| Broadway strike talks fail
NEW YORK: Most of Broadway�s theatres will remain dark for a second week after weekend talks between owners and producers and striking stagehands broke down, theater producers said.
Some 25 Broadway shows have been cancelled, including profitable productions like �Chicago,� �The Phantom of the Opera,� �Wicked� and �Hairspray� since the stagehands, working without a contract since July, went on strike on November 10.
The League of American Theatres and Producers said the strike is costing about $17mn for every day it lasts.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called on both sides to resolve their differences, saying that the economic impact of the strike is felt far beyond the closed theaters. Broadway shows are a major tourist attraction, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars into the city.
Strike unlikely to affect series
Chances of the lights going out at Cincinnati's Aronoff Center, home to touring Broadway shows, are slim even though an ongoing stagehands strike has darkened all but eight New York City Broadway theaters since last Saturday. Broadway shows idled because of the strike include the musicals "Wicked" and "Jersey Boys." In addition, Broadway openings of such new shows as Conor McPherson's new play "The Seafarer" have been delayed. The work stoppage is expensive for the theater community. For instance, last week the Broadway box office gross on "Wicked" alone was near $853,000 for just eight performances. The Aronoff Center for the Arts, downtown, is currently hosting the touring musical "Camelot" through Nov. 25, but expects no extension of the strike to road shows. "I have no information at this time that this strike is likely to have any effect on the local market," said Stephen Loftin, president and executive director of the Cincinnati Association for the Arts that manages the Aronoff Center, Music Hall and Memorial Hall.
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-14 20:38 GMT: In Focus: Broadway strike hits chains
NEW YORK (AP) - The Broadway stagehands' strike may seem like an issue only for local business, but its impact could extend far beyond the Great White Way, as declining foot traffic reduces the number of visitors to the outlets of national chain stores, restaurants and hotels. The walkout, which has closed more than two dozen Broadway theaters, entered its fifth day Wednesday with no negotiations planned. The impasse has left tourists adrift and turned the normally crowded Times Square into a comparative ghost town. During a typical year, visitors spend about $5 billion on entertainment, including Broadway shows and other activities, according to NYC & Co., the city's official marketing and tourism organization. City Comptroller William Thompson estimated the economic impact of the strike at $2 million a day, including total spending on tickets, dining, shopping and other activities.
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.
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-14 21:07 GMT: In Focus: Broadway strike hits chains
NEW YORK (AP) - The Broadway stagehands' strike may seem like an issue only for local business, but its impact could extend far beyond the Great White Way, as declining foot traffic reduces the number of visitors to the outlets of national chain stores, restaurants and hotels. The walkout, which has closed more than two dozen Broadway theaters, entered its fifth day Wednesday with no negotiations planned. The impasse has left tourists adrift and turned the normally crowded Times Square into a comparative ghost town. During a typical year, visitors spend about $5 billion on entertainment, including Broadway shows and other activities, according to NYC & Co., the city's official marketing and tourism organization. City Comptroller William Thompson estimated the economic impact of the strike at $2 million a day, including total spending on tickets, dining, shopping and other activities.
People heading Off-Broadway during strike
The producers of some Off-Broadway shows are hoping people will check out their offerings now that a strike has closed down most Broadway productions. "I feel really horrible and sad about (the stagehand strike) affecting so many people," Daryl Roth, producer of Off-Broadway's, "Die Mommie Die!" told Playbill.com. "I think the good message that could come out of this, if there's anything good to be had, is that there's a huge theater landscape in New York City, and it includes Off-Broadway and the not-for-profits. When people are making choices, they might think about those." Douglas C. Evans said he and his producing partners have been passing out flyers to remind potential theatergoers about their show, "Frankenstein, A New Musical." Walk-up business filled the Saturday and Sunday shows to capacity after the strike began Saturday morning.
UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News - November 20, 2007
B'way could lose $135M this holiday season NEW YORK, Nov. 20 Broadway could suffer a $135 million loss this holiday season due to a New York stagehand strike that has darkened the Great White Way for 10 days.
Last year, ticket sales brought in $134.4 million from Thanksgiving to Christmas, with $23 million generated during Thanksgiving week alone, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday. This year, most Broadway shows have been canceled at least through Nov. 25.
City Controller William Thompson said the strike is costing New York City about $2 million in lost revenue each day.
"It's not good for the city," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday, adding that it isn't just the loss of money that concerns him.
"I think what hurts more is our reputation," he said. "It's the psychic things rather than the dollars."
The stagehand walkout could also mean the end for at least two shows whose sales were sluggish -- "Rent" and "The Drowsy Chaperone" -- and for "The Seafarer," a new drama that was scheduled to open last week, the Daily News said.
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