| Theater fans discover Off Broadway during strike
NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Phantom of the Opera," "Mamma Mia!" and "Legally Blonde" may be off the menu as a strike by Broadway stagehands enters its 12th day. So how about "Crime and Punishment"? Talks between striking stagehands and theater owners and producers broke down on Sunday, and no new negotiations are scheduled, ensuring that some 25 productions will remain dark. In the meantime, visitors to New York have been venturing into the less familiar territory known as Off Broadway. "We have definitely seen a boost in ticket sales since the strike began," said Kelly Davis, a spokeswoman for the 59E59 theater, where a 90-minute adaptation of the Fyodor Dostoevsky novel has been playing to packed houses. .
Judge: Broadway's 'Grinch' will reopen
NEW YORK (AP) - Whoville has been ordered to get back to work. A Manhattan judge has ordered the Broadway production of "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas!" to reopen despite the ongoing stagehands strike. The ruling comes a day after a judge heard arguments from producers of the show and owners of the theater housing the $6 million production. Producers, citing a special contract between the show and Jujamcyn (joo-JAHM'-sun) Theaters, wanted the show to go on. Jujamcyn owners said the lockout was legal and a tactical decision by the theater owners in handling the strike. An attorney for the owners has said his clients have no assurance that the stagehands would not walk out again if the show resumed. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
Off Broadway Booms in Wake of Strike
NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Phantom of the Opera," "Mamma Mia!" and "Legally Blonde" may be off the menu as a strike by Broadway stagehands enters its 12th day. So how about "Crime and Punishment?" Talks between striking stagehands and theater owners and producers broke down on Sunday and no new negotiations are scheduled, ensuring that some 25 productions will remain dark. In the meantime, visitors to New York have been venturing into the less familiar territory known as Off Broadway. .
Tourists discover off-Broadway's allure
NEW YORK -- With most of Broadway dark because of the stagehands strike, business is booming off-Broadway, especially for those theaters in the Times Square area. No new negotiations have been scheduled between Local 1, the stagehands union, and the League of American Theatres and Producers. The stalemate has forced theatergoers, particularly tourists, to find other attractions and off-Broadway has some 48 productions now playing, according to the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers. .
Broadway strike disappoints fans traveling to N.Y. on bus tours
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Bus tour packages are a popular way for many out-of-state theater fans to get dinner and see a Broadway show in New York. But the stagehands' strike has led to waves of disheartened day-trippers, logistical headaches for organizers, and lower revenues for tour companies. Starr Tours, with offices in Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey, usually sends more than 10,000 people to see Broadway shows every year. Vice president Sandy Borowsky says that number will be down this year. The show stoppage has forced the cancellation of 8 buses so far. That represents more than 400 would-be theatergoers. Deborah Joyce of Senior Citizens United Community Services of Camden County, New Jersey, says her group canceled a busload of travelers planning to see "Mamma Mia!" on Sunday.
Grinch Stars Beat Broadway Ban
LATEST: The stars of Broadway show THE GRINCH beat the ban on them returning to work - by giving fans an impromptu performance on the streets of New York. More than 30 performers, including many of the show's child actors, sang songs from the show, as hundreds of fans gathered outside the St James Theater on Tuesday (20Nov07). Cast and crew on all Broadway productions have been on strike since 10 November (07), supporting stagehands' quest for better pay. Union bosses gave workers on The Grinch permission to return to work, because the show is only due to run during the Christmas period and is in danger of shutting down for good. But theatre bosses refuse to let the strikers return, in support for other venues. Speaking outside the theatre on New York's 44th Street and Eight Avenue, The Grinch conductor David Rosenblum said, "We're being illegally locked out of the theatre.
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