plan for getting the Great White Way all lit up in time for Thanksgiving week, traditionally the second busiest of the entire year.

Instead of continuing at the table, The League abruptly left and quickly cancelled each of the shows already impacted by the strike through this Sunday.

Tonight was the night that Tracy Letts' August: Osage County -- hands-down the best play I've seen in the last five years -- was due to open on Broadway. But since it is drydocked at the struck Imperial Theatre, it instead becomes the third show to indefinitely postpone its opening. Sadder still, it's a transfer from Chicago's not-for-profit Steppenwolf; ironically, of the eight Broadway shows left open for the flock of tourists headed to the Big Apple, exactly half are able to continue precisely because they're playing in houses run by New York not-for-profit theatre companies.

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

New York City is going all out not to let the businesses in the Theatre District implode from lack of traffic. One of the best bets for the week (with the exception of Thanksgiving Day itself) is an offer in which you can receive 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.

Also, since this is the week of Thanksgiving, please do what you can to remember those with AIDS or HIV-related illnesses. Since you'll be saving money on both your meals and the no-shows, 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.

Also, please don't forget that there are just three more days to enter the SOB Contest for a free DVD copy of "ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway." Click here for more details on how to enter.

Finally, keep your comments coming. Over the next few days, I'll be online a bit more sporadically than usual, but I hope to bring you the latest updates.

I appreciate your readership. Despite the ongoing situation on Broadway, you have given me so much to be thankful for. Here's wishing you a safe and 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) @ Tuesday, November 20, 2007 10 comments

All Broadway Shows, Except 8, Now Closed Through Sunday

All Broadway Shows, Except 8, Now Closed Through Sunday

Although The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) will come together tomorrow and hopefully begin the process of achieving a settlement in the nearly one week old stagehands strike, The League has now announced that all Broadway shows currently impacted will remain dark through Sunday.

So if you're holding tickets for the following shows this evening, Saturday or Sunday (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

The following eight Broadway shows continue to perform during the strike because they are either in 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

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Broadway, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Refunds, Stagehands, Strike, Ticketmaster

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, November 16, 2007 11 comments

No Deal Yet

No Deal Yet

The Broadway stagehands strike continues into its 18th day as negotiations between The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) adjourned this morning at 7 a.m. after pulling another all-nighter with "incremental progress" being made.

Talks have yet to be rescheduled.

The Associated Press quotes Local One spokesman Bruce Cohen as saying:

There is no deal...There are no talks scheduled.

Yet that same news story reports that Cohen says that there is "not a breakdown" in the bargaining.

Only eight Broadway shows will be performing this evening. They are are either performing in non-profit houses or are covered by other contracts:
Cymbeline
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
Mary Poppins
Pygmalion
The Ritz
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Xanadu
Young Frankenstein

If you're holding tickets to one of the following Broadway shows, each of them remain closed by the strike (click here for ticket exchange policies):
A Bronx Tale
A Chorus Line
August: Osage County
Avenue Q
Chicago
Curtains
Cyrano de Bergerac
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

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) @ Tuesday, November 27, 2007 0 comments

Out Of The Mouths Of Rockers: Flaming Lips Musical Headed For Broadway?

Labels: Aaron Sorkin, Broadway, Des McAnuff, First Word On New Show, Jukebox Musical, Musical, The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, March 21, 2007 0 comments