It has been quiet in New York in the last week. Most new shows are just starting to open to previews with many officially opening in either November or December. This is typical for the theatre because the fall usually is more quiet than the spring. The spring is when most shows open to compete for the Tony Awards and the summer tourists. Ironically though New York's busiest weeks all occur in the fall; Thanksgiving week and New Years Eve, just to name a few.
Probably the biggest story going on right now is occurring between the Stage Hands and the Producers and this story could later on grow to become quiet big. Since July 31, 2007 the Stage Hands Union have been working witho
ut a contract. Since before that time the Union, Local 1, has been negotiating with the Producers for a new contract. After months of talks and rejected contracts the union authorized to strike last sunday, but has said that it will not do so till December 1.
What could make this story so big is that a strike could shut down Broadway and this would be the second strike in four years. The last strike occurred in 2003(see picture) when the musicians union struck. The problem is that December is one of the theatre's busiest months with regards to openings and tourists. A strike could paralyze the theatre and be even nastier to the fans. I can't recall who said, but imagine a strike, than imagine a little girl in green face paint crying outside the Gershwin Theatre, where Wicked is playing. She has waited for over a year to see this show and now what? This is bad PR and the theatre doesn't need, not now. Not as it is starting to comeback in the mainstream culture.
But for right now all is quiet and the November tea leaves will start to reveal more to us. Until them here is hoping for a great November and a working December.
For a list of articles relating to the strike, please the playbill.com link:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/112233.html
Probably the biggest story going on right now is occurring between the Stage Hands and the Producers and this story could later on grow to become quiet big. Since July 31, 2007 the Stage Hands Union have been working witho
ut a contract. Since before that time the Union, Local 1, has been negotiating with the Producers for a new contract. After months of talks and rejected contracts the union authorized to strike last sunday, but has said that it will not do so till December 1.What could make this story so big is that a strike could shut down Broadway and this would be the second strike in four years. The last strike occurred in 2003(see picture) when the musicians union struck. The problem is that December is one of the theatre's busiest months with regards to openings and tourists. A strike could paralyze the theatre and be even nastier to the fans. I can't recall who said, but imagine a strike, than imagine a little girl in green face paint crying outside the Gershwin Theatre, where Wicked is playing. She has waited for over a year to see this show and now what? This is bad PR and the theatre doesn't need, not now. Not as it is starting to comeback in the mainstream culture.
But for right now all is quiet and the November tea leaves will start to reveal more to us. Until them here is hoping for a great November and a working December.
For a list of articles relating to the strike, please the playbill.com link:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/112233.html
The picture is from the 2003 Musicians strike and can be found here:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/83397.html
Bloggers Note:
Again the Wicked example was not mine, but if anyone can remember who said it, I would be most grateful to post the story.
Bloggers Note:
Again the Wicked example was not mine, but if anyone can remember who said it, I would be most grateful to post the story.
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