Broadway Plays

By David Lazenbydlazenby@cullmantimes.comCullman High School Marching Band members took a big bite of The Big Apple during a trip to New York City this week.The ensemble that was invited to strike up the band at the Nation's Parade held Sunday missed a different musical event because of a strike by Broadway producers and stagehands that started Saturday.The walkout shut down 27 Broadway plays and musicals, including two shows band members planned to attend, "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Wicked.""We had to make some changes," said Band Director Christopher Smith.Although the band missed the shows, Another show became a highlight of the trip.Smith said the band got to perform on "The CBS Early Show.""They came out and filmed our band and we performed a little bit for them and got to be on national TV," said Smith.

Off-Broadway Is Up and Running During Strike

When you think of theatre in New York City, the first thing that may leap to mind is Broadway. But in light of the Nov. 10 stagehands strike against most Broadway shows, the producers and artistic directors of the Off-Broadway community have a message: Our doors are open.

In the hours leading up to the launch of the strike, which began with the 11 AM shuttering and union picketing of an early matinee of Broadway's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, press agents for Off-Broadway shows were e-emailing reminders that Off-Broadway plays and musicals continue as usual.

The stagehands union works under a separate agreement with Off-Broadway theatres and producers, and the strike only impacts Broadway.

Off-Broadway theatres and producers participate in the informational site, www.OffBroadway.com.

Broadway's strike enters third day

Striking US stagehands and theatre producers traded accusations but not much else as the work stoppage that has shut down more than two dozen Broadway plays and musicals entered its third day on Monday.

Charlotte St Martin, the league's executive director, shot back saying Local One "left the negotiating table and abruptly went on the picket line".

Day 3 of Broadway strike

Striking stagehands and theater producers traded accusations but not much else as the work stoppage that has shut down more than two dozen Broadway plays and musicals entered its third day today.

James J. Claffey Jr., president of Local One, fired the first salvo Sunday, declaring that the stagehands would remain off the job until producers started acting "honorably" at the negotiating table.

Speaking at a somber news conference, Claffey said the League of Theatres and Producers needs to make a "constructive" adjustment to its counter offers.

"We want respect at the table," he said. "If there's no respect, they will not see Local One at the table. The lack of respect is something we are not going to deal with."

Shot back Charlotte St.

3rd day of dark theaters on Broadway with no plans for new talks between stagehands, producers

NEW YORK -- Striking stagehands and theater producers traded accusations but not much else as the work stoppage that has shut down more than two dozen Broadway plays and musicals entered its third day Monday.

James J. Claffey Jr., president of Local One, the union for stagehands, said Sunday that stagehands would remain off the job until producers started acting "honorably" at the negotiating table.

Speaking at a somber news conference, Claffey said the League of Theatres and Producers needed to show "respect".

"If there's no respect, they will not see Local One at the table. The lack of respect is something we are not going to deal with."

Charlotte St. Martin, the league's executive director, shot back saying Local One "left the negotiating table and abruptly went on the picket line."

She said the union "refused to budge on nearly every issue, protecting wasteful, costly and indefensible rules that are embedded like dead weights in contracts so obscure and old that no one truly remembers how, when or why they were introduced.

Broadway Grosses Drop After Walkout

NEW YORK (AP) -- The impact of the Broadway stagehands' walkout became apparent in dollars and cents Tuesday as the League of American Theatres and Producers released its weekly box-office report.

Even with only five performances before the walkout, "Wicked" managed to gross a hefty $852,843.

Broadway producers, stagehands to resume talks on Saturday

New York Broadway producers and the stagehands union will return to the negotiation table on Saturday, local media reported yesterday.
The meeting will be the first since talks broke down last week, prompting a strike by stagehands that is now in its fifth day.
The major sticking point has been the number of stagehands required to work each show. Producers accuse the union of forcing them to hire and pay more workers than are really needed. But the stagehand union says it will not give up job protection.
More than two dozen Broadway plays and musicals, such as "The Color Purple," "Chicago," "Grease," "Phantom of the Opera," have been shut down in the past five days by the work stoppage. Only eight shows remain open under separate contracts with producers.
It is estimated that the strike would cost the city US$17 million a day.