Broadway Strike Could Last Weeks

Well, it looks like I'm not going to be seeing The Little Mermaid on Saturday.

According to Michael Riedel of The New York Post, both sides in the ongoing Broadway stagehands strike appear to be digging their heels in, and the strike may end up dragging on over the next few weeks. The stagehands are hoping that the producers will crack faced with the prospect of losing the highly profitable Thanksgiving weekend, typically Broadway's busiest time. And the producers are counting on the stagehands' receiving pressure from the currently inactive Broadway actors, faced with what is looking increasingly like numerous missed paychecks.

There's been a lot of coverage about the economic impact of the strike, and the fact that it may cause a number of shows to delay their opening nights. (For an ongoing tally of the nitty-gritty details of the strike, check out the blog of my inestimable colleague, Steve on Broadway. Geez, Steve, do you, like, have a day job?) But the strike may also force certain shows to close up shop entirely. The Drowsy Chaperone, which according to Riedel will be closing in January anyway, may need to check out of the Marquis a bit sooner than that. And Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll has the added expense of housing for all the Brits in the cast, which may force that critically acclaimed show to shutter prematurely. 

But the show that's really getting the worst end of this situation is Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which may wind up not reopening at all after the strike, depending on how long in drags on. That means that the show will have played only one regular performance and 13 previews. Ouchy-wa-wa.

Let's hope that EVERYONE involved stops acting like a bunch of frickin' babies, returns to the bargaining table, and hammers out a compromise agreement that gets everyone back to doing what they do best: creating quality theater.

Comments

[Steve On Broadway (SOB)]

Amen. And yes, I do....I just work around the clock!!