Few would disagree that life is too short to "Sweat the Small Stuff" but everyone has a different opinion of what is small & what is large.
"Hello" - our thoughts & prayers are with you & your family. Just yesterday I learned of another vibrant woman in my "theater family" that had a stroke at an early age and it reminded me just how precious each day and each experience is.
My opinion - for what its worth - parallels that of those who speak of the customers. The bottom line is that if people aren't willing to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets to see these shows, acting, singing and working behind the scenes can quickly go from a profession to something you do for fun in addition to another job that pays your bills.
Its easy for people to say "As soon as the shows go back up, people will come back to see our shows." That may be true but then again, it might not be. Customers have a funny way of getting their point across to businesses (and lets face it, Broadway is a business). People who lose a lot of money because of the specific choices of a business & its workers tend to more than a little crabby. Many businesses have suffered greatly and even ceased to exist because the underestimated the backlash from their customers after a major service disruption. Actually the NHL analogy is a good one as everyone involved is suffering from the lack of interest that has come from hockey being "out of sight & out of mind" for a year.
I hope they find a way to fix this FAST!! It will be interesting look back a year after it ends and see if who, if anyone has really benefited from the strike.
I know the Grease cast has to go to the theatre and sign in that they were there and willing to work at each regular call time. I know they're spending another several minutes to an hour allowing pictures with fans, signing autographs, and expressing lots of condolences for not being able to perform. I'm not aware that they're singing or otherwise performing in any way for whatever crowds may have gathered, but they're sure trying to do their part to connect with fans. In other news...my Mom and I talked several times yesterday back and forth and we have decided to still go to New York even though we will miss the show. It is almost impossible to try to reschedule our trip. If we wait until it gets colder it will just be too hard for her to go and she will not be able to enjoy it. If we wait until next spring she just may not be able to go at all. We have birthday presents to share, we've planned this for two months...we're just going to go. We will see the big billboard, go by the theatre, and spend some special time with Laura and Nate. We will just not be able to have the memory of seeing the show together. If God allows enough grace, maybe I can try to take her again in the spring. And one last thought on consumers....does anyone have a statistic as to the entire number of Broadway seats that would have to be refunded in even a week of a strike? With 8 shows a week, Grease alone has to be around 8000 patrons. When I think of a show like Wicked, I can't even guess how many seats are in that theatre--wouldn't there be at least 4 or 5 times that many seats? Just for numbers if there's 4000 seats times 8 shows a week, that's another 32,000 patrons in one week. Can we start to get an idea of the numbers of consumers effected in just one week? Singing doc, I found it interesting to read your information on the effect of the prior sporting event strikes. I'm not a big sports fan so didn't really know that information but your point of the fans being mad and staying mad is my point of the impact of offending lots of consumers. Broadway doesn't enjoy near as big of an audience in the first place that sports does (unfortunately) and the impact can hurt a lot. Many people will do as you said...take their vacation time and money and go to Yellowstone next year (and every year thereafter)...and choose to just see theatre in their own locale. All the national interest in Broadway that Grease tried to generate through the TV audition process, is shooting itself back in the foot with each day the strike goes on. The whole strike hurts people in many circles as Hello799 said. I'm more and more for the idea of locking them all in a room and no one comes out until they get it settled.
209,635 seats in all the theaters currently housing shows. That is the total for a week of performances (8). This number excludes Young Frankenstein, which does not report its weekly grosses, but houses about 1829/perf.
157,523 seats will have to be refunded.
The number goes slightly up if you count YF in there, but since it's still playing and doesn't report weekly tallies, it is irrelevent.
Thank You to all of you for your kindness. My father goes in for surgery this afternoon. We should be able to tell more some time this evening.
Jane, I could not agree more with you on your last post. It exactly what I was trying to say ealier and just didn't know how to put it into words. You and your family, have a great trip this weekend and enjoy every moment. Should be something special. And who knows, god be willing, you all may go back next spring.
My father is out of surgery. The doc said everything went as expected and we should know what health issues there are when he wakes up. Again, THANK YOU to everyone for your prayers.
Negotiations broke down yesterday (Sunday) and shows are closed through the Thanksgiving week.
''We are profoundly disappointed to have to tell you that talks broke off tonight, and that no further negotiations are scheduled,'' Charlotte St. Martin, the league's executive director, said in a statement.
Then why did she walk out of the negotiations? Producers walked out first. Guess that theater restoration money is coming in handy for the producers, but for the others who are not being paid, it's sad situation.
