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caENTERTAINMENTShowstoresumeonBroadwayafter19-daystagehands'strikeendsByMichaelKuchwara,THEASSOCIATEDPRESSThursday,November29,2007NEWYORK-ItwascurtainsupThursday,asBroadwayracedtoreopenforbusinessafterstagehandsandtheatreproducersreachedatentativeagreementandendedacripplingstrikethatkeptmorethantwodozenshowsdarkfor19days.
ThesettlementcameWednesdaynight,thethirddayofmarathonsessionsbetweenLocalOneoftheInternationalAllianceofTheatricalStageEmployeesandtheLeagueofAmericanTheatresandProducerstoendthelengthyworkstoppagethatcostproducersandthecitymillionsofdollars.
Mostplaysandmusicalsthatwereshutduringthewalkout,whichbeganNov.
10,wereexpectedtobeupandrunningbyThursdayevening.
"Thecontractisagoodcompromisethatservesourindustry,"saidCharlotteSt.
Martin,theleague'sexecutivedirector.
"WhatismostimportantisthatBroadway'slightswillonceagainshinebrightly,withadiversityofproductionsthatwilldelightalltheatregoersduringthisholidaytime.
"UnionPresidentJamesJ.
ClaffeyJr.
wasequallyeffusiveinsigningoffontheagreement,saying,"ThepeopleofBroadwayarelookingforwardtoreturningtowork,givingthetheatregoingpublicthejoyofBroadway,thegreatestentertainmentintheworld.
"Detailsofthefive-yearcontract,whichmustbeapprovedbytheunionmembership,werenotdisclosed.
Butnegotiations,whichbeganlastsummer,weredifficult,rightuptothelastday,asbothsidesstruggledwithwhatapparentlywasthefinalhang-up-wages.
Itconcernedhowmuchtopaystagehandsinreturnforareductioninwhattheproducerssaywereonerousworkrulesthatrequiredthemtohiremorestagehandsthanareneeded.
Untilthen,thetalkshadfocusedonhowmanystagehandsarerequiredtoopenaBroadwayshowandkeepitrunning.
Thatmeansmovingscenery,lights,soundsystemsandpropsintothetheatre;installingthesetandmakingsureitworks;andkeepingeverythingfunctioningwellforthelifeoftheproduction.
Thestrikecouldn'thavehappenedataworsetimeforBroadway.
Suchpopularshowsas"Wicked,""JerseyBoys,""MammaMia!
"and"TheLionKing"wereclosedduringthelucrativeThanksgivingholidayweek.
It'snormallyoneofthebesttimesoftheyearforBroadwaywhenthecityisfilledwithtouristsandChristmasshoppers.
Financiallosseswerestaggering.
Butitwasn'tjustproducersandstagehandswhowerehurt.
Actors,musiciansandevenpressagentslostpaycheques,too.
Andtheatre-relatedbusinessesalsosuffered.
CitycomptrollerWilliamThompsonestimatedtheeconomicimpactofthestrikeatUS$2millionaday,basedonsurveydatathatincludetheatregoers'totalspendingontickets,diningandshopping.
Theleagueputthedamageevenhigher.
Eightshowsremainedopenduringthestrike(theirtheatreshadseparatecontractswithLocalOne),andtheywerejoinedbyaninthwhen"Dr.
Seuss'HowtheGrinchStoleChristmas!
"gotacourtordertoletitreopen.
Theendofthewalkoutmeansascramblefornewopeningnightsforseveralshowsthatwereinpreviewswhenthestrikehit.
TheyincludeAaronSorkin's"TheFarnsworthInvention,""August:OsageCounty"fromChicago'sSteppenwolfTheatreCompanyandanadaptationofalong-lostMarkTwaincomedy,"IsHeDead"Disney's"TheLittleMermaid"alreadyannounceditwouldpushbackitsscheduledDec.
6opening-withanewdatestilltobeset.
"Wearesoexcited,"TitussBurgess,whoportraysSebastianthecrabinthelavishmusical,toldNewYork1TV.
Theactorsaidhehadn'tanticipatedthestrikewouldlastaslongasitdid.
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"Wehopeeveryone'ssatisfied.
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theatmospherearoundourstagedoorwas:Wetriedtoremainpositive,"Burgessadded.
"We'rejusthappytobegoingbacktowork.
"AleciaParker,executiveproducerof"Chicago,"saidticketstothemusical'sThursdayreopeningwouldbesoldattheboxofficeatadiscounted$26.
50andthatshewasn'tworriedtheatregoersmightnotcomebacktoBroadway.
"IthinkpeoplehavebeenverydisappointedtohaveBroadwaydark,"Parkertoldthetelevisionstation.
"Ithinkwe'llseeanoutpouringofsupportfromthecommunity.
"ParkersaidrehearsalswereplannedThursdaytogetthecastbackuptospeed,butsheanticipatedfewproblems.
"Youcanimaginetheadrenalineforcomingbackafter19days,"shesaid.
Broadway'slaststrikeoccurredin2003whenmusiciansstagedafour-daywalkout.
Themusiciansalsostruckin1975,shuttingmusicalsbutnotplaysfor25days.
-JenniferPeltzandDinoHazellcontributedtothisreport.
-OntheNet:Union:http://www.
iatselocalone.
orgLeagueofAmericanTheatres:http://www.
broadway.
orgCopyrightThursday,November29,2007AllmaterialcontainedhereiniscopyrightedbyTheOkanaganValleyGroupofNewspapers,adivisionofContinentalNewspapersCanadaLtd.
AllRightsReserved.
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