November 11, 2007
Day 2 of Broadway strike; no negotiations scheduled
Broadway's heading into Day 2 of the stagehand strike and unfortunately there's not even a hint of talks to return to the negotiating table. Some highlights from the morning's coverage of the first day of the strike:
New York Post:"I keep hearing that it will be a very short strike," said Tom Stoppard, writer of the play "Rock 'n' Roll." "[But] "we were told [World War I] would be over by Christmas and it lasted four years."
If the stoppage is prolonged, shows without strong advance ticket sales - including "Rent," "The Drowsy Chaperone" and even "Chicago" - could be forced to shut permanently. The New York Times has a strike survival guide, basically a summary of the Off-Broadway shows that have previously received good reviews from Times' critics.
And this elsewhere from the NY Times:Union officials have said they are open to changes as long as the new rules come with benefits of equal value in return. The league has proposed a package of raises, but James J. Claffey Jr., the Local One president, has said there is no way to determine the amount of stagehand work that will be lost under the looser rules that the producers are proposing. About a quarter of the 2,200 active members of Local One, who build scenery, maintain props and install and operate lighting and sound equipment, work on Broadway.
Stagehands fall into four wage categories. The highest-paid, like head carpenters and electricians, currently earn a minimum of $1,600 a week on a running show; stagehands in the lowest-paid category make a minimum of around $1,225. With overtime, additional work assignments and certain premium payments, wages can end up being quite a bit higher. From Playbill:Paul Libin, producing director for Jujamcyn Theaters, said the producers received no verbal or written notification from the union that the strike would commence Nov. 10. "The men came in to work at the St. James Theatre for their work call to set up for the 11 o'clock performance [of How the Grinch Stole Christmas], and at 10 o'clock in the morning, they walked out. No one told us they were going to do that until they did that." In Variety:Producer David Stone ("Wicked"), whose tuner "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" was one of the productions still running, said "Bee" had sold out both performances Saturday. Broadway strike resources:
All Off-Broadway shows
How to get a refund for shows canceled by the strike
TKTS still lists discounts on unaffected Broadway and Off-Broadway shows
The eight Broadway shows exempt from the strike are "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," "Cymbeline," "Mary Poppins," "Mauritius," "Pygmalion," "The Ritz," "Xanadu" and "Young Frankenstein."
The following shows have been closed by the Broadway strike: A Bronx Tale, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Chicago, A Chorus Line, The Color Purple, Curtains, Cyrano de Bergerac, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Farnsworth Invention, Grease, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Les Misérables, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Seafarer, Spamalot!, Spring Awakening and Wicked. Also, Duran Duran's "Red Concert Massacre" concert series at Broadway's Barrymore Theater has been canceled and the band is trying to find an alternate venue for the final shows.
Other current on-stage-type options in NYC:
Radio City Christmas Spectacular
Cirque du Soleil's "Wintuk" at Madison Square Garden
New York City Opera "Carmen," (on Sunday)
Metropolitan Opera
The Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center
A marionette 'Hamlet' on Jane's antique carousel
Off-Off-Broadway listings
See NewYorkology's November calendar for other options.
Earlier: 'Grinch' on Broadway first show shut down by strike
Even if Broadway doesn't strike, Off-Broadway beckons
November 11, 2007 08:54 AM in Broadway
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