Working in the theater means you need to be very careful about saving for a rainy day. It's raining today in NYC and will be raining all week for the theater people and those whose livelyhoods depend on theater folks.
I want to make a case here for the Producers...........
They are business people, worldly wise, and financially successful. They know that we are at the beginning of a recession, which, according to experts in peak oil, debt, climate change, terrorism, etc., will be severe.
Broadway is the most expensive entertainment and will be the hardest hit. In order for any shows to survive, they will need to cut expenses to the bone. Apparently, the stagehands represent enough of the budget to justify the present loss of revenue.
Of course, looking at the bigger picture is easier for the fat cats than for the rank and file.
How is your father? You are right when we face difficult circumstances like the illness of a loved ones things like this strike pale in comparison. The strike will be resolved, some people will be happy with the outcome some won't but Max and Laura still have a wonderful family that loves them, food on their table a place to live and the list goes on. So in the end I guess we just wait and see. A word of advice for us all: Live well, laugh often and love much!
Talks will reconvene Nov. 26, according to playbill.com:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/112928.html
The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One, the stagehands union, are scheduled to reconvene Sunday, Nov. 25, according to the New York Post.
This will be the latest round of negotiations to try to end the labor dispute between the two organizations, which has resulted in the darkening of 27 Broadway theatres.
The stagehands strike began Nov. 10 and is currently in its 11th day. Shows in the 27 affected theatres have been canceled through Nov. 25.
The League and the union were last at the negotiating table Nov. 17 and 18.
Many had hoped that that weekend of negotiations the first time the union and the League had sat down together since Nov. 9 would lead to a quick resolution. Those in the industry believed that the talks, which began Saturday morning, Nov. 17, would be aided by the participation of Robert W. Johnson, a Disney labor relations executive who flew in to mediate. Thomas C. Short, the president of I.A.T.S.E. who had granted strike authorization to the Broadway stagehands union on Nov. 9, was also part of the weekend meetings.
The two days' worth of negotiating at the Westin Hotel proved unfruitful. The producers left the meeting after no agreement could be reached. Following the Sunday talks, producers announced they would cancel shows through the Thanksgiving weekend.
Only eight Broadway shows are currently up and running.
Thanks for asking Reniefran. My father is doing well. Surgery went great. After stabilizing his blood pressure, the doctors moved him from ICU to another room. Things are going so good, they expect him to be home by the weeks end.
It appears the Nederlander organization has now sued Local One. Story on Broadway World is short and basically says they are suing for $35 million in losses due to the strike. (Like this is going to help?) Or maybe they are hoping that a court battle will bring pressure on the union.
I am glad to hear that your father is doing well. And you are right there are so many things to be thankful for. I pretty well figure if I can see, hear, walk, talk, get myself out of bed, etc. I have a lot to be thankful for.
BWW.com claims that reports of the strike being over are not true but the rumor mill says actors are being told to report to their theatres. There may be good news on the horizon.
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"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
"He took in the smell of the ballpark, he smiled. He loved the ballpark, there were smells there that couldn't be found anywhere else."
At least it means they are still talking and no one has stormed out. The break will help prevent that, but let's hope they are coming to some resolutions so everyone can get back to work soon.
My family came up from Florida to see a lot of Broadway shows, most notably Grease for the Thanksgiving Holidays. My nieces were devastated they could not see Laura and Max on Broadway. These greedy stagehands ruined my holiday for sure.
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They say that I won't last too long on Broadway I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they all say But they're dead wrong, I know they are 'Cause I can play this here guitar And I won't quit till I'm a star on Broadway
My friends came from California to see Grease and Hairspray. Did they get to? Nope? Were they disappointed? Sure. Did they complain? Nope. Instead they saw Xanadu, The Homecoming, I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change, and Alter Boyz. These things happen.
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"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
"He took in the smell of the ballpark, he smiled. He loved the ballpark, there were smells there that couldn't be found anywhere else."
Saw that article Eris. So far, nothing. I hope they are still negotiating. At this point it's the size of the wage increases and they are not far apart a percentage and a few points. YIKES!
The actors have received e-mails telling them to report to work tomorrow. There is a rehearsal from 1pm to 5pm and the show will be at 8pm. Hallelujah!!!
Thank You!!! Nice to hear. Now we can continue our communications with group sales to nail down dates, times, prices, etc on our group going next April